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!"