TJ's Commissions: Be a Disney Princess.

Ah! Today will be a peek at a personalized header commission I completely a while back.

Pearliology is a Beauty Guru on Youtube and I got to know her via my sister Cilla. She is a huge Disney fan and she wanted to have herself captured as one for her header. Of course, I said "Yes"

So obviously I went a bit in stalker mode and checked out her blog. A header space isn't that big, so I had to keep in mind what I wanted to paint as I didn't want lots of details to go missing. However, it was clear from the start that there had to be one big princess Sarah, as all Disney princesses have their moment of prettiness on a poster. Then after a bit of research I decided to add 3 little princesses. 1) She loves to snap pictures as much as she can (and her blog is filled with lovely peeks in her life), so because of this I chose to have one mini Sarah holding a camera. 2) She loves slushies! 3) Disney princesses always seem to have cute birdies around them (and then they burst out into singing...)

I don't have a whole lot of pictures this time as the design was pretty straight forward and the sketch was right in one go. I wanted to add frames around the 3 little princesses, but decided to leave them out in the final sketch as it would take up too much space. Also on the original I hand-painted "Pearliology"

She absolutely loved it and hearing this just makes my day! It's always a challenge to create something that the client will love, but so far the response I get is way beyond amazing.

Little updates:
1. YAY! The SOS Sahel painting is sold during the auction! The lovely Betty Dravis is the proud owner of the Goddess of Nature and the painting is on her way as I type this post! She is a writer AND a celebrity interviewer (she interviewed Clint Eastwood back in the days. How COOL is that?!) and if you're interested to see her work, please go to her site, Betty's Dreams.

2. All the giveaway prizes are on their way to their new owners! AND there will be a new one up in a week or two.

3. I'll be doing some major redesigning of a lot of things soon, but I will update you accordingly when the time is right.

Thanks for reading lovely readers! Till  next time.

Running Around in Circles while Rambling.

Ah you guys! I'm in an odd mood lately, nothing negative, just...odd. I have tons of stuff that I could and want to talk or write about, but as soon as I sit down to write a post, I tend to wander away with my mind and I end up doodling something or just doing other stuff. I have a bunch of drafts now. So instead of coming with one of the many ideas that I have floating in mind for a post...I will just ramble and show you pictures ^_^.

So what have I been up to? Well, last few weeks have been crazy with arranging commissions. I say arranging as I need to keep my admin aspect in mind as well. Then I also have to actually work on them as well, but that is the fun part haha. You can still commission me though! Just e-mail me if you want to have more information. Next to that, I'm also working on my own little projects and seeing what direction I will head in for now. I'm dabbling in Fashion illustrations...dabbling in kiddies illustrations, cupcakes and monsters and I don't know what else. Have to say that the monsters and cupcakes got a life of their own and I'm working on something that I don't want to share just yet, need to think a few things through hehe.

But I do have to say that I feel...a tad all over the place at the moment. With the art fund being completely discarded, I started to re-think a lot of things and doing a lot of things. So many things, that I kinda lost track of what I want to do. So I took a few days where I was less behind my laptop and did some thinking as I definitely need a focus point for myself. I can't completely stop networking or sharing my doodle peeks (I'm addicted to my doodle peeks on Facebook). Let me just tell you that this...is...difficult. Most of you know that I love to do so many things *head desk*. And as much as I love to aimlessly wander around, this is not realistic. But I do have a better insight in what I want now, but times like this where I simply want to sit in a corner and stare are a tad annoying. However I'd annoy myself even more if I did nothing though.

Funny thing about the ink I used for the inky ladies. I absolutely disliked the fact it wasn't waterproof, while it says so on the bottle. After playing around with it for a while, I love the way it "bleeds". It creates an instant depth, so I don't need to mess around with washes of grey. Only thing is, I can't add a whole lot of color as the lines will bleed again if I add too many washes and the painting can result in a piece of...ehm...annoyance.

Can't curse as I probably scare people away.

And you know what else? I've been postponing the giveaway as I wanted to ponder a bit longer about the price and now my 3rd Blogoversary is almost here! Can you believe it? The third year will start soon. Never thought I'd be rambling to the World for three years in a row now hehe. The regular readers knoooooow that I always do a giveaway, so I'll wait a bit longer and do a giveaway in June ^_^.

 

Ah Pirate Cupcakes. How I love theeeee!!

I'll end my rambling now. Till next time everyone!

It's That Time of the Year...Again!!

Hello Hello Everyone!

Thanks so much for the response on the cupcake tutorial (previous post)! I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of people that read and liked the post! I will have more cupcake tutorials soon and from this I shall expand to other tutorials *evil laugh*

You know, I think that this is the last post for 2011...I need to take a few days off and re-focus and prepare for the Holidays. It really feels like it has been only a week ago, that I wished you Happy Holidays in 2010! I think I also have my first new party header where my characters had skin tones. Goodness!

Happy Holidays 

and have an Awesome 2012!!

I know I probably already said 'Thank You' many, many times, but I shall do it again, because without your support and readership I wouldn’t be here! Really, a huge thank you for just following me on my journey. I hope it inspires you to just work hard & chase your own dreams. You can make a difference for yourself as nothing is impossible, you can make it impossible by thinking that it is!

                                                                

I’m really curious to what 2012 will bring! Commission requests are already coming in for 2012 and I have a feeling that I have to put a commission stop soon. You will be notified when I have to do this though, but if you don’t have a deadline and you don’t mind waiting a bit longer for your commission, then by all means, e-mail me if you have questions, want to know prices and so on (tjlubrano@gmail.com).

With this, I shall leave you! I’ll be checking in on my Fan page every now and then and post random doodles. I gotta keep on doodling!

Don't forget that I also have a column blog, I published my last column for this year there. It's called, Glancing Back. Plus, don't forget about the Migwi book project ^_^. In 2012, there will be more tidbits  of news about this little monkey too.

Whatever you do, have fun and be careful with fireworks!

See you all in 2012.

Ciao Ciao xoxo!

TJ's Projects: Get in touch with your alter ego!

Hey everyone!

How are you doing? Enjoying the weather so far?

Today I shall tell you about a project that I've done a while ago. Whenever it's possible I shall tell you bits and pieces of the things that I'm doing. Sometimes I can only tell you more when the project is finished as things need to be kept a secret ;). For this project I collaborated with Blogcatalog and created a bunch of avatars for you to choose from when you create an account. I personally like it when you have different types of avatars to choose from, especially since I often wander around my imaginative world and pretend to be a superhero hehe. So if I can switch things up when I want, I am happy.

Here are the currently available avatars:

Let me just tell you, I could have created a whole lot more! You can easily choose a personality that suits you. I added some snapshots for you to see, plus a few avatars in a bigger size. I hope you like them as much as I do.

 

I figured circling them with red circles or squares worked better...hehe. It is funny to see them pop up on the forum! Sorry for the blurriness of the screen shots though. Here are a few of them in a larger size! I hope you clicked to enlarge the images.

Ooh so curious what you think of them as well! It was a fun opportunity. So a huge - Thank You - to Blogcatalog! Also it is possible to commission me if you want to have yourself turned into an avatar! You can email at tjlubrano@live.com. You can also use this email if you want to commission me for other illustrations or want to know the prices. I will add an estimate of prices on my blog soon, so you have an idea what I charge. However, it's always fun to receive email from you guys ;).

And lastly, I have my first Facebook Giveaway! I passed the 100 likes. Thanks to everyone who joined! If you want to join, you have to leave a comment on the note on my page. If you comment here, it doesn’t count ;).

Till next time everyone & Remember to Smile!

Ciao!

4. FAQ

 Have a seat & a drink please. Here I will discuss several topics and I really advice you to read it, so you know how everything works and that there’s no delay in your order. 

But first of all: Thank You for taking your time to read this.

Who is TJ Lubrano?
Oh. Do visit the 'Who is TJ' page for more insight in who I am.

What information do you need?
When you commission me, it speeds up the process if you are as clear & detailed as possible. Please visit check the 'Commission Me' tab, to read what you need to send me if you want to order something from me

How do you work?
Everything you see is created on high quality (HQ) watercolor paper with watercolor and ink pens. After this, I’ll make a HQ scan and edit it in Photoshop. I keep you posted on the progress. I elaborated more on this question here: How To Order? Just have a read there and hopefully it answers all your questions.

How do you breathe life in your illustrations?
To see how an illustration comes to life, you can visit the WIP page. Here you can see how I kept track of the creative process of several illustrations. Enjoy! I wish there was a secret in how I do this, but I just add layers of paint in it haha.

Are there Original artwork a la TJ for sale?
Ooh yes! There are original paintings for sale. I will add everything in my Etsy Shop.

I keep HQ scans and pictures of all my illustrations, so I rather have my art hung up on a wall then stuffed away in a portfolio folder. They are ready to travel to their new homes. But keep in mind that they are unframed as this will reduce the shipping costs and the risk of broken glass while it’s traveling to you.

So what type of occasions can I think of?
Let your imagination run wild (but don’t let it get too far hehe)! You can think of e.g. baby showers, nursery rooms, bridal parties, bachelor/bachelorette party, children parties and gifts for your department at your office. The options are endless, but one thing is for sure: This will make a truly wonderful gift. For themes you can think of, please visit this link: What To Order?

When do I have to pay?
Payment is due up front. If it's a higher amount, payment in installments is possible, but this shall be discussed when it's necessary. As soon as I receive your payment (or 1st installment) & design information, I’ll notify you. After payment I will start with the creative process of creating awesome designs for you.

Shipping & Handling
Once your order is shipped, I’ll let you know and provide you with a tracking code if there is one. I’ve had no troubles so far sending out packages without tracking code, but if you don’t want to take any risks; insured shipping is possible. Express delivery is optional as well. Contact me, if you want to know the specific costs.

The client is responsible for any extra duties and custom charges that may occur when the package is shipped. Also, double check your address when you send it to me as I copy that exactly.

How long will it take?
It will take around approximately 4 to 8 weeks for the order to be ready and safely shipped to your home. Of course it depends on what you order, the quantity and the complexity of it. Please keep this in mind if you want to have illustrations on time.

Hope I answered all your questions, feel free to browse around and if you still have questions, I’m just an email away!

1. What to Order

2. How to Order

3. The Buzz on TJ


Email: tjlubrano@live.com



Last updated on February 17th, 2012 by TJ Lubrano

* Regarding TNT delivery service: I say quite fast as I can’t control developments in the world. Things like strikes, death of wanted criminals *ahem*, well they can influence the time of delivery. I’ll always check if there’s something happening that may hinder the delivery, if so, I’ll let you know straight away!