Book Illustrations – Tarjan Studio

The Weird Wolf

The Weird Wolf

Medium: Watercolor, Digital/Photoshop, Book Size: 11.5”h x 9″w, 2018.

In the 1990’s I created a children’s book story about a spotted wolf that is rejected by its pack, but later saves the pack from hunters because of its spots. Originally, I collaborated with a friend who was going to write the text to the story, and I would illustrate it. My friend, Shelly Zelazny, wrote the story, and I illustrated it. Neither of us realized, at the time, that publishers only want to receive the text part of the story, and not the illustrations. So, I attempted to get publishers to publish the story, but it never got published. Years later, I decided to revive the story and went to a children’s book editor/consultant to help me with the story. Her advice was to have me write the story with a new plot, but still retaining the spotted, rejected wolf theme. So, the story changed, I renewed some of the old illustrations and added new ones and published the book on Amazon as a digital book. This is the cover of the book.

Painted in watercolor. Scanned into the computer, floated. Painting, graphics, colors, effects, and text were done in Photoshop.

Moon Dance

This is the part of the story where she and the entire pack are dancing and howling.

Storytime

This is one of the parts of the story where she is telling her family about her adventures.

The Weird Wolf - my first ebook

Read my children’s picture book The Weird Wolf and tag along with Koona, a quirky, spotted wolf with a knack for making trouble and being an improper wolf.

Published on

eBook for $9.99
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0711S5BQP

Note: Image Watermark of Copyright and/or Website are NOT on the Original.

Peace On Earth

Medium: Watercolor, Image Size: 20″h x 20″w, T-shirt Image Size: 13″h x 13″w, 2003.

This artwork of the earth and the butterfly was originally conceived for the cover of my children’s book, Can Butterflies Cause Hurricanes? The book later evolved into a different story, The Butterfly Who Caused a Hurricane, and I no longer had need of this design, so I thought it made a beautiful T-shirt or poster artwork depicting the fragility of the earth, but also indicating the destructiveness of it too.

Painted in watercolor. Scanned into the computer and floated. Digital painting and enhancements, graphics, colors, effects, and text were done in Photoshop.

Note: Image Watermark of Copyright and/or Website are NOT on the Original.

The Butterfly Who Caused a Hurricane

The Butterfly Who Caused a Hurricane – Hurricane

Medium: Watercolor, Digital/Photoshop, Book Size: 11”h x 17″w, 2013.

I created this children’s book story about a California butterfly who causes a hurricane in Texas. This story was a humorous attempt to explain the scientific concept of how a butterfly in California could cause a hurricane in Texas. Though the story really doesn’t do a good job of explaining this physics concept, it is, on the other hand, a fun, wild, and plausible possibility.

This was a full color concept of one of the dummy illustrations that depicts a big hurricane.

I had a book publisher interested in the story, but it failed a review by a physics professor.

Painted in watercolor. Scanned into the computer, floated. Painting, graphics, colors, effects, and text were done in Photoshop.

The Butterfly Who Caused a Hurricane – Fire

This was a full color concept of one of the dummy illustrations that depicts a big wildfire.

The Butterfly Who Caused a Hurricane – Gathering

This was a pencil concept of one of the dummy illustrations that depicts the positive results that happened after the hurricane.

Note: Image Watermark of Copyright and/or Website are NOT on the Original.

The Recycled Dog

The Recycled Dog - Cover

Medium: Watercolor/Gouache, Image Size: 9”h x 12”w, 1998.

This is an illustration I did for my children’s book ‘The Recycled Dog’. It is a story about my dog Benji. Benji was an incredible dog and a great friend with whom I hiked thousands of miles with. My husband and I adopted him from the Mt. Shasta Animal Shelter in Mt. Shasta, California. He must have had some cruel memories because he had nightmares several times a week for the entire duration of his fifteen-year life.
I wrote the book about what I think happened to him before we adopted him. I drew drawings for the book, but this was the only artwork I fully illustrated in color. I had some book publishers interested in the book, but I never landed a contract. I intend to illustrate it someday. It is the least I can do for Benji and all the millions of animals abandoned each year.

Painted in watercolor. Scanned into the computer, floated. Painting, graphics, colors, effects, and text were done in Photoshop.

Note: Image Watermark of Copyright and/or Website are NOT on the Original.