:: Hilary Leung ::

:: happy year of the dragon ::

2012-01-23T16:16:00.000-08:00

Kung Hei Fat Choi - Happy Chinese New Year!

I have always seen a dragon head in the Chinese character for dragon - hopefully now you do too ;)

May the Year of the Dragon bring you good fortunate and great health!

:: schools visits & frog kisses ::

2012-01-20T05:46:00.000-08:00

Wow! I absolutely LOVE school visits! I love them almost as much as I love drawing! School visits are so inspirational! The kids have a special way of rejuvenating my passion for creating picture books. Their excitement and honesty motivate me to elevate my craft.

On Tuesday, David and I were very fortunate to be invited to speak to all four Grade One classes at Joshua Creek Public School. Being a slightly younger crowd, I had prepared a special new presentation just for them - which included some fun new artwork and also some of my own grade one drawings.

Below are three slides that I shared with them...

To make our presentations more engaging, I asked, "Does anyone know who these characters are?" "Could you please tell me more?" and naturally "Has anyone ever kissed a frog?"

Long story short, my informal poll has revealed "1 in 100 six year olds have indeed kissed a frog."

I've had many important teachers in my life, but none more influential than my Grade 1 teacher - Mrs. Combs was warm, patient, pretty and always smiling. She was my favourite teacher.

Mrs. Combs gave each of us a journal and our assignment was to draw or write about something daily. As you can see from the above illustration (circa February 1982), I enjoyed this assignment. This is a portrait of me proudly presenting my journal to her at the end of the week.

Wednesday, February 10, 1982 was the day I knew I wanted to became an artist. Mrs. Combs gave me a perfect score! There was a sticker, "C" check mark, a star and these four legendary words, "Good picture! Nice perspective!"

It was the most exciting day of my six years of existence! I mean, I did have pizza the day before, but this was one hundred times better than that! Words could not describe how happy I was. I wanted to write more. I wanted to draw more. I wanted to find out what the big word "perspective" meant. I felt complete utter joy!

Well later I found out that perspective was a system that helps show 3d objects in space. But more importantly, I discovered how amazing that a simple word of encouragement had such a profound impact on a six year old's life.

Thank you Mrs. Combs - you're still my favourite!

:: tombstones ::

2012-01-02T16:32:00.001-08:00

Tombstones is my submission to the Threadless loves Death challenge. It was inspired by the exhibition Morbid Curiosity: The Richard Harris Collection.

Who is your favourite character: Ninja, Cowboy, or Bear?

2012-01-02T06:41:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year! Happy New Video! Who is your favourite character: Ninja, Cowboy, or Bear?

We interviewed a Toronto Grade One Class and they tell us which character from our Ninja Cowboy Bear books was their favourite and why. This is my favourite part of being a childrens book author. Enjoy!

:: jason kidd challenge ::

2011-12-27T16:11:00.001-08:00

This week's Caricaturama Showdown 3000 challenge is NBA super star Mr. Jason Kidd! I really really wanted to incorporate the "Maverick M" on his forehead, but it proved too much...

Regardless, I am really enjoying drawing for fun again. I could seriously play with all these wonderful shapes and textures all day long.

Thanks for dropping by :)

:: Happy Holidays ♥ Hilary + Steph ::

2011-12-23T06:24:00.000-08:00

Seasons Greetings from both of us. We hope that you and your family enjoy the holiday spirit. Looking forward to seeing you in 2012!

♥ Hilary & Steph

:: bruce lee challenge ::

2011-12-15T06:35:00.000-08:00

Very sorry for the lack of posts, but I'm back! AND I've been busy with some very exciting projects!

First off, this illustration above is for the Caricaturama Showdown 3000; a motivational group that issues a weekly challenge for artists to caricature. I've joined this group in the summer and week after week I see all these amazing artists submit wonderful caricatures. And week after week, I find an excuse NOT to draw... but NO MORE! It's time to join in the fun.

And what better week than the inspirational Bruce Lee challenge?

I had a lot of fun with this piece and already looking forward to the next one!

Secondly the ridiculously talented Vince Chui and I are working on a secret art project that we hope to reveal in the new year. It's been ten years in the making, so what's another couple weeks before we share?

Thanks for dropping by!

:: Help send a book to Japan ::

2011-06-30T06:35:00.000-07:00

Hello!

Some of the wonderful people at The Canadian Embassy in Japan scheduled book readings at elementary schools in the Sendai region of Japan on July 15, 2011. They have chosen to read The Legend of Ninja Cowboy Bear to the children.

In total there will be roughly 150 students that will have the book read to them in English and Japanese, and be lead through a number of games by the staff from the Canadian Embassy.

We would love to provide a book for every child.

Please consider making a donation to provide books to these children. A $10 donation will provide 1 copy of the book for a child in Japan at one of these readings.

More details here.

Thank you kindly for your time.

cheers,
Hilary Leung

:: what time is it? ::

2011-06-20T09:27:00.000-07:00

"Ice Kingdom" is my tribute to Pendleton Ward's fantastically designed and always misunderstood Ice King. My favorite Adventure Time episodes are "Prisoners of Love", "The Eyes", "When Wedding Bells Thaw" and, well any episode that features the big nerd, er I mean the Ice King.

Please vote for Ice Kingdom here.

leaf play

2011-04-03T10:28:00.001-07:00

There's just something magical about autumn. The brisk cool air. The wonderful colors and textures. The crunchy leaves...

My favorite childhood memories involve playing in bright and beautiful autumn leaves.

I didn't have to look far for my fall pattern inspiration. The sweet colors please my emotional tastes and the mathematical tessellations appease my intellectual half.

That is what my favorite shirt pattern would look like. I love that I can still play with leaves even now.

Above is my submission to the Steven Alan & Threadless challenge.

To see more slides, please click here.

KIBOU

2011-03-15T11:20:00.000-07:00

My heart goes out to all those affected by the disaster in Japan. I hope families and friends find their loved ones. I hope Japan recovers from this catastrophe. I hope mankind unites with kindness and compassion.

Kibou is the Japanese word for "hope". The kanji for mankind (人) is written like a crack inside the rising sun. My design is based on the hope that people everywhere will help hold the pieces of Japan together in this tragic time.

If this design is selected, I will donate 100% of the proceeds to the American Red Cross in support of the people who need it most in Japan.

Donate to Canadian Red Cross here.

Support and Vote for KIBOU here.

Bacon Eggs And Toast

2011-01-28T09:12:00.000-08:00

The Original Breakfast Club

Bacon Eggs And Toast - All part of a balanced breakfast! B.E.A.T. was inspired by my friend Peter Jamieson.

It fits Threadless' Sharpie 80's Glam contest theme because I er, spent countless hours drawing teenage mutant ninja turtles in the 80's.

Plus the toaster accessory was super popular in the 80's. True story (I was there.)

Four glam colours on kelly green. Please send support here:

Ninja Cowboy Bear

2011-01-18T22:44:00.000-08:00

2010 has been an unbelievable year for ninjas, cowboys and bears! It is hard to believe that it was only two years ago when we self-published, "The Legend of Ninja Cowboy Bear". We've since signed on with a great publisher (Kids Can Press), published a second book, released French editions of both "L' Histoire du ninja, du cowboy et de l'ours" and "La solution Ninja", participated in so many great book store parties, fun school functions and of course amazing Small Print events! There's even a big ninja cowboy bear fan base in South-East Asia!

2011 will be another exciting year! David and Hilary have been working hard to complete the third book, "Ninja Cowboy Bear presents: The Call of the Cowboy". This sequel will explore one of our favourite characters and will be released in Fall 2011 by Kids Can Press. We also plan to attend more school visits in 2011 (please check www.ninjacowboybear.com/about for more details.)

IT'S OFFICIAL! Ninja Cowboy Bear has been optioned for an animated television series! Please check back regularly for updates in 2011!

To celebrate, we've created some Ninja Cowboy Bear paper craft toys for everyone to enjoy. Thanks to Marshall Alexander for allowing us to base our designs on his templates. Free Ninja Cowboy Bear paper craft toy pdf download available here!

Again thank you all for the wonderful book interviews, kind reviews, sweet award nominations and staff picks! We really appreciate all your support and could not have done this without you - you are all stars!!

10-10-10 contest

2010-11-04T16:18:00.000-07:00

Threadless is currently holding a contest where they will award three lucky designers $10k each. The only criteria is "to design something iconic".

I immediately thought of two separate concepts... "Rock Paper Scissors" and "Wizard of Oz". I seem to associate iconic with bold and graphic, so here are my two submissions.

Weapon of Choice - The eternal battle between Rock, Paper and Scissors summed up in this iconic design. Be sure to check out the flash presentation!

Forecast - Today's forecast includes periods of song, dance... and complete calamity! Be careful as this storm system will bring a chance of flying monkey poo as well - don't forget to pack an umbrella!

I could not think of anything more iconic than Wizard of Oz. This design captures the moment Dorothy and friends meet the Wicked Witch of the West and her team of Flying Monkeys. I imagined the quartet was not amused… not at all.

There have already been some fantastic submissions, including Raging Randa 2000 by the super talented Vince Chui!

If you like these designs, please please support us! Simply log onto Threadless, create an account and vote $5 on our designs. It's fast and it's free!

We can also use your help to spread the word! The voting period is only seven days!

Please and thank you friends!

Who is Daruma?

2010-07-20T13:52:00.000-07:00

Wow. Time absolutely flies. It was exactly a year ago, when my fiancée Steph was having one of the worst days of her life. She was pulling triple duty at work, wedding-planning and trying to schedule a date for her knee reconstruction surgery (torn ACL).

That particular evening, Steph and I were meeting for dinner after work. It was also the opening night for the "Lonely Robot" art show. Steph didn't go because she was on crutches but, knowing my love for art and robots, she insisted that I attend. Unaware of her highly emotional day, I quickly popped into the show before dinner.

There was some amazing artwork by 20 local artists, however my highlight was a delightful piece by Hyein Lee.

I picked up her promo postcard which featured a cute, but strange creature with only one eye that said: "Make a Wish."

On the back of the card read, "Daruma is a Japanese wish doll. It's a symbol of optimism, good fortune and strong determination. Your Daruma only has one eye. Make a wish or set a goal for the new year. Draw in the missing eye when you achieve your goal."

It was perfect. I don't remember what we had for dinner, but I'll never forget Steph's reaction to the Daruma. It was a huge emotional release for both of us. It was a light at the end of a dark tunnel. It was the promise of a better day. Steph closed her eyes tightly, made her wish, and set her goal.

Staying true to her goal, we worked hard at rehabilitating her knee after surgery. A year later, we are now happily married and Steph is back on the field competing again. Plus she got a promotion at work!

I never thought that a one-eyed Japanese doll on a postcard promoting a local Toronto artist would have such a profound effect on our lives, but it did. The daruma will always have a special place in our hearts. After drawing in our missing eye, I created a design that will allow others to find optimism, fortune and determination in the eye of their own Daruma.

:: Sunshine Girls Flip Flops ::

2010-04-11T20:04:00.000-07:00

If you love these flip-flops as much as I do, please send in your votes on Threadless!

This is last chance to help me make these designs into a reality :)

Signing up on Threadless.com is both fast and free! Thanks again for everyone's support!

:: Fantasy Havaianas Winner Picks ::

2010-04-08T22:35:00.000-07:00

As the long (voting) season is coming to a close, a lot of fans like to predict who will be crowned the champion. There are always some clear contenders, some dark horses and of course some "Cinderella stories" in the mix. But there can only be one winn... er, I mean TWO WINNERS for the Havaiana's challenge!!

Please note that I am a total newbie on Threadless and this list is just for fun! I'm certain that I missed a lot of quality submissions - no offense was intended. In fact, I invite you to help me with this list. If you'd like to play along, please send in your favorites and we'll work out the brackets together. If not, you'll find my top 16 below.

I've assembled the brackets accordingly... Seeding went from membership seniority (oldest to newest.) Two design conferences were divided (as best as I could) by COLOR(ful) vs. MONO(tone)

PLAYOFF SCHEDULE!

Day 1 - Finalize the top 16 fantasy picks! Voting period runs from now until April 9, 2010 23:59:59 EST

Day 2 - Conference Quarter-Finals Match-up (1 vs. 8, 2 vs. 7, 3 vs.6 and 4 vs. 5) Voting period runs until April 10, 2010 23:59:59 EST

Day 3 - Conference Semi-Finals Match-up (1 vs. 4 and 2 vs. 3) Voting period runs until April 11, 2010 23:59:59 EST

Day 4 - Conference Finals (1 vs. 2) Top 2 are technically already winners! Voting period runs until April 12, 2010 23:59:59 EST

Day 5 - Finals Match! COLOR CHAMP vs. MONO CHAMP Just for kicks - we'll see who will win it all!! Voting period runs until April 13, 2010 23:59:59 EST

Here are my top 16 personal picks:

MONO Conference:

1. "Flip Flop Rabbits in a T-shirt", by JuliaBk - Those flip-flop wearing rabbits are absolutely adorable!

2. "Deep Blue Sea", by pilihp - Gorgeous illustration and let's face it, everything Phil touches is gold.

3. "Sandcastle" by Recycledwax - Fun, friendly and beautifully rendered design. Perfect for the beach!

4. "Typecast", by BLXMAN77 - Clean and clever! This delivers a fantastic message too! Love it!

5. "Shaka", by quister - I know it's not really monotone... but, I'm a sucker for both "The Great Wave Off Kanagawa" and the spirit of Shaka. Perfect beach design!

6. "L'irrésistible", by rodrigobhz - Super charming characters with a irresistible appeal! Both expressions are absolutely priceless!

7. "Brain vs. Brawn", by TangYauHoong - A delightful design that seriously kicks ass! Seriously, this is absolute genius!

8. "Popsicle fail vs. pass", by mchenwears - A brilliant design that works wonderfully on both t-shirt and flip-flops!

COLOR Conference:

1. "It's a Good Day to be a Sea Monster", by valorandvellum - Cute Sea Monster + Beautiful Textures & Patterns = a Winning Combination!

2. "Burger, Fries, and a Shake Your Booty", by pilihp - Delightful dancing characters that we all know and love speaks for itself. Beautiful colors too!

3. "Sounds of the Ocean", by alexmdc - Beautifully-rendered design with so many intricate details! I personally prefer the mono-tone version, but it is definitely a top contender!

4. "The Fungus is Among Us", by Walmazan - Hope you like mushrooms, because this is a feast for your eyes! Absolutely an amazing piece that you will want to look at over and over again!

5. "The Road", by joaolauro - A wonderful design with delicate line-work that will totally sweep you off your feet! I really really want this one to win!

6. "Let there be TACOS", by nickv47 - Fun, festive and super contagious! I challenge you to take a look and not smile:)

7. "Sunshine Girls" by hilaryleung - I know I know, I'm lame for voting myself, but I really like these designs (and so does my mother!)

8. "Everybody Loves Havaianas", by maatdias - High form, high function and gorgeous colors to boot! Plus there are hidden luchadores!

There you have it folks - my personal top 16! I'm completely open to discussing reworking this list, so please post your nominations below!

Voting closes on April 9, 2010 23:59:59 EST.

Thanks!

:: threadless ::

2010-04-04T16:43:00.000-07:00

I'm a huge fan of t-shirt design, so naturally I love Threadless.com. Unfortunately I just never found the time to register and submit any designs... until this past long weekend!

Upon visiting their site, I discovered that Threadless teamed up with Havaianas for an amazing design challenge. Designers were challenged to create both a sandal design and t-shirt design before April 4, 2010 11:59:59 CST.

I have two design submissions. The first one was based on the Flying Monkeys from the Wizard of Oz (gotta love their monkey suits!) That's when I noticed that the sandal straps were obscuring my design. So for the second submission, I designed with the straps in mind. And I might add - with very pleasant results!

If you like what you see and want these designs made into actual sandals and t-shirts - please take a moment to comment and vote for them.

Thanks for your support!

All will be revealed tonight.

2010-03-05T06:14:00.001-08:00

HILARY LEUNG & LARRY YUAN 1000STRANGERS ART SHOW

Opening Night Friday March 5, 2010 6-9pm