QUI A PEUR DU NOIR? You know that 5 minute window before you actually wake up and are a bit lucid, but still kind of dreaming too? Well, this is a result of that state, the season, and perhaps also as an homage to the dark children’s books frequently produced by French publishers, which I am … Read More
Some new characters in my life these days….
I love line work, and generally only utilize the pencil and sometimes a pen. Recently, though, I’ve been working with the push and pull of a paintbrush, and I’m very happy with the trembling energy it leaves on the paper. Here’s today’s sketch using watercolor (M. Graham) and a no. 2 Kolinsky sable. I still … Read More
The challenge: you have 24 hours to make a work of art. How do you fill the time? On Friday and Saturday, June 7-8, Greenville’s Metropolitan Arts Council held the annual event, Flat Out Under Pressure. A challenge to create a work of art in 24 hours. On Friday morning, we had our surfaces (free … Read More
A horned owl lives in my back yard. Sometimes in the night we hear him calling. My daughter was fascinated by this at first, and answered back. They had a relationship calling back and forth to each other, or so I like to believe. Now the sound of that distant call send her into a … Read More
It’s a dream to live in a town that supports artists. Greenville’s Town Magazine is running a feature this month on four local illustrators. The article, “Illustration Nation”, profiles the lives of four illustrators living in Greenville, SC. Artists Cory Godbey, Justin Gerard, Bonnie Adamson, and myself-Alice Ratterree-had the opportunity to share our journey into the business and what drives … Read More
A blank sheet of paper can be intimidating for both writers and illustrators. Nothing else can inspire creativity and instill fear both at the same time. Even when I can “see” the finished image in my head, it doesn’t just flow out onto the paper. A writer re-writes rather than writes, and an illustrator needs … Read More
Friday sketch, 3.1.2013. Illustrator promo of the day: Lisbeth Zwerger. Let’s get real, she needs no promo from me…just want everyone to know about her. Hands down, one of my favorites. Here’s some images of hers on tumblr: http://www.tumblr.com/tagged/lisbeth%20zwerger
My advice to all illustrators: find your tribe. A tribe, according to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, can be defined as “a group of persons having a common character, occupation, or interest.” As illustrators, we are a lonely bunch of people. We wrestle in isolation with our visions, attempting (most of the time in vain) to harness … Read More
My fascination with Alice continues, this time in her encounter with the caterpillar. He asks her the famous question, “Who are you?” I believe this question is the very heart of Lewis Carroll‘s brilliance. It is his confrontation with Alice’s escapism, as if holding up a mirror to his own character. (Is it a coincidence … Read More
