Jada Fitch Illustration Blog

Photoshop Fun

2012-01-01T10:29:00.000-08:00

Spent some time this morning fooling around with cropping, color and Photoshop filters on previous drawings. Had fun, thought I'd post some.

Red-shanked Douc Langur (Pygathrix nemaeus) with Exposed Gastrointestinal System

2011-12-31T08:14:00.000-08:00

Commissioned piece

Snowy Cabin

2011-12-07T08:01:00.000-08:00

In the Woods by the Sea

2011-12-01T07:32:00.000-08:00

Raccoons' House

Tide Pool

Moose Mystery Solved

Hibernation

Fox

Acorn

Mussels

Beauties of the Brine

2011-11-03T07:24:00.000-07:00

November Show at Sanctuary Tattoo http://sanctuarytattoo.com/ 31 Forest Ave Portland ME
Opening Friday November 4th! https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=222212517837877
Featuring my Beauties of the Brine oil on panel series and work by Chris Dingwell and Kimberly Convery

Australian Spotted Jellyfish
(Phyllorhiza punctata)

This beautiful jellyfish species, native to the southwestern Pacific, has recently become a growing problem for a few different places in the worlds oceans. The budding polyps of the Australian (or White) spotted jellyfish have been attaching themselves to ships, traveled and multiplied. One of the biggest areas of concern is the Gulf of Mexico, where these jellies are threatening shrimp and other species who share a diet of plankton. A single full grown (40-50cm) Phyllorhiza punctata is able to filter 13,200 gallons of sea water a day in order to extract the plankton. This species of jelly has a mild sting which can be easily treated with vinegar.

Asian Green Mussel
(Perna viridis)

Seven to eight hours after fertilization the zygote of the Asian green mussel (or Philippine green mussel) transforms into a larva which then metamorphosizes into a juvenile clam and attaches itself to the substrate. It becomes sexually mature after it reaches 15 - 30mm. Perna viridis is a bright shade of green than darkens as it ages. They generally live two to three years and can grow up to 100mm in length.
This is another species that has become invasive in certain areas due to attaching itself to boat hulls. They often cause damage to underwater structures like drain pipes making them a nuisance in many coastal Asian cities. They are sometime harvested for food, but are known to contain a lot of toxins.

Blue Harlequin Shrimp
(Hymenocera elegans)

Hymenocera elegans grows to only 5cm and the females are often larger than the males. They are most commonly found hiding in coral reefs in the tropical parts of the Pacific and Indian Oceans. Also known as the clown, painted or dancing shrimp, this little guys feeds almost exclusively on starfish and can be found with red or blue markings on white.

Oriental Flying Gurnard
(Dactyloptena orientalis)

The Oriental flying gurnard is most commonly found around 100 meters deep in the waters of the Indo-Pacific Oceans. It gets it's name from the French word "gurnard," meaning to grunt, because of the grunting noises that it makes.
On average this fish is about 16 inches long, and has pectoral fins that it holds at it's sides until threatened, then it spreads its wing-like fins to scare off predators. It also uses its pelvic fins to walk across the sea floor in seach of a small crustations and bivalves which make up much of its diet.

Mole Cowry
(Talparia talpa)

This uncommon creature lives inside it's beautiful and sometimes valuable brown and white striped shell in the waters of the Red Sea, Indian Ocean along the coasts of East Africa, western Australia, Polynesia and Hawaii. This 50-70mm long snail is usually found on coral reefs or shallows lagoons in intertidal and subtidal tropical waters up to 30 meters deep. They begin to come out at dusk to graze on algae and sponges, and avoid their enemy the cone shell.
The Mole cowry uses the lateral flaps of its black and often speckled mantle and foot to completely hide its shell, but can quickly retract itself back into its shell when threatened.

Maxima Clam
(Tridacna maxima)

Also known as the small giant clam, Tridacna maxima starts its life as tiny egg that will hatch within 12 hours of fertilization. From there it becomes a swimming larva, then a more developed swimming larva able to filter feed. In the next stage the clam larva develops a foot which allows it to attach itself to a hard surface. After eight to ten days it transforms into a juvenile clam, it will take two or three years to mature into a male, and once it reaches about 15cm the small giant clam becomes a hermaphrodite.
It starts reproduction simultaneously with the other Tridacna maxima in the area at a certain part of the lunar cycle, time of day and when there is presence of other sperm and eggs in the water. It releases its sperm first then its eggs a little later to help prevent self fertilization. The Maxima clam is most commonly found in well lit surface areas of coral reefs in the Indo-Pacific region. It's diet mainly consists of zooxanthellae and phytoplankton, types of photosynthetic algae.

Kochi's Bottletail Squid
(Sepiadarium kochi)

Koch's bottletail squid is found in the waters of the Indo-West Pacific from Japan to India and throughout the Indo-Malayan region. This cute and edible little squid can grow up to 3cm and lives on the sea floor at about 60 meters deep. During the day this species mainly stays buried in the sand and emerges at night to hunt for small crustaceans, it's primary food source.

Swimming Sea Cucumber
(Enypniastes eximia)

Sometimes called the headless chicken fish, the swimming sea cucumber is one of the only sea cucumbers that doesn't live exclusively on the ocean floor. They can be found in every ocean, 500 - 5,000 meters deep and are able to swim up 1,000 meters into the water column using front and back swimming structures.
They find food by using the tentacles sur-rounding their mouths to pick up sediments from the sea floor, which they extract the attached edible organic material from. Being able to see this creature's innards through it's translucent skin isn't even the coolest thing about it. When threatened the swimming sea cucumber can cover their entire body in a bioluminescent glow, which it then quickly sheds to distract the predator and make it's escape.

Cuttlefish Egg

Sometimes called sea grapes, the cuttlefish egg, when first laid, is stained with black ink which begins to disappear over time and the egg becomes almost transparent, allowing the baby cuttlefish to see its new world before it hatches. When born, this cephalopod is around 12 - 20mm long and relies only on itself to find food and avoid predictors since both adults die soon after fertilization. The female will lay roughly half her weight in eggs.

Bubble-Tip Anemone
(Anoentacmaea quadricolora)

The bubble tip anemone is a popular home for a variety of clownfish species. The clownfish also help provide food for the anemone. By sweeping it's bubble-tipped tentacles through the water and around the fish the anemone is able to collect and filter any editable debris.
It originates in the Indo-Pacific region, and can be found in a rainbow of colors. Growing up to a foot in diameter, Anoentacmaea quadricolora is popular with ambitious home aquarists. In the right conditions, usually with supplemented minerals this species is able to reproduce asexually.

WF Treehouses Logo

2011-08-15T16:34:00.001-07:00

Maine Postcards

2011-08-15T16:29:00.000-07:00

Wallet Accomplished

2011-06-17T17:49:00.000-07:00

Needlepoint Frankenstein and Bride of Frankenstein Wallet
took a really long time

needlepoint

Valentines Party

2011-01-27T18:39:00.001-08:00

Mission Control

2011-01-23T16:46:00.000-08:00

Hide

2011-01-12T15:12:00.001-08:00

Winter

2010-12-24T12:04:00.000-08:00

Craft Fair Preview

2010-12-16T15:03:00.000-08:00

Cards, Prints, Knitwear, Original Art, Jewelry, Buttons, Magnets, Totes, and some other stuff!
Handmade Brigade Craft Fair
Sat Dec 18th 11-4
510 Congress St & 77 Free St
Portland ME

Delve into a Book

2010-11-16T21:10:00.001-08:00

on tees, posters, and more here

Holiday Cards!

2010-11-07T12:41:00.000-08:00

Get Cards

Get Cards

Zombie Invasion

2010-10-16T09:38:00.000-07:00

Pirate Ship

2010-10-16T09:33:00.000-07:00

Watercolor. Commissioned for kid's room.

Sea Woman

2010-10-02T15:51:00.000-07:00

Desk

2010-09-15T19:22:00.001-07:00

SKETCHBOOK!

2010-08-04T14:47:00.001-07:00

more to come; this sketchbook's almost half full

Good Kids Sprouting Horns Album Art

2010-07-08T19:46:00.001-07:00

I was recently commissioned to do the album art and tour poster for a local band called Good Kids Sprouting Horns. Here's the finished product, plus all the art and concept sketches.

Moon Jungle

2010-07-08T19:42:00.000-07:00

The Party

2010-05-14T17:50:00.000-07:00

I needed a break from the comic book for a bit, but it's almost totally inked 2 and 1/2 more pages to go. Then it's coloring time.

The Adventures of Lilly & Spike: Island of the Unusual

2010-02-07T11:44:00.000-08:00

I've been plugging away at this project since October... there's still quite a bit to go... some minor changes, then inking, coloring and text. I'll post those the inked versions when they're done... and then the finals. No idea how long that will take. For now, enjoy the storyboards, rough sketches and penciled versions.

Character Sketches

Thumbnails

Rough Sketches

34NA

Penciled Pages

Dollhouse Commission

2009-12-12T11:30:00.001-08:00

Carousaur

2009-11-20T20:15:00.001-08:00

Draw! Draw! Draw!

2009-11-05T00:22:00.000-08:00

Can you spot the 7 duplicates?

Finally Some Paid Work!

2009-07-31T11:00:00.000-07:00

This I just finished for Appleseeds (a Kid's Magazine)

This illustration is an example of the watershed system that I did for Maine's Cumberland County Soil and Water Conservation District

The Serpent

2009-06-19T18:11:00.000-07:00

Batgirl

2009-06-17T19:45:00.000-07:00

Vote for my Dinosaurs T-Shirt Design!

2009-06-11T20:04:00.000-07:00

Darwin's Finches

2009-06-07T17:52:00.000-07:00

Evolve

2009-06-06T15:39:00.000-07:00

Adapt (Weaver Nest)

2009-06-01T18:09:00.000-07:00

Vote For My Designs!

2009-05-27T15:17:00.002-07:00

After my designs are approved by Threadless.com (in a couple days.) please vote! I've got a chance to win money!

Hide & Seek

2009-05-08T11:43:00.001-07:00

It's my first finished comic book!
Hard Copies Now Available! $6 Just contact me and I can send you one.

Monsters!

2009-02-03T18:02:00.000-08:00

These are all done in oil paints, 8 by 10 inches. There's still two that haven't dried yet that I need to scan. They will all be up for sale for two months at Sanctuary Tattoo & Art Gallery starting this Friday evening (February 6th 5:00 - 8:00pm First Friday art opening. 31 Forest Ave. Portland, ME)

Also I will have Valentines Day Cards for sale at the opening.

Holiday Cards

2008-12-07T17:50:00.001-08:00

Top Illustration will be in next week's (12/10/08) issue of the Portland Phoenix, as a cutout holiday card.

Mouse House

2008-11-16T14:46:00.001-08:00

More New Tee Designs

2008-11-04T20:11:00.001-08:00

View From a Buck

Cardinal Express

Loris Lunch

At The Turkey Bacon Club

2008-09-18T18:01:00.000-07:00

http://www.cafepress.com/JadaFitch/5994624

The Tea Party

2008-09-15T15:38:00.000-07:00

New T-Shirt Design at my Cafepress Store

The Rainforest

2008-09-15T15:35:00.000-07:00

Pen & Ink & Digital Color

I Heart Cryptozoology Tee Design

2008-08-01T09:59:00.000-07:00

My Cafepress Store

I Heart the Dodo Tee Design

2008-08-01T09:49:00.000-07:00

My Cafepress Store

Magellan

2008-08-01T09:46:00.000-07:00

Jewelry!

2008-06-28T20:21:00.000-07:00

Okay, I started crafting again, it's been awhile. I have discovered Shrinky Dinks and have been making lots of jewelry, with original drawings on them. As well as some other things. They are available at

My Etsy Store

ORIGINALS FOR SALE!

2008-06-15T17:21:00.000-07:00

original drawings for sale at etsy. I don't have a ton of stuff posted yet, but if I start selling than there will be lots more. I've got some crafting schemes in my head right now too. I will post again when I know exactly what I'm doing. Buy my art, so I can keep making more!

My Etsy Store

Original "Fenrir"

Daisy Dreams

2008-06-11T15:43:00.001-07:00

Home Sweet Home

2008-05-05T02:50:00.000-07:00

Party Animal

2008-04-08T19:24:00.000-07:00

Gouache & Ink
Prints Available at http://jadafitch.deviantart.com

Conch

2008-04-05T15:38:00.000-07:00

Gouache & Ink
Print Available at http://jadafitch.deviantart.com

Home Croc

2008-04-03T15:21:00.001-07:00

Gouache & Ink
Print Available at http://jadafitch.deviantart.com

Pterosaur

2008-04-01T16:29:00.000-07:00

Print Available at http://jadafitch.deviantart.com

Polar

2008-03-31T16:21:00.000-07:00

Print Available at http://jadafitch.deviantart.com

Gnome

2008-03-28T20:49:00.000-07:00

Gouache and Ink
Print Available at jadafitch.deviantart.com/

Another Planet

2008-03-26T19:38:00.000-07:00

Gouache and Ink
Print Available at jadafitch.deviantart.com/

2008-03-23T14:23:00.000-07:00

Print Available at http://jadafitch.deviantart.com/

Space Gallery Tee Design Contest Winner!

2008-03-19T14:28:00.000-07:00

This was the design I entered into the Space Gallery, Portland, Maine T-Shirt Contest. And it won! Yay!

Prehistoric Treasure Hunt

2008-03-16T17:29:00.000-07:00

This is a new project I've been working on. It'll be a Where's Waldo kind of book, only you have to help the main character find objects throughout the book. There's a comic strip that runs through out the book, telling the story of Alice, a scientist, who travels back in time looking for objects and specimens to bring back to the present to study and display. These are the sketches for the first half of the book.

Monster Control

2008-03-13T13:02:00.000-07:00

Reading is Fantastic!

2008-03-11T17:02:00.000-07:00

Space Monster

2008-03-09T20:59:00.001-07:00

New Tee Design http://www.cafepress.com/jadafitch

Part of the Hero Portrait Series

2008-03-04T21:37:00.000-08:00

Sinner

2008-02-25T20:07:00.000-08:00

Available on T-Shirts and Other Merchandise at http://www/cafepress.com/jadafitch

IF: Multiple

2008-02-23T23:24:00.000-08:00

Yay! Colored Pencil

2008-02-23T00:10:00.000-08:00

Fenrir

2008-02-14T17:11:00.000-08:00

Turtle Town (IF: Theory)

2008-02-06T23:50:00.000-08:00

Maybe we all live on the shell of a giant turtle

T-Shirt at http://www.cafepress.com/jadafitch

2008-02-01T13:46:00.000-08:00

New Tee Design

2008-01-26T20:00:00.000-08:00

2008-01-24T15:47:00.000-08:00

IF: Trick or Treat

2007-10-28T12:51:00.000-07:00

I HEART DINOSAURS

2007-10-12T15:03:00.000-07:00

SEE IN STORE

Nurse Zombie

2007-10-08T22:50:00.001-07:00

I just can't get enough Halloween, and it's not even Halloween yet.

http://www.cafepress.com/jadafitch

New Monster T-Shirt Degisns!

2007-10-04T10:55:00.000-07:00

Just in Tme for Halloween!

BUY BUY BUY

KRAKEN

KEG MONSTER

LIL' SQUID

GIANT BIRD

EVIL DOG

TOXIC

SCARY BEAR

SCARY SQUIRREL

DEATH FOWL

CANINE MUTANT

TOOTHY

www.jadafitch.com

2007-09-28T21:35:00.001-07:00

2007-09-18T01:55:00.000-07:00

2007-09-09T19:22:00.000-07:00

Portraits

2007-08-13T15:41:00.000-07:00

I Started Painting Again!
These are oils, with paper mache frames painted gold.
Each one is about 2-3 inches tall without frame.

IF: Missing

2007-08-09T07:14:00.000-07:00

Dining Room

2007-07-30T18:42:00.001-07:00

2007-07-24T19:32:00.001-07:00

2007-07-24T19:20:00.000-07:00

Illusration Friday: Poem

2007-07-20T10:11:00.000-07:00

Based on my father's log cabins

COMING SOON TO THE GALLERY AT THE END OF THE WORLD, LOS ANGELES

2007-07-16T18:35:00.000-07:00

To View Images Larger Click

This Link

Gallery At the End of the World
2475 N. Lake Ave,
Alatdena 91001
Opening: August 2-5
Opening Reception Fri Aug. 3rd 6:30 - late
Reg Hours noon-5pm
"The every-other-monthly Openings we throw are somewhere approaching legendary. We like to host amazing art parties where hundreds of crazy little cats and kitties come out to play and dance and drink and, umm, look at art. Art BBQ. Mimosa & Bloody Mary Brunch. Call it an Art Bender Weekend (thanks, Shug). Freakin' legendary. We are, truly, at the end of the world, the last gallery you'll meet at the top of the street before it yields to raw wilderness in the Angeles National Forest. Drive north on Lake Avenue until you think there could not posisbly be anything else up there,... and then drive north a little more. There we are. Come check it out."

Gallery at the End of the World MySpace Page

New T-Shirt Deigns

2007-07-12T13:32:00.000-07:00

Some designs at Bountee.com all designs should be on http://www.cafepress.com/jadafitch/ by tonight

I Heart Cephalopods

2007-06-20T17:49:00.000-07:00

IF: My Paradise

2007-06-01T15:02:00.001-07:00

I did this drawing a few months ago. My own paradise is one of my favorite subjects to draw.

BITCHEN

2007-06-01T14:00:00.000-07:00

New T-Shirt Design at CafePress sotre and Bountee

The Unseen of the Amazon

2007-05-19T13:37:00.000-07:00

Guangxi Citrus IF: Citrus

2007-05-16T18:44:00.000-07:00

Oranges are thought to have originated in Southern China. Guangxi, China has hosted the Sweet Orange Festival and produces tens of thousands of sweet oranges every year. Guangxi is also home to the macaque, a primate which often dines on these oranges.

The Cassowary

2007-05-13T22:59:00.000-07:00

The Cassowary is a large flightless bird, native to north eastern Australia and New Guinea. It has been known to kill humans using its large and powerful claws.

Pen & Ink & Digital Color

lllustration Friday Topic: Neighbor

2007-05-07T20:41:00.000-07:00

Pencil & Digital Color

Glamorpillar

2007-05-07T01:02:00.000-07:00

Gator Girl

2007-05-06T00:57:00.000-07:00

Pencil & Digital Color

Caribou

2007-05-05T19:34:00.000-07:00

Pencil & Digital Color

Biplane

2007-05-04T15:31:00.000-07:00

commissioned piece. Watercolor and Ink.

Illustration Friday Topic: Remember

2007-05-01T15:39:00.000-07:00

Illustration Friday Topic: Polar

2007-04-26T14:38:00.000-07:00

"Shhhh, I think he's right above us."