The Little Bird Project

I was asked to contribute to the good cause project "The Little Bird Project". Illustrations of birds will be printed on a poster, sold, and the profit will be donated to UNICEF, to support their work against child labor.

The project still runs until May 30, check it out and take part! You won't get money, but they list artist's reference and website. More information here.

I did one illustration with background, and one without (no background is their requirement). I kind of like the one with the dreamy sky better though. Or does the belly get lost in the sky where it's pink? What do you think?

illustration friday "citrus"

Something enTIRELly different for once! I created this illustration specifically for the IF topic "citrus", so it's not commercial, but just crazy. Seeing the word "citrus", I instantly got an image in my head of a woman biting into a lemon. I started playing around in Painter, then Photoshop, and look what happened. You tell me!

illustration friday "neighbor"

Hi everyone! Okay this post is a little far fetched to the topic "neighbor", but I thought I post it anyways. The women are neighbors on the beach, and, in the case of the left one, very critical ones at that.
The drawings are done in a new style! I combined vector with Corel Painter drawing additions (fabric detail and swirls in the hair), plus airbrush-like shading. The 2 illustrations are part of a series of 6 drawings done for a swimwear special in the magazine Femina, Switzerland. I kind of enjoy this new style, more easy-going and friendly than just vectors - what do you think?

Astrid
PotatoMammaDesign.com

illustration friday "remember"

This is one of my character designs, Stella. She appears monthly on the Swarovski website, where she gives styling and decoration tips for the latest Swarovski glitz. I posted her to the topic "remember" of illustrationfriday.com, because she kind of thoughtful here.

We're currently in the process of modernizing her image, and giving her more lightness, fashion feel, give her attributes of the term "transparency", and a less rigid, but more sketchy illustration feel. Left is the current style, right one of the suggestions for the new direction. Which one do you like better?

Curious what you think!
Greetings, Astrid
PotatoMammaDesign

vote for illustrations and win!

On April 1 2007, "PotatoMammaDesign" turns 1 year old!
Celebrate with me, and win one of 5 great prizes! Elect Miss PotatoMammaDesign 2007 in the PotatoMammaDesign birthday contest!
Enter now: first 3 entries win a surprise gift
deadline for last votes: April 23 2007

(to get to the contest click here)

Good luck!
Astrid
-PotatoMammaDesign

my current favorite

This illustration was one of the suggestions for a manufactuer of gift products for the teen and young twen-market. They were looking for fashion-inspired, feminine imagery to print on articles like stationery, diaries etc. The artwork has not been published yet.

Astrid
-PotatoMammaDesign.com

illustration friday "crash"

Here's a little fun idea I did for illustrationfriday.com. Shall we call it the sweet revenge of all birds? (Click image to see larger). Greetings to you all!

Astrid
-PotatoMammaDesign.com

free publicity wanted?

Dear illustrator friends!
Via the great illustration inspiration source drawn.ca, I recently came across 49sparks.com. It's an artist collaboration community and free portfolio opportunity. I also got lucky: as soon as I posted an image, they asked me for an interview, which was even more free publicity.
Go to the interview on the 49sparks.com website, or click the play button twice to listen


powered by ODEO
I hope I have a few tips in there that are interesting to some of you. I'm only just starting out in the business (opened in April 06), so bear with me. If you have more questions or suggestions, feel free to comment here, on 49sparks.com, or to send me an email. I'd love to hear from you.
Greetings from an illustrator colleague,
and good luck to you all!
Astrid

illustration friday "sprout"

It has been a while since I last actually created an illustration for illustrationfriday... I finally got around to it again! This is a quick idea I created, to the topic "sprout". Hope you enjoy it, despite my minimalism ;-) Greetings! Astrid

happy winter season!

I know, Christmas has passed... but Christmas CARDS are being produced year-round! This is a pending greeting card design that I did for my agent. All was done in Adobe Illustrator CS2, with gradients for shading, and shapes that are set to "multiply" mode as shadows. Okay, and now let's hope for springtime =) Greetings! Astrid

illustration friday "peace" #2

And another illustration that kind of fits the theme "peace". Lack thereof it is, in this case, or calm before the storm! Anyone know a good way out of the situation for the poor fellow? ;-) This was my holiday card I sent out to customers and friends this year. Hope you like it! (click to enlarge)

Greetings,
Astrid

illustration friday "peace"

Happy Holidays everyone! This post is a little belated, sorry, got caught up in work =) I create these angels for the German magazine "Laura", to add a festive touch to their end of year editions. I tried a totally new style here, done in the program "Painter", with oil pastels. Isn't that program fun? (Click to enlarge)

Holiday Greetings to you all,
Astrid

illustration friday "might"

Might? This creative topic from illustrationfriday.com left quite open, which illustration one might post... ;-) I went for "I might buy this, or that, or that...." This illustration was done for the Swiss consumer magazine MIGROSMAGAZIN, to an article about going shopping for the new baby.

illustration friday "clear"

This is my contribution to the Illustrationfriday.com topic "clear". Background to the picture: it was an editorial illustration to a brief text on something crazy that happened. Apparently a true story, in Mexico, once the local policemen were not "clear" about the current situation: they mistook the firemen that were extinguishing a fire for burglars, and they arrested them! Guess they could have used a clearer job description? Or brighter policemen ;-) Hope you like the illustration =)

illustration friday "smoke"

This was just a quick sketch and testing out of the programme "Painter". I love this program, the possibilities are endless! Don't know if you still recognize the person, but the image inspiration was a shot of Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany's. Hope you like it!
Greetings, Astrid