Singin' the Poster Blues

This year's idea sketches
with the last two years artwork in the background.

It's that time of year, when I start thinking about creating the artwork for Granville's Hot Licks Bluesfest.  This year, the headliners are: Johnny Winter and Rory Block, two super talented blues giants. 

I found some really cool reference photos and started working with those, keeping as far from the exact photo as I could (I don't want to get a letter from some photographer's copyright attorney). I kept getting nowhere. The sketches were dull, something was missing. I wasn't getting what I wanted. It was driving me crazy. There were some "O.K." designs but this is the Hot Licks Bluesfest...O.K. wouldn't cut it!

Then, I realized that I was too focused on the reference photos. I kept forcing the poster design to conform to the pictures. They were preventing me from finding a great solution to the poster design.

I put everything away and started over, trying to capture an overall energy in the composition. After I got a descent design, I could find or construct some photo reference to support it. Plus, this wasn't suppose to be a Johnny Winter or Rory Block poster. It's a Hot Licks Bluesfest poster. Although I like to include something that relates to the headliner, it isn't a portrait. 

Thumbnail (idea) sketches approx. 1.5 x 2.5 inches.

Finally! I started to see something that I liked. The sketch on the left seemed a little too country.  It's the Blues-fest...not Country-fest.

Note to self:
Remember to keep it simple. Focus on big shapes instead of detail.
Detail will come later.

Then, from the thumbnail sketch, I enlarged the design and blocked in the shapes

Sketches were done on tracing paper so that I could refine the drawing and add more detail on each layer.

Then it started to feel right. It had some energy. It had some burn and despair...it's the Blues, baby.  And, I could finally stop singin' the Blues Poster Blues.

Final sketch, ready to submit for approval.
The space along the left side is for sponsor logos.

So, I'm back on track...ready to get to it! This week, I start the final artwork. 

I'll keep you posted.

Dragon spotted in British Columbia

I just received a beautiful  BC Book Prize certificate from Canadian author, Dan Bar-el.

Front cover.

Dan wrote Not Your Typical Dragon, which I illustrated for Viking Books.  Our title was one of five "outstanding illustrated works for children", selected as a finalist for the Christie Harris Illustrated Children's Literature Prize. 

Sketch for back cover of book.

Thanks to Dan Bar-el for a great story, Viking for bringing it to readers and the BC Book Prize judges for selecting Not Your Typical Dragon for this award.

Sleeping Bears, Ninjas and Bowers, oh my!

I just returned from a book signing at the IRA 59th Annual Conference in New Orleans. Many thanks to my friends at Sleeping Bear Press. Amy and Audrie were in high gear to pull everything together during the show. 

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I finally met author, Denise Brennan-Nelson, who joined me to sign Maestro Stu Saves the Zoo. Denise is very funny and overflowing with great story ideas. I hope we connect on another book project in the future.

Before my book signing, I went undercover into the Scholastic Book area and managed to meet two of my Ninja brothers, Dav Pilkey and Dan Santat. Its pretty obvious that Dav and Dan have had more experience in Ninja action posing...I'll have to ask them for a few pointers. 

The flight home was a bumpy ride. Storms were popping up all over but above the clouds was a beautiful place to be. I  shot a few pics of the amazing clouds, escorting us back to Ohio.

A few rare Bowers selfies.

Here is the latest children’s book project. I can’t say much about it but I will say that it involves a few elfies. I’ll explain, later.

You might guess the subject by the artwork, seen in my elfies….er, I mean selfies.

Let me be the very first to wish you a Merry Christmas, 2014.

More project updates, to come...

Ho-ho-ho…from the stu-di-o!

Knuckleball Ned takes the mound.

A new baseball season and a new children’s book….ahhh, spring is here.

The first printed samples of Knuckleball Ned crossed home plate, this week. Knuckleball Ned by R.A. Dickey will take the mound in local bookstores, next month and I’m excited. Thanks to my friends at Dial for putting together a great team and Rubin Pfeffer at RPContent for catching such a great project for me.

I tried to create artwork that was looser than my other books, a bit more splashy, with brighter color and loads of fun. 

I worked on Crescent Premium Watercolor board with acrylic paint. Backgrounds were painted with broad colorful acrylic washes, then the characters were painted with more detail. Finally, the characters' baseball heads were masked and airbrushed to get a little more dimension.

The baseball glove and ball were not part of the package...added for effect. :)

Dickey may be known for his pitching but I think he may have hit this one out of the park. Knuckleball Ned is a sure home run!

Review-

“R.A. Dickey is one of the coolest athletes I’ve ever met.” — George Vecsey, The New York Times

"Dickey, with an assist from Karounos, creates a sweet, sympathetic character and presents an earnest, heartfelt message." - Kirkus Reviews

"The clear, lively writing and nice pacing make this a good addition to the canon of antibullying books that make their point without being message driven. Bowers adds to the fun...his cartoon acrylic paint illustrations effectively capture Ned’s wobbliness and make the pages come alive with motion." - School Library Journal

The Book Drop takes Best of Show!

My miniature painting, The Book Drop received the Best of Show award from the Miniature Art Society of Florida and will be included in the 39th Annual International Miniature Art Show. 

Over 800 Works of Fine Art in Painting and Sculptures "In Little" from Around the World.

The Book Drop-3.5"x4.5", acrylic on board. 

Four of my other paintings will also be hanging in the show, which opens next week at the Dunedin Fine Arts Center (1143 Michigan Boulevard, Dunedin, Florida 34698).  The show opening is Sunday, January 19, 2014 (noon till 4:00) and will hang until February 9th.  

http://www.miniature-art.com/show.html

Anyone in the Tampa area should stop by and check out the miniatures. Tiny works... real gems. 

Bowers book in Elf…on a shelf!

My son informed me that one of my books can be seen in the movie: Elf. So we watched the movie, in search of the hidden Bowers book. FOUND IT!! 

There, in the publisher’s office, on a shelf was a copy of a book that I had illustrated in 1993. It was a flat fee project that I received from artist agent, Suzanne Cruise. I had a great time, working with Suzanne for a few years, illustrating a gazillion greeting cards and some small book projects. It was a quick job and I don’t list it with my other books but there it was, next to James Caan.  It’s a really funny movie and now, I have another reason to like the film. 

Elf, starring Will Ferrell…and a Bowers book!