2013 Walmart Packaging Photo Shoot!!

SURVIVAL _ Illustration Friday

Haven't done one of these in a while, fun exercise! Word of the week was SURVIVAL. :) 

Easter Bunnies

Fun Patterns!

I wanted to draw a Whale, so I did!

Sock Monkey Pattern!

By Emiko 2012

Minnesota Pattern

Here's a Minnesota toss pattern! I love my home :) 

I'm not sure who reads this or keeps up on this at all. First of all thank you for reading this blip, I don't usually go off like this..But I just wanted to say I'm so lucky, grateful, blessed, and feeling so loved! My MUGGIN™ Mugs are really taking off. I'm hopin', wishin, prayin' that the ripple effect takes place and other customers (besides my beautiful friends & family who I'm SO thankful for) see my product and takes off from there! To make your dreams work, you gotta work! Thank you universe...


If you want to see what's making me so happy, here it is:
http://www.etsy.com/shop/ramenrainbow?ref=si_shop


Thanks for lookin' good lookin' ;) 

MUGGIN™ Mugs!!! Now available!!

Do you love mugs full of your favorite hot coffee or tea?! 

Does your old favorite mug look a little too shabby these days and you think you need a new one? 

Does your old shabby mug let you WRITE ON IT?!

That's it, you need a MUGGIN™ MUG!

Look like a movie star with some Marilyn Monroe type lips 

and have some fun writing what those lips say! 

MUGGIN™ novelty mugs are
proudly made in the USA!
This 11 oz. MUGGIN™ is 
dishwasher and microwave safe!

Write whatever your MUGGIN™
has on its mind with chalk or a liquid chalk marker! 

MUGGIN™ Has CHALK INCLUDED with order :) 

Don’t worry we won’t say anything,
but your MUGGIN™ will!

Get them here!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/ramenrainbow?ref=si_shop

Illustration of “The Siren” by © Emiko 2012 

Hope everyone had a happy Monday, we made it!

First animated GIF!

Sampson the brave gives out high fives like no ones business! 

Aphrodite

Pretty Slow today, so I decided to work on this at lunch!

I had Aphrodite in mind, just hanging on a cloud effortlessly dropping love arrows to mankind below… 

Haha I don’t know where I come up with this stuff!!! Happy Thursday! 

"This Volcano Sleeps"

I'm going with this Hawaiian feeling of paintings lately... And I'm really really lovin' it. 

Hope everyone had a great Tuesday!

Happy Saint Patty's Day!

Everyone be safe! 

Make sure to take advantage of the free rides in the city of Minneapolis on St. Patty's!!

This was a quick illo I did on my lunch break!

Hapa Haole

A little process piece. Happy Monday!

pencil sketch.

Scanned and "inked" in illustrator.

TADA! Color and texture in Photoshop.

Styles

"Styles tend to not only separate men—because they have their own doctrines and then the doctrine became the gospel truth that you cannot change. But if you do not have a style, if you just say: Well, here I am as a human being, how can I express myself totally and completely? Now, that way you won't create a style, because style is a crystallization. That way, it's a process of continuing growth." - Bruce Lee

This quote touched me deeply. I believe there are SO many illustration styles out there, why stick to just one and put yourself in a hole? Why separate yourself, your art? Art is everything, it's expression, you can feel so many things at one time, why only choose one? I believe there's always room to grow, always room to learn. Some may even say that's my downfall, I am a perfectionist and I should just be happy with what I've achieved. I've achieved a lot, I'm so proud of where I am and how I got here. But I'm not done!!! I always strive for more but that DOES NOT mean I am NOT content. I am know that I am so blessed. I just move on quickly and I look to my next goal big or small!

I'm constantly soaking things up from many different areas of my life. If an artist loves doing one style, more power to them, but for me, I enjoy so many. So many mediums, subjects, emotions, people, themes, I cannot just love one. In school I was taught to have one style. I couldn't I focused on two styles "elegant" and "simple cute". I conformed. I conformed to my peers. But I kept experimenting outside of school on my own. And I was most happiest on my own, not being judged. I realized, I felt like crap in school, too much pressure and comparing. Only when I started working professionally as a Product Designer and freelance illustrator on the side, I was doing my best work ever because I was free and happy on my own. I'm still doing that, and still learning, still happy.

So here I am, I am human, I am me. Thanks Bruce!

Sampson the Brave

This is Sampson the Brave!

He is my favorite subject to draw and he poses for me all the time.

SO, there will be more of these to come!

Gingerbread House Pattern

 

Spring is in the air!

It's supposed to be 50 degrees today in chilly MN!

I can truly say SPRING IS IN THE AIR.

Here's my ode to the warm weather and everyone getting out of their winter funk!

Working more with texture lately. Thanks! 

Follow this blog if you want to keep seeing more :)

Savory Turkey Meatball Salad: They Draw and Cook

Hi there! 

So I illustrated another recipe for thedrawandcook.com 

I LOVE LOVE LOVE illustrating recipes, hopefully I will illustrate my on cook book someday.

That would be super cool! 

For now, here is Savory Turkey Meatball Salad. 

This recipe will be submitted to their current KRAFT Contest. First prize wins $2,000! 

and for the 5 second place winners $1,000!

Wish me luck, I'm keeping my eyes on the prize people!

See my recipe here!




LOOKY HERE! I MADE IT ON THE WEBSITE AGAIN! 

Tea or Coffee? PATTERN!

I love you more than tea or coffee...

THAT'S A LOT!

Happy Valentine's Everyone :)

xo

Emiko

Gingerbread Bonnie

Just for fun I sketched up this little gingerbread girl while eating lunch.
Decided to jazz her up a bit!

Happy Friday everyone!
xo

Emiko 

Universe

Floral hearts grow fonder

Valentine's Day is coming up! 

xoxo

P is for Paisley

This is what happens when I'm bored.

Sometimes you need to break it up that 9-5 grind :) 

I'm really trying to work on some typography skills. I skipped that class at MCAD

So, I'm just a beginner. 

Illustration Friday: Twirly Swirly Sophie!!

Surprise!!! It's Twirly Swirly Sophie! 

She's the cutest. This is her practicing for her recital! 

When Illustration Friday announced Twirl as their word of the week immediately Sophie popped in my head twirling around in her dance costume. 

Thanks for looking!! 

MINNEAPOLIS, MN Map Illustration

Minneapolis, MN The coolest and warmest city around! My city, my home.

Details, Details, Details

Thanks for looking :) 

*Eggcellent Easter Collection*

Here's an Easter collection I designed! Super fun project I created from start to finish, no reason at all just for fun! 

I guess I have eggs on the mind. :) 

Thanks for looking! 

And there it is! I'm featured on the "They Draw & Cook" website!

I'm so excited!! Happy day :) Thanks to all for looking!

Illustration Friday- "Prepare"

CLOSE UPS*

"Prepare"

 The Minnesotan Tater Tot Hot Dish!!

This illustration was also submitted to They Draw & Cook today.

We'll see if it gets approved on to the website! Thanks for looking.

~Emiko

Sweaty Sweetheart Silhouette

 Haha just a quick doodle in Illustrator. Happy Friday! 

Valentine's Day is coming up! 

santa and snowmen sketches

Crane Wife- Final!!!

She is done! This illustration of  The Crane Wife, a Japanese folk tale. It's a good mysterious story and I've always remembered it from childhood. She has a Kannon influence.  Thanks for looking!

Ink & Photoshop. 

© Emiko Whitaker- Kawada 2012

Day sketching/Inking of a Japanese Folk Tale... "The Crane Wife"

Almost there...

 

 Ready for scannin'

 To be continued...