I recently completed a commission for an illustration of a little indigenous boy performing as a grass dancer. The client advised me on what details to include to make him look authentic, since she is indigenous and I am not. She wanted it to match that illustration I made a few years ago of a girl in a jingle dress.
This one is a very simple, and it was very small on the page. Just a smiling boy.
Here’s the first interior illustration for Positive Promotion’s Hispanic Heritage book. The original art specs called for this illustration to read “Hurray for Hispanic Heritage” in English, which was also the header for this page. I thought that seemed a little redundant and missed a good opportunity to show some Spanish language in an otherwise completely English manuscript. It seemed appropriate given the subject.
Since I don’t speak Spanish, I used Google Translate to find the equivalent phrase in Spanish and gave the client the option to have me use that phrase instead. To be safe, I also warned the client to double-check whether my translation was correct, but I think it’s right. They didn’t correct me, anyway. 🤞
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 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.
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 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.
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, the only full-color illustration, was for the cover.
He looks sensibly bundled up, doesn’t he? I’ve mentioned before how I like doing this sort of knit pattern on the mittens and hat. I enjoyed the chance to play with that again here.
A boy heading off to go hiking, it looks like.
A boy playing football.
And a chubby little boy playing a ukulele.
Karen B. Jones - Illustrator 