ICofDC Member: Peggy Fussell

A new feature on the IC of DC blog is a bit of "get to know you" for the benefit of other members, and the interested public. We hope you enjoy the feature, and please visit the linked sites, blogs and referenced items - Perhaps you may like to ask your own question.

Peggy Fussell

website: http://www.peggyfussell.com/Portfolio.php

blog: http://www.peggyfussell.wordpress.com

Describe your illustration style.

My style combines swirly bold line with subtle color. I love drawing people, gardens and maps. I also enjoy creating lettering.

What is your main medium?

Digital/collage

What is your illustration workspace like?

My studio feels like a tree house and is filled with a variety of fun art supplies, sea shells, rocks, awe inspiring kid’s art, pine cones, buttons, and other unusual found objects and silly ephemera from my youth. The studio itself is very small, so small that a realtor couldn't legally list it as a bedroom, but it opens out onto a second floor screened in porch that is perfect for drawing, painting or anything that necessitates ventilation. I am, therefore, acutely aware of the weather. Inside I have a 1940s architect's oak drafting table that I bought for $25 dollars in Texas. It pretty much takes up the whole room.

Describe your typical work flow.

I love research!! That's where I start. I sketch in my sketchbook for rough ideas/concepts. I try to always sketch from life. Sometimes, especially if I am drawing plants or people, I will also bring my camera and photograph my subjects from various angles. After I've narrowed down to a few concepts I move to tracing paper to clarify ideas and refine/stylize drawings for presentation. After client approval of sketches I scan them and create lines in Illustrator. I use a Wacom tablet for pressure sensitivity. Then I find and/or create textures, I've got drawers of painted squares, papers and fabric. Finally, I scan the textures and composite them with the line in Photoshop.

Who was your first illustration hero?

Ludwig Bemelmans. I adored his Madeline books when I was little. Those twelve little girls in two straight lines were just so darn cute! After reading the first one I could never again see a crack in a ceiling or sidewalk and not imagine it to be something magical.

I also had/have a thing for cookbook illustrations from the 40s and 50s. One of my prized possessions is Betty Crocker's Dinner for Two illustrated by Charley Harper.

Can you describe the direction your current work is heading?

I've been adding more texture to my work by scanning fabrics, plants and painted surfaces. I've also recently been hired to create a few portraits. I'd like to do more of them!

What do you do to promote your work?

I advertise on theispot.com and have an ad in the current issue of FPO magazine. I post to the blog Sugar Frosted Goodness and I'm listed on Folioplanet, Illustration Mundo and Jacket Flap. I blog and have a website. I tweet on occasion. I also send out postcards (but not as often as I should) And, of course, I am a member of IC!

What advice do you have for someone trying to become an illustrator?

Draw a lot, draw what you love. Get to know your clients and let them get to know you.

Be sure to check Peggy's portfolio at the IC of DC website.

IC Members Show Coming Up!

Hello Illustrators Club Members, Don't forget to enter 2 pieces into the Illustrators Club Members Show coming up! It's free to enter and IC Members are guaranteed a place on the wall at the Art Institute of Washington in Rosslyn. The location of the gallery is very close to Georgetown and provides great exposure for your work! And best of all; I've said it before, … it's Free for IC members! All that is required is a small hanging fee which we use toward refreshments for the opening night of the show. Here is what you need to know: Drop off, mail or FedEx by 5:00PM MONDAY, December 7, 2009 to: AIW SHOW 2062 Cobblestone Lane; Reston, VA 20191 Check your e-mail for this message and further directions (attached).

So, if you're an IC Member, send it in … and you're in! It's free! See you at the show. David Labrozzi President Illustrators Club of Washington DC, Maryland and Virginia www.illustratorsclub.org

The Kelly Collection

The Illustrators Club of Washington DC, Maryland and Virginia had the wonderful opportunity once again to tour the remarkable Kelly Collection of American Illustration. The tour was made possible by Mr. Kelly and Collection Curator, Ms. Alberding.

Ms. Alberding's insights into the works on display were not only very informative, but entertaining as well. Her research into the tales the Illustrations were originally produced for as well as stories about the Illustrators themselves, provided viewers with a heightened perspective of these already highly regarded works.

I find myself saying this often about the experience; but truly, viewing these works first hand had been nothing less than magical. There is no doubt, everyone left that day inspired!

Thanks goes out once again to Mr. Kelly for the kind generosity he has extended to the Club through sharing his Collection. We are more than fortunate to have such a friend in the world of Illustration.

Sincerely,

David Labrozzi

President

Illustrators Club of Washington DC, Maryland and Virginia

www.illustratorsclub.org

National Archives - UK

Some fantastic work is on display at the National Archives (UK) website. Found a beautiful sequential piece of the perils of a Merchant vessel in the North Atlantic. After looking around, I had to pass it on... Check out the caracature of Fire-Bomb Fritz by Reginald Mount from 1942! Fantastic work!

I also appreciate seeing the full artboard with notations and battered edges.

Here's the link: http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/theartofwar/

Think Anatomy

Just found a huge online anatomy resource - Lots of info for medical illustrators, and even something for us with weaker constitutions. Good site for those of you going through your anatomy classes -- Know your Costal Insertions of Latissimus Dorsi!

Click around...

http://thinkanatomy.com/

DACs Payback for UK Pubs

As an artist or visual creator you can claim Payback royalties if your work has been featured in a UK book, magazine or included in a programme broadcast on BBC Digital or terrestrial television. DACS pays these roylaties to successful claimants in December each year. Read more here. http://www.dacs.org.uk/index.php?m=4

DACS is a membership based organisation representing 36,000 fine artists and their heirs, in addition to 16,000 photographers, illustrators, craftspeople, cartoonists, architects, animators and designers, including some of the biggest names in contemporary visual arts.

--- If you qualify, you have until Sept 30th to put in a claim! Many Thanks to UK Illustrator Lynne Chapman for the heads-up!

We could use the love on this side of the pond, too. awe... yeah!

Go Figure! Is Starting Up Again. October 6 is On Us!

The IC sponsored figure drawing sessions are starting up again!

Show up on October 6 starting at 6 p.m. and draw for free. Sessions end at 9 p.m.

The first session will be October 6 at the Art Institute of Washington on the 11th floor. Please ask the front desk for assistance with the elevator.

The Art Institute of Washington is located in Rosslyn, VA. The location is very near the Rosslyn stop on the orange line of the metro.

After the 6th, sessions will run every Tuesday and Thursday for the Fall season (with the exception of holidays). The sessions will be held between the hours of 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. on those days.

As mentioned earlier in this post, on October 6, 2009 you can come and draw for free. After that the fee is $8.00/session. As

always, students and faculty of the Art Institute are invited to attend for free.

See you there!

David Labrozzi

President,

Illustrators Club of Washington DC Maryland and Virginia

www.illustratorsclub.org