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Tilt Presence. Be the calm in a sea of noise

Nov 2, 2018
1 min

Tilt Presence. Be the calm in a sea of noise

Today is a big day here at the studio! For the past year or so I’ve been working hard behind the scenes on a very special book that is being released today! It is called Tilt Presence, Be the calm in a sea of noise and I think you guys are going to love it. The book is written by Pam Boney with art and design by, you guessed it, me… Bob Ostrom of Bob Ostrom Studio. In celebration of our launch I’m going to featuring the book next week to help get the word out and to give you

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Campfire Stories

Jun 15, 2018
1 min

Campfire Stories

The woods were totally dark except for the dim glow of the crackling campfire. The only sound for miles were the crickets and the occasional lonely howl of a distant coyote. The boys had jumped the first time they heard the howling but had managed to convince each other they were totally safe as long as nobody wandered off. Just as they were beginning to calm their unsteady nerves Missy clicked on the little light light illuminating a ghastly haunted version her former self.

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The Little Turtle

Apr 18, 2018
1 min

The Little Turtle

Ker-floop, and just like that the little turtle disappeared beneath the surface hiding amongst rocks and stones at the bottom of the cold mountain lake. The three friends shuffled back to their cabin empty-handed. They would have to look elsewhere for a friendly swimming pet they could call their own. #illustrator #Illustration #BobOstrom #procreateapp #digitalart #childrensbookillustration

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Mrs. Mermaid and the new phone.

Feb 7, 2018
1 min

Mrs. Mermaid and the new phone.

Mrs. Mermaid was so happy with her new phone. She loved the pretty color because it complimented her new look. All the other phones had failed miserably. Having a cell phone underwater was a big challenge but this time it was going to be different. She had a brand new protective case and she was sure it would work. Fish wasn’t so sure. She had seen what happens to phones underwater and didn’t trust this case anymore than she did the others. What made this case so special? She

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Stories from Donutville

Jan 29, 2018
1 min

Stories from Donutville

Donut Boy smiled and looked up at the bright blue summer sky. The world was filled with possibility. Neither spoke for fear of breaking the magical spell, they simply took in the moment as the ancient city transport shuttle lurched and sputtered its way up the steep gravel road. The young driver searched in vain for a gear that would ease the strain but the hissing rattling engine refused to yield. The transmission complained loudly as the shuttle belched thick black diesel e

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Art takes time.

Jan 15, 2018
2 min

Art takes time.

I was flipping through my Instagram feed the other day and was just blown away by some of the amazing artwork in there. Then I got that feeling. You know the one. You see a piece of art, and you can’t believe how good it is. You stare at it for a while, then a little voice in the back of your head says, “You’ll never be that good.”… You move on to the next piece, and it’s more of the same. There are two ways to handle that little voice. First, you can listen to it, pack up y

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Whoot!!! It Worked!!! The New Books are here!

Dec 3, 2017
1 min

Whoot!!! It Worked!!! The New Books are here!

Hey Kids, I wanted to share some really cool news with you! Remember that post I wrote a while back about trying to find a new digital watercolor style using Photoshop? You don’t? Well basically I was looking for a way to replicate the look and feel of a watercolor illustration done using a combination of just my iPad Pro and my iMac… 100% digital, no paper, no paint. The New Books are in! Since the time I wrote that post I’ve completed two new books using that very same digi

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What happens to all that rejected art?

Nov 20, 2017
1 min

What happens to all that rejected art?

I’ve been in business a long time. For every project I create there are at least three or more sketches that are rejected along the way. It goes without saying that in that vast pile there are a few I feel shouldn’t be in there. I mean, I get it, it’s all part of the process but that doesn’t mean I have to like it . The Bob Folder for Misfit Sketches That’s where the Bob Folder for Misfit Sketches comes in. Not every rejected sketch makes it to the Bob Folder for Misfit Sk

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From the sketchbook

Nov 15, 2017
1 min

From the sketchbook

Back in the day I drew in a paper sketchbook but now I do all my sketching on the iPad. It is better in almost every way. I’m sure there are some artists out there who might argue with me but honestly I’d have a hard time agreeing with them. I won’t bore you with all the details but for those of you who are interested this piece was done using the Procreate app. So far this has been my favorite iPad drawing app although last week Clip Studio for iPad was just released so we’l

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Superhero Day Three

Apr 12, 2017
1 min

Superhero Day Three

Hero #3 We’re already up to superhero three already? How did that happen? Wow is this week flying by. Too many deadlines I guess. Well as you know Superhero Week started of over on Instagram where it’s been getting a pretty good response. It’s also bringing in quite a few new followers which is super cool. At the time of this posting I have somewhere around 800 which is most excellent. It’s got me thinking that I need to create some kind of giveaway once I hit 1000. Still for

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Working with Textures in Adobe Illustrator

Jul 3, 2015
2 min

Working with Textures in Adobe Illustrator

There are lots of different ways to add visual interest to a digital file. I’ve been inspired by some of the unique art I’ve seen on Instagram lately. Lots of textures and lots of originality. It seems as though the pendulum has begun to swing in the direction of a more organic look these days. Adding texture is a great way to great way to add visual interest and create a unique signature. The trick is figuring out how some of it is done, and that’s the focus right now. I’ve

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Summer Vacation – by Bob Ostrom Studio

Jul 25, 2014
1 min

Summer Vacation – by Bob Ostrom Studio

It's Summer Vacation! I hope everyone is having a great summer! Last week I headed down to the beach here in North Carolina for a short little summer vacation. Unfortunately, it rained harder than I’ve ever seen it rain. It was one of those rains where you think it can’t possibly rain any harder but then it does….all day. Just as we checked into the hotel it started to let up. The sun popped out for about an hour and half so the kids and I grabbed our boogie boards and headed

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Drawing Super Heroes – Wonder Woman

Cartoon Illustration – Bob Ostrom Studio

Illustration of the day!

Jan 10, 2014
1 min

Illustration of the day!

Illustration of the day – Cool cat and a pig at the gig. For Hooked On Phonics. Illustration of the day! ______________________________________________________________________________ Bob Ostrom is an award-winning children’s illustrator whose work has appeared in close to 300 children’s books and publications. If you’d like to work with Bob on your next project it’s as easy as following this link. #illustrator #catcartoon #Illustration #BobOstrom #pigcartoon #cat #cartooning

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Artist’s Tools of the Trade

Bob Ostrom Studio Sketchbook Friday.

Jul 19, 2013
1 min

Bob Ostrom Studio Sketchbook Friday.

It’s time for sketchbook Friday. There’s nothing that helps pass the time away like drawing in the ol’ sketchbook. Here are a couple of sketches I did while waiting for my son at the orthodontist a while back. Sketchbook – Friday #illustrator #learn2draw #sketchbook #Illustration #sketchbookfriday #sketch #BobOstrom #childrensbookillustration

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Adobe Illustrator Tips: How to Create a Perfect Speech Bubble.

Jul 9, 2013
1 min

Adobe Illustrator Tips: How to Create a Perfect Speech Bubble.

Adobe Illustrator Tips: Tools you’ll be using: Ellipse Tool Stroke tool Pen Tool Pathfinder Tool Type Tool Step One Create an ellipse using the ellipse tool. Step Two Create a curved tail using the pen tool. Step Three Make sure the tail and ellipse are both selected (Cntrl A windows or command A Mac). Choose to unite from the pathfinder tool. Step Four Select proper stroke weight Step Five Use the text tool to set type. Place text inside of the bubble. To find the center sel

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Where are the Dinos Video Contest Winner

Jun 27, 2013
1 min

Where are the Dinos Video Contest Winner

Here is the latest video in the Where are the Dinos, Silliest Dinosaur Question contest. Where are the Dinos – Silliest Dinosaur Question Ever- contest winner Zack asks award-winning children’s book illustrator (and Fake Dinosaur Expert) Bob Ostrom his silliest dinosaur question ever. #silliestdinosaurquestion #dino #dinosuars #BobOstrom #catooning #childrensbookillustration #cartooning #Cartoon

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Contest Winner – Silliest Dinosaur Question Ever

Jun 4, 2013
1 min

Contest Winner – Silliest Dinosaur Question Ever

Julia reminded me last weekend that we are just about ready to announce the winner to the silliest dinosaur question ever…. So I made this little video to let you guys know when and where the winner will be announced (I’m nowhere near as good as Ryan Seacrest but I think you’ll get the idea). I just wanted to give a quick thanks to everyone who participated. If you’d like to check out some of the silly questions you can find them here: Silliest Dinosaur Questions on Facebook

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