#kid lit art

Can you believe it?! It’s another friend of the mossy variety for Drawgust 2021!

Here comes a long, mossy friend for day 5 of Drawgust!

Whoa Drawgust is here! My goal this month is to familiarize myself more with Clip Studio Paint, so tonight I colored an old sketch of a melancholy mushroom sprite.

I had a blast watching Zoe Persico stream yesterday that I had to draw along! Here’s my rendition of a young Sasquatch, whom my partner has nicknamed “Kidfoot” hehe.

[Image description: A digital painting of a young Sasquatch. They are sitting down with their knees bent in front of them, hand resting at their side. They have shaggy auburn hair covering most of their body, with specks of moss and a few ferns growing on the top of their shoulder and head. End I.D.]

Some serious character development this week

Friends! While our brand new picturebook ‘My color is rainbow’, with Agnes Hsu is on its way, silkscreen prints are here as a special pre-launch treat! Five designs featuring selected spreads from the book, screen printed, signed and numbered by me. See all 5 designs in my shop oretsy shop if you prefer
Thank you for your support <3

Because I posted this on twitter…happy spring #kidlitartposcard! For those that don’t know, I’m Vanessa Gillings, an author-illustrator who creates PBs through upper MG novels. I’ll be seeking literary representation later this year! ✨

(And also for those that don’t know, kit lit art postcard is a monthly artshare on twitter for children’s illustrators!)

I’m very excited about the fall season. One of my favorite memories as a child was watching the film, ‘Beatrix Potter- The World of Peter Rabbit and Friends’ and for some reason, I’ve always identified it with spring and fall. Do you have any books you associate with fall? Here Peter Rabbit finds the Perfect Pumpkin for his mother.

Brochure interior art

Interior brochure art

A piece I did for my regional SCBWI conference

Lost Bunny

Watercolor and gouache on salvaged storybook paper

The original piece done for Birmingham Parent Magazine. No masthead, sell lines, etc.

Tiny little gouache painting

Some chicken bumpkins

In the Deep South, roaches can fly!

SNEAK PEEK! 

As you guys know this is kind of a thing for me. Going on the third episode soon! How to give a character soul? It’s in the eyes! As a professional illustrator for over ten years, this is the trick. And I will show you how these five evolved in my upcoming YouTube video! LinkHERE.

New video being posted later today! I go over these character prompts and how to define character in their eyes. Can’t help but think I was inspired to do Flora because of Loren Gray though?! IDK I JUST SEE IT?! And now I feel bad for calling her a spoiled princess D:

PS: Naomi is best eyes this time.