Process of My Illustration 2 - MY First Try: Watercolor

^-^Hello, hello, hello, everyone, today I am going to tell you guys the process of my illustration and how I started to use watercolor, and what I have learned from it.

This is the illustration I've done with using watercolor.

The drawing is one of my homework assignments, and the our professor wanted us to conceptualize a portrait for the guest artist with icons and elements, and create a conceptual portrait of a selected guest artist, incorporating the guest artist's likeness as well as an approach influenced by their presentation, plus, in mediums they use, or similar in effect. Also, incorporate icons and/or elements prominent in their work.

Therefore, I chose Kevin McCloskey and decided to draw a portrait for him. We have met and talked through the Skype before and he was really a great illustrator and nice person with kindness and humor, the picture is from his children's picture book called The Real Poop on Pigeons.

I not only like the color and composition of it, but also I like the pleasurable and relax atmosphere by it. The illustration's medium is actually gouache, and gouache is what I need to use drawing the portrait for Kevin McCloskey but I didn't find it in the store so I decided to use watercolor, to be honest, I've never used watercolor drawing any picture, so I was certainly a little nervous, but as soon as I started doing it, I got used of it and found a lot of fun from watercolor!

Those are my brushes and watercolor, there are 12 different colors in the small box but I think those are enough for me finishing the illustration, but the white color has depleted rapidly because I used it a lot to make the color looks more like gouache.

Also, about the idea and composition of my work, I want the guest artist Kevin Mccloskey looks like a friendly and fun person and an animal lover, so I drew an eagle on the top of the picture and eagle's talons grab Kevin Mccloskey to help him flying, and you can see there is a pair of fake wings on Mccloskey's back, further more, there is a colorful parrot on the bottom of the picture, which represents hope and happy.

Further more, as for me, Illustration is a very important part of children’s books especially to young readers, because pictures could influence young readers intensely and helps the stories more vivid and dramatic.
At the last, I hope my illustration could bring happy to people, and encourage people to discover the colorful and beautiful world.