The 2nd edition of illustrator and author Koldo Barroso‘s “Kooky Pets” is now available for the 1st time in all large online book stores.

Compiled with the collaboration of a team of erudite scientists, “Kooky Pets” is the product of an Internet and social media experience where the blog readers are the co-creators as well as protagonists. The story of this book started in June 2009, when the author invited the readers of his blog to participate in the creation of a collection of imaginary creatures with their crazy ideas. The result of this fun experiment are 40 pages of fantasy and imagination, including 19 pages of full color illustrations… and a lovely foreword by reputed Fantasy doll maker and sculptor Lorell Lehman! …

Inside all of us lives a secret creature called a “Kooky Pet” who catalyzes our most intimate dreams and wishful yearnings. This book comprises of a collection of imaginary portraits of these absurd and fun pet characters, including stories, and witness descriptions. If you’re not afraid of meeting a surreal world where the cutest animals will reflect the most ridiculous and contradictory side of you, you’re going to love this book!

“Kooky Pets” is available in Amazon and Barnes & Noble online stores.

Inside all of us lives a secret creature called a “Kooky Pet” who catalyzes our most intimate dreams and wishful yearnings. This book comprises of a collection of imaginary portraits of these absurd and fun pet characters, including stories, and witness descriptions.

This is a Limited and signed Edition of 50 prints and every book includes an original pencil drawing from me. This edition is only available until the 8th of August…

Compiled with the collaboration of a team of erudite scientists, “Kooky Pets” is the product an Internet and social media experience where the blog readers are the co-creators as well as protagonists. The story of this book starts in June 2009, when I invited the readers of my blog to participate creating a collection of imaginary creatures with their crazy ideas. The result of this fun experiment are 40 pages of fantasy and imagination, including 19 pages of full color illustrations.

Buy and learn more about “Kooky Pets” here.

As you know, last week Apple presented the new iPad with a froth of anticipation in the media. How is this going to affect the publishing industry and our careers as authors and illustrators?

iPad & The future of self publishing

I’m sharing the making of my forthcoming book at my blog. This includes every step in the process of making and self-publishing a picture book: content, design, art direction, marketing, social media, etc.

Some of the elements that I will be discussing are design aesthetics, ornaments, layout, fonts, color palettes, etc. From the writing point of view, I will also talk about documentation, rhythm, point of view, characters and other important elements to take in consideration. I hope you find it interesting.

Kooky Pets is the product an Internet and social media experience where blog readers are co-creators as well as protagonists. The book will comprise a collection of portraits of absurd and fun pet characters called Kooky Pets who live inside all of us and catalyze our most intimate dreams and wishful yearnings.

Koldo Barroso

The new album from Kimara Sajn/+1 “Life Stories”, which features sleeve design and illustration for Koldo Barroso is out now. The whole album concept and music is focused on the childhood world. Kimara and B. Sue have self-produced and self-released numerous music works throughout the Precognitive Records label. They are most oriented to jazz rock, progressive and avant-garde music.

More info at: www.koldobarroso.com

Illustrator and storyteller Koldo Barroso has been interviewed by Essential Prose coinciding with the release of the set of illustrations for Judy Dyble’s “Talking With Strangers” CD album. Judy Dyble is known for her past as the vocalist of legendary British folk rock band Fairport Convention. Her new album features the collaboration of rock luminaries such as Robert Fripp, Ian McDonald and Pat Mastelotto (King Crimson), Celia Humphris (Trees), Jacqui McShee (Pentangle) and Simon Nicol (Fairport Convention).

Koldo answered a few important questions about the creative process in relationship with the making of “Talking With Strangers” illustrations.

Koldo Barroso talks about Talking With Strangers

Artist and illustrator Koldo Barroso has lunched his new Magic, Mystery & Imagination web site where you can see his numerous character creations, stories and Kooky Pets.

The new web sites features a Store with limited signed editions of Giclee Prints and original work of some of his most popular characters from his illustration Workshops, such as Lady Zakharova, Woonkee Di Woonkee and Smokey Bookie.

Artist Koldo Barroso, creator of the online collective workshop called Kooky Pet Workshop, has been interviewed by Erin Hammill. Koldo talks about his background, techniques, influences, motivations and the importance of Internet social media for artists today.

Erin Hammill is a young and talented artist from Ann Arbor, MI and she draws some of the most delicate and beautiful ink drawings I’ve seen with a technique called stippling.

The Kooky Pet Workshop is a collaborative project at Koldo Barroso’s blog where the readers contribute with ideas and suggestions to bring to life a new pet every week. The project includes monthly giveaways of the most popular pets.

You can join the project at:

http://www.koldobarroso.com/blog/

Did they ever break your heart? Did they ever hurt your feelings so bad that you felt yor life was meaningless? That happened to Veit Alvintzi. He was one of the most gifted musicians from the 18th Century but his promising career as a solo violin virtuoso was darkened by tragedy and despair. Today, the name of Veit Alvintzi is not cast in golden letters in music encyclopedias but the howling of his violin, attached to his long ghostly silhouette, still sounds in the hills near Vienna. Austrian local legends recall him as the man who lost his soul and went down to Hell to recover it: The Haunting Violinist.

This is part of a col­lab­o­ra­tive project called “Koldo’s Crea­ture Work­shop”. Read the rest of the story and col­lab­o­rate in bring­ing it to life and win a spe­cial signed print! Visit The Haunting Violinist.

The Tailswifters are little creatures of magical nature who have been described and interpreted in different ways throughout the years. Still today, there is not scientific evidence about their existence. Be myth or be reality, they always seem to be witnessed by people (especially children, teenagers, pregnant women and artists) right at the verge of important happenings in life, such as accidents, significant events and moments of creativity.

Illus­tra­tion & sto­ry­telling by Koldo Barroso.

This is part of a col­lab­o­ra­tive project called “Koldo’s Crea­ture Workshop”. Read the rest of the story and col­lab­o­rate in bring­ing it to life and win a special signed -hand watercolor- print! Visit – The Tailswifters.

He was the grandson of Terrible Spoork, (the troll who defeated the invincible giant in the black mountains) and Fierce Wooka (the troll who invented the rotten garlic burp strategy to fight the hordes of crooked-head goblins). And he was the son of the magnanimous Spooky Spooff (the one who ate one hundred and fifty six slimy pies in one minute) and Rusty Weeka (owner of the most fetid breath smell in the troll world ever). And he was also the youngest brother of 11th noisy and untidy troll children. But he, young Smoork… he had the delicate hands of a human boy!

Illustration & storytelling by Koldo Barroso.

This is part of a collaborative project called “Koldo’s Creature Workshop”. Read the rest of the story and collaborate in bringing it to life!

It is my great pleasure to invite you to take part of a new illustration and storytelling project on my blog. It will consist of a series of illustrations and short stories of curious characters that I will be posting every week.

The project needs your collaboration and it will include monthly giveaways of special signed watercolor prints of some of your favorite illustrations and characters.

I’m really excited about starting this project and I think your contribution is going to be as important as my work itself! With your collaboration, I’m sure that the most unexpected stories and books will take shape. Please be my guest and take part in this project with me!

In the silence of he winter nights, amidst the labyrinth of silent alleyways of the sleeping city, you might hear the tormented steps of The Shadow Hunter, scrutinizing every corner with the abrasive light of his lamp. And if you dare to peek out your window, you might encounter a picture that you will regret having had seen for the rest of your days. Because The Shadow Hunter will unveil an invisible world of sinister figures to your naked eyes. Those who weave the web of a tragic destiny while you sleep placidly in seeming shelter.

Read the whole story at Koldo Barroso’s blog

Several characters from Koldo Barroso’s illustrations have gone away and moved to this brand new socialmedia, networking thing called TIWTTER.