rlnelson

Design article

I came across a good article on design in Wired magazine. Here’s the link. Putting it on my website/blog for future class reference.

In the last few years, I have been using birds as subject matter for quick watercolor demonstrations in the illustration class I teach. The illustrations are typically around 8 x 10 inches in size and completed in a two-hour class period. I always appreciated watching someone work on and complete artwork. I try to showContinue reading “Demo Birds”

Working in the digital realm

The header image is a digital illustration. I like working with the digital, but it just isn’t the same as working with my watercolor and gouache. I like the risk involved in the traditional media. One misstep and the whole thing can go sideways. Digital… you just go “undo” – boom safe and secure.

Delphos Grain: Delphos, Kansas

Digital illustration of an old granary back home. This little structure was in use when I was a kid forty years ago, but not sure if still operating today. The town has a huge concrete grain elevator just to the south of this structure.

Something about barns

There’s something about barns that appeals to me. Images of barns have made appearances in several of my illustrations over recent years (Winter’s Grip, Missouri Spring and Honeybun and Momma Midge). These old structures dot the landscape throughout the mid-west. Most are slowly falling into ruin, the result of modern farming practices using tractors. Winter’sContinue reading “Something about barns”

Traveling Team

I found this great photo in my grandmother’s collection of old family photographs. It was an image of a traveling black baseball team that was in Simpson, Kansas playing the local team. My great grandfather was a catcher for that Simpson team and probably is why this photograph was shot. I loved how the wholeContinue reading “Traveling Team”

Big lives

This illustration was a technique demo for my illustration class. I like doing faces for this technique. It typically yields positive results for the students. I found and chose an image of Del Corning, a distant great uncle. I liked his moustache and the photo had strong lighting which helps in this illustration technique. My paternalContinue reading “Big lives”

The other side of the family

Bittersweet features another grandfather, my mother’s father. Richard Haley is on the right and Roger Billings is on the left. They were friends growing up. Grandpa Richard was a farmer and stockman northwest of Delphos his entire life. His friend Roger, was part of a family that owned the Bank in Delphos. Roger, served inContinue reading “The other side of the family”

Farm Team

Farm Team features a couple great uncles that were very active in sports as young men. I only remember them as old men and not that active by that time. The story is that they were so good that they played football for University of Kansas, but didn’t go to college there. I told thatContinue reading “Farm Team”

The Delphi Chronicles

The Delphi Chronicles is a faux pulp fiction cover based on an actual close encounter incident that took place in Delphos, Kansas in the early 1970’s. This was prior to the Spielberg movie being released. Good story, Google it. I even saw it featured once on a History channel show about UFO encounters. I createdContinue reading “The Delphi Chronicles”