I might have lied. This one might be my favorite image of the series. The narrator lady has lost her temper and is cussing at her friend. I really liked drawing the angry pose and the profanity symbols. I was particularly proud of that cartoony skull.
This is a full-page illustration for page 19, which puts it on the left side of the book with the quarter inch bleed along all edges except on the right.
The last interior illustration in this project is a happy ending illustration. We’ve got the sun setting over a fictionalized version of the author’s house. She and her husband are working in the yard. She’s waving at Rocky and Sylvia up in a tree overlooking everything. Everything is as it should be. A happy ending.
The second illustration for chapter 7. Supposedly this also really happened.
This is an illustration of a fight involving a Doberman and a stray cat which, among other things, clung to the dog’s head before attacking him. This is the only illustration in the book that doesn’t directly involve Rocky the squirrel.
Chapter 7 has two illustrations. This one is when an owl scoops up one of the family dogs. Rocky runs out to make a loud commotion, which startles the owl into dropping the dog. The author says it’s a true story.
She paid for a half page illustration for this one. When designing the layout, I realized that the image would benefit from as much height as possible. I thought, well, it’s supposed to be a half page, but we didn’t specify which half. Usually half pages are landscape (horizontal) format top or bottom half pages. But a left or right half page would meet the requirements also. I was proud of how it turned out.
This is Chapter 6. Sylvia was attacked by a big red squirrel when she was off on her own. Rocky is coming to help as fast as he can.
In Chapter 5, Rocky and Sylvia are in the trees arguing with an angry black bird.
I think I’ll post some sketches. Here’s one I drew today between turns in a game of Dungeons and Dragons with my husband and daughters.
So, I’m working on a series for my portfolio in my spare time. It revolves around the girl on the right and her middle school friends. She was also in the selfie pic I posted earlier.
I hesitated to put this one up now, before I’ve finished more of the series, because it’s pretty negative and the series isn’t supposed to be negative.
I was kind of in a mood when I drew it.
I promise she’s not normally a kid that gets in fights.
This was just a really bad day for her.
The next one will be more pleasant.
I promise.
I actually chose this pose to show some action, to show the two figures directly interacting with each other in a realistic pose, to show angry expressions, and to oppose the stereotypes that only boys ever fight.
Here’s the ninth of thirteen images.
Standing Up to the Bullies by Ashley Kazery, commissioned by Learning A-Z, illustrated by me.
[Edit: I’ve updated the image. This is the final they’re using for the book.]
Here’s the eighth of thirteen images.
Standing Up to the Bullies by Ashley Kazery, commissioned by Learning A-Z, illustrated by me.
[Edit: I’ve updated the image. This is the final they’re using for the book.]
Karen B. Jones - Illustrator 