Pea Graphic

I'm behind, but last week there was an illustration that I had done that was published with an article about peas. The farmers of Skagit Valley will have to do without planting peas, which is an important crop in the field cycles.

Anyway, it's a big story, and I will only be talking about the graphic I've done. I wanted to have this out at the same time as the newspaper featured the graphic, but like I said, I was behind.

At the end of last year, I went to pick up my check when my editor asked if I wanted to take on an illustration for an upcoming article about peas. She told me she wanted a picture of a bag of peas, and an open--possibly empty--can of peas.

I immediately started sketching the design and wrote some notes. She then gave me some money, and I bought a bag of peas and one can.



I went home knowing exactly how I wanted to do this: take several pictures with the can in different positions, and later edit them on my computer so it is one image with three cans.

At home, I grabbed big pieces of paper, tape, my camera, the peas, and a clamp-on light. I had an impromptu studio in the kitchen.



I arranged the cans as needed, and took a series of photos at different angles. I also changed the lighting quite a few times. Here are the different pictures that made it.

The tea box was the exact height of the particular can I used.

The final garnishing.

On the computer, I used my tablet and GIMP, and probably about 3 hours or so layering, shading, burning, editing, etc. The sign with "Sold Out!?" on it was eventually erased for the paper.