Step-By-Step: 7 Little Toasters

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Process Art is artwork where the creative process is more important than the end result. I’m not a process artist, by any means, but I love seeing work-in-progress (WIP) shots of artwork to see how it was made. The camera roll on my phone is full of WIPs; if I had to guess I’d estimate 50% of my photos are of art. Many of these get sent to friends (who are also artists) for their critique.

For today’s blog post I’m going to share my process with you, step-by-step. The piece I’ve picked is one of the illustrations for my upcoming children’s book, Counting Toasters: 1 to 10 (keep your eyes peeled for it in 2023!)

Chicken scratch at its best.

The first stage in the process was sketching. There are some artists whose sketches are beautiful and refined – mine are legible to toddlers and myself, and nobody else. For my toaster book I made small sketches for each page in my sketchbook, only about 3”x3” each. I drew them with a mechanical pencil, which is hands down my preferred sketching medium. This sketch probably took about 30 seconds to a minute.

Oh, it's a picture of toasters!

Next comes the actual drawing, still using that trusty mechanical pencil, but this time it’s on a piece of 9”x12” Canson cold press 140# watercolor paper. The drawing itself is roughly 7” square. The final book will be 6.5”x6.5” so the illustrations will be sized down slightly in the end. This stage of the process usually takes me about 20-30 minutes.

So dramatic.

The next step is a first round of inks. Inking a drawing is basically tracing it with a pen. My pens of choice are Faber-Castell, and I have the set of 8 PITT artist pens in black India ink (I’ve had my eye on the same set in brown for years. Someday, someday.) To be honest, I only use 3 of them regularly: Medium, Fine, and Extra-Small. Occasionally I use the Brush pen, but it’s rare. Since I’m not creating anything new, just tracing over lines that are already there, the first inks take about 20 minutes to complete.

It's starting to look presentable!

This is where it starts to get fun, with the second round of inks. I use the XS pen to vary my line thickness and round out corners to add definition. This helps the 2-dimensional drawing to have more depth, telling the eyes of the viewer that the toasters are overlapping in space. In January 2022, while visiting a local high school art class I learned that there is actually a name for this technique – neurographic. This step can take around 30 minutes or more, depending on the complexity of the drawing.

Finally some color!

For these illustrations, I’m using Prang tray watercolor paints, and Winsor & Newton Cotman tube watercolor paints. I use soft, round synthetic brushes of varying brands and sizes. Due to my young’uns, I could only work on this picture a few minutes at a time. It actually worked out well, as I could paint a couple sections and then leave them to dry. I learned in my very first watercolor painting that continuing to paint before the previous layer was dry (aka, my impatience) only muddied things up. So I paint a few areas that aren’t touching each other and then leave it for a few hours. The actual time I used a brush and paint here was maybe 15 minutes.

I wish I had a purple wizard hat!

I didn’t plan out beforehand what color the toasters would be for this page – some of them I do, some I don’t. I just decided as I went; what will contrast nicely, what color hasn’t been used recently, etc. For this one, I wanted the dress-up accessories to look more like toys, so I used bright colors for the sword, shield, hat, and so on. This was probably another 20-25 minutes.

My favorite is the archer toaster.

It’s really starting to come together now! I continue with my skipping around, area to area, filling it in with watercolors. This is the last time I use paint on this piece. 20-25 minutes.

That's some good texture.

After the watercolor paint has fully dried, I break out my set of 24 Prismacolor colored pencils. I could keep going with watercolor, but like the texture the pencils pick up from the paper. I often use pencils in the same color family as the paint underneath (like yellow on yellow, green on green) but sometimes I use a different color, like a purple pencil to shade the gray princess toaster. I also decided on a color for the “floor,” which is a red-orange with some green for shading. Sometimes I will add white pencil to areas to give it a soft highlight. This took about 30 minutes.

Is it done yet?

Back to the pens! Throughout the process, my black outlines have gotten covered with paint and pencil, so once the coloring is complete I go back over my black lines again with my pens. I also fill in the black toast slots, sometimes using the Brush pen for this part. On this page, I chose to color the feet of the toasters with a gray marker, more specifically a Cool Grey 50% Prismacolor Premier. As a final touch, I use a white Gelly Roll pen, size 10, to add shiny highlights. Another 20-30 minutes.

Once the ink has all dried, I scan it into my computer and open the image file in Adobe Photoshop Elements. For over 20 years I have been a devout Photoshop user, but after I got a new laptop I struggled with the price point for the Creative Suite. Elements has everything I need (though it took me a while to find all the tools that had been rearranged from CS) to do my editing and also my digital painting, so that’s the route I took. Once it’s in the program, I resize it to fit on the page, do a little color enhancement (making the background paper white, adjusting the color tones, etc.) and add the text in. The font I’ve chosen for this book is called “Stay Happy.” I adjust the text to fit nicely around the illustration and…

Ta-dah!

The computer work for each page doesn’t take as long as I’ve already set up the files, chosen the font for the text, figured out the basic layout, and picked a text color (that took over 3 hours, a few months ago.) So now each page takes about 15-20 minutes to finish up. Before printing, there will be much more extensive tweaking, making sure each page has consistent placement, all the images have been properly touched up (don’t want any dust from the scans on my toasters!) and that it all fits within the safe zones for trimming.

Final time tally for this illustration: about 226 minutes, or 3 hours and 46 minutes! (Not including the time spent just staring at it considering my options throughout each step.)

Illustration Isn't Real Art

When I was in art school I took a variety of art classes. I ended up getting my Bachelor’s Degree in Fine Art Photography as at the time I wanted to make a career out of digitally editing and restoring photographs. Now I think I would’ve been more suited (despite a great love for photography) to majoring in drawing. As they say, hindsight is 20/20.

In one class in particular, the professor (who shall remain nameless) assigned us a handful of written essays in addition to our art projects throughout the semester. The first essay is one I will remember until the day I die: she assigned us to write an essay about how illustration isn’t real art.

A glimpse into my sketchbook, circa 2007.

I was completely floored, and spoke to the Dean of the Art Department. “Illustration is what I do!” I exclaimed, frustrated beyond belief. Looking back, I’m not sure what I was hoping to accomplish with the meeting. I wasn’t looking for her to be reprimanded or anything, but couldn’t I at least write about something else? His response was to say “I don’t want you to feel like I’m just siding with my professors, but…” He sided with his professor. He theorized that she was trying to get me to “expand my horizons.” By stifling an entire genre of art? That doesn’t seem right.

But I have always been a good student, and not a fan of confrontation, so I wrote an essay defending illustration. The original essay has been lost for many years, but it went a little something like this:

Merriam-Webster defines the word illustration as “something that serves to illustrate, such as: 1. A picture or diagram that helps make something clear or attractive. B. An example or instance that helps make something clear.” I believe we can all agree that for many years (since 1828, according to their website) Merriam-Webster has been a trusted dictionary for accurate definitions of words in the English language.

(When I got my graded paper back, the professor had written some comments in the margin – the one for this paragraph just said “No.”)

If it's on the internet, it must be true.

Andy Warhol, prior to his widespread fame and success, worked as an illustrator for Sears catalogue. I don’t think anyone would dare argue that Andy Warhol’s drawings and paintings aren’t art, or that he isn’t considered a “real” artist.

(The professor made a note here that said “always an artist, not always making art.”)

And finally, according to the definition given above, the majority of art history can be labeled as “illustrations.” Ancient cave paintings were created to help tell and record stories. Before photography, portraits were painted to make it clear who the important people were in society. Even stained glass windows, sculptures, and paintings in churches were created solely to illustrate stories from the Bible, so the masses could understand without reading the book themselves. A perfect example is the Sistine Chapel. Nobody in their right mind would claim that the Sistine Chapel ceiling isn’t art, but it sure falls under the definition of “illustration.”

(She didn’t have a comment for this one.)

In the end, I got the lowest grade possible on my paper: a check minus. Her grading scale apparently has three checkmark levels; a check, which I guess was like a C; a check plus, which was an excellent grade; and a check minus, which was on par with an F. She asked me if I wanted to talk about my paper face-to-face after she graded it, and I said no (again, fear of confrontation.)

Although thinking back, this wasn’t the first time I wrote a paper like this. Back in high school, we had to write a paper about Beowulf, and mine was a persuasive essay on how Grendel’s mother was just a mom grieving the murder of her son, and Beowulf was actually the villain in the story. My English teacher gave me an A on that one. 😉

Artist Interview: Megan Wassom, Artnique

Artist Megan Wassom (based out of Spencer, Mason City, and Davenport, IA) pours an incredible energy into her artwork. Her studio is called “Artnique” and she uses an assortment of mediums to create art with a variety of subjects – ranging from still lifes of plants to landscapes to abstract designs! I can just imagine her smile as she admits, “I would say that I still haven’t quite found my niche. I LOVE encaustics – that’s my favorite. But, I love everything else, too and find it hard to use just one thing. I go back and forth on many media and use as much as I can (or use as much as I know how to use anyway.)”

"Set The Flame" created with matchsticks

“When I was fresh out of high school and just starting out with my art, I entered every competition, sent my (skimpy) resume to everyone, emailed images of my artwork to every art gallery – I tried really hard to get ‘accepted’ somewhere, anywhere. I wanted to sell my artwork so badly or win a competition,” Wassom said. “But, I faced more rejections than acceptances and spent a lot of money on application fees. It left me feeling disheartened, until I had the pleasure of meeting a textile artist who also happened to be an art professor at a university here in the Midwest. She told me I needed to calm down.” The professor told Wassom that after 20, 30, even 40 years, she will have developed her niche and have a stronger understanding of who she is as an artist. If she continued applying to everything, all the time, she would just get burned out. “This advice has helped me out so much and given me more time to focus on my work – instead of on competitions, selling art and entering open calls for art shows.” 

"Mystery" made with enamel

I asked Wassom what art is, to her. She replied, “I want to start out by saying what art IS NOT – art IS NOT an afterthought. Art is every bit of a forethought (or it should be anyway).” Wassom continued, saying that she didn’t want to criticize any artist’s work, but that she is often frustrated with the contemporary art world. “I feel that too often, something is created – a piece, a painting, a sculpture, etc. – and then it is given meaning afterword.” She said she thinks art is created as a response; as an expression of an idea, and in response to that idea more artists respond by creating more art. Wassom believes that art propagates itself in this way and in doing so, propagates humanism. “I think that to try and give meaning to art AFTERWARD is a disgrace to art itself. That’s not to say that art can’t have meaning. Some art is created just for the sake of creating. In that case, I wish then we would just let it be. Don’t try and give it meaning as we are viewing it and criticizing it. Just let that piece of art stand on its own, without meaning, knowing the artist created it…. just because they wanted to!” Amen, sister!

"Go Cells Go" made with mixed media

Her favorite piece that she has created is from 2017. She made it as a response to her grandmother’s diagnosis of Stage III invasive breast cancer. It depicts a large cancer cell being attacked by smaller white blood cells. “It represents my grandma’s fight and victorious win against cancer,” Wassom said. The idea behind it is that if the smallest, most basic unit of life can fight off cancer we, as larger units of life made up of those small units, can too. The piece is 36”x36” and she created it with “TONS of texturizing paste and TONS of enamel paint on wood.” The piece, titled “Go Cells Go” is featured in the Lilly “Oncology on Canvas” online gallery. “If you have a personal history with cancer, I encourage you to check this gallery out. It is so inspiring!”

"Cell Division" created with encaustic

Her next project is actually a continuation of a series she started at age 16 – paintings she calls the “Life Series.” It will consist of 80 paintings when she is finished (she is currently working on #52.) Each piece represents a life lesson that Wassom has learned. She hopes that someday they will all be put into a book (a collaboration with her sister, who is a writer.) “Eventually, I would love for all 80 paintings to be hung in a gallery (perhaps the Met in NYC?)” she said with a wink. “Anyhow, I work on the paintings 3-4 times throughout the year, and so I will be working on another one here soon!”

"Succulent" made with acrylic paint

When Wassom was younger, she wanted to be an art teacher. But while in community college, she entered a surgical technology program (with the goal of having a summer job) and fell in love with surgery and medicine. She completed her Bachelor of Science degree in Biomedicine at Buena Vista University. She was planning on minoring in art, but found that many of the art classes were taught at the same time as her science classes. Wassom is currently working on her Master’s Degree in Physician Assistant Studies at St. Ambrose University in Davenport, IA. She hopes to move back to northwestern Iowa after graduation in 2023.

"Duck Duck" made with acrylic paint

It's no surprise that being in Grad School has caused a stumbling block to her art production. “Often, while I sit in class all day, my mind drifts off and I find myself wanting SO MUCH to be painting something,” she said. “However, because I am needing to focus on my studying (or pay attention in class), I don’t have the time to do it. Because of this, I have a few Word documents saved on my tablet with paragraphs and descriptions I have thought of – something I can reflect back on when I’m all out of ideas.” She also has a folder of hard copy images she has found in magazines or printed off the computer, along with a pile of books, art magazines, and Sotheby’s catalogs to help fuel her inspiration when she is itching to make art but unsure of what to create.

Just one of the many uses for pool noodles.

I love asking other artists what their favorite tools for creating are, because the answers are as unique as each individual. “I have chosen a few things,” Wassom said. “[A] Tuna can/cat food can is PERFECT for encaustic paints (that’s what’s currently in the one pictured); the clay tool is an ESSENTIAL tool I use in all my encaustic paintings; I had to include my paint palette – I use it for every single one of my oil paintings. It probably has 100 layers of paint on it at least.” She also included a leftover food container (she uses this for her paint water) with a piece of a star-shaped pool noodle that she uses to hold her brushes! “The blue wrap is actually a cloth-type material that we use to sterilize surgical instruments in. I have a bunch of them and use them to store brushes, tools, pencils, etc. when I am ‘on the go’ – put them in the slots, roll it up, store it away!”

"Monarch" made with watercolors

“I would just like to say that for anyone – artists or non-artists – be mindful of what you hang up on your walls.” Wassom said, referring to big-box store mass-produced art. “Are you inspired by that? Does seeing that generic decoration every day REALLY make you happy? Consider what it would mean if you had a thought-provoking colorful painting created by a real artist that you know hanging there instead. Yes, this is sort of a push to ‘support your local artist,’ but I also think we need to consider what we surround ourselves with.”

To see more of Wassom’s artwork, check out her website here https://megleesunshine.wixsite.com/website or you can follow her on Facebook and Instagram.