Hidden Picture – River Bank

April 17, 2024April 4, 2024Leave a comment

I recently completed a project for Utah-based Fish for Garbage, a nonprofit organization that mobilizes communities through waterway cleanups and watershed education. They commissioned me to create a series of illustrations for a children’s activity book.

This image is the second of two hidden picture puzzles. I saved this one until last because it’s my favorite. That’s the same duck from several pages ago. Having him visible both above and below the waterline really sold the idea that he was floating on the water and what was underneath was the underwater view. And just look at those duck feet! So cute!

I’m really not an expert at drawing fish, but I work from references and do my best. The client said the one brown trout I drew had a longer snout than the other, which is actually called a kype and is sought after by fishermen. I don’t really know enough about them to do that intentionally, but I’m so glad it turned out to be a feature and not a bug. Serendipity.

Can you find all 8 items? There’s a cigarette butt, a tin can, a plastic spoon, a plastic drinking straw, a deflated balloon, a deflated inner tube, a plastic bag, and a flip-flop sandal. The client said they find a surprising number of uninflated inner tubes at their cleanup events.

I will say that, between this one and the previous illustration, I spent SO much time drawing little circles for all that gravel. But it was worth it!

A hidden picture puzzle scene showing both underwater and above water views of a river bank.

Hidden Picture – Hiking Trail

April 15, 2024April 4, 2024Leave a comment

This image is the first of two a hidden picture puzzles. Can you find all 8 items? There’s a soda bottle, a drink cup, a flip-flop sandal, a chip bag, a soda can, a plastic fork, a deflated balloon, and a set of 6-pack rings. The hidden items were chosen because they’re items often found during the organization’s cleanup events.

This image is a version of the illustration that was used as the cover image. The cover image was in color and without the hidden items. But it still has the same expansive view and variety of wild animals.

Windy Picnic

April 13, 2024April 4, 2024Leave a comment

This image depicts four children on the shore of a river or lake. They were trying to have a picnic, but it’s too windy. The wind blows trash from their lunch along the shore. One boy chases a plastic bag. This illustration is meant to show another way that trash can get loose and into the environment. It was fun to draw all that mischief the wind got up to.

Two Children and a Dog

April 11, 2024April 4, 2024Leave a comment

This image introduces two characters that will appear in the next illustration. The characters ae both wearing Fish for Garbage hats, work gloves, and mesh bags for collecting garbage. The dog was an afterthought requested by the client to make the image wider to better fit the layout. The client told me that some participants have trained their dogs to find and fetch trash to help with collection during cleanup events.

Lunch in Reusable Containers

April 9, 2024April 4, 2024Leave a comment

This image was a small spot illustration depicting a metal lunchbox and reusable water bottle. The illustration is used to show an example of reusable containers for lunch that contribute to unnecessary trash in the environment. The water bottle has stickers for the Fish for Garbabe organization and a related fishing organization.

Overflowing Trash Bin

April 7, 2024April 4, 2024Leave a comment

This image was a small spot illustration depicting an overflowing trash bin. It will be used to illustrate one way trash can get into the environment unintentionally.

Tangled Duck

April 5, 2024April 4, 2024Leave a comment

This image was a small spot illustration. It was based on a previous illustration I created as a portfolio piece depicting a girl cutting a balloon string from a tangled duck. That’s the illustration that initially attracted the client to my work. In this case, the duck was drawn to be a mallard.

Remember, balloons are fun, but if they get out into the environment, they can be a deadly hazard to wildlife which may swallow or become entangled in them.

Number 150 of 150

November 21, 2023November 13, 2023Leave a comment

This is the last one! 150 characters, isolated on white, created for a large project for Learning A-Z.

Here’s Abraham Lincoln, 16th president of the United States (1809-1865). He was president during the US Civil War and was assassinated on April 15, 1865. He is best known for abolishing slavery in the US. More about him here.

Abraham Lincoln

Number 149 of 150

November 19, 2023December 1, 2023Leave a comment

Here’s former US President Barack Obama in a tan suit. I drew this as part of a larger project for Learning A-Z.

You might remember that there was a brief, silly controversy about President Obama wearing this tan suit because on a slow news day some people thought it did not look presidential. Originally, this illustration had him in a black suit, but the client was concerned that the project had too many historic figures in dark suits already. They wanted a little more variety, which was somewhat challenging since men’s formalwear is not really particularly varied. But then I remembered the silliness about the tan suit and I thought this would be the perfect solution. More about President Obama can be found here.

Barack Obama

Number 148 of 150

November 17, 2023November 13, 2023Leave a comment

This is the second time I’ve drawn Martin Luther King Jr. (1929 – 1968) the famed civil rights activist. This is one of several significant historical figures drawn for a larger project for Learning A-Z.

He was a Baptist minister and a civil rights activist who was assassinated on April 4, 1968. He was known for his emphasis on using non-violent protest and civil disobedience to challenge the racist and discretionary laws of his time. More information can be found here.