Kirbi Fagan

My favorite work I have done, and hope to continue to do, is working on middle grade books. From fantasy, to historial fiction it’s been a rewarding area of my career and one I had my heart set on doing since my college years. What is Middle Grade? Some people debate where exactly the rails are for the “middle grade” genre but most agree middle grade readers are 8-12 years old. The worldview in the…

Critique from the wrong person at the wrong time can send an artist off their trail and put cracks in their confidence. I’m fortunate to have a few artists in my life who push my work with experience, expertise, and friendship. Finding and building these relationships is a journey on its own. To talk to you today about critique partnership and how to get more value from crits, I’d like to introduce to you my…

Last week I received the news that the novel I recently illustrated, A Horse Named Sky is #4 on the New York Best Seller list! A Horse Named Sky includes over 100 illustrations drawn traditionally (a big first for me!)  I feel especially excited to share this on Muddy Colors because this extended community has been a big part of the foundation of all I’m creating today. If you have been illustrating for a while…

It’s about a month now before A Horse Named Sky hits bookstores. This book has my inner tween-ager feeling completely giddy. When I approached illustrating this nearly 300-page book, it was not lost on me the challenge of drawing horses (a topic many artists grumble about.) I’m writing today to share with you some of the takeaways from my deep dive into drawing these incredible animals. Highlights Many great horse paintings or illustrations showcase specular…

If you’ve been practicing drawing for years, a newbie or a seasoned pro you know that age-old advice, “draw from life.” It seems to be the answer for all sorts of art questions, like, how can I get better?  How can I draw faster? How do I find my style? First, what is drawing from life? Drawing from life, or sometimes called, “drawing from observation’ is a practice where the artist draws what they see…