For this post, I am sharing illustrations I painted for a soil company called Supersoil. Several years ago, Supersoil Inc. merged into Miracle Grow and the packaging with my illustrations were no longer available. There were unique challenges for every painting and I searched through my neighborhood with my camera to find beautiful gardens I could photograph. When I completed this project, I enjoyed seeing my paintings printed on the large bags of soil sold in many home improvement stores.

For this first post, I share about four projects I painted. I have included close-ups, sketches, marker comps and even the original layout provided for me.

The first painting was for a potting soil mix and I illustrated a pot filled with flowers.

This second illustration was for a product called “Wonderbloom.”

This is my layout provided by the art director.

This is a preliminary marker sketch.

This illustration was for a product called “Palm and Cactus Mix.” I followed the art direction, which had a strange request for a “door going nowhere.” The strange perspective makes me uncomfortable, but my favorite part of my painting is the small lizard in the shadows (I had lizards as pets when I was younger!)

The lizard is there!

The last assignment for this post was for a product used on sod lawns called “Turf Fit.” This painting includes a dog, and it is one of the few animals I’ve illustrated.

My photo reference of sod shows that it was not very pretty to paint!

My technique utilizes watercolors, dyes and colored pencils; these were created before Photoshop existed. I have a blog where I describe my technique and have a lot more information. It is at: 

http://foodartist.wordpress.com

© 2013 by Judy Unger, http://www.myjourneysinsight.com and 20 Lines A Day. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Judy Unger with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.