A positive attitude may not solve all your problems,
but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort.
[Herm Albright]
I’ve been working on illustrations for a book that one of my clients is publishing — twelve pencil drawings of various flowers. They will be printed grayscale as pencil drawings, but I thought I’d experiment with one of them in Photoshop. After scanning it in and making it sharper and darker, I put its layer on “multiply.” On a new layer below, I eyedroppered the colors out of an actual photograph, and painted with a watercolor brush selection. This took me about ten minutes.
This is where the positive attitude thing comes in. I’ve been struggling with these illustrations. If I were doing the illustrations for a book of my own, they wouldn’t have been such a challenge. But, my client’s writing is so lovely, I wanted the drawings to be just right to go with his words. I kept redrawing flowers until I realized I was simply playing with my own mental blocks. It also didn’t help that I was trying to draw flowers while snow was falling past my window.
I knew I needed an attitude adjustment. I put away my knitting, and stacked my keyboard on top of my computer (I no longer own a drafting table). It was time to get serious. I also quit looking at sketches of old masters (da Vinci, et al) — there is as much difference between a No.2 pencil and a silver-point drawing tool as there is between me and a master. Then I gave myself my “you can do this” lecture. The flowers are finished and in the book layout. My attitude has improved and I’m sure this exercise had to have been character building.
Now, where did I put my knitting needles?
Knitting, writing and other joys 
Thanks for the life lesson and welldone, the illustration looks perfect.
Thank you for your kind words of encouragement. I’m working on cover designs for the book with the flowers today and it goes to print on Friday. Almost finished. The theme of the book is words of encouragement and hope for people who are caring for ill family members. Actually the book is for hospices to give as gifts.
I looked at your blog, By the Shores of Lake Erie, and I admire your courage. I can imagine removing part of a sweater then re-grafting it, but I can’t imagine re-grafting with cables in the pattern. WOW. You are really brave.
The name of your blog struck a cord with me. I have a collection of knitting designs that I call “Great Lakes Chill Chasers.” One of my clients took a photo of a lighthouse near her home on Grosse Ile, MI for me to use as a hallmark on the patterns.
You are so gifted. I wonder if you even know that. Your writing, your knitting, your artwork…..all so very impressive. It’s not a surprise that you’re your own most stringent critic; but as a music professor once told me, you need to remember the balance between ego and humility. Please know that when you step back, it’s quite clear that yours is a myriad of wonderful gifts!! Your flower is *marvelous*. I’m sure it fully meets the quality of your customer’s written work!!