Monday, March 28, 2011

Illustration Friday: Toy

Some toys are timeless.  I have a big, cloth bag full of wooden alphabet blocks that belonged to my husband when he was a child, and which were used for years by our two children.  I love them—many have incised pictures on the side opposite the letter.  They're wonderful images, which are also timeless: a chick, a quail, a nest, a vase, a fox.  But I'd imagine that most children use them to learn the alphabet and create their own words, so I arranged three of them into my word for this week:

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38 comments:

  1. Kristin G JacksonMarch 28, 2011 at 3:37 PM

    Wow. Perfect. The "T" is my favorite.

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  2. UnknownMarch 28, 2011 at 4:13 PM

    Aww. This is so good! And makes me think back to my kids' block days... Very nice!

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  3. AnonymousMarch 28, 2011 at 4:59 PM

    This is great. I like your style!

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  4. gatheringwonderMarch 28, 2011 at 5:32 PM

    you do fantastic work - I look forward to following

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  5. KarenMarch 28, 2011 at 5:33 PM

    Nicely done! How lucky for you to have those blocks. I have one of this ilk with a rabbit on it that I must find!

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  6. PearlMarch 28, 2011 at 5:56 PM

    Very sweet: nostalgia, longing, simplicity.

    Lovely.

    Pearl

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  7. studio loloMarch 28, 2011 at 7:58 PM

    You picked the most perfect, toothy paper to bring these blocks to life. Well done!! I love them.

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  8. Ces AdorioMarch 28, 2011 at 8:23 PM

    Goodness! It looks just like the blocks of my childhood! Thank you for stirring my memories.

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  9. Elizabeth Rose StantonMarch 28, 2011 at 8:51 PM

    So appropriate! I love your images, Sarah.

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  10. Andrew FinnieMarch 28, 2011 at 9:22 PM

    Hey! You've captured the patina and the whole sense of play wonderfully. You have a good eye :)

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  11. KarenMarch 28, 2011 at 10:21 PM

    Super... they really look played with. Lovely colors and textures. I love your birdhouse below too.

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  12. EmmaMarch 29, 2011 at 12:23 AM

    Hello Sarah - wonderful! And you do seem to use the most beautiful paper...do you mind sharing what brand it is?

    Now...on to you bird house post. I was talking to a friend yesterday about blogging, and she said she didn't 'get it'...what was the point. Fortunately I'd just been reading your roots and wings post that morning and got to tell her that your vignette about watching the birds nest under the eaves of your house and thoughts on your son's visit had added some warmth to my day and made your birdhouse sketch so much more meaningful. I think my friend started to 'get it'.

    Thanks,
    Emma

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  13. Gillian MowbrayMarch 29, 2011 at 3:13 AM

    Ah - this evokes such lovely memories. We too have a big cloth sack of wooden blocks that our boys used to play with. A delightful piece. x

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  14. Malka Michaela BarshishatMarch 29, 2011 at 6:08 AM

    Hi Sarah,
    I haven't stopped by for a while.
    This is a classic. Perfect!
    Beautifully drawn, it tells a story of it's own with the faded shades and worn out corners..I like how you drew the texture.
    Love it!

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  15. Sally TaylorMarch 29, 2011 at 6:52 AM

    This is just gorgeous! My favorite illo so far this week! The texture and colors are perfect. Very nostalgic!

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  16. DoodlestreetMarch 29, 2011 at 6:53 AM

    wonderful! i have some just like this and when i first saw your illustration, my heart skipped a beat! Very very nicely drawn...love it! :D

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  17. heikeMarch 29, 2011 at 1:07 PM

    This is so cute! You want to play with the cubes directly. And it tells so much about all the children that must already have had fun playing with them.

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  18. Sarah MellingMarch 29, 2011 at 1:37 PM

    Thank you for such kind comments! I loved doing this one, and was happy with the result, except that I thought the composition was a tad unbalanced (like me?). the hardest letter was the R because it was just printed onto the flat wood, not carved at all.

    Emma - I know what you mean...I get mixeed reactions when I tell people I have a drawing blog. No matter, the people that get it are the ones that really know us, I think. The paper I used is from a pad of Strathmore 500 Series Charcoal paper, that I've had for ages. There are assorted colors, but I think that one is called Golden Brown. I chose it becasuse it was close to the natural wood color of the blocks which meant that I could achieve that warm wooden look without a lot of layers of pencil. Somehow, out of that pad, I always choose that color! The paper has a raised texture on one side that gives a nice cross-hatched look with some soft media, but I read somewhere that the back side is smoother to allow the artist to have both options. (Not sure I'd noticed that before.) So, on this piece, I used the smoother side, as I thought the textured side wouldn't be compatible with the wood image.

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  19. SUZANNE LEWISMarch 29, 2011 at 2:15 PM

    These are amazing Sarah. Another winner. I love the "A." always look forward to your work every week.

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  20. Cindy PaulMarch 29, 2011 at 2:38 PM

    Makes me miss the old wooden blocks. Your work is so pleasing to view. Thanks.

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  21. Melissa MackieMarch 29, 2011 at 3:44 PM

    Stunning Sarah! You are very talented.... this is my favourite drawing from you so far as I love the vintage quality to it...

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  22. heidi aldin monteleoneMarch 29, 2011 at 4:28 PM

    The old alphabet blocks, a classic toy. You bring back all the memories with your gorgeous rendering.
    I love it!

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  23. Donna Jeanne KoeppMarch 30, 2011 at 6:29 AM

    I love letters, words, phrases and quotes. Your blocks are very well drawn and you captured the worn look of well played with toys.

    Love your blog, I'm going to follow to see what you're up to next.

    Thank you for your comment on my troll sketch.

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  24. ninyaMarch 30, 2011 at 8:14 AM

    oh this is nostalgic..i wish i still had my old toys with me..

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  25. SophieMarch 30, 2011 at 10:07 AM

    This is just lovely! I really love the way you captured the texture of the wood & the colours on the paper, too <3 Gorgeous! :)

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  26. get zappedMarch 30, 2011 at 10:34 AM

    Soothing...

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  27. Cathy HoltomMarch 30, 2011 at 12:25 PM

    The wood looks so real. Lovely drawing and a good word!

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  28. Paula PertileMarch 30, 2011 at 6:10 PM

    oooh, oooh, I love these. I've always loved alphabet blocks anyway, and your drawing is just PERfect.

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  29. Susan CharlotteMarch 30, 2011 at 8:47 PM

    Good choice of medium, and great composition.

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  30. AnonymousMarch 31, 2011 at 10:09 AM

    I love these blocks too - I feel like I can feel their texture just by looking at your illustration!

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  31. jenniferMarch 31, 2011 at 11:37 AM

    I Love your drawings. They are so peaceful and beautiful! You totally captured the vintage feel here.

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  32. AtelierBrigitteMarch 31, 2011 at 12:37 PM

    They all look so real 'woody'. Wonderful drawing!

    I've scrolled through your blog and you make wonderful pieces - you've got a follower!

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  33. AnonymousMarch 31, 2011 at 4:27 PM

    You have captured the look and feel of these old wooden blocks perfectly! The well-worn paint and softened corners from use - wonderful.

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  34. Laura G. YoungMarch 31, 2011 at 5:41 PM

    Ah, wooden blocks. Thanks for the recall. :) I enjoyed playing with an architectural set, as well. Wonder if they still sell them...?

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  35. Morph WaffleMarch 31, 2011 at 9:31 PM

    What an awesome illustration! Really wonderful!

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  36. CallyApril 1, 2011 at 3:07 AM

    These are so tactile! I love the worn edges and the grooves on the top - those details make them look so real :)

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  37. JohannaApril 1, 2011 at 6:24 AM

    Terrific! Happy to discover another Prismacolor devotee!

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  38. Mindful DrawingApril 4, 2011 at 12:13 AM

    Indeed, wooden blocks are toys forever. I stored them for the next generation. (Other toys I easily donate to the thrift shops).
    What I like about your drawing is that you can see that these wooden blocks are used..and used and maybe next time we see tooth marks in them? ;-)
    Paula

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