Two things we need right now: a little Christmas and a little prayer.

This 9″ x 12″ painting was created in watercolor, gouache and colored pencil on paper.

This painting was created for Pregnancy Resourse Services in Silverdale, WA for a benefit auction. This was a directly commissioned piece; something I was asked to do. I was given a verbal description of what they were looking for, and the rest was up to me.

I didn’t do many preliminary concepts; I developed one and went from there. Since the painting was proffered to the organization it was my choice as to layout.

Here is the basic concept quickly sketched out in my sketchbook:

After a few stages of thinking and reworking I have a refined drawing enlarged onto tracing paper. From there it was transferred onto 4-ply Strathmore:

After the frisket paper is applied, I cut away to reveal part of the drawing, then begin to paint the background areas. At this point I’m using transparent watercolor. Gouache is added on top for depth and opacity.

I decide to complete the angel first, before tackling the couple. I cut away frisket leaving only the couple covered. I don’t always work with frisket, but in this case I needed to do some work on the background and angel without affecting the couple.

The couple is now laid in. At this point I’m using both watercolor and gouache.

The finished work prior to releasing it from the board. I’ve worked colored pencil in to add detail, color subtlety and texture. I’ve accented and darkened certain areas with gouache and colored pencil to add greater value contrast. Overall, I wanted to achieve the effect of the image glowing with light from within.

All images in this post are © Alvalyn Lundgren. All rights reserved.

Since I practice two separate but related disciplines, I am very aware of the commonalities and differences in the process of each. For me, graphic design tends to be more evolutionary in that I start with concept sketches and develop from there. My illustration process is a bit different, because I almost always have the image complete in my imagination before I begin to sketch it on paper. Things may change a bit as I go, but generally speaking I iterate an image onto paper rather than explore and develop options. This is true whether it’s created for a client’s project or for myself.

My illustration of the Lion of Judah, an icon of both Judaism and Christianity, was no exception. I saw this painting fully-formed in my mind and then brought it into being on paper. I made a couple of sketches first, then enlarged and transferred the drawing to watercolor paper.

The concept sketch:

The finished work created in watercolor, gouache and colored pencil on paper:

Some background on the work: Judah means praise. Judah was one of the twelve sons of Jacob and it was out of his line that Jesus Christ came. Judah was referred to as a lion in Genesis, and it is the Lion of Judah, referring to Jesus Christ, who is worthy to open the scroll in Revelation.

Today is the 57th anniversary of the barcode. Google is commemorating this day with a barcode logo.

I remember discussion about the bar code while I was at Art Center – its necessary prominence on the back of any package or the front of any magazine – being the downfall of all that is good design. Everything designed for inventory, sale and tracking had to have a barcode and therefore designers had to accommodate its presence, and for many creatives this was regarded as an intrusion.

On its own, the barcode is aesthetically sound. It employs implied line, a full range of value contrast, decently proportioned linear and numeric elements, and a varied alternating rhythm. Its function requires it to be achromatic.

The original, patented concept was a series of circles. The striped version we’re used to made its debut in 1974 on a pack of gum.

I chose to celebrate today by sorting back through some older work and pulling out an illustration I created back in 1986 (have I been doing this for that long? Wow.) – my own Ode to the Barcode. Of course, my ode to this striped hero of tracking and scanning was in the form of a visual pun, incorporating the striped graphic into the striped surface pattern of an everyday zebra.

©1986 & 2009. Alvalyn Lundgren. All rights reserved.

This is the concept rough from my sketchbook, which is not finished enough to be considered a comp, and the finished artwork. The illustration was created in watercolor, gouache and colored pencil, on Arches 140#.

Most depictions of David, the hero king of Israel in the Old Testament, show him fighting Goliath of Gath. A few show him in his later years, and several tell the story of his affair and murderous cover up. In reading about David’s life, he comes across as an all around flawed hero: determined, passionate, sometimes fearful, as capable of screwing up as each of us is, but always trusting in God. I decided to portray David as an intense, visionary and epic young man who was aware of his destiny but sometimes unsure he would achieve it.

The illustration was done for a packaging project – a wrap-around cover for a CD album. The “five smooth stones” are on the back of the package where the audio titles will be placed.

My concept sketch for David illustration and CD album cover

Finished Illustration in watercolor, gouache and colored pencil