Illustration Friday-Tales and Legends

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This is my entry for IF's "Tales and Legends" topic. Created today. Drew the lines in Freehand, collaged a background using pages from an old Catholic missal from a used bookstore, cut a stencil of my book shape and painted over my collaged pages. Combined everything in Photoshop. Might do two more in this series, this being the final one in a simple story.

I'm currently taking a silkscreen class and hope in the future I can take my vector lines and then screen print them onto collaged or painted background. We'll see if that works!

What do you think?

*****Still looking for hand photos of YOU for me to draw. Would love to draw some hands other than my own for a change. Take a photo of your hands doing something interesting, or not and send to me at (scott at scottcuzzo.com ). Thanks for your help! Would love a bunch of pics of a hand or hands holding your favorite coffee cup!!!*****

Scott

Illustration Friday-"Plain"

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This is my entry for IF's "plain". I guess I'd call it "How To Have Fun With A Plain Piece Of Paper". Hope the instructions are plain and clear too. Was directly inspired by Red Dog And Jude's great instructional entry last week!

Per my usual modus operandi, did vector lines, painted an actual "skyish" background with acrylics and combined in Photoshop. A fresher color palette too!

*****Any one want to send me photos of their hands??? I am looking for fun hand images to draw from others. Why don't you consider taking a photo of your hand or hands doing something interesting and I'll draw and post. Hope some of you take me up on this!!! Send photos to "scott (at) scottcuzzo.com, replace the "at" with the at symbol and use no spaces...*****

Also, does anyone know a good way to take acrylic paint and make it "sprayable"?

Illustration Friday-"Stitch"

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This is my entry for IF's "stitch" topic.

I relish your feedback! Who says "relish" anymore???

I might try another variation where the left hand is getting stitched. Or maybe plaid. We'll see...

OK, I posted a second variation, the quilt idea...

And a third idea, which I think is good, but needs some other treatment...

Christmas Illustrations

Illustration Friday-"100%"

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This is my entry for IF's "100%" topic. One includes the quote I had in mind, and one does not. Do you think the text adds or detracts??? Discuss. And yes, I know Wayne Gretzky is a hockey player and not a basketball player.

I actually spent a long time capturing the dots of an actual basketball texture and then decided not to use it for this version. I may do another version in a different style. I thought the dot pattern didn't work with the paper texture. Edit: I did add a purely vector version.

***Also, if you click on my profile, then go to my photo blog, you can see some new pics I took of Elephant Seals by Hearst Castle.***

Illustration Friday-"Soar"

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This is my entry for Illustration Friday's "Soar" topic.

“Keep your feet on the ground, but let your heart soar as high as it will. Refuse to be average or to surrender to the chill of your spiritual environment." Arthur Helps