For the Win!

It was Senior Night for the Oliver Ames boys basketball team and cheerleaders. Each of the 9 seniors had a poster hanging on the entrance end line with words and quotes that were provided by their parents. Fittingly, the boys beat Foxboro and took a share of the Davenport Division Crown. Congratulations and good luck in the state tournament!

The 18" x 24" laminated posters were commissioned by the Oliver Ames Basketball Boosters and the input of the parents. I hand drew the bodies in ink and finished them in Photoshop.


Basketball Senior Boys:

Senior Cheerleaders:

Score!

Senior night for the Oliver Ames girls' Basketball team was last night. It is tradition that gifts and acknowledgment be given to the seniors on their last regular season home game. I was commissioned to do a new spin on a caricature like poster for the two girls. They were printed on 18" x 24" photo paper and laminated so that they could be hung in the gym. Congratulations on your win and good luck in the play offs! GO OA!

Images:
18" x 24"
Ink and Digital
© Laura DeDonato

Round two: Grass

Here's the second round of options for the logo I've been working on. I was asked to draw some grass and I immediately pulled out my ink and nibs. I love working with ink, but I haven't been able to pull out my dipping ink and assortment of nibs in a while. All of the line art for the precise map work I do, www.johnromanillustration.com, is done with very fine, technical drawing pens (ex: .005). I love the freedom and serendipitous strokes that happen with this medium. It also got me thinking about the last couple weeks and how fortunate I've been to be able to pull out so many different mediums that I enjoy, but don't always get to use: Acrylic paint, latex paint, gouache, pastels, charcoal, graphite, colored pencils, ink, and my digital pen.

Some of the submitted logos for the "Grass Round":

SHINY and NEW(ly Wed)

Mr. & Mrs. Minks
11" x 14" Acrylic
© Laura DeDonato


I am so excited to finally post my latest portrait commission! I just received confirmation that the newlyweds received their portrait this afternoon.

A portrait this size usually takes me a couple months, which involves a lot of staring at photograph references and bringing out the features that capture their essence. (It's rare that I get a sitting with the subjects I'm painting.) Everyone knows the saying that the "eyes are the windows to the soul," and I believe it. After staring at people's eyes for months, they tell me a lot. Mercedes and Jeremy both have these amazing, sparkling blue eyes that were a lot of fun to paint. More importantly, their eyes are always beaming with love whenever they're together. It was crucial that I captured this. I also have to point out that I had a a great time with the textures of Mercedes velvet jacket and stunning hair.

Congratulations and wishing you the best for a beautiful lifetime together!

A wedding in Mexico

Every painting has to start somewhere. This is a "color blocked" sketch for a commissioned wedding portrait. I start of with a sketch and then block in the shapes with a solid color. Sometimes the sketch shows through and adds some texture and value. It's nice to be working on a painting of somewhere warm and sunny. It helps me forget about all the snow outside, with more on the way.

Confession: I have a weakness for frosting!

I just got the go ahead for my SCM Transportation birthday card illustration! I am very excited about painting cake, or at least a van that looks like cake. I might just have to bake some reference and late night inspiration :-)

This is the concept thumbnail they chose:

Here are some of the other submitted thumbnails:



P.S. I am anxiously waiting to post my most recent portrait piece, but I have to wait until the newlywed couple receives it! I can't wait!!

Round one...

Here is the first round of logos for AMCOM. Pretty straight forward with basic requested fonts and text. The client also wanted to do some funny versions just for the office, in the right column.

Happy Holidays!!

Winter Wonderland
5"x7" Folded Holiday Card

© Laura DeDonato

(Version with a wreath on the barn)

There's nothing like a winter wonderland painting to get me in the holiday spirit! This is the second year that I have done SCM Transportation's Holiday Card (last year was a Santa, you can find it in the archived posts), and I had a great time. The client, based in Somerville, wanted their logo on a snowflake so I came up with a few sketches and we decided on this concept. It just so happened to be the first one that popped into my head.

Here's the sketch/thumbnail:

I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday season!

I love weddings!!!

A Four Seasons Wedding
24" x 36" Acrylic
© Laura DeDonato

I love Boston buildings and I love weddings, so this painting was a dream job. The client wanted a custom gift for their soon to be married sister. It just so happened that the lucky couple got engaged in the Boston Public Gardens and were to be married at the Four Seasons Hotel across the street.

The composition allows for the viewer to enter the painting through the garden walkway, pass through the beautiful iron gates and jump across the street to the iconic hotel. Of course some artistic license had to be taken in order to make this possible! The wedding was held on the second floor of the hotel overlooking the gardens. You can see the wedding cake in the second window from the right.

Best wishes to the newlyweds!!!

All the finishing touches...

Final photo of the Brockton Shoe Industry mural on Legion Parkway Cleaners. Thank you to the community for embracing and supporting us. We hope you enjoy it!