Portraits

This year I'm back to portraits. I was always fascinated by the exasperating "everything it's on the right place... still, it's not him/her!" Portrait is that ultimate challenge for a person who claims to have drawing skills.
I was attracted by this discipline since I was a teenager, then, in Fine Arts Faculty I had a really nice teacher (prof. Artur Ramos) that was really passionate on the subject and I got addicted! besides: «I'm an Aries, you know... no mountain to high and 'Challenge' is our middle name» :)

I drew and I learned to draw and to express what I wanted: notice how my long-face got from "serious-person-will-work-hard" to a simple "hey there" 
Anyway, I'm sharing this pintrest board I started today:(http://www.pinterest.com/anafonso_com/portraits/) to track the evolution and experimentation on different styles and techniques.
I basically made this folder to show a client what type of portraits I could do for her, but, when everything come together it was quite amazing to watch the diversity of digital and analogue possibilities.

I like both digital and hand drawing processes - In Lívio's portrait I really enjoyed the "non-drawing" process. it was all about volume and polygons and colors. Very detached from my comfort zone - playing with academic painting or line work.
Hope you like!

...and now on ETSY

I have a shop on etsy! It was quiet easy to upload the photos, You have to pay Etsy a small fee for each object you're posting there. Pick 5 photos with good light and definition and that's it.
I usually do close-up photos while working, so that gave me material to show details on the painting and process  I'm optimistic, hopefully this will be a good window for my work and a extra income. 

:) I sold a drawing on my first day.Hurry up and get yours!
https://www.etsy.com/shop/anafonsocom

20 Prints available & Christmas on the way :)

Meet The print!
It's a mixture between my sunrise photos and a deer that likes to ride his bike :) Hope you enjoy it.

You can buy this trough here: info@illustopia.com

my running and biking sunrise photos (link)
Exhibition photos on Facebook: (link)

Exhibition in Oporto: "Portugal ilustrado" 22 Nov,17h00

This drawing was transformed into a print and will be available at Oporto's Exhibition: "Portugal Ilustrado" 

Opening and comemoration of Illustopia Agency 4 th anniversary

 is 22 Nov,17h00 // Praça do Coronel Pacheco, 2

and you're Welcome!

__

Este desenho foi transformado em impressões e estará disponível na Exposição do Porto: "Portugal Ilustrado" 

A Inauguração da Exposição Colectiva "Portugal Ilustrado" Comemoração do 4º Aniversário da Illustopia é dia 

22 Nov. às 17:00 // Praça do Coronel Pacheco, 2

Todos são bem.vindos!

#zoomorphic ...again.

working on what I love, 

hoping this will open me more opportunities and doors

 to keep researching and winning lots of commissions on this theme :)

Autograph session this saturday

 

This Saturday I'll be in FNAC at Cascaishopping celebrating with Princess Pea their 3rd anniversary. 

We'll be launching the 2015 agenda with illustrations from Portuguese authors - I'll be glad to make a dedicated drawing/autograph in yours. 

Reminder: Christmas is close and FNAC is a bookshop! So... if you have any books of mine (besides the agenda) I will also autograph/draw on them. You'l leave with some presents ready to drop under the Christmas tree ;)

 ...just to let you know the links on the right are updated :) follow my zoomorphic drawings.

New Book about a Portuguese tale

New Book about a Portuguese tale - you can find it on the link.
http://www.wook.pt/ficha/frei-luis-de-sousa/a/id/15826008
I'll be posting again about the making of this one really soon, specially to talk about the cover... it was a challenge that I didn't got right at first attempt.
Illustrating is also being aware of what publishers needs and public can grasp. I made 6 proposals for cover, find the elected one on the link ;)

The Cheetah

After getting my hands dirty doing another zoomorphic creature it's time work it in photoshop. You can see in instagram how much distortion it had originally :) this was made with ecoline, color pencils, liquid corrector, waterbrush, ball point pen.


http://instagram.com/p/t5d8VNPKeR/?modal=true
https://www.facebook.com/ana.afonso.ilustra

2015 agenda for princess pea

Here's a peak into the 2015 agenda for princess pea. Don't be mistaken by the 2012 on the right... I had to put it in the old layout to see the proportions and colors.
I loved this assignment. Am I back to drawing animals? :) ...

Hashtag of the moment? #anafonso !! :) meaning...

I'm (also) on instagram.
I started to used it by April and now it's growing on me, it's easy to post and it makes sense to put together were you are alongside what you doing... so if you wish to know a bit more about my #WIP and whereabouts here's the link:
http://instagram.com/anafonso_com 

My youtube free hand drawing and photoshop painting for a book illustration.

Illustrating for a book on Portuguese literature/ Tales about Portugal history by Alexandre Herculano.
Here's my new video on "how to" illustrate. I use Photoshop to combine line drawing over a painted background. If you do this you just have to enhance some details to make it all pop out. Clean and simple. Funny thing is: the more you use brushes in photoshop the more you will lose the power of the real acrylics paint. It's a short video bu t very resumed. Enjoy. (link)

From drawing to published book

So, here's the new book with my illustrations. I had to leave my comfort zone to make this one, bye bye to curly girls and pets and smiles!!

This is a dark book about battles and death... it turn out OK. I focused on facial expression in battle more than describing how many where dying and how they died! There's so much bloody descriptions in words I just had to make lighter images and avoid the color red :) Really, it's amazing how Alexandre Herculano made use of suffering and patriotism to narrate Portugal history!
I had to do lots of research also. about the author (link here) and what kind of armors and garments people used - Pintrest it's just amazing for that (see the pins).

You can find the book here (and/or view 3 illustrations the editor shared):

The 3rd illustration is inspired by the narrative but mostly by this wonderful horse I found online:

No more print screens - here's the portfolio! :)

Print screens were  made while working for a Magazine Publisher - Motorpress.
I had the privilege to work there 4 months doing lots of different tasks for their magazines which are mostly about Sports and kids thematics: Bike Magazine, Ciclismo a Fundo, Sport Life, Ideias para Educar.
So I had Sports and illustration combined adding the plus of going there on my bike - about 6km that made me sweat sometimes, because when you happy and like sports it's very difficult to overcome the flood of energy Lisbon gives you when riding by the river... early morning, sun and win on your face it's hard to remember "Do not sprint, you don't want to get there smelly!! Do not sprint, do not s.... do not... sssssssspeeeeeeeeeeeeed!!!

So, here's the 4 months update on to my portfolio: http://anafonso.com/images/anafonso/documentos/portfolio_ana_afonso.pdf

print screen at noon_05

 

Sometimes you just enjoy what you do and you still learn something about a sport you love.

These are the times.

print screen at noon_04

 I love this job!! :.D 

a) I'm @ Feira do Livro de Lisboa (Princess Pea stand)  illustrating live and giving autographs (drawings) on my books. Show up!! :)
b) If you've just there and followed the yellow QR CODE road WELCOME! you can find out more about me and my works here: anafonso.com

Print screen at noon_03

To much work! some "noons" just pass me by :)
I'm still loving this mix of sports and beautiful photos.
This is D. Quixote http://davidcachon.com/

my cmyk personality has an exclusive blog

From today on "my cmyk personality" has a exclusive blog. If you're not a facebook user to follow CMYK adventures trough FB now you can keep track of my weekly Visual Chronicle trough Blogger. Same drawing but easier to find you favourite ones.





Take a peek:
(new blog)
http://mycmykpersonality.blogspot.pt/
(facebook)
https://www.facebook.com/myCMYKpersonality

"A Raposa Azul" on second edition. This is when you get happy to be treated like an author and not just a freelance

Work pays off.  No matter what, if you endure some obstacles and pursue your passions feedback will come along. works is a seed we must be patient to see it's flowers.
Of course if you're not alone chances of success increase - specially if you're working with well knowned writers. This is when you get happy to be treated like an author and not just a freelance do preform a task. I have a divided authorship with the 2 authors of the text. Good publishers work this way. It's not luck, it's not a favour that is done to you -  it's the way it is supposed to be. FAIR. :)

The authors Ana Maria Magalhães e Isabel Alçada made a small video to promote the book. here:
http://www.planonacionaldeleitura.gov.pt/novasleituras/index.php?id=8