Highlights High Five September Cover Art.

September 2013 issue.

Catalog art: Family theme

 My illustration for my art rep, MB Artists, catalog. The theme for this latest one is "Family".

 Pencil sketch (with my daughter and 2 dogs, a westie and a golden retriever puppy,  as references).

 The painting process with with photo references.

Final art.

 You can view the full catalog of MB Artists illustrations here.

SF Giants "Night Before Baseball" book giveaway at AT&T Park

 The San Francisco Giants gave away copies of Night Before Baseball at the Park by the Bay (what a name, huh?) to the first 15,000 fans during the Giants vs. LA Dodgers game last July 6.

It was a long process and quit an exciting one for me, a long time SF Giants fan and former SF resident. I know The City well.

The book cover. Written by David Schnell.

 

  My book. On the jumbotron. You've got to be kidding me.

 Free books at the gate.

Hope he enjoyed the book.

  A young fan and his dad.

The book is available at the Giants Dugout Stores.

Visit the book facebook page here.

This One's for the Dads.

Happy Father's Day!

Creating a Children's Picture Book.

Every illustrator has their own unique way in making a picture book. Using my latest book "Down at the Dino Wash Deluxe" as an example, here is a short summary of my own art process.

1. Thumbnail sketches.

After reading the author's manuscript, I put together very rough thumbnail sketches of how I envision the book to look. The sketches all very loosely drawn for ideas, the kind that's not really meant to be shown to anyone.
 

2. Research.

Photo references are a very important part of my art process. For this book, I use my nephew, Tyler, as the story's main character. 

The pictures are not for me to draw exact depictions, but to get the "feel" of the character. I also collected dinosaur references for this book which was a lot of fun.

3. Sketches. 

At this stage, there is usually a bit of a back and forth between me and the art director. Ideas are exchanged and revisions are made before the final sketches are approved before I can finally paint them.

 

4. Final Art. 

Below is the book's opening spread with thumbnail and pencil sketch. I make sure to leave space for type. This way, kids can enjoy reading the book and look at the pictures easily.

 

5. Bonus: Cover Art

And here's another example with the Cover art. You can see two sketch versions on the upper left. The book designer and I also toyed with the idea of having a 1950's design for the word "Deluxe," but we later ditched the idea.

 I hope you enjoyed the tour!
"Down at the Dino Wash Deluxe" written by Tim Myers is now available online and in stores. 

Down at the Dino Wash Deluxe.

My latest picture book "Down at the Dino Wash Deluxe" is out today. A good one for kids who enjoy a sprinkle of dinosaurs in their stories.

I was also pleased to find out that the normally picky Kirkus gave it a great review.

“Pamintuan's artwork ably matches the text, each brilliantly colored dinosaur a distinct individual. Perspective, size, body language and facial expression all play a role in capturing the story's moods . . . A romping-stomping choice for dinosaur lovers and those similarly afraid of soap in their eyes." - Kirkus Reviews

Written by Tim Myers.

Now available in stores and online.  

Shoe Art.

I painted my Vans shoes for the 65th anniversary party of the apo view hotel. Because any time you can get away with wearing comfy shoes with your suit and tie, you do it.

  First brush. Always the scariest.

 
 And I dub thee: 65th Legacy Kicks. 

Upset Neighbors

A rejected sketch for a proposed children's picture book.

Might as well play with it.

 (watercolor, pencil and ink).

Rescuing not needed.

For those with little princesses.

Things have changed the past 3 years. I have a daughter now and the idea of Barbie dolls and Disney princesses in need of rescue do not seem so appealing to me.

I have hopes that she'll be a world class athlete and the first ever Philippine Olympic gold medalist, but her current obsession with pink dresses and Lalaloopsy dolls don't offer me much optimism. 

She started ballet class last week. In a pink dress.

Step by Step Illustration process.

Here's a look into how I finish an illustration. The artwork is for the 2013 Workbook.

Given that this artwork is for promotional purposes, I allow myself to experiment more and play with my subject. The NBA playoffs is starting soon and I just couldn't pass up the chance to do a Paul Pierce illustration. 

Go Celtics.

 1. Small thumbnail sketches to map the composition. 

Very rough, loose work. It's more of searching for ideas rather than refining details.

2. Rough sketch.

After choosing the composition I like, I then start adding details. I also make sure that I retain the flow and vibrancy of the thumbnail. Sometimes, the sketch's energy can get lost during this transfer.

3. Final sketch

Yeah, I had fun.

 

4. Final art (with bleed).

The bleed (the space outside the bordered lines around the image) will be cropped off when published, but I seem to enjoy the look of it so I am keeping it here.

And yeah, Go Celtics.

The Birthday Boy.

Warm up sketch before work. Had to be Kurt.

watercolor

'Bots.

From the sketchbook.
I need to find more sketch playtime for myself.

Unc.

Another tribute post for Uncle Allen.

This one I did for art school back in 2002.  He was always good for a pose or two.

Oil on Canvas