Sarah Pecorino Illustration

Printable: Winter Dress Up Girl

2012-02-09T15:26:00.000-05:00

The printable Winter Dress Up girl has finally arrived! Click on the images to download, then print, color, cut and dress!

Printable: Mitten Match

2012-01-26T09:32:00.001-05:00

click on the image to download

Here's a another quick winter activity page for preschool aged kids. My little guy has done it at least three times already. For another winter clothing themed activity check out the Winter Dress Up printable available HERE.

Printable: Muscle Love Valentine's Cards

2012-01-26T01:28:00.002-05:00

click on the image to download

Is there a muscle lover in your life who deserves a Valentine's Day card as cool as he/she is? I sure do... I created these free printable cards in honor of my wonderful meat-head husband.

My honey proudly posing with his 700lbs bench bar.

Click on the images to download. Print each card onto a piece of 8.5" x 11" card stock and trim to the guide lines. Write a cute little note on the inside and send it on to your muscular love. Each card is 6.25 x 4.5 and fits an A6 envelope.

Funny thing is that my son saw the "Pump Me Up" card and said "Daddy"! No doubt Daddy will be proud.

Flashback: 1995(ish)

2012-01-17T23:49:00.000-05:00

I found this in a stack of sketches from my middle school days, probably in 7th or 8th grade (1995 or 1996). It was one of a couple illustrations I did for the school newspaper.

Printable: Getting Dressed for Winter

2012-01-14T09:27:00.000-05:00

I made this winter dress up activity for Luc. Have your child color in then cut out (or have an adult cut out) each item of clothing and dress the boy for outdoor fun! Feel free to download the two pages below. Click on each image to download from my Flickr page. (I'll try and make up a girl version and get that posted with it soon).

I'm thinking about making a sort of loose curriculum to entertain him this winter and to keep me on a schedule. I think that having something to focus on each day will help me to balance the 2 year old and the infant better. When I was younger I spent several years working at a preschool, so I have a good idea of how to run it, but has anyone tried this with their little ones?

Welcome Charlotte

2012-01-13T00:22:00.001-05:00

Three weeks ago today, on December 22nd, we welcomed Charlotte Michele into the world. She's adorable and (thankfully) has my coloring, which is a nice change from her brother's blond hair/blue eyes to match Daddy ;) Though I've got the itch to get back into crafting and illustrating I'm going to keep laying low and enjoying this adorable face...

... and this one...

(It's amazing what sort of trouble they can get into when you're cleaning up from snack).

Printable: Elephant Thank Yous

2012-01-03T17:50:00.001-05:00

The other day I shared a printable Robot Thank You for you to download for your little one to send out. I love how simple it is for them (or in this case, me) to fill out while having a little bit of fun. Today I'm sharing another Fill-in-the-Blank Thank You that I designed for our new daughter. She was born just before Christmas so we're using these as birthday thank yous, but they certainly can be used for the Holidays.

UPDATE 1.26.12: I've revised the card to make it cuter... Here's the new version and download link! Enjoy!

click on the image above to download

Printable: Fill-in-the-Blank Robot Thank You

2012-01-01T15:25:00.001-05:00

The little dude will be sending out his own Thank Yous for his holiday gifts (even if I am the one filling them out). Here is the Fill-in-the-Blank Thank You that you can print and send out for yourself. Print them out on some card stock and cut at the crop lines. Enjoy!

Just click on the link HERE or on the image below to download.

Happy Holidays!

2011-12-20T19:35:00.000-05:00

Mix-and-Match character sketch

2011-12-15T16:26:00.000-05:00

I'd like to make my little guy one of those mix-and-match character sets, maybe with some scrap wood. Maybe this sweet thing will make the cut.

Dress Shirt Pillow

2011-12-15T15:15:00.002-05:00

One week to go before baby arrives! I'm still burning up some nesting fuel and came up with this pillow last night. I used a men's XXL dress shirt that had fallen prey to a tailoring mishap over the summer. I also made use of more drop cloth canvas as the foundation fabric and detail trim. I love how the rustic natural fibers compliment the fine fabric of the dress shirt. (Check out this other pillow project I did using drop cloth canvas).

front

The front button closure is functional and there is a band along the back of the pillow to mirror the front.

back

Cute Finger Puppets: Jenn Ski

2011-12-09T08:36:00.001-05:00

These finger puppets from Mudpuppy are so darn cute! Designed by the awesome artist Jenn Ski.

http://www.galison.com/Forest-Animals-Finger-Puppets-P3361C824.aspx

UPDATE: My son now has a set of these cuties and loves them. He's two and is crazy about puzzles, so it worked out that the board these puppets are cut from is a good 200-250gsm (about 1/8" thick). After playing with them as puzzle pieces the puppets and their board have held up pretty well! They're wicked cute.

Dinosaur Hooded Towel

2011-12-07T09:23:00.001-05:00

I've got two weeks before Baby is set to enter the world (EEK!) so I've been busy doing more nesting than illustrating lately. I made the little dude this hooded towel as a Christmas gift. Luckily he's still at that naive 2 year old stage so when he saw me uploading the photos to the computer he had no clue what he was looking at.

I used Sew Like My Mom's tutorial as a jumping off point and ran with it. (There are TONS more great tutorials out there so I'll spare you). How about those sweet nostrils? I contemplated putting dimensional eyelids on the eyes but decided I should save what little brain I have left since I'm going to be needing it in a couple weeks.

The spikes are doubled craft felt with detail stitching (which you can see a detail shot of HERE). The teeth are two pieces of upcycled white polo shirt, sandwiched around a piece of white felt, and secured with a zig zag stitch. I lined the hood with some green flannel to cover any raw terrycloth edges. I used the same fabric to run bias tape over the spike seam and to make a handy loop on the backside.

I can't wait to take pictures of him actually wearing it!

Me, circa 2003

2011-11-07T16:02:00.000-05:00

Found this while cleaning out some old folders today. It's a component of my "Vote for Sarah Chamberlain as Student Government Secretary", circa Fall 2003. Ah, the days when I busted out the short funky hair and wore jewelry in all of my piercings. Such the art student.

Jenn Ski inspired artwork

2011-11-04T13:55:00.001-04:00

Just to continue on my non-illustration specific creative streak, here's a new painting for our living room. It's inspired by a pattern used in the ABC animals of illustrator Jenn Ski. (Visit her Etsy site and see if you can spot the pattern that inspired me!) Actually, now that I think of it, the collage aspect was inspired by her paintings, as well. Love ya, Jenn!!!

I varnished it with a matte varnish that I had leftover from the Poppy piece, and it killed the orange. I'm considering going over it again with gloss to bring back some of the pop, but I'll live with it for a bit and think about it.

Desconstructing a Bouquet

2011-10-28T14:59:00.002-04:00

These days my creative energy is oozing out of every poor but my illustration ones. I'm OK with that, though, because stifling creativity of any sort is not good for the artist, or the soul for that matter. Yesterday I decided to deconstruct my wedding bouquet.

I created it three years ago from silk flowers in order to get things done ahead of time and save a bit of money in the process. I created the bridesmaids' bouquets and groomsmen's boutinieres from the same flowers. (You can see some of them on my flickr site HERE). My mother and grandmother did the centerpieces and my wedding dress. It was such a fantastic day when it was all finished. You can check out some of the photos of the event HERE, taken by the fantastic photographer Douglas Despres of Helios Images.

Anyhoo, the bouquet has been hanging around for the last three years, perched in my sweetheart table centerpiece where I placed it at the begining of the wedding reception. It has followed us to the new house and continued to collect dust... until yesterday.

Using a white shadow box, scrapbook paper (for the mat), and a little hot glue I gave my bouquet a new lease on life on our new picture wall.

Keepin' busy

2011-10-24T23:48:00.001-04:00

Sorry I've been vacant the last few weeks. On top of trying to accomplish some home projects before baby #2 arrives I also accidentally spilled melted butter on the keyboard of my ibook. It was a freak popcorn buttering accident. I've now been restricted to using my computer within a close proximity of food products. I hate to remind my husband, but this may put a damper on any creative cooking attempts.

Anyway, the keyboard has been progressively getting less and less functional and I'm waiting on delivery of a replacement. Let me tell you, for a work-at-home/stay-at-home mom of a two year old in the near middle of the sticks of New Hampshire, not being able to type emails or make comments on fellow artists' blog posts has seriously driven me up the wall. Check out my post at Smells Like Crayons to see my recent non-illustrative yet very artsy project.

Next on my list of projects:

- Continue working on massive client project

- Canvas drop cloth curtains for the living room (6 windows total)

- Finish custom subway style art piece

- Finally put second coat of paint in kitchen before husband attempts to do it himself

- Prime and paint kiddo's room based on colors from Jenn Ski's number poster

- Make "Hand Painted" mugs as Christmas presents for the grandparents

- give birth before Christmas... 8 more weeks!

Dog Portrait Pillows

2011-10-09T15:04:00.002-04:00

So one of the projects I have been working on while on my illustration leave of absence has been a set of pillows as a wedding gift for a couple of good friends. Jill and Dave have three french bulldogs who are their children. I created a pop-art style portrait of the two older dogs for Dave's birthday last year. I had considered making a portrait of the third dog to accompany the others, but I had an itching to make them something new. So, inspired by a project by Lori Marie I saw on Martha, I created three pup portrait pillows in funky pop-art inspired colors.

My husband would say I'm a procrastinator. While I can agree with him for the most part, I'd like to say that I work well under pressure. I started these pups on a Wednesday afternoon and finished them Saturday morning. Factor in a toddler and regular household duties and it took probably 16 hours to do the three of them total.

1. After spending some time in the remnant bin at the fabric store and my own fabric stash I came up with a color story inspired by one of the fabrics. I felt the colors would play well with the painting from last year.

2. I grabbed some photos of the pups my friend had posted online and converted them to thumbnail illustrations. Then I laid each one out to scale on a big piece of vellum. (I'd like to thank my one semester as an interior design student for supplying me with ten years worth of vellum for art projects).

3. I broke down each portrait into simple shapes and traced them out with a Sharpie. I left negative space where same colors would be touching so that there would be definition (fat lines), but let different colors butt together (thin lines).

4. Using magical freezer paper, I traced out each shape (paper side up, plastic side down). With a warm iron I set the tracings onto the corresponding color felt, just long enough for the plastic side of the freezer paper to tack to the felt. I flipped each felt piece over and ironed one one piece of Steam a Seam to the backs, leaving on one side of the paper backing.

5. I cut out each shape with scissors and used a craft knife for small detail cuts. I removed the paper backing to the Steam a Seam which left the felt backs with a bit of a tooth to temporarily tack to the background fabric. Once I had the placement set I ironed the pieced down on a cotton setting with steam. I was super careful to lay an extra piece of fabric over the felt as to not melt the stuff. To make myself feel better I flipped the panel over and ironed the backsides, adding lots of pressure to make sure things stuck.

6. Because my background fabrics were from the remnant bin, they were 18" wide. And while I was making 18" pillow covers, I needed enough fabric for seam allowances. So I cut the fabric to create an inside panel and used the remainder of the remnant to make a border band for a different pillow. Once I stitched these all together I pinned to front panel to the back fabric using an velum pattern piece as a guide. The back panels were built with a 4" overlap for an envelope closure.

7. I used embroidery thread to add white highlights to the eyes. You totally HAVE to do this. Just like in illustrations, this sparkle brings the character to life. I also used bright oversized buttons as the dog tags, just to add a bit of whimsy and to subtly reference that the pillows are hand sewn.

And here they are!

Bristol

Ralphie

Carlee

Back of pillows, envelope closures.

I've got to admit, I was incredibly surprised at my low quantity of "oops" moments with this project. I had so much fun making these, though my pregnant legs and feet are letting me know how they felt about it today. A big CONGRATS to my friends Jill and Dave. I wish you guys all the love in the world and I hope you and the pups enjoy your new pillows!

Canvas Pillow Covers

2011-09-29T23:48:00.000-04:00

One of my projects on the "To Do Before Baby Comes" list was to cover two naked euro pillows my mom gave us after she bought a new bedding set. My little guy loves to make a "bed" out of them and watch Sesame Street. I'm dealing with a bit of downtime while waiting for info from a client, so I finally got the chance to bust out these two canvas pillow covers.

If I didn't have a toddler under foot so many of my waking hours I probably could have gotten this done within a couple hours, including paint dry time. The actual sewing is little more than simple straight lines.

The original drop cloth had a great seam running through the middle so I made the most of it and used it in the designs, running it vertically in the middle of each pillow.

After purchasing a canvas drop cloth from Lowes, I ran it through the wash & dry to soften it and pre-shrink it. After cutting out the pieces for the main pillow covers (with a simple tucking fabric closure in the back), I used scrap material for the appliques. For one pillow I cut a band of material, pinned it to my table, and painted it a tomato red. I kept a relatively dry brush to pick up the texture of the material and look like I wasn't trying too hard to be perfect. Once it was dry I stenciled our name in a off white color onto the red. I quickly ran a stitch along each long edge to attach the painted piece to a front panel leaving 1/4" between the stitch and the edge of the red piece.

For the second pillow I did the same sort of painting technique on a block of fabric and cut star out from it once it was dry. I also cut out a smaller star that would fit within the red one. I stitched the red star onto one front panel, leaving 1/4" between the stitch and the edge of the star. Then I stitched on the natural canvas star leaving the same 1/4" between the stitch and the edge.

For both pillows I sewed the front panels to the back pieces, overlapping them about six inches to give a nice tuck and coverage. I'm far too lazy to make button holes or sew buttons, so this is my favorite way of covering a pillow. Then I ran them both through the wash on a hot cycle, and dried them normally. The wash/dry totally softened the paint perfectly. After some serious fray trimming I'm super excited with how cute they turned out. My little guy loves his new "bed" pillows and I'm glad I have kid-proof washable one-of-a-kind pillow covers.

What 2yr old wouldn't want these big pillows?

In need of a break

2011-09-16T21:47:00.001-04:00

I think I'm going to take a brief illustration vacation. I'm working on my style and am going nuts trying to get to where I want it to be. Here's my guy so far...

In the mean time I'm waiting on a client for the next step in a project and it perfectly coincides with this nesting thing I've got brewing. Don't tell my husband, though. He'll take full advantage of it since I'm pretty sure I never "nested" when I was pregnant with the little dude. I've got a huge mental list of craft projects and rooms to paint so I think I'm going to dig into those for a bit. Don't worry. I'll be back.

Halloween ideas

2011-09-13T13:18:00.001-04:00

I posted a few character ideas for Halloween over at Smells Like Crayons. Then I remembered doing this little guy last year. I can see where I have grown since I drew the image, so I might rework him and include him in the group.

Sketches

2011-09-06T14:28:00.001-04:00

What is this guy so scared of?

Could it be this little thing?

Juggling Work and Motherhood

2011-09-02T22:09:00.002-04:00

It's been almost 7 months since I left my in-house job as a graphic artist to stay home with my little dude and pursue my illustration career, and I couldn't be happier. I'm still trying to figure out how to best balance freelance work with running the house and taking care of my little guy. Some days I think I've got it all under control, other days I feel like I can't keep my head above water.

Since Luc was born I have been collecting stories on how other successful designers and artists balance motherhood and business. There was a good amount of inspiration in Holly DeWolf's "Breaking into Freelance Illustration", the book that made me turn the corner and decide that I really could be a mom and a business woman at the same time. I've also taken great inspiration from fellow illustrator moms like Gina Perry, Crystal Driedger, Jackie Decker. Today I stumbled across a collection of great interviews called "Juggling Work and Motherhood" on A Cup of Jo. They are mighty inspiring.

Come late December I'll be adding a bit more work to the mommy end of my life and will have to back off of the work aspect until I've learned to balance having an infant and a toddler. I'll be referring again to all these great artists and designer moms to figure out (once again) how to balance it all.

To those business moms who might be reading this, how do you do it?

Sock Monkey painting featured on Mod Podge Rocks

2011-08-31T15:05:00.002-04:00

Yay! The Sock Monkey painting I made for my good friends' wedding is featured in Mod Podge Rocks "End of Summer (please) Flickr Group roundup"! I'm so excited to have new people checking it out. Britt and Tommy were super happy with it and I hear it will be getting a special place of honor among other sock monkey memorabilia.

You can see a process shot of them HERE.

Dancing Animal Sketches

2011-08-16T22:57:00.000-04:00

I've got a big project in the works, but until I dig my heels in on that one I'm working on some dancing animals that have been hanging out in my head and sketchbook for a while.

I started with the pig, but now I can't decide if I like the chicken or the cow more. The chicken is a bit more jovial and a free spirit while the cow is sort of graceful. I'm totally picturing a night scene for her, the cow dancing over the moon.

IF: Obsession

2011-08-01T21:19:00.001-04:00

I posted my Illustration Friday entry over at Smells Like Crayons. Check him out!

I also submitted this same image to Magnet Open Art Project in Concord, NH. Artists can submit an image to the show, which will be printed as magnets and spread across the city. Viewers of the citywide gallery can take a magnet home with them. Who doesn't want a piece of pocket art? Plus, it's a magnet. So it's functional pocket art. I know a couple of my NH artist friends have submitted to the show (Vita Mechachonis and Nicole Huot). Which amazing artist's work will YOU be taking home?

Project: Monkey Love

2011-07-31T15:17:00.000-04:00

Two of my good friends from college got married this past Saturday and I couldn't be happier for them. They're fans of the classic sock monkey and even incorporated bits the stuffed friends into their reception decor. Once the bride let me in on their subtle sock monkey references I decided not to wrap it, instead tying it with some cute blue ribbon. I think having this painting on the gift table added to their fun event.

The painting is created on 24"x24" gallery wrapped canvas. I collaged old book paged, paper bags, and scraps of handmade paper onto the surface with Mod Podge. I then added toning and more color with regular craft paint so that the surface would be matte and have a bit of a tooth.

Process shot: Painting before colored pencil and additional acrylic toning

Once that was all dried I went in with my trusty Prismacolor pencils, adding details and additional color and texture. (More than once I had to check that I had the date correct. Thanks to my husband and Aja Wells for keeping me on my toes).

I'll say the bride and groom were more than pleased with the final results. Congratulations Britt and Tommy!!!

Canvas playmat sketch

2011-07-13T23:12:00.001-04:00

I might be biting off more than I can chew with this next project, but I've got the itch to make my little guy a canvas play-mat with roads. I started this sketch wanting both a town and a farm area, then realized he likes the occasional train so I threw some train tracks in there. Looking at the final layout I have no idea how big this thing is going to need to be. Good thing I've got a full roll of primed canvas I've been holding onto since college.

Another project complete

2011-07-07T10:01:00.000-04:00

Here's a montage of a few illustrations completed to accompany the book I illustrated earlier in the year, For the Love of Emrys by Barbara Ann Simone. These are part of the history of the dragonfly character, Mystie, which will be available for download on the site Magical Planet.

Monogram Painting

2011-06-27T13:49:00.000-04:00

Hi all. Sorry I have been so absent lately. I'm working on a few client projects and have some family fun going on, including weddings! I'm posting this a few days before my cousin's wedding, but I'm pretty sure she's too busy to check my blog. Here's a painting I did for her and her fantastic husband-to-be.

WARNING: If you are ASHLEY M. or KEVIN R. do NOT continue reading!

24" x 18", full view

I helped create their invitations a few months ago and the couple loved how the monogram turned out, so I thought it would be nice for them to have a piece of artwork featuring the monogram to hang in their new home. *While doing some research for the project I got totally addicted to Mod Podge Rocks. Over the course of a few days I read back an entire year of entries and had to make myself stop. I'm totally inspired now. I highly recommend you check out the site and do a site search for "transfer"and peruse some of the links to great projects.*

I created the texture by mixing spackling paste with a bit of Mod Podge (in the hopes that the Mod Podge would bind the compound a bit). I lumped the mixture onto a primed canvas and went over it several times with a putty knife. I used varying amounts of pressure as I went along and went back over the high points lightly to knock them down and add subtle texture. This took about 24 hours to dry since it was all so thick and the humidity was way up there.

Next I put a nice coat of white paint over the whole surface. I used a gesso, though I wish I had used an acrylic with more gloss to it because I had hoped to create a "skin" on the texture surface but the gesso just soaked in.

While that was drying I created a scaled image of my canvas in Illustrator. I laid out the monogram in one layer and some decorative florals in another. I printed the florals in reverse on several sheets of paper. Next I applied the florals to the canvas using the Mod Podge transfer method. I have done this before with gel medium but I had Mod Podge closer by. I put a nice even coat of the Mod Podge on the printed surface of the florals and then carefully applied the paper to the canvas print/Mod Podge side down. I did the best I could to smooth out any bubbles and create a bond to textured canvas wherever there was a printed image.


close up of texture and layers

After a few hours this was dry and I used a damp scrubbie pad and gently rubbed the back of the paper off, revealing the image now glued to the textured canvas. Because the texture was so strong the image didn't stick in some areas, which was what I wanted. I rubbed a little extra in some areas to emphasize the texture and kick the florals more into the background. Doing this in some spots broke through into the spackling paste and almost down to the canvas. Woops. After that dried a bit I went back over it with a spot treatment of more white paint.

While that was painting I transfered the monogram to poster board and cut out a stencil. I used black paint to stencil it onto the canvas. Because I wanted a more rustic feel I wasn't too concerned with bleeding under the stencil. Once the black dried I brought out some high lights by sanding high points with a sanding block.

After the black I went over the whole thing with a faint glaze of brown to warm it up a bit, wiping the high points again so the glaze sat more into the texture. I can't wait to present it to the bride and groom.

Monster Sketches

2011-05-30T07:52:00.000-04:00

Sketching some monsters. My favorite is the one to the far right.

New book available!

2011-05-16T23:07:00.000-04:00

This last year I have been working with author Barbara Ann Simone of Magical Planet, LLC, to develop a book that helps children understand their feelings after they experience the death of a loved one. When I sent in my final illustrations a few months ago I not only felt the expected sense of relief, but I also felt pride in knowing this book will help many children through some very tough times.

"WHAT'S DRAGON-YOU-DOWN?" asks Mystie™ the Magical Dragonfly. Discover how this question sparks the healing power of love in a young girl as she mourns the loss of her beloved pet.

Christina had always wanted a dog. But was she ready for all that comes with owning one? After years of joy, her four-legged best friend dies, and Christina feels heartbroken.

How can she still be happy when she feels such immense loss inside?

Thanks to Mystie™, she magically learns something about herself that will empower her for the rest of her life!

Follow this uplifting story of Christina, her beloved dog Emrys, and Mystie™ the Magical Dragonfly, so you too can realize the love within your heart will always be your greatest source of power!

Parent/teacher guide included."

You can pick up your copy at Amazon.com.

Farm Animals

2011-05-11T22:36:00.000-04:00

Just some sketches and then playing with a Sakura brush tip pen I picked up the other day.

Trying some new mediums

2011-05-10T07:30:00.000-04:00

Now that I've completed some painting in our new home I am coming back to my illustration work with a fresh perspective. I've got the itch to continue the hands-on feel of painting and maybe do a bit of collage. So the other day I picked up a gouache set and started playing on some Bristol paper. (Yes, I know this isn't the best surface to paint on, but I couldn't find the box with all my artist papers in it. Later, my husband discovered the box was the foot rest under his desk). After the gouache dried a played a bit with some colored pencil and then ball point pen. Now this work is by no means a piece of art, just a subject to play with. He's actually loosely based off a Bigfoot I created for a friend's birthday card last year.

I can't wait to play more with the medium and start to throw some collage in there. I still love Photoshop to death so I think I'll be doing parts of my pieces traditionally and then working them more in Photoshop.

Inspirations for this new direction in paint and/or collage:
• Clare Fennell
• Holli Conger
• Jenn Ski
• AnnaLaura Catone

I am also trying to work on my hand when creating my characters. In the past I have found that I get caught up in the details of a person or animal and they lose the movement and excitement I had initially intended. Another of my goals in addressing my style is to simplify and strengthen the lines of my characters. Lets see how it goes!

Babysitter's Worst Nightmare....

2011-05-03T00:19:00.000-04:00

TRIPLETS.

Extended break!

2011-04-18T13:06:00.000-04:00

So I know I said I'd be back full force by the end of March, but I'm extending that break a little bit. Now that we are moved into our new house we are trying to really make it our home. We have a mini goal of getting the dining room and kitchen finished before we have family up for Easter. We put board and batton moulding up in the dining room and I have been calking/priming/painting my butt off!

Once those rooms are done I'm going to be playing with my illustration style a bit and making some new work. So thanks for hanging in there and not giving up on me!

(img from last fall before our purchase)

XO Sarah

IF: Warning

2011-03-10T22:10:00.000-05:00

I'm back! After a few weeks of time off from illustrating to move into a new house and settle I'm back to work. I've got myself a new desk and a totally different schedule to work with, which I am incredibly grateful for. I am excited to be able to get back into Illustration Friday. Here's my submission for "Warning". My little guy sat still just long enough for me to get the pose and then run with it as he went on to smear oatmeal on his face.

To those who have been here before, I recently updated the header and general look of my site. What's your take? Do you like the new logo? It sure is hard to do your own branding!

Taking time away

2011-01-26T00:27:00.001-05:00

just a snippet of whats to come

Hello All. This will be my last real post for a few weeks. We're moving to a new home so I've got some packing to do, and then some unpacking to do. Things are going to change drastically for me. We'll have a new home to build a life with. I'll be staying home with the little bugger. And I'll be freelancing. I know it's going to be one of the hardest things I've ever done, but it has honestly always been my dream to be home with my children and work for myself as an illustrator. I don't think I can say it enough: I. Can't. Wait.

That being said, when I resurface prepare to be dazzled, or at least intrigued, with a new look for Sarah Pecorino Illustration.

Catch ya on the flip side!
Sarah

Illustration Friday: Winter

2010-12-31T02:18:00.000-05:00

I drew this guy a while ago but I think he's quite appropriate for this week's Illustration Friday: Winter. You can check out my process shots over at Smells Like Crayons. Have a great one!

Happy Holidays!

2010-12-19T00:41:00.000-05:00

I finally finished my Sugar Plum Fairy and Toy Soldiers. You can see the initial sketch HERE. I started reworking this piece with a slightly different style than I have been working in. I think my style has developed into this nicely. I'm digging it, are you?

Happy Holidays, and remember: a kiss under the mistletoe can be mighty magical!

Sketch - Little Girl

2010-12-10T10:48:00.000-05:00

Here's a character study I did recently. I like her a lot, but she's looks a bit younger than the client is looking for, so back to the drawing board!

Delayed Update

2010-11-23T00:43:00.000-05:00

Sorry it's been so long! I've been a very busy artist. I'm very deep in a book project and am learning to balance big-time freelance projects with a full-time job, chasing a toddler, feeding a husband, and selling our house. The hopes are that we find something a little cheaper and a little bigger so I can stay home with our little dude and have my freelance be my primary source of income. Anyone looking to move to NH? I know of an adorable little ranch you'd love!

Today I posted on Smells Like Crayons all about my studio space and some of my favorite tools. Check them out HERE. I get all excited when talking about erasers. What are some of your favorite tools?

And as promised in my Smells Like Crayons post, here are a few sneak peaks of the book I'm working on:

Musings of a 14 month old

2010-11-06T10:04:00.000-04:00

Luc, 14 months- Ballpoint pen & Prismacolor Marker

Grandfather & Phoebe

2010-11-01T23:48:00.000-04:00

I'm neck deep in a book project, which is why I haven't posted in a while. Mad props to all you working artist moms out there, this is hard work! Anyway, in the midst of the craziness that is my life I have started work on a project with Mary LaFleur Langdon. She has written an adorable story called "If You Swallow Your Gum" which has won 6th place on the adorable read-out-loud website Smories. You can listen and read along with the story HERE. Below is a rough of Phoebe asking her Grandfather what happens if she swallows her gum.

Lil Boy Bear: The Sketch

2010-10-15T00:56:00.001-04:00

Here's a sketch I started back in February that I'm using for this weeks Illustration Friday entry, Transportation. It's inspired by my little brother who shares the same birthday as me, two years behind. He's still a big fan of things with wheels, he's now a very talented mechanic.

See the final colored illustration at Smells Like Crayons!

Artist Collective - November 9th

2010-10-13T23:24:00.000-04:00

On November 7th I'll be part of a group of artists and craftspeople, called the Artist Collective, selling work in Glastonbury, CT. My plan is to sell embellished prints and cards. If you're in the area, stop by to view and hear the work of some fantastic independent artists and craftspeople.

Thanks to Julie Quast for the great post card design! http://www.juliequast.com

And to April Quast for gathering us and coordinating the big event! http://aprilquast.com

Free iPhone Wallpaper by Aja Wells

2010-10-13T10:45:00.001-04:00

Download this great iPhone Halloween themed wallpaper by the talented illustrator, Aja Wells! Who doesn't like free art?!

http://ajawells.blogspot.com/2010/10/new-iphone-free-wallpaper.html

Someday I'll convert to the iPhone considering I live and breath Apple. I know I'll need to once I shift into my business full time, but at the moment I like knowing that I can't always check my email and that I can't be reached at all times. It's nice to be able to separate home and work once in a while.

The bird has landed...

2010-09-28T14:22:00.000-04:00

I finally finished my skydiving penguin! I posted his sketch a week or so ago here. Follow along to Smells Like Crayons to see the final results!

Dust off the Jingle Bells!

2010-09-19T20:52:00.000-04:00

Look at this oldie, but goodie I found while cleaning out our basement. When I was 13 my father's company held an open submission for employees' children to design the holiday card. I felt sort of bad knowing mostly young kids were going to send stuff in, but I did it anyway. Not bad for 13, I suppose.

Fairies & Toy Soldiers

2010-09-15T00:05:00.000-04:00

Here's a very rough sketch. I'm thinking I might use it for a series of Christmas cards I'll be selling at a small art show in Connecticut in November. I think changes to the next version will be that one or two of the other soldiers will be still like they're supposed to be, and the one on the end will be looking over and smirking. I was going for the "on the mantle" look so there will be greenery behind them and N O E L stocking hangers in the background. What do you think?

Penguins Can't Fly

2010-09-14T23:57:00.000-04:00

This guy has been hanging out in my head for a while. I'm working on the color so hopefully it'll be up soon!

Post at Smells Like Crayons

2010-09-08T20:47:00.000-04:00

I just made my first post as a member of the Southern New Hampshire Illustrators Group Smells Like Crayons. Check out my little questionnaire HERE!

Tractor Thank You's

2010-08-29T22:57:00.000-04:00

My son's first birthday party was the weekend before last and I'm getting ready to send out (ok, to print out) his Thank You cards. Here is the illustration, to go along with the John Deere theme.

ink & digital painting

I considered filling the background with a wash, but because I'm printing this from my personal printer I'm playing it stingy and saving ink. Maybe I'll play with it some other time. Until then, I think it's pretty cute.

AnnaLaura Cantone's Pecorino

2010-08-17T23:15:00.000-04:00

Before my son was born I was giving a fantastic book: Pecorino's First Concert by Alan Madison with Illustrations by AnnaLaura Cantone. I'm partial to the book for obvious reasons. Even more, though, I'm madly in love with AnnaLaura's illustrations. They are so fun and alive. She incorporates 3-D objects or textures into her pieces which make you want to touch each illustration. AnnaLaura's illustrations inspire me to put more expressions into my lines. Her website is under construction, so check out her work through this Google Search.

You can also see a few spreads of Pecorino's First Concert through the author's website, Alan Madison.

P.S. Pecorino is totally worthy of his name. Walk with pride, little cheesy one.

Avoiding the Illustration Boring Bus

2010-08-16T23:06:00.000-04:00

A great illustrator I know, Aja Wells, posted a simple yet fantastic diagram about creating interesting illustrations. A few weeks ago Aja helped me work through some illustration hurdles I was dealing with. She reminded me what the difference is between a pretty picture and an interesting one.

It's far to easy to make a cute dog, but it's all so far too boring. The skill is in making the illustration of that cute dog tell a little bit about himself. Check out Aja's blog for her great diagram and explanation of how a dynamic illustration is different from a boring one.

Check out Aja's Blog and Website for more of her great works.

(Aja, if you're reading this, I was serious about wanting a poster version of your diagram for my "studio" wall! )

Self Portrait

2010-08-13T00:13:00.001-04:00

I figure I need something in my "about me" section so that people have a general idea of what I might look like, so I came up with this little ditty.

Pencil drawing, Photoshop painting/colored pencil work. I've been developing a good palate of brushes and it's fun to find a good combo to work with.

Halloween in August?

2010-08-11T14:14:00.001-04:00

I had the opportunity to work on some Halloween designs at my in-house job, which was a nice change from our nearly all-year-round Christmas bags and boxes. Hopefully they'll be selling in stores Halloween 2011.

These are designed to be tip-on icons on solid colored bags. Below are the same icons printed directly on the bag, with a shot of the gusset image.

**ALL ART ABOVE IS COPYRIGHT BARRINGTON STUDIOS, LTD. IT IS NOT TO BE USED IN ANY FORM WITHOUT THE WRITTEN CONSENT OF BARRINGTON STUDIOS, LTD.**

I created this art as line art in Illustrator and colored it in Photoshop. I totally could have done it all in Illustrator, but there's something about Photoshop that I can't resist.

Alphabet Animals: C and D

2010-07-26T08:58:00.002-04:00

I think these two might be done! Here is C for Cow and D for Dolphin.

I'm reconsidering the hand lettering of the words, though. I'm either going to go with one consistent hand drawn font or pick a nice font to type in. I think I like the lettering from Elephant.

Here is the color layout I did next to my color palate. It helps to get a perspective on how the colors are going to lay out on the series as a whole. It's the equivalent of stepping back from a painting when you've had your nose in it all day long. I'm still reconsidering F. I think I'm going with Fireflies... or Fox... or Flamingo. It's so hard to choose! Thanks for those who gave great suggestions.

You can see I've left V and F uncolored. I'm not convinced I like vulture. I'm not sure it would be that fun to draw, or fun to hang on a wall. Do you guys have suggestions for V?

Elephant in Color

2010-07-18T23:12:00.001-04:00

I've been working hard to get color into the Alphabet Animal series. I think I started and stopped three times this weekend. I finally settled on a style and color and added color to "E". I'm not sure if it's too busy. What do you guys think? Honest critique is appreciated!

Here's my palate and the final color:

Here is the original sketch.

E is for Elephant

2010-07-14T23:30:00.001-04:00

I'm digging this little dude. I've been sketching these during the day. I got partway through D and got stuck on the composition, so I moved on to Mr. Elephant here. Cute, eh?

I'm a little nervous about how I'm going to do the color, or even what color story. I've got two palates going right now. For one of them I actually pulled Prismacolor colored pencil equivalents for the pencils I use most often when do my color by hand. My shortest pencils: Chartreuse, Crimson Red, Light Cerulean Blue, and Spanish Orange.

I just stumbled across the Prismacolor Color Picker. I'll be playing with this nifty gadget tomorrow.

C is for Cow

2010-07-13T23:16:00.001-04:00

3 drawings down, 23 to go... and then 26 to color. I grew up next to a dairy farm so this conjures up memories of talking to the cows while waiting for the bus. It also conjures up memories of that lovely smell when the summer air really heats up. The plan is to color this guy and sell prints of him and his buddies. Stay tuned!

IF: Giant

2010-07-09T00:14:00.001-04:00

While hanging on for dear life to a ridiculously large shoelace, Ryan knew he had more to than his fear of heights to contend with. Pencil sketch & colored in Photoshop.

Black and White piece

2010-06-28T23:36:00.001-04:00

One of the areas I've been wanting to fill in my portfolio has been Black and Whites. I had the opportunity to illustrate a story by Mary LaFleur Langdon for Topsy Turvy Tales. Meet Penelope Popples, kid detective, tomboy, and lover of pink.

Animal Alphabet Project

2010-06-23T10:55:00.003-04:00

Last March I started an Animal Alphabet project which I wanted to have done before the birth of my son. Well, its well over a year later and it hasn't been revisited since then. With my new sense of determination and drive to be a full time illustrator, I am revisiting this project with a whole new perspective: that I will actually get it done.

Here are the first two line drawings, cleaned up from my sketches (seen here). I plan on selling prints of the finished pieces online soon. So stay tuned! The grand opening of Pecora Studios isn't too far away!

Happy Father's Day!

2010-06-20T17:48:00.000-04:00

Happy Father's Day to all you great dads out there, especially my husband on his first Father's Day of his own. (Drawn in Illustrator, colored in Photoshop).

Me and "Memphis the Musical"

2010-06-19T21:31:00.002-04:00

If you're a fan of musicals or paid much attention to the Tony Awards, you would have heard about Memphis the Musical. The show was nominated for eight awards and won four: Best Musical, Best Book of a Musical, Best Original Score, and Best Orchestrations. Now, Memphis and I have a bit of a history.

Ya see, when I did my first painting internship at the North Shore Music Theatre, Memphis was my very first show. In fact, that was the very first show for Memphis! It's world premiere was at NSMT. The show holds a special place in my heart because it was my first and always has been my favorite. It was the first time I painted a deck, scenery or props for any other show. I loved playing with the props. As you can see, I thought I made a good Huey Calhoun.

I've always had a hard time not playing with the props.

I was at the opening night after party, rubbing elbows with Chad Kimball and Montego Glover (nominated for Best Actor and Best Actress), and the rest of the award winning team. That party was my first (and only) red carpet walk.

Yeah, that's a red carpet, and a crowd.

Congratulations Memphis! I was there in the beginning!!!

Check out some of my other scenic painting endeavors HERE.

Me and my paint overalls (circa 2006)

Search for Marketing Material Inspiration

2010-06-17T22:46:00.002-04:00

I'm getting ready to make a mailer to send out to prospecitve clients, but I'm having complete artist's block. I've decided to start a group on Flickr for other artists/illustrators/designers to post photos of their promotional materials. I figured that if I'm having artist's block when it comes to this stuff, there are others looking to break into the business dealing with the same hurdles.

So, if you're an artist/illustrator/designer and would be interested in sharing some images of your past and present marking materials, please join the Flickr group "Illustrator & Designer Marketing Materials" at http://www.flickr.com/groups/idmm/.

Illustration Friday: Ripple

2010-06-15T23:58:00.002-04:00

This week's Illustration Friday is a little different. Each entry is offered for sale for $10, with the money going directly to aid in the clean up of the Gulf oil spill. Visit Ripple Blog to join the cause and get some great art.

Here's my offering:

Illustration Friday: Trail

2010-06-10T14:33:00.002-04:00

Here's my entry for this week's Illustration Friday: Trail. I would totally be on the trail of the Cupcake Napper. No one takes my cupcakes. (Sorry about the IF double post!)

Robot in Process

2010-06-08T00:13:00.000-04:00

I sketched this guy up a few months ago and I've been itching to get at him. I was totally inspired by John W. Golden's textured style. It's going to take a bit of going back and forth to figure out what I want out of this piece, so I'll be posting the updates as they come. Here's the original sketch.

And here's tonight's color job. I laid in some flat color and then went back in with some texture, because I just can't resist. I'm crazy about a set of Photoshop brushes from Chris Oatley. He just might be changing my life and not even know it... Anyway, I'll keep you updated on the progress!

New Illustrations: Topsy Turvy Tales

2010-06-07T23:56:00.003-04:00

I finished my illustrations for the August issue of "Topsy Turvy Tales", written by Mary LaFleur Langdon. Here are two for "Sadie & Rosebud".

Here are the two final illustrations for "The Girl, the Moose and the Flea", also by Mary LaFleur Langdon.

I took a chance and tried a new painting style. I'm really enjoying it and am looking forward to experimenting and developing it more.

Project Reveal

2010-06-05T22:08:00.001-04:00

I was able to hand off the super secret art piece I have been working on for a few weeks, so I can show you the final results. I am so pleased with how it turned out.

I used the tutorial from Melissa Clifton, which gave me a great jumping off point.

Happy Birthday Dave, and Congratulations you two love birds!

Rosebud in the kitchen

2010-06-03T12:59:00.003-04:00

Here's a color illustration for the e-zine I'm working with, Topsy Turvy Tales. I'm a little unsure of the furniture color. I had them originally in natural colors, but the whole image was just too brown. Comments? Suggestions? (See the original sketches here).

Recent Read: Breaking into Freelance Illustration by Holly DeWolf

2010-06-01T16:31:00.000-04:00

While on vacation a few weeks ago I was finally able to bury myself into a book while burying my feet in the Mexican sand. I picked up Holly DeWolf's "Breaking into Freelance Illustration: The Guide for Artists, Designers and Illustrators"after hearing an interview with the author on Escape from Illustration Island.

Holly walks you through how she made the leap into freelance illustration as well as how others made the move themselves. She talks about making her career change work with being a new mother. Several of the other artists she interviews also balance freelancing with motherhood, a challenge I'm a bit nervous about myself. Reading about their experiences helped to calm my nerves and make such a big career move seem not so intimidating.

Holly helps fill the hole that my art education left: the business hole. At the time I was in college, they weren't offering business for artists classes. I was lucky to fall into creative jobs that taught me parts along the way, but a lot of stuff has been sort of cloudy. Holly discusses marketing, branding, contracts, and how to gracefully wrap an artistic mind around it all. Even if she can't take the time to explain every detail, she tells you where to find the details.

The back of the book has lots of great resources and artist info, much of which I was already familiar with but haven't managed to get in one spot. By the time I finished the book I had plenty of dog-ears, and taken my pencil to the pages and made lots of notes. I'll certainly be referring to it time and time again.

IN THE END: Breaking into Freelance Illustration is an easy read and has been especially helpful to me. After all, before I went to Mexico I was only thinking about working for myself. Now I have a blog, a Facebook fan page, and the makings of a business plan. Thanks for the help, Holly!

Breaking into Freelance Illustration on Amazon
Link to podcast interview on Escape from Illustration Island
HollyDeWolf.com
Holly's Blog

Illustration Friday: EARLY

2010-05-28T01:09:00.000-04:00

Ironically, I'm submitting this at 1am on Friday, which makes it LATE. But, hey, at least I did it, right?

Super Secret Mission

2010-05-28T00:14:00.001-04:00

I've been working on a super secret mission for a friend's birthday. I doubt he checks up on me and my artistic musings, but I don't want to spoil the surprise. I got the chance to work in a style that I haven't before and I'm wicked stoked for the big reveal. I can't show the final result until after Sunday, so here's a teaser...

New Project!

2010-05-26T21:53:00.002-04:00

have been selected as one of the contributing illustrators for a new children's e-zine called "Topsy Turvy Tales" debuting in August. The publishers have given me the thumbs up to share my sketches with you as my pieces progress. I will be illustrating for two ongoing stories: "Sadie and Rosebud", a tale of a girl and her horse, and "The Adventures of a Girl, a Moose and a Flea".

Here are a few sketches I've made for "Sadie and Rosebud". Here are a few sketches of Rosebud being Rosebud and making a mess in the kitchen.

Here is a scene where Rosebud and Sofie are prancing through a field. I think I'm going to develop this one a bit more and then go to color. I see this whole piece having a warm summer orange glow to

it.

Next I have character studies for Muffie, the moose, and the flea. Muffie and the flea are pretty solid other than some wardrobe changes, but the moose needs a bit of work.

'Till next time!

Go Out on a Limb

2010-05-25T13:49:00.000-04:00

So my HonsestT cap said me me yesterday, "The sweetest fruit hangs from the farthest branch". Ok, so I don't have it in front me, but you get the gist. It's a sign. I'm done with making excuses and I'm taking a big (albeit, scary) step forward. Hello World! It's me, Sarah Pecorino, children's illustrator extraordinaire!

I've started this blog as a place for others to see my work, and a place to connect with other artists. If I am responsible to you, then I'll be motivated to get things done. I plan to post works in progress, finished pieces, links to articles about illustration, art, and the like, Etsy finds that inspire me, and artist who help me dream big.

Hopefully you'll find me entertaining enough to check on often, because I can feel that big things are on the horizon!

Sarah

Welcome!

2010-03-17T16:15:00.002-04:00

Things are currently "UNDER CONSTRUCTION" here, but feel free to browse my growing array of sketches and illustration (as well as the occasional photo of my little squirt) at my flickr page. Thanks for stopping by!