Have an unFROGgettable Christmas!

Here's a little holiday illustration for ya all 'cause I love frogs!
Happy Holidays everyone.

Happy Muppetized Holidays!

I created a fun ornamental, Muppetized, 'Brian Froud' inspired Christmas illustration ...with fun little creatures hiding about. :)
Hope you all enjoy!

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and a Happy New Year!

Cindy Lou Who, What happened to you!??!

In keeping with the Christmas Theme, here is my interpretation of present day Cindy Lou Who!

20-minute sketches: Pin Up Girls

Practicing my pen and ink skills with some 20-minute Pin Up girl sketches. Enjoy!

The Grinch who stole breakfast!

Continuing with my pancake infatuation, I have created a special Christmas Pancake. 

Yes, he's a little gross but that's because he's the Pancake Grinch. 

A three-decker sauerkraut and toadstool pancake, with arsenic syrup sauce!

Secret Agent Style

Did a fun 50's style illustration of one of my co-workers who recently helped me locate some files!
Now, I shall always remember her as the stealthy secret agent of missing files! Thanks Lauren!

Case of the Mondays

Here is another quick pen and ink cartoon I created. I'm sure some can relate to this subject matter.

I heart Radishes!

I have recently become obsessed with radishes. Perhaps I am becoming part Fraggle. Here is a little illustration I created based on my radish love!

Along the way of created the final above, where many radish creations. I had a little fun with it. 

The illustrations below are not final but I thought it may be fun to see my other versions.

Congratulations Kathleen and Rich!

I recently attend my friend Kathleen's Wedding. It was such a beautiful occasion that I was inspired to create a little piece of them. Congratulations again to the happy couple!

I did a few versions. Here is an alternate version I created.

FBA

Here's another quick sketch I did for my FaceBook addicted friends. 

Occupy Mom's House

Here is a quick cartoon I occupied recently that was submitted to the New Yorker. 

Angry Pancake!

I is Angry Pancake!

Exploration of Fairy Tales through typography

I have always been intrigued with Fairy Tales. Originally meant for adults, I explored the sub textual layers of these stories through their symbols: lust, greed, vanity, and voyeurism. My scenic representations paint the internal conflict and advice found in these adventures that get their moral message across.

The Little Mermaid

Little Red Cap (Little Red Riding Hood)

Jack and the Beanstalk

For prints of this piece or more of my artwork please go to my store website here or feel free to contact me at diana@dianaleto.com.

A taste of my graphic novel for Comic Con!

I will be handing out a preview of my graphic novel "Insert Title Here" at this years Comic Con tomorrow.

I have illustrated the stories of Andy G!, the hilarious literary genius from Aberdeen, Scotland.

In case you can't make it to Comic Con, please check it out here!

There will be much more of Andy's strange world illustrated here soon!

Cover: Click to view larger

Page 1: Click to view larger

Page 2: Click to view larger

Scribble Brush Tutorial from my Adobe MAX presentation

A section from my Adobe Max session "The Art of Sesame Street"can now be found on my website dianaleto.com. 

Just in case you are busy (much like me!) and don't have time to watch the hour long session. It is a segment that describes how Sesame Workshop created their new style "Scribble" using the Scribble and Blob brush. Enjoy!

http://Dianaleto.com/

Sesame Street at Adobe Max!

Recently I presented, spoke, and collaborated with Mark Magner on two presentations at Adobe Max. It was an amazing time and the Sesame Team got rave reviews!
This is Mark Magner on stage at the Adobe MAX 2011 keynote doing a demo of new Adobe software on a Samsung tablet on stage in front of 6000 people! at the Nokia Theatre L.A. LIVE.


Check out his amazing Rock Star presentation! 
http://gallery.me.com/magnergraphix#100274

Mark and I also led a seminar at Adobe MAX "The Art of Sesame Street".

This is a tad bit longer but it's a fun sneak peek behind the scenes at Sesame Street!
http://tv.adobe.com/watch/max-2011-design/the-art-of-sesame-street/

Peace, Love, and Pa-Pancakes!

I have quite the love of pancakes. Here is a quick fun sketch I did of my pancake obsession.

Switching Cocktail hour for Ice Cream Hour!

Here's a quick piece for The Sketchbook.
The challenge tonight was a 20 minute illustration based on a fast food Mascot.
So I created a Mad Men Styled Mister Softee!

SSDN incorporated** (Softee, Sundae, Draper, Nice!)
Switching Cocktail hour for Ice Cream Hour.
** New jingle to come ;)

Here is a link to The Sketchbook. A great place on Facebook where artist share their sketches :)

Check it out: https://www.facebook.com/sketchbookart

That's just lovely!

I am lucky enough to work with some extraordinary people.Here is an illustration I did of an irish lass named Rachel from Sesame Street.
'Cause she is soooo Klass!

I started with this rough sketch that eventually became a final black and white illustration with Rachel's catch phrase. (Or at least it's her catch phrase in my mind!)

Live Every Week Like Shark Week!

Sharks both scare and fascinate me. So, of course, I started working on some doodles. I really like where some of my sketches where going but enjoyed the funny cartoon looking one best.











I took my little sketch and cleaned it up into this funny looking fella!

As I started creating this, I got a little silly as well. And as the 30 rock quote goes, "Live everyday like Shark Week!".

Adventure is out there!

In honor of a friend taking some time to travel, I have created this illustration of her.
Bon voyage Katie! Adventure is out there!





















I recently created some additional elements to this piece. I created some stickers that say 'Katie was here'.













I then created an old-fashioned sepia image of my previous illustration and plopped the sticker on! I have to say creating this was a lot of fun! Hope everyone enjoys the illustrations as much as I did creating them!

Beware: Femme Fatale

I love detective comics and have recently become obsessed with the TV series 'Mad Men'. So here is a piece I created based on women that kick ass. Watch out Selina Kyle and Joan Holloway!

Thinking outside the box.... (Bob Dylan Typography Design)

While I attended College, I had one great professor that stood out among the rest. He said something to me that I will never forget and I will be thankful to him always.

He said 'When your working with Adobe Software you have to think outside the idiot box'. And by idiot box, he meant the computer.

Now, let me tell you, he loved using the computer and its applications. He taught me so much through his appreciation of technology and that appreciation showed me how to enhance my skills thereafter and more!

His point is that you have to understand the programs to use them.
The computer cannot do the work for you. Understanding the medium, whether its oil paints or Adobe Illustrator, allows one to achieve creative goals and can take concepts further then originally imagined. He also stressed the importance of drawing out concepts before hand. I love my Adobe programs but please, PLEASE still draw and sketch!

The Wedding Blogger

Recently, I illustrated and designed a book cover for my friend, Andy Graham. His new book is titled "The Wedding Blogger: 4 weddings, 3 amazing chat-up lines, 2 stag parties, and 1 speech about a wedding cake".




















Andy is from Aberdeen, Scotland (hence the kilt!) and wrote this story based on four weddings and the events surrounding them. Andy's hilarious and always engaging stories about the summer of parties, ceremonies, stag weekends, and chat-up lines will be available for purchasing soon! But for now, please enjoy my illustration of Andy enraptured in his own sheer genius!

Re-imagining of "View from a Lily Pad"

As a long time Jim Henson fan, I repeatedly look to him as a brilliant source of imagination, inspiration, and frog-themed art! This is a piece designed to show Kermit's perspective of his swamp, as if he is looking straight up at the sky from underwater. This stained glass skylight was installed above the spiral staircase at the Henson Townhouse, also known as the "Muppet Mansion", Jim's office in NYC.









I wanted to recreate this skylight in homage to Jim Henson, as it particularly spoke to me. Repurposing this art, originally designed by George W. Morris with Henson art director Michael Frith, really got my creative juices flowing. To get a smooth but organic feel to the line weight I recreated the design in pen and ink on velum. I then played with the color by painting in water colors, overlapping the paint density, to create a stained glass feel.





















For prints of this piece or more of my artwork please go to my store website here or feel free to contact me at diana@dianaleto.com.

I've been playing around with my concept "Great minds drink alike".
I'm trying out different layouts with the typography I hand drew.
I'm also playing around with different colors and tones.
Here is a simple pattern I did with the fun icons I created.

In my experience, great minds don't only think alike but they also drink alike! From Guinness to bubble tea, both cocktails and coffee have been served me with inspiration.

Harley Quinn Shirt in progress.
I am experimenting painting with bleach, in moderation, on fabric.
As Harley would say, "Just look at what I'm painting! You'll plotz!"