Alright, we’re officially on the edge of the fall season! I love this time of year. 
Hope ya’ll are doing great, and let’s keep sharing our work! As a reminder, this is not a place for critiques, but to admire and support each other.
https://sarahvandam.art/
Instagram: @sarahvandam.art and @artistsandbox.etsy
I haven't posted work much lately because I was doing watercolor paintings instead of children's illustrations, but over the summer I wrote and illustrated a book for the 2 year old daughter of a good friend. I used Lulu.com, a print on demand company, because I am only printing a limited number of copies for friends and family, and was very pleased with the way it turned out.
(The standing tensigrity lamp on the cover is one that my son built. The fun of doing a book for family instead of worrying about a general audience is that you can put lots of Easter eggs in it.)
Laurie DeMott
instagram.com/demotlj
A couple of LOTR pieces that my son requested to print and hang on his bedroom wall.
Stranger Things character portraits! I posted Timelapse’s on IG if you’re interested in seeing them.
@demotlj That’s AWESOME! I think I recognize the art on the wall, too 
https://sarahvandam.art/
Instagram: @sarahvandam.art and @artistsandbox.etsy
@Jeremy-Ross
Ha! Love ‘em!
@Sarah-VanDam That's a piece I gave to Lily for her bedroom a year ago. I'm amazed you recognized it! Someday I might do a children's book with those characters because I really like them but I've got two other books in the works right now. (I'd better live a long time.)
@Jeremy-Ross These are absolutely fantastic mate. A perfect balance of interpretation and respect for the source. Really appealing style.
Work In Progress close-up of my submission for Octobers HTFYA. I'm realllllly trying to take my time with this one and make it as good as I am capable of doing. I often start to speed up once the illustration is going well, but this time I'm forcing myself to be disciplined. Getting the right balance between stylisation and realism is proving to be tricky too, but I am pleased with the direction it's going. If I had to give ONE tip to a fellow artist it would be to take your time, and spend at least 80% of your brain effort on the first 20% of the illustration process. I've found that the images were I have really nailed the concept, composition and designs early on, turn out the best finished pieces by FAR. I have to force myself to take my time, EVERY time. I get too excited.
I've been a bit MIA lately, but I finally finished this illustration for my portfolio.
I'll also be publishing my portfolio website in 1 week.
Caught covid at the end of last month, recovered now, but doesn't have much energy to do more complex stuff.
But I spent some nights after work to finish a set of stickers / character sheet for my original characters 
Here are two of them:
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Thanks! @MarcRobinson
Awesome @MarcRobinson !!! Has a Norman Rockwell feel.
Thank you @Larue !!
Karate Ketchup!
This was a fun sketch
Been working on this on and off for a few months for fun, would love some feedback. I'm trying to be more 'painterly' but I'm struggling with it looking too digital or sterile. Any ideas on how to not do that, or any ideas on how to improve this as a whole?
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@Tom-Harshberger it's really good mate. I struggle with this problem all the time. More textured brushes help. I downloaded some of Justin Gerrard's brushes and they make it easier to avoid the smooth look. I do master studies of images that have the brush work I like as well.
@Sarah-VanDam That's a piece I gave to Lily for her bedroom a year ago. I'm amazed you recognized it! Someday I might do a children's book with those characters because I really like them but I've got two other books in the works right now. (I'd better live a long time.)
