Illustration Friday: Gravity


This particular piece was done recently and just appeared in Highlights Magazine's February Issue. Hopefully gravity won't cause more than her hair to fall down. The editors were worried about this in an earlier sketch I sent shown here as well. I thought it was a little more fun in this position...but they were afraid of gravity. No potential accidents in the children's illustration world. It's like those warnings on a box of matches that says FLAMMABLE! Duh! It's all just so no one has an accident and then sues whoever they can instead of taking responsibility for their own actions. I love all the disclaimers before TV shows now as well. Anyway, here's my disclaimer...

Do NOT attempt to hang upside down from anything or GRAVITY may cause you to fall. Should you not heed this warning and an injury occurs, SUE GRAVITY, not me. I will not be held liable for your actions. Have a great day!

12 comments:

  1. That's beautiful! I agree with you that the original was more fun. With a lawyer-in-training husband, I am also often reminded of the potential hazards in my illustrations. Oh well . . .

    ReplyDelete
  2. I like the original sketch, but the colour in the finished piece is great. Is it watercolour?

    ReplyDelete
  3. loved your illustrations, they are so sweet and beautiful! and i agree with you - SUE GRAVITY! After all it seems that sueing seems quite a trend... great note!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Melissa H - Yes the finished is watercolor and sepia pen.

    ReplyDelete
  5. o wow this is a really great illlustration..and congratulations! thats great!

    ReplyDelete
  6. oh, you do such lovely work, julie! your kids are so lively and sweet. beautiful style, you have. love the gravity sketch and final... it's amazing how the girl on the upper bunk goes from free-spirited (in the sketch) to more cautious and quiet, maybe even timid, (in the final) just by moving her arms!

    love the way you "frame" your piece too with gradated sides. really nice.

    ReplyDelete
  7. oh, julie, i just love your work -- your kids are so lively and sweet. it's neat to see both the first sketch and the final on this entry -- amazing how just moving the girls arms makes her go from free-spirited risk-taker to cautious introvert!

    beautiful work!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Yes, it's amazing when then censors try and make things so "safe" what fun is taken out. I think I do that as a mom to my kids sometimes. The trick is knowing when that is really necessary.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Oh, hanging over the edge like that is a right of passage when you have bunkbeds. I'm 14 months younger than my sister, so I always ended up on the top bunk. Hanging upsidedown until all the blood rushed to my head was just one of the perks! thanks for the memory.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Really cute - I love the coloring. Leaning over the bunkbed is great too; I think that's the whole point of them, to hang over the edge and talk to the person on the bunk below! :-)

    ReplyDelete
  11. both are really great, although of course the original sketch looks like more fun. It would be great to see it also in a watercolour version - would you do it some time?
    As for bunkbeds - it was my and my sister's dream to have one when we were kids. We even agreed that I'd take the top one...

    ReplyDelete
  12. I just luv the scenes and the original sketch in particular.

    When I was a child my twin and I shared a bunkbed - for some reason I was always on the bottom - sis - was the dominant factor.

    Sad how in society the blame culture rears it head at even scenes like this.

    Please don't be blinkered by those - your creative talents are a joy to see.

    Thank you

    ReplyDelete

My photo
I'm a freelance illustrator working in the children's book industry. I love kids and raising my own 4 children. They are the inspiration and the passion behind all I do in art and in life. See my website at JulieOlsonbooks.com

Blog Archive