Warm Wishes

This set of images was created for a line of greeting cards and prints I will be selling at the MICA art market this year. I will also be selling the set on my etsy shop with my Princess Primer book around this time next week. There will be another post with information on that then. I hope everyone has a happy Thanksgiving! I'm currently visiting home in Louisiana, so my web presence may be a bit MIA for a couple of days, but I will be in touch soon. Until then, best wishes! 

~Josh

A visit from Leonard Marcus

I am so excited to be finally going to print on my Princess Etiquette book tomorrow! Once they are all assembled and ready for purchase, I will be sure to post a link to my shop here on the blog, as well as on my facebook, tumblr and twitter! The above image was illustrated as the cover for the book, which by the way, the full title is Princess Primer: 12 easy steps to becoming a proper princess. 

As I am coming to a close on the production of this project, I'm really excited to keep moving forward with my other endeavors at the moment. Below is a finished spread for the Snow White and Rose Red book dummy I am working on. I plan to complete one, possibly two more spreads and a few ink drawings and leave the rest in sketch form. I also have the Fairy Godmother Academy going on and a line of winter greeting cards and stationary that will also be available in about two weeks. 

In other news, we had an absolutely amazing guest today at the MICA Illustration Practice MFA program today! The acclaimed children's book historian Leonard Marcus came to speak with all of us as a part of our critical seminar with Stephanie Plunkett (shown below) and Joyce Schiller of the Norman Rockwell Museum. It was such a pleasure to hear about one of my favorite subjects from such an authority on children's literature. 

Every day, I find myself more and more pleased to have selected MICA for my graduate studies. There are so many amazing opportunities here! I feel that I have already grown so much and my first semester has still not even come to completion. I'm really looking forward to what the next year and a half holds in store! Until next time then, best wishes!

~Josh

NYC and things!

Hello all! I'm just getting back from a whirlwind trip from NYC, and while exhausting, I had a fabulous time! Although I have to say, I wasn't quite prepared for the snow storm that came with the Nor'easter. Southern Belles aren't used to that kind of weather, haha. I survived though!

I attended the Big Talk Symposium for the American Photography and Illustration annuals, and of course the American Illustration party the following night. I had a blast and met some really great fellow illustrators. I'm really looking forward to heading back to the city soon! Until then though, it is work, work, work. My Princess Etiquette book will be going for sale extremely soon. I'm having to decide whether or not I want to print it myself though or have it outsourced, so as soon as that is settled, I'll post it on my shop. Also, if you're not following me on Tumblr, you should do so. I update imagery a bit more quickly there. Until next time, here are some photos from my trip!

It was kind of like being in Narnia! 

The American Illustration Party!

The wonderful Maily Degnan and I! 

Fairy Godmother Project

So amidst wrapping up my Princess Etiquette book and moving to finals on my Snow White and Rose Red project, I've started concepting my next undertaking. These are very early, rough watercolor sketches of potential characters in a project for advanced concept art. The project involves young fairy girls studying to become fairy godmothers, and I have to say, I'm very excited about it! I've always wanted to do my own group of magical girls, and this has sort of unintentionally evolved into just that. I have to say, I'm really looking forward to exploring this concept over the next several weeks and seeing where it goes.

In other news, my Princess Etiquette book will be available for purchase likely by the end of the coming weekend, so stay tuned for that! This semester of graduate school wraps up in about five weeks, so with that, there will be a lot of imagery to share with you all within the coming weeks. Until then, stay warm and best wishes!

~Josh

Princesses and Glamazons

So as I posted a week or so ago, I'm currently working on a small booklet of "princess etiquette". Above are the finished character designs for the book, excluding only the "naughty princess" who will be completed later in the week. I don't think she will be appearing in this particular book due to story constraints, but these are definitely characters I plan to keep on the back-burner for future projects as well!

Expect more Snow White and Rose Red images within the next week or so, and the Princess Etiquette book will be available for purchase in about two to three weeks. In the meant time, I thought I'd share a little something I did for fun on a scrap piece of hot press paper I had lying around. I couldn't just waste it, so why not paint my favorite tribute?

Happy Hunger Games!

~Josh

Moving right along

I can't believe it's already mid-October! I feel like about half of my blog entries start with something about how I can't believe what time of year it already is, haha, but it's a genuine sentiment. It's amazing how time flies by. Everything is moving along smoothly though here in Baltimore. The princess etiquette book is coming together nicely, and I've worked out how I will be depicting Snow White and Rose Red. I still have not decided which spreads to bring to completion, but I will have before the next few days are over. In the mean time though, I thought I'd share a couple of studies I've done in preparation for the book! 

Until next time, best wishes!

~Josh

Princess Book Preview

I just thought I'd share some of my watercolor studies of characters for my upcoming princess etiquette book! Hope everyone is having a great Windsday! (I hope at least of few of you guys caught the Winnie the Pooh reference ;) )

Best Wishes!

~Josh