New J&J Puzzle Pages Jan/Feb 2014

Puzzled? Check out the gang in this very "COOL" issue of Jack & Jill Magazine.

New Chapter Book!!

Just one of the reasons I didn't sleep this past fall :-) - Check it out!!

Awesome Christian Association 
By: Tony Bellagamba
Illustrated By: Merrill Rainey

Being a kid is pretty fun. Being a kid with special powers is AWESOME! And no one knows that better than Just-Plain-Jada, Once-Upon-A-Ron, and No-Way-Jose. Even their little white dog, Penelope, is in on the excitement. Together they are the Awesome Christian Association, also known as The ACA! With the use of their special t-shirts and the simple phrase, “We love Jesus to pieces”, these kids and their dog can go anywhere in the world. Will you come along with the ACA on their first adventure and help them change the world? 

Those interested in purchasing a book, please go to www.acakidz.com
50% of all proceeds donated to charity

Here are a few illustration from the book: 

© 2013 ACA Kidz • acakidz.com

Keep On Trucking!

Another painting experiment in Adobe Illustrator. ~ enjoy!

Adobe Illustrator Painting Experiment - Gone Fishing

Lately I've been experimenting with different drawing techniques within Adobe Illustrator to create traditional looking vector art.  This piece "Gone Fishing" is the first of a series of digital paintings I am currently working on. My process on how I created the illustration is roughly detailed out below.

Any questions on how I created any part of this illustration, please let me know.

Adobe Illustrator tools used where the blob paint brush tool, and the paint brush tool with the charcoal brush effect.

Step 1: Sketch.
    

 Step 2: I then placed the sketch into Adobe Illustrator and started to detail out the background art with the blob paint brush tool, and the paint brush tool with the charcoal brush effect.

Step 3: To give the illustration a hand painted feel, I then masked off the background art and added a few textures.

 Step 4: Once I finished the background art. I then used the same two tools to start on the foreground art.

Completed foreground art.

Step 5: Once I finished the foreground and background art. Using my initial sketch (step 1), I then illustrated the fish and boy characters.

Final: Once the illustration is finished, I then add some hand lettered text using the same two tools.