Investing in Heaven or Hell?

To see all my illustration portfolio samples, visit stevensalerno.com

This image (one of about 30 images) was created last year for the Forbes magazine "Richest 400" issue... Upon looking at it again recently, it made me wonder which way some of these investment executives are heading when they leave this earth (considering their creative investment vehicles undermined their own companies, drove our economy over a cliff and pulled a lot of hard working people's life saving along for the plunge, all while they garnered extremely high salaries or bonuses in the process).

Re-growth... It's a Natural Process. (patience required!)

To see all my illustration portfolio samples, visit stevensalerno.com

Have you ever been walking in a city... and spotted a lone, beautiful, little flower popping up from out of a tiny crack in the sea of concrete? It makes you stop a moment and marvel at its effort. When the dust settles a bit from the recent dramatic financial tailspin, we will all see the beginnings of growth again, even in areas where one least might have expected it. If you find yourself feeling beaten down, just look for that tiny crack above your head and keep PUSHING toward the sky!

The image posted above is an illustration I did so long ago, I cannot remember which magazine or client it was initially created for, but it seemed appropriate to show it again now.

“Tighten Your Belt” (if you even have a belt left to tighten!) -and “Is the Party Over?”

To see all my illustration portfolio samples, visit stevensalerno.com

The top image posted here, of the man contemplating his ample sized pants, was created for Business Week magazine, and the bottom two images are from an illustration I created quite a few years ago for a magazine article about that year's champagne industry's low sales figures... and it seemed also an appropriate metaphor for the current US economy's dramatic negative stock market reversals. (I added the "2008" onto the bottle's label, to make it time appropriate)

My new title for this image should be, "From Cristal Back to Kool-Aid"

PANTALOON -a view of work in progress...

To see all my illustration portfolio samples, visit stevensalerno.com

Currently I am working on the final illustrations for Random's release of the 1951 classic Golden Book for children, PANTALOON. (see my earlier post regarding this picture book project)

Posted here are a few studio pictures of my table with one individual illustration in progress... showing the multitude of paint cups at hand, and a print out of the sketch taped above the original image being worked on.

process: I work out the sketches for the entire book in a small scale. First with very small thumbnails, then more resolved sketches at about 4" x 5" size. I scan these small sketches into Photoshop where I further modify the sketches and enlarge them. Then I print out these "full size" sketches. Each sketch is then placed on the light table and Arches 260 lb hot press paper is laid on top (that has the book trim size marks and gutter indicated very lightly in pencil). I then copy the sketch image onto the Arches paper, lightly in pencil, but it is not a mere "copying" of the sketch underneath... I make many last second changes, adjustments and refinements to the image as I re-draw it onto the Arches paper.

Now I am ready to start painting. I use Windsor & Newton gouaches and watercolors (mostly gouache, though). And I never create the final images in the same order as they will appear in the book. Usually I will start with an "easy image" to get started, one with just a single character rather than a scene with multiple characters, etc... to ease into the book, sort of like dipping your toe in the tub in case the water is too hot!

Puzzles for MUDPUPPY

To see all my illustration portfolio samples, visit stevensalerno.com

If you have never visited MUDPUPPY, do so! It is a terrific site for purchasing picture books, stationary, puzzles, games, and much more... all expressly for young children. Recently Mudpuppy art director Cynthia Matthews asked me to illustrate some simple animal puzzles for their First Sounds line of puzzles. She had seen some of my illustrated children's picture books and felt my style would be a perfect match for her puzzle project.

Posted above are (details of) their final packaging layouts of the puzzle packaging box, using the four images (and hand lettering) I created for the actual puzzles. (a pig, dog, cat and duck) The final product, I believe, will be available on their retail web site beginning sometime in 2009. www.mudpuppy.com

Sneak Peek: Sketches for Upcoming Picture Book, PANTALOON

To see all my illustration portfolio samples, visit stevensalerno.com 

In 1951 Simon & Schuster published a wonderfully silly little Golden Book entitled PANTALOON, written by Kathryn Jackson and illustrated by Leonard Weisgard. The publisher Random now owns all the Golden Book titles and I am fortunate to be illustrating their re-release of the PANTALOON picture book title.

I was asked by Random's art director Roberta Ludlow and I accepted immediately. Not only because I enjoy working with Roberta (she was the art director for the picture book MRS WOW NEVER WANTED A COW that I illustrated) but because of the special association with a Golden Book title. For those few of you who don't know, Golden Book titles were slim little books that cost about a $1 and were published in the 40's, 50's and 60's, and many were a gem in terms of illustration.

I have a copy of the original 1954 PANTALOON picture book, but purposely did not look at it again once I knew I'd be illustrating the new version... just to make sure I was bringing my own illustrative spin to the project. The story is about a silly dog named Pantaloon who wants to become a baker's assistant... and so I accentuated his quirky personality.

Posted here, at the top, is a sample of just one of the many tiny thumbnail sequences I create of the entire book to work out the general dynamics of the compositions, action, page turns, etc... as well as a couple of the larger preliminary sketches with the rough text in place. At the bottom are two different cover sketch ideas... right now all the inside sketches have been approved, so I am just getting started on final art. I just learned that the cover sketch depicting Pantaloon riding his bicycle is the final approved cover selection.

This book will be released in 2010 by Random.

“Maps? Sure, I do maps!”

To see all my illustration portfolio samples, visit stevensalerno.com

It seems that hardly any map images,done for previous clients, are on display in any of my portfolios on my web site... I think I had intended to have a separate MAP portfolio section on my site, then just ran out of room. So, I always get calls from art directors needing a map illustration and they ask if I do maps. Sure I do! They are fun but some can be very time consuming, so one has to be careful and make sure the fee lines up with the time involved. Usually a typical "map" assignment requires the stylized map image, and also little visual icon images positioned on top.

Three samples posted above: the first is a detail of a downtown Manhattan map done for Crain's NY, the second is a section of the Jersey shore done for NJ Monthly magazine (without its icons), and the third is a section of Brooklyn, done for the NY Observer (without its icons).