These are some of the illustrations from a book project I’m working on.  They were exhibited at the Golden Pen of Belgrade, 10th International biennial of Illustration held in November 2009 and awarded by Politikin Zabavnik magazine. The book ” Miraculous world of Soul” was written by Aleksandar Milajic.  Hopefully the book will be out sometime next year, and I’ll be able to write more about it then…

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Evo nekoliko ilustracija za knjigu na kojoj trenutno radim.  Bile su izložene na Zlatnom peru Beograda održanom u novembru 2009. i nagrađene od strane Politikinog Zabavnika. Knjigu  ” Čudesni svet duše” napisao je Aleksandar Milajić. Nadamo se da će knjiga izaći tokom sledeće godine, pa ću tada vise moći da pišem o njoj…

Self-Portrait with a White Cat from bojancica on Vimeo.

This is a short animated film about life and art of Milena Pavlovic Barilli, Serbian painter and poet who lived and worked in the first half of the 20th century. The film was created to commemorate 100 years since her birth on the 5th of November 1909. During WW II Milena lived in USA and became famous for the illustrations she did for American Vogue. In this film, the white cat is a witness to some of the major events in Milena’s life. In reality Milena was very fond of dogs and kept them by her side all her life, but she often painted a mysterious white cat, placing her in the background or hiding her somewhere within the composition.  This fact inspired Mirjana Bjelogrlic to write a storyline for this film. I created the art and Bogdan Vukovic did the animation. The film was produced by the Radio Television of Serbia in October 2009. © 2009 RTS

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Ovo je kratak animirani film o životu i delu Milene Pavlović Barili, srpske slikarke i pesnikinje koja je živela i radila u prvoj polovini XX veka. Film je napravljen sa idejom obeležavanja stogodišnjice njenog rodđenja, 5. novembra 1909. Tokom II svetskog rata Milena je živela u SAD i postala poznata po ilustracijama koje je radila za američki «Vogue». U ovom filmu, bela mačka je svedok glavnih događaja u Mileninom životu. U stvarnosti Milena je volela pse i držala ih je uz sebe tokom celog života, ali je često slikala tajanstvenu belu mačku, stavljajući je u drugi plan ili skrivajući je u kompoziciju. Ova činjenica je inspirisala Mirjanu Bjelogrlić da napiše scenario za ovaj film. Ja sam radila crtež/ilustraciju, a Bogdan Vuković je uradio animaciju. Producent fima je Radio Televizija Srbije. © 2009 RTS

Due to an incredible quantity of work that I’ve had in the past three weeks or so, I’ve been unable to find time to post new things or check out updates on my friends’ blogs.  I have one track-mind at the moment, and all I can think or talk about is this job…perhaps it due to the fact that the deadline is only 4 days away and I still have allot of work to do.  I’m creating parts for a short animated film about the life of Milena Pavlovic Barili, a Serbian painter and illustrator that lived and worked before WW II (“parts” refer to vector art which will be animated in Flash).  The project was commissioned by the National Television. Due to various reasons, I started drawing later than I should, and now my days have all blended into one long day in front of the screen. Occasionally I get up from my computer to make myself a sandwich…as I type this, the parts I’ve already drawn are getting animated.

Regardless of all the struggle involved, it’s an interesting challenge and I hope it will turn out well.  I’m posting some production material-a sample from the storyboard (1st of 11 pages) and a few scenes from the 1st part.  The film has four parts, which work as a whole.  More details about the creator of this project and people involved will be provided as soon as the project is completed…on time and soon, I hope!

Zbog neverovatne količine posla koji imam u prethodne tri nedelje nisam imala vremena da postujem nove stvari niti da proveravam novitete na blogovima mojih prijatelja. Razmišljam samo u jednom pravcu, i sve o čemu mogu da mislim i pričam je ono što trenutno radim…možda zbog činjenice da je rok za završetak posla za 4 dana, i što još uvek imam puno posla. Crtam delove za kratak animirani film o životu Milene Pavlović Barili, srpske slikarke i ilustratorke koja je živela i radila pre II svetskog rata (“delovi” se odnose na vektorske ilustracije koje će biti animirane u Flash-u). Projekat je inicirala Radio Televizija Srbije. Zbog raznoraznih razloga, počela sam da crtam kasnije nego što je trebalo, i sad su mi se svi dani stopili u jedan dugačak dan ispred ekrana. Povremeno ustanem od radnog stola da napravim sendvič…dok ovo pišem, delovi koje sam dosad nacrtala su u procesu animiranja.

Bez obzira na teškoće, ovo je zanimljiv izazov, i nadam se da će izaći na dobro. Postujem malo materijala iz produkcije, stranu iz storyboard-a (1. strana od 11), i nekoliko scena iz prvog dela.  Film ima četiri dela koji čine celinu. Više detalja o tvorcu projekta i ljudima koji su u njega uključeni biće izneti čim sve bude završeno…uskoro i na vreme, nadam se!

I’m very happy to say that last night, at the 7th International Comics Showroom in Belgrade, I was awarded for the best traditional style comic! :)) I’m very honored, because I really wasn’t expecting all this…thank you ALL for your support and attention! The showroom will be opened for 3 days, so if you’re around and interested in checking it out…

I’m posting a few photos from the event, and pages from my comic. The script is based on a dream I had years ago, but it stuck with me and wouldn’t let me be until I put it all down on paper. It’s a story about sacrifice and abuse within the immediate family, and even thought the characters are exaggerated, it doesn’t have much to do with a struggle between good and evil, but more with the consequences of of selfish (and selfless) behavior.

Vrlo sam srećna što mogu da saopštim da sam sinoć, na 7. Međunarodnom salonu stripa u Beogradu, dobila nagradu za najbolje ostvarenje u domenu klasičnog strip jezika!!:)) Veoma sam počastvovana, i zaista nisam to očekivala…hvala vam SVIMA za pažnju i podršku! Izložba će biti otvorena tri dana, do 27 septembra, pa ako ste u prolazu, navratite…:)

Kačim nekoliko fotografija sa samog otvaranja i strane mog stripa. Scenario sam napisala inspirisana snom koji sam sanjala pre više godina, i koji mi nije dao mira dok ga nisam stavila na papir. Ovo je priča o žrtvi i zlostavljanju u najužoj porodici, iako su likovi prenaglašeni, ona nema mnogo veze sa borbom dobra i zla, vec sa posledicama sebičnog (i nesebičnog) ponašanja.

Illustration Friday

Aaaa what a wonderful surprise!:DDD This illustration was chosen as “the pick of the week” on Illustration Friday :DD

Thank you ALL so much for the wonderful comments!:) I’m so glad this illustration turned out well, and really glad it got a good reception! I’ll get back to you all and check out your blogs/sites asap :)

“Flying Fish” is my first contribution to Illustration Friday. This week’s topic was “Drifting”. Deep-sea dwellers emerge again, unexpected. This is one idea I intend to develop further.

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“Letece ribe” je moj prvi doprinos sajtu Illustration Friday. Ovonedeljna tema je bila “Plutanje”. Stanovnici dubokih mora ponovo iskacu, neocekivani. Ovo je jedna ideja koju nameravam dalje da razvijam.

The first image that came to my mind when I heard about Drawing Day. Done in Corel Painter in three layers: pencil, watercolor and liquid ink, using Wacom Intuos. For more information about Drawing Day, check this out:

http://www.drawingday.org/participate.php

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Prva slika koja mi je pala na pamet kad sam čula za “Drawing Day”. Urađeno u Corel Painter-u u tri lejera: olovka, akvarel i tuš, koristeći Wacom Intuos tablu. Za više informacija o Danu crtanja, koji pogledajte ovde:

http://www.drawingday.org/participate.php

Another illustration for the textbook I was working on. It’s based on a story you can read here if you like. For those who don’t feel like reading today: in a nutshell, it is a story in which a saint tricks a devil. Sometimes such stories are considered a metaphor for the coming of Christianity and suppression of heathen traditions. But there is also a humorous twist in this one concerning rakija… cheers!

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Još jedna ilustracija iz čitanke na kojoj sam radila.  Bazira se na priči koju možete pročitati ovde ako želite. Za one kojima se danas ne čita: u osnovi, ovo je priča u kojoj svetac nasamaruje đavola. Ponekad se ovakve priče smatraju metaforom za dolazak Hrišćanstva i potiskivanje mnogobožačkih tradicija. Ali ovde takođe postoji i komičan rasplet koji se tiče rakije…živeli!

Here are two recent illustrations for a textbook. “Lovers’ Parting” is an old folk poem by an anonymous author. “The Apprehension” was written by Desanka Maksimovic. I translated the poems only for the purpose of this post. I don’t think that the translation is accurate enough, but hopefully it is poetic enough to convey the spirit of these two poems. Translation into English took a while, but I had some essential help…thank you Kinsmen! :)

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Evo dve skorije ilustracije za čitanku.
“Ljubavni rastanak” je stara narodna pesma čiji autor je anoniman.
“Strepnju” je napisala Desanka Maksimović. Pesme sam prevela samo zbog objavljivanja ovog posta. Mislim da prevod nije dovoljno precizan, ali nadam se da je dovoljno poetičan da bi preneo duh ovih pesama.

I

Ljubavni rastanak

Dva cvijeta u bostanu rasla:
plavi zumbul i zelena kada.
plavi zumbul ode na Doljane,
osta kada u bostanu sama.
Poručuje zumbul sa Doljana:
“Dušo moja, u bostanu kado!
Kako ti je u bostanu samoj?”
Odgovara iz bostana kada:
“Što je nebo, da je list artije,
što je gora, da su kalemovi.
što je more, da je crn murećep
pak da pišem tri godine dana,
ne bi moji ispisala jada.”

II

Strepnja

Ne, nemoj mi prići! Hoću izdaleka
da volim i želim tvoja oka dva.
Jer sreća je lepa samo dok se čeka,
dok od sebe samo nagoveštaj da.

Ne, nemoj mi prići! Ima vise draži
ova slatka strepnja, čekanje i stra’.
Sve je mnogo lepše donde dok se traži,
o čemu se samo tek po slutnji zna.

Ne, nemoj mi prići! Našta to i čemu?
Iz daleka samo sve ko zvezda sja;
iz daleka samo divimo se svemu.
Ne, nek mi ne priđu oka tvoja dva!

This illustration takes a look at the mythological struggle between Ouranos and Cronus…and possibly what happened right before the legendary birth of Venus, goddess of love. For this purpose, I played around with The Birth of Venus, painted by Boticelli.  The original story, dating back to Greek antiquity, tells us how Venus/Aphrodite emerged from the sea: “In ancient Greek myths, Cronus envied the power of his father, the ruler of the universe, Ouranos. Ouranos drew the enmity of Cronus’ mother, Gaia, when he hid the gigantic youngest children of Gaia, the hundred-armed Hecatonchires and one-eyed Cyclopes, in Tartarus, so that they would not see the light. Gaia created a great adamant sickle and gathered together Cronus and his brothers to persuade them to kill Ouranos. Only Cronus was willing to do the deed, so Gaia gave him the sickle and placed him in ambush. When Ouranos met with Gaia, Cronus attacked him with the sickle by cutting off his genitals, castrating him and casting the severed member into the sea. From the blood (or, by a few accounts, semen) that spilled out from Ouranos and fell upon the earth, the Gigantes, Erinyes, and Meliae were produced. From the member that was cast into the sea, Aphrodite later emerged…”(Wikipedia)

The article behind this illustration is dealing with a theme from popular astrology, a struggle between two powerful planets, Uranus/Ouranos and Saturn/Cronus.  They are no longer regarded as goods, but the myth took a new a shape and has a different meaning today: it symbolizes the universal struggle between father and son, the old and the new, hence the tie and the iPod.  Something happened along the way, probably as a result of many influences and beliefs that clashed and merged through centuries, and the general knowledge nowadays is that  Saturn  is the “old”, the “traditional”, the “stale” in popular astrology, and planet Uranus came to stand for  “new” and “revolutionary”.  Regardless of this, the theme remains eternal.  Birth of Venus seemed like a nice backdrop for a struggle that would’ve otherwise been illustrated as a young man punching the old man in the face ;)

I did this illustration a little while ago, but it never got published due to the unfortunate misunderstanding with a commissioning party.

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Ova ilustracija je osvrt na mitološki sukob Urana i Kronosa, i moguće ono što se dogodilo trenutak pre legendarnog rođenja Venere, boginje ljubavi. U ovu svrhu poigrala sam se sa Rođenjem Venere koju je naslikao Botičeli. Originalna priča koja potiče iz grčke starine govori nam kako je Venera/Afrodita izronila iz mora:

“Heziod u svojoj Teogoniji govori da je Uran dolazio svake noći da bi spavao s Gejom, Majkom Zemljom, ali je mrzio djecu koju mu je rodila – Titane, Hekatonhire i Kiklope. On ih je zatvorio u Tartar što je Geji uzrokovalo veliku bol. Oblikovala je kremeni srp i zatražila svoje sinove da kastriraju njezina muža, a na to je pristao Kron, najmlađi Titan. Dok je Uran sašao nad Geju da bi spavao s njom, Kron je iz zasjede skočio na nj i kastrirao ga, bacivši njegove testise u more. Od prolivene krvi rođeni su Giganti, Erinije, Melije (nimfe stabla jasena) te Telhine (stanovnike otoka Roda). Od genitalija bačenih u more rođena je Afrodita….” (Wikipedia)

Članak koji stoji iza ove ilustracije bavi se temom iz popularne astrologije, tenzijom između dve moćne planete, Urana i Saturna. Oni se više ne smatraju bogovima, ali mit o njima je preuzeo novi oblik i danas ima drugačije značenje: simbolizuje univerzalnu borbu između oca i sina, starog i novog, pa otud kravata i iPod. Nešto se usput dogodilo, i verovatno kao rezultat mnogih uticaja i verovanja koji su se sudarali i prožimali kroz vekove, danas je Saturn u popularnoj astrologiji poznat kao “star”, “tradicionalan”i “ustajao”, a uz Uran stoje pojmovi kao što su “nov” i “revolucionaran”. Bez obzira na to, tema ostaje večna. Rođenje Venere je delovalo kao prikladna pozadina za priču koja bi se inače mogla ilustrovati scenom u kojj mlad čovek nokautira starca ;)

Ovu ilustraciju sam uradila relativno skoro, ali nije bila objavljena zbog nesporazuma sa naručiocem.

Welcome to my new blog!:-) I’m really happy I can finally share my web pages with you, including my brand new website, and that is the main reason I moved from Blogger to WP…I wanted to have it all nicely organized.  Luckily I had an option to simply import all my posts, comments and links from Blogger.  It’ll probably take some time to get adjusted to the new blogging environment though…;-) Also, visitors will be able to comment without having to register with WP.
This is an illustration of a fairytale by Grozdana Olujic about a star who came down to Earth because she fell in love with a shepherd. I thought she’d be a nice image to start with…:)

Hope to see you all soon!

I don’t have a good excuse for such a long absence form my blog…I could say I got sidetracked, or had too much work…but that wouldn’t be true. I just switched off for a while, I guess :) Thank you all who still visit my blog from time to time…hope I’ll get back on track and post here more regularly. I miss the feedback ;)
Anyway, this is the only comic I’ve completed…so far :) It is a 3-page story, written by my friend Borivoje Grbic, an awesome artist who’s also very good at writing scripts and adapting stories for comics at the same time. There are no sketches/pencil roughs for this story, it is done entirely in Illustrator & PS…I really enjoyed the efficiency.  

Thanks to all you kind people who take time to visit my blog, I’m happy to say that as of yesterday I have more than 12,000 hits…:)) I missed my blog’s first birthday because I’m a bit of a scatterbrain, but I’d like to use this opportunity to thank you all for taking the time to leave a comment and share your impressions with me! :)
This is the (finally finished) cover for the “Book of Time”, a young readers’ novel by Guillaume Prevost. I’m very happy it’s finished, because I was afraid I was getting totally lost in details. All it takes is some good quality gouache and one of those brushes numbered with a “0″, and I could spend hours working on individual hair strands on a character. Luckily I had a deadline for this one! In reality, it’s not very big, only 17×18cm. There’s also the pencil study for this cover…and I don’t usually do those, I rush straight to the final piece. After all this posting I’m ready for a vacation, and therefore I’ll be away from my computer for the next 3 weeks. Stay happy and inspired!:)