Painting Queen Elsa, Disney Frozen.

Have you watched Disney Frozen?

Well, if you're like me, I guess you know that feeling of falling in love with Disney again and again.
Right after I watched it, I just want paper and some paint. So I can paint everything I just watched.   The movie is so inspiring! But, you know we all have work and due dates.

Anyway, I finally get to paint her, Queen Elsa!

I always love to draw Disney characters since I was young, but Disney characters are all beautiful and it seems so difficult to capture that beauty. So I'm actually a little worry before I drew her. But all the worries fade away when I touch the brush and paint! It's really fun and refreshing to draw and paint something just because you want to, and not because you're hired to do it!

Here's the sketch!

Queen Elsa Sketch

Queen Elsa in Color

A little close up

if you want to see more of my work, please visit

my website : www.minniesakuntala.com

my facebook page : www.facebook.com/minnie.illustration

my Instagram : instagram.com/minniesakuntala

Follow me to JAPAN!

     Last few weeks I've been in an amazing country, Japan with my husband. I love it there so much!! Japan is a well design country with very sweet people. Everyone seems to know their duties and enjoy working!

I get to visit Gosho Aoyama Manga factory (Gosho Aoyama is one of the most famous cartoonist in Japan) and I get to see his process of work and sketches. It's very inspiring to see a big artist sketch his ideas on a small sheet of paper. When I saw his sketches I thought "Wow, you really don't need expensive sketch books to sketch down awesome ideas."

his sketches

real drawing

and.. of course I had to visit bookshops and go straight to the Children's book corner. I couldn't read a single word but the illustrations tell all. Children's book in Japan are incredibly cute! They also have a lot of hand drawn, traditional illustrations.

Children's Book section in Japan

This is such an eye opening and inspiring trip! Seeing new places, new people and new ideas, can really boost your creativities!

Osaka Castle

Sand dune in Tottori

Tokyo Disney Land

Expensive area, Ginsa.

Tokyo Tower

New Book in Bedtime stories application!

The Monkey King by Lisbonlabs

Recently, I've been illustrating for a Children's book application call, Bedtime Stories Collection by Lisbonlabs, a Children's application company in portugal. This is my first experience working with a company overseas. It wan a LOT of FUN!! I love this project so much and so proud of this e-book!

Now available in App store for iPad, iPhone. Also available for Android!

Download Bedtime Stories Collection App for FREE!

http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/bedtime-stories-collection/id385753716?mt=8

Check out other beautiful stories!

https://www.facebook.com/Bedtime.Stories.Collection

check out some sample illustrations below!

My A-Z illustrations with Ana Fonseca!

A-Z Animal illustration is a project I collaborate with Ana Fonseca! 

We keep taking turns illustrate A-Z Animals. So, here's what we've done so far!

A-Z Animal illustrations!

My project "30 Days 30 illustrations" is done! I really had fun with it! Thank you to every "like" and "follow". You really gave me energy to keep going and having decipline.

You can check out my illustrations at
- https://www.facebook.com/minnie.illustration
- instagram (minniesakuntala)

So, the story goes on! My lovely friend "Ana Fonseca" is a very talented illustrator and she's interested in having fun with another project with me. So, we came up with "A-Z Animal illustration" in which we'll take turns illustrate A-Z animals each day. This is already the fifth day we've been doing and we'll keep on until we reach Z. So, stay tuned and have fun with us!!!

Check out Ana's lovely illustrations here :)
http://www.anafonseca.pt/

Becoming Children's book illustrator!

Becoming Children's Book illustrator : What I've learned so far..

     want to become Children's book illustrator? If your answer is yes, then we're on the same road! My dream is to be able to earn a living with what I love to do, which is illustrating children's book.

I just got to illustrate my first children's book with a self-published author, and also just finished a set of 4 books with a publisher in my home country, Thailand, which I got to both write and illustrate. Now I'm writing + illustrating another book for a new publisher which is in Thailand as well.

I'm now enjoying every hours of work, even I haven't gone so far, but I'd like to share my experiences and some lessons I've learned..with you who might have the same dreams...

#1   Tell everyone you can about what you do. 

It's unbelievable that many opportunities I ever came across came form my friends, friends of friends and new people I met that I never thought they'd had something to do with children's book industry. So, this could be the first and easiest way to get start!

#2 Start small.

I'm not trying to limit your dreams, but walking up the stairs step be step is easier than trying to jump to the top at once. Breaking into children's book big market is not easy. So, if you have a smaller market you could find, that might be a better choice at the start. Try sending portfolio to a smaller publisher in you local market.    If you can get publish, even with a self-published author, it will help you to step up closer to the big market you dream of!

#3 Social media makes a different.

If you're not on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, Blogger or flicker. You might want to start one now, because it DOES make a different! I don't think you need to have all those. I only have Facebook Fanpage, Instagram and Blogger. I can keep posting and updating better with three.

Start putting works you proud of on these media, and you never know what opportunities can come to you though these networks. Also, you can have friends who are enjoying the same thing, to share, encourage, critic and help each other improve. Last but not least, if you contact the publisher, the link to these social media can be another thing you can send to the publishers. They can hear your voice through these medias.

here are the links to my Facebook page. Feel free to contact me and help encourage each other to our goals! :)

https://www.facebook.com/minnie.illustration
Instagram : minniesakuntala

30 Days 30 Simple illustrations!

 I just came up with a fun thing to do! It is called "30 Days 30 Simple Illustrations" in which I'd be painting one simple illustration per day, and keep doing that for 30 days straight. Let's see how good I am with "discipline". I already done it for 2 days and having a good time! Here are 2 of them;

Day 01 : The Wise King..

Day 02 : Lovely Beagle..

You can click "like" this page and get on this journey with me!! 

https://www.facebook.com/minnie.illustration

p.s. If you have any other Fun ideas, feel free to comment below or on my Facebook page!

Logos Hope..

       GBA Ships, a German Christian Charitable Organization has operates a ship called "Logos Hope", which is the world largest floating bookstore. Logos Hope has been visited over 150 countries, and it is now visiting Bangkok, Thailand! So, I've just been there and was quite impressed!

What is so cool about the ship, besides being the largest floating bookstore is that the books are pretty cheap! Especially, comparing to English books selling in Thailand. There are classic books, Children's books, Teen's books, and of course lots and lots of Christian books. Anyway, here's the ship!

Just arrived at the port.

A 20 Baht ticket to get on board.

Many versions of Children's Bible.

and..of course I have to go to Children's book section!

unlike any other bookstores, they have Chistian children's books section.

Some beautiful covers.

This cover is very cute and stand out on the shelf!

This book is illustrated by Julie Nicholson. I love her watercolor stroke! It really has a handmade feelings, and it looks really soft for children.

One of my favorite Children's book writer! Max Lucado.

I found this beautiful Peter Rabbit. I love the die cut! :)

The cashier. Time to pay!

When you walked out of the bookstore part, there are long corridor full of 

illustrations you can take picture with.