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Kirbi Fagan

Traditional-Digital Legacy with Matthew Schenk

Traditional and Digital tools together are being used in collaboration in  illustration today more than ever. I’m bringing Muddy Colors an artist and gifted teacher who rides the waves of technology alongside traditional art making. Matthew Schenk is an artist and illustrator who has illustrated various projects from coloring books to medical illustrations. He spent ten years in Los Angeles, California working on productions for Sony Pictures/ Columbia Tristar Children’s Entertainment including the animated version…

Tra-digital Tell All

I first heard the term “Tra-digital” about a decade ago, most artists know it means when an artist combines traditional materials like paint and pencils along with digital tools like a Wacom tablet, iPad or Cintiq.  I’ve been developing my approach using both traditional and digital tools since I graduated from art school. I’ve avoided sharing my process online because my process is not pretty and not always linear. This process continues to develop for…

Illustrating book covers and Interiors for middle grade readers

My favorite work I have done, and hope to continue to do, is working on middle grade books. From fantasy, to historial fiction it’s been a rewarding area of my career and one I had my heart set on doing since my college years. What is Middle Grade? Some people debate where exactly the rails are for the “middle grade” genre but most agree middle grade readers are 8-12 years old. The worldview in the…

The Art of Green

One of the projects on my desk is a book with scenes featuring a lot of…. green. In gardening, textiles, and decorating, green hues flow for me. I incorporate them generously so much so that I think of green as a neutral color – a backdrop of life on Earth. But this romantic thought comes to a screaming halt when I’m planning a composition with a lot of green. When I’m stuck with a problem…

Cultivating a Critique Partnership That Lasts

Critique from the wrong person at the wrong time can send an artist off their trail and put cracks in their confidence. I’m fortunate to have a few artists in my life who push my work with experience, expertise, and friendship. Finding and building these relationships is a journey on its own. To talk to you today about critique partnership and how to get more value from crits, I’d like to introduce to you my…

Taking the Reins of Your Art Career

Last week I received the news that the novel I recently illustrated, A Horse Named Sky is #4 on the New York Best Seller list! A Horse Named Sky includes over 100 illustrations drawn traditionally (a big first for me!)  I feel especially excited to share this on Muddy Colors because this extended community has been a big part of the foundation of all I’m creating today. If you have been illustrating for a while…
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