Corel Painter Master - Carlyn Beccia

Name: Carlyn Beccia Occupation/Profession: Children's Book Illustrator & Author, Graphic Designer Employer: Self-employed

Digital artist Carlyn Beccia always wanted to run away and join the circus. With the help of Corel Painter, she found a way to create a stage of circus stars without leaving home.

In her debut children's book, Who Put the B in the Ballyhoo? (Houghton Mifflin, April 2007), Beccia uses Painter's oil brushes to create a nostalgic tribute to the circus' golden age. From "A is for Awesome" to "Z is for Zippy," Beccia's art invites children of all ages into a world of ornately painted circus stars.

Beccia says, "I use all of Painter's brushes but always come back to the oil brushes. I paint on Painter's Simulated Woodgrain paper to create a texture that is reminiscent of vintage posters. I then combine this with the impasto brushes to give the paintings an aged look."

Beccia has been painting digitally for over ten years. She attended the University of Massachusetts on a 4-year art scholarship and graduated in 1995. In 2005, Carlyn was the Grand Prize Portfolio Winner in the Society of Children's Writers & Illustrators (SCBWI) portfolio exhibition. In 2006, she was awarded a certificate of merit in The Society of Illustrators of Los Angeles, Illustration West 44 Annual and she was also the Grand Prize Portfolio Winner in the New England, Society of Children's Writers & Illustrators (NEW ENGLAND SCBWI) portfolio exhibition.

Beccia enjoys visiting schools across MA to teach kids, ages 5 to 14, how to paint digitally using Painter.

Carlyn's web site is www.carlynbeccia.com.