Terrariums!

I've been really busy with some freelance work the last month or so, so I haven't been able to do much of my own artwork, but here's a piece I did for Lilla Roger's Global Talent Search.  I didn't make it past the first round, but this is my entry for the first assignment.  I ended up going off in a direction I didn't intend, but I learned an awful lot in the process.  This was done mostly in Photoshop.  The experiments continue!

Website updated!

I've updated my website!  Now featuring "Busy Trucks on the Go" on my books page as well as several new illustrations.  Check it out!  http://www.kentculotta.com/

The Wolves of Willoughby Chase

Here are a couple of pieces I've done recently based on moments from the book "The Wolves of Willoughby Chase".  The first one is of the maid Pattern dressing Sylvia, who's thinking about her poor old aunt who she used to live with.  The second shows the caretaker Miss Slighcarp speaking to the carriage driver while taking Sylvia and her cousin Bonnie to a boarding school.  Two of my favorite books when I was younger were "Blackhearts in Battersea" and "Nightbirds on Nantucket" by Joan Aiken.  "The Wolves of Willoughby Chase" was the first in the series, which I somehow missed back then, but have recently caught up with.  Joan Aiken wrote these wonderful Dickensian stories that take place in an alternative early 19th century world, and I just love them.  I've been wanting to do some black and white pieces geared towards middle grade novels for my portfolio, and these stories were the perfect inspiration.  Enjoy!

Dan Makes a Cameo!

I was going to save this post for the holiday season, but I've decided to share it with you now after all.  It's another double page spread from the book "Busy Trucks On The Go" which I illustrated recently.  And look who's there!  Dan, the Taxi Man and his pup!  I loved that Eric Ode, the author of these books, wanted Dan to make a cameo in "Busy Trucks" and this is one of my favorite pieces from the new book.

Valentine's Day Redux!

I recently went in and did some revisions to this piece that I did a little while ago.  The changes were relatively minor, but I like these improvements a lot.  Take a look!

Bulldozer!

This is one of the interior illustrations from "Busy Trucks On The Go".  I had a fun time doing the research on all the different kinds of trucks there are and figuring out how I was going to draw them.  Some old friends might make a visit as well!

Busy Trucks On The Go!

I'm delighted to announce that my second picture book, "Busy Trucks On The Go" has arrived! It was my great pleasure to once again work with the fabulous author, Eric Ode, and the wonderful folks at Kane Miller, who published the book.

"Town to town and here to there, busy trucks are everywhere!"

Check it out!  Available from Usbourne Books & More and other fine retailers.

(Click on the post title to go to Usbourne!)

Father's Day

Here's a piece I did for my Dad on Father's Day.  It's based on an old photograph of us that I really like, taken when we were on vacation with my Mom's parents.

Attend the Tale of Sweeney Todd.

I'm back again with a new piece.  I like the idea of every once in a while doing unusual subject matter in children's book style.  This is based on one of my favorite musicals, Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street.  I've again done this one in photoshop with a mouse.  It was a bit of a struggle.  I'm going to have to get me a wacom tablet one of these days!

This is the first piece of done since my Mom passed away last month.  I miss her very much.  It's been a struggle for me to get the motivation to get back to doing artwork since then, but I know she would want me to carry on.  This is for her.

Making Valentines!

Hello Everyone!  I know, it's been a loooooooonnnggg time since I've posted anything on my blog.  Well, I've been busy working on an exciting project these past few months.  I'm done now and I'll tell you about it soon, but here's a little something I did this past week.  I've been feeling a need to break out and try some new techniques.  This was done, (except for the initial sketch), completely in Photoshop. (And only with a mouse!  I don't have a wacom tablet at home.)  I have used Photoshop (and Illustrator) before, but this is my first real attempt to do a piece on the computer with the same "look" as my work in traditional media.  I'm pretty happy with it.

Illustration Friday "Underwater"

Another quickie I did for Inktober and also for this week's Illustration Friday.  An underwater mermaid serenade!  Maybe at some time I'll post the rest of my Inktober pieces here on my blog.  This has been good exercise for me, getting me to think up and do these illustrations more quickly than is my usual want.  Now back to work!

Illustration Friday: Onomatopoeia

I'm participating in a new drawing challenge called "Inktober", one ink drawing for each day of October.  I thought doing a quick ink drawing each day would help me loosen up a bit, and I've been feeling the need to loosen up, let me tell you.  Then I also thought, "Why not tie in my Inktober piece with an Illustration Friday piece?"  So here we are.  This week's word is onomatopoeia, which means "the creation of words that imitate natural sounds."  When I took French in high school I was fascinated to discover that onomatopoetic words varied from language to language even though they were based on the same sounds.  The thought had never occurred to me. 

Winston the Ref!

Winston the Rabbit may not be very athletic, but he's very good at being the ref!  Ferdie the Pig and George the Jack Rabbit are facing off.

Feeding Time!

It's feeding time at the Bear household!  The little boy bear is so fascinated by the mother bird feeding her babes that he forgets the bagel that his Momma gave him for his breakfast.  Another piece exploring my bear characters...

Winston at the Window

Say hello to Winston!  Winston is a character I created for a picture book writing and illustration class I took a long time ago.  I noticed him in my box of drawings the other day and decided it was time to explore some ideas with him again.  I've gone back to an older style of mine, using an ink brush outline.

The Bears' Picnic

A while back I did a piece for Illustration Friday of a mother bear and a boy bear riding bicycles.  I really liked how it turned out, and I got lots of great feedback on it as well.  I've decided to explore with these characters more, so here they are having a picnic and playing pirate.

Emilie Spies Something...

I've been busy the past few weeks getting ready for the summer Society of Children's Book Writers Conference and then updating my website.  This was a piece that I did for my portfolio, a companion to a piece I did a while back called Emilie and the Sea Serpent.  It's an idea for a story that I have of a lonely Victorian girl who befriends a Sea Serpent.  It's just a beginning for now...

IF-Protest!

Bear says YES!  For this weeks Illustration Friday topic, "Protest".  Bear is character that I've been playing with lately for a picture book idea I have.

Emilie makes a discovery...

Long time, no blog!  Well, sometimes life gets in the way of things.  I'm going to try again to post more often, and more sketches along with finished pieces.  For today's quick sketch I'm returning to a character I've explored before, Emilie, and her friend...

Beethoven's Pastorale, IF-Storm

We're really digging back in the archives for this one.  I did this piece for an illustration class I took back when I was in college.  Colored pencils on gray matte board was my main medium at the time.  The subject was Beethoven and his Symphony no. 6, the Pastoral.  I grew up in a home of classical music lovers, and Beethoven was practically a god.  We even had a sculpture of him above the piano.  On top of that I was a Disney geek and especially a Fantasia freak, so of course the Sixth Symphony was my all time favorite.  I have to admit that I am still fascinated by it.

A little tidbit, that illustration class was one of the very first things I ever charged on a credit card...