Because sometimes that’s the only thing you can do.
Tag Archives: Josephine
Jo’s Journey (A Somewhat Irreverent Guide to Doing Anything Better) – Channeling Inner Power
Filed under art, drawing, illustration, Jo's Journey
New Illustration (Step 3) – Color Rendered at Last!
Last Monday I posted an illustration sketch along with the transferred inked line drawing. I was very excited to get to the coloring-in step, but life intervened and I spent many hours playing ballets in the pit at the David H. Koch Theatre.
This afternoon when I sat down at my drafting table to work on the illustration again, I was instantly swept up in the process and remembered just how much I love it! For those of you who are curious, after transferring the final sketch to marker paper in the form of an inked line drawing, I then start by coloring in the skin and facial features. My reason for doing this is simple. Since the face is where the eye goes first and I take great care with the expressions on my “Josephines”, if I mess up on an element of the features, I can always start over without having to scrap hours of work.
This is what the illustration looked like after I had completed the face, hair and skin rendering:
From there, I “dress” my fashionista. My husband caught me at work inking in her raincoat:
And here she is in all of her glory!
The birthday card version is now available in my shop at Etsy…
(Click here to see the card!)
Filed under art, drawing, education, Josephine, marker and ink illustration, materials, photography
Jo’s Journey (A Somewhat Irreverent Guide to Doing Anything Better ) – The Naked Truth
One of my personal goals, and, in fact, a big part of the “raison-d’etre” for this blog, is to continue to challenge myself to grow as both an artist and a human being. Even though I have perfectionist tendencies, I’ve learned along the way that the process of learning is far more enriching than just being “there.” I also feel that sharing what you create is the best way to see not only your accomplishments, but where you need to grow and evolve. That said, the process of creating art is a deeply personal one, and as such has to be nurtured with infinite care and compassion.
Lately, as I’ve been working at my Josephine illustrations, I’ve been focusing more on the entire composition, as well as aiming for more dynamic movement overall. In this “naked” sketch (PG, of course), Josephine is teetering on one heel, about to lose grasp of her balloons.
(At least she still has all her marbles!)
I’ll need to settle on the clothes and colors for this illustration, as well as refine the overall composition over the next few days. But that’s the fun part! I hope you’ll stop back soon to see the finished result…
Filed under art, illustration, Influences, Jo's Journey, Joana Miranda Studio, Josephine, New work, wisdom
Back State-Side and Reminiscing…(Whimsical Pencil Sketch by Joana Miranda)
Although we arrived home from Denmark only yesterday afternoon, my jet-lag seems to be in control already. I’m back at work teaching, running errands, and catching up with life after having been away for two weeks. Unfortunately, I haven’t yet been able to solve my computer issue, so I can’t post any photos from my travels yet.
In the meantime, I’m reminiscing about…
Cold but sunny cloudless days in Copenhagen,
Cafes with delicious coffee and pastries,
Quaint cobblestone streets,
Picturesque canals,
Burgers and a beer with my husband on the harbor,
and of course
Fabulous Danish licorice!
Filed under art, drawing, Influences, Josephine, New work
Gamine Glamour – New Whimsical Illustration from Joana Miranda Studio
Filed under art, drawing, illustration, marker and ink illustration, New work
Jo’s Journey (A Somewhat Irreverent Guide to Doing Anything Better) – A Shift in Perspective
When I started out to write this post earlier this afternoon,
my idea was to tackle the concept of tyrant tutors and dealing with criticism.
But the more I wrote, the more convoluted my thoughts became.
Somewhere in there, I figured I should also talk about
forgiveness,
humility,
and the importance of holding one’s beliefs lightly.
(Which made me wonder if any of my beliefs were all that important.)
In conclusion, I may have nothing to say,
but I will always strive to have something to give.
“We only have what we give.”
(Isabel Allende)
Filed under art, watercolor and ink illustration, wisdom
The Paparazzi Are Lurking – New Whimsical Illustration by Joana Miranda
Josephine’s got a new look and she’s getting a lot of attention! Come back soon to see the illustration in color…
Filed under art, City Girl Designs, illustration, Influences, Josephine, Josephine in the City
New Whimsical Windy Day Illustration…And I’m Stumped for the Greeting!
I put the finishing touches on my latest illustration tonight. The markers flowed, but now I’m stumped with whether or not to add a greeting inside the card.
I’m looking for something cheery and encouraging… a “Thinking of You” type message for the woman who handles adversity with grace. Although I’ve created a list of about 44 phrases so far, I’m not blown away (pun intended) with any of what I’ve come up with so far. If any of you readers have constructive ideas to offer, I’d love to hear them!
P.s. For now, I’ve decided to offer the card blank inside. You can purchase it here!
Filed under art, City Girl Designs, drawing, illustration, Influences, Josephine, marker and ink illustration, New work
Pencil Sketch for New Flirty and Fun Illustration
In case you’re curious, my illustrations always start from a concept. Like…
Flirty
Fun
and
Playful
From there I search the web to find photos that will help me create realistic-looking poses for my fashionista, Josephine. In today’s sketch, I wanted Josephine to look ladylike (but still sexy) as she battled a sudden gust of wind. The following two images helped to shape my composition:
While this great image gave me the idea to insert a male element to inject a little whimsy and humor as well.
Here’s the pencil sketch that evolved…
While the composition is still “in-progress”, I’m liking where it’s headed so far. I’ll be posting the final rendered illustration later this week. Stay tuned!
Filed under Andre, art, drawing, illustration, Influences, photography, resources, techniques
Queen of Hearts – Fashionista Valentine’s Card by Joana Miranda
A few days ago I posted a rough pencil sketch for a new Valentine’s card. I had a lot of fun with this illustration…and Josephine told me she loves her glamorous va-va-voom outfit and sexy new perfume. So, here she is…the Queen of Hearts!
(The 5×7 card version is now available in my shop!)
