Steve's School Visits

2011-10-10T06:01:00.001-07:00

Harpster's School Visits (in person)

Interested in having me come to your school and talk about my career as a professional illustrator? My presentations are 45 minutes long but can be shortened to 30 minutes for kindergarten and first graders. The kids will be drawing with me, so they will need pencil and paper. Best of all the presentations are FREE! Oh, wait, even better the school's earn 30% from the sale of all the books sold during the presentation.

So let's recap...
*Kids get a great presentation form Steve Harpster

*Kids get to draw with Steve Harpster

*Students and staff can buy Harpster's books and he will sign and draw a picture in each book.

*The visit is absolutely free!

*The school earns 30% off the sale of all the books!

(this offer is for state of Ohio only. Schools in Indiana and Kentucky should call to see if offer can apply to them.)

Online School Visits

Using Adobe Connect I can visit your classroom and school to deliver a positive message about how I make a living as a professional illustrator. The presentation is the same one that I do in person at schools, but from my studio. Kids can ask questions, make comments and more importantly they get to draw with me! Just call me to set up an online school visit toll free: 1-877-885-2839 or e-mail me at: steve[at]studioharpster[dot]com...of course use the @ symbol and the . when you type this e-mail.

Here's a short video montage of my school visits and the art kids create while I am there.

This Blog is Moving!

2011-03-12T09:16:00.000-08:00

I have decided to move two blogs into one. In the coming weeks both Drawing Animals With Numbers blog and Steve's School Visits blog will be moving to their new homes at the Harptoons blog.

The Harptoons blog will have info about all my new books and info about school visits. This will be a gradual transfer,but one that will make my life so much easier.

Thanks,
Steve Harpster

More Great Drawings!

2011-03-11T08:20:00.000-08:00

Here are some Kindergarten drawings from my books Drawing Monsters With Letters and Drawing Animals With Numbers. These drawings are form Grandview Elementary School.

Dunloe Elementary School

2011-03-11T08:17:00.000-08:00

Some of the many drawings that the students at Dunloe Elementary drew for me before my school visit. Can you believe that this is Kindergarten?

Winchester Trail Art

2011-03-11T08:15:00.001-08:00

Winchester Trail had a contest to see what the kids could make out of the letters WC (Winchester Trail.) These were the winners. They got to have a pizza party with me at lunch time and we did some drawing together.

Winchester Trail Elementary School

2011-03-11T08:12:00.001-08:00

Here I am getting ready to talk to over 300 second graders. I don't get a chance to take many pictures of my events because there are so many things going on all at once that I often forget.

My BRAND NEW website www.HARPTOONS.com

2011-03-06T08:43:00.000-08:00

Here is my brand new website where you can watch "How to draw videos." The videos are all based on my two new books Drawing Animals With Numbers and Drawing MOnsters With Letters. Now The site is still a work in progress, but feel free to visit and see what I have so far.

www.harptoons.com

invited to the Buckeye Book Fair!

2011-03-06T08:26:00.001-08:00

Yeah, I was invited to the Buckeye Book Fair. Save the date, Saturday November 5th 2011 in Wooster Ohio. This is the 24th Buckeye Book Fair and I have always wanted to be apart of this event and was honored to get an invite. Their website is www.buckeyebookfair.com. I will s

Drawing Sea Animals With Numbers

2011-03-06T08:19:00.001-08:00

Sorry for the lack of posts, but I have been crazy busy. First, I have my new book that I just sent to the printer Drawing Sea Animals With Numbers. I am really excited about this book. Not only does it teach how to draw the animals in easy to follow steps, but it also has facts about each animal in the book. I have also been visiting schools all over Ohio. Luckily not one of my events has been canceled due to weather, but it's been close. The kids and teachers are really enjoying my drawing books and having a great time drawing with me. Then I have my freelance illustration work that has been really busy. I have six books I am working on right now, 5 puzzles and a bunch of other projects. The last thing I am working on is my new website www.harptoons.com. A work in progress to say the least. This website is going to have how to draw videos for kids, online school visits, activities to download and much more. This is a work in progress so feel free to take a look at it, just keep in mind that it is still not finished. I will make sure to post updates for pre sales of Drawing Sea Animals With Numbers as well as some sneak peaks of the book.

Thanks,
Steve

Free Drawing Event!

2010-12-19T18:14:00.000-08:00

This is video from a free drawing event I held in December at the Firefly Play Cafe. I will be hosting more of these free drawing events all over Ohio. If you want to know when or where sign up for my newsletter. If you would like me to host an event in your town contact me for details!

Drawing Monsters With Letters Video

2010-12-09T12:20:00.001-08:00

Whatch me draw monsters from my brand new book Drawing Monsters With Letters.

My NEW Book

2010-12-01T10:11:00.001-08:00

My new book Drawing Monsters With Letters is on sale now. You can order your copy today and I will sign it and draw a picture in each book. Makes a great one of a kind gift for the holidays.

IT's my Brand New Book!

2010-11-30T17:47:00.000-08:00

That's right my BRAND NEW book Drawing Monsters With Letters is HERE! You can order your copy right by clicking [HERE].

PLUS, I sign and draw a picture in each book. It makes a great one of kind gift for that special someone.

Another great pic

2010-09-06T16:39:00.001-07:00

This is an illustration that a young artist gave to me after one of my presentations. I teach kids how to draw a fish using the number six.

Thanks

2010-09-06T16:31:00.000-07:00

This was a drawing given to me by a student at a school that I spoke at recently. What a great looking elephant!

Free School Visits

2010-08-18T04:08:00.000-07:00

Imagine this, a school visit that costs nothing at all for your school and your school can make money! You don't have to imagine anymore because it's true. Go to the school visits page on my website [LINK] to find out more.

School visits video

2009-10-21T05:24:00.000-07:00

Here's a short video that explains what my school presentations are about and how I became a childrens book illustrator.

Play Ball?

2009-10-21T05:17:00.000-07:00

I usually don't post my art work on this site, but I wanted to give this area an update. Just to let everyone know there are plenty of dates available for school visits. So feel free to sign up.

2009-04-16T08:10:00.000-07:00

It really makes my visit that much better when a week or two after the visit I get a package of letters from the kids in the mail.

Letters from the kids

2009-04-16T08:04:00.000-07:00

These letters are from Finland Elementary School.
You will notice this lion theme in the letters...I teach them how to draw a lion using the number five. The Groundhog is made the same way.

I find that using numbers to teach kids drawing is an easy way to get them started in drawing. By the end of my lessons the kids are using all kinds of numbers to create all kinds of animals.

More Gallery Show

2008-08-13T06:29:00.001-07:00

This is my wife and I standing in front of my paintings opening night at the Cox Fine Art building. I'm not going to lie, I was nervous at this show. It's really strange having your art hainging on a wall for all to see. It was a great night once I was able to shake the nerves and lighten up a bit.

Fine Arts Show at Ohio State Fair

2008-08-13T06:12:00.001-07:00

This was my first time entering the Ohio State Fair Fine Arts Show and I'm glad that I did. You're allowed to enter three paintings and so I did and to my surprise all three we selected. Why was I surprised? Well for one I work digitally and not everyone responds well to the computer...I guess some think that the computer just does the work for you....(NOT AT ALL.)
In many ways the computer has a huge learning curve that you have to master before you can even begin painting and creating on it. Another reason I thought I might not be selected for the show was due to my subject matter. I create art that kids like and more importantly art that I would have liked as a kid...and that means monsters, monsters, and more monsters. So I am really happy that I entered the show and was thrilled to see my work hanging on the walls with so many other talented artists. I would also like to thank the very talented Amy Kollar Anderson for sending me an e-mail telling me how much she liked my work. It meant a lot to me because her paintings are so awesome and must take so long to paint. Feel free to google her name to see her work. Okay, last I would like to thank the person that bought the painting above titled First Contact. It was a thrill to sell my fist painting at my very first show.

Doodle Loves Italian

2008-03-21T06:21:00.001-07:00

While I was in Illinois for two days my wife decided that Doodle might want some marinara sauce mixed in with his dog food. Doodle loved the red sauce but his face was covered with it. I thought he was an Old-English sheep dog, not Italian.

Justin's Monster

2008-03-20T20:44:00.001-07:00

So when I arrived at my hotel there were boxes of books waiting to be signed. Inside those boxes of books were not only books but many drawings from the kids welcoming me to Chatham Illinois. I came acoss this drawing and was quickly scared out of my mind. So scared, that I put the drawing in the closet and shut the door. I soon forgot about the drawing until later that night when I woke up to find this guy looking at me from behind the closet door. Thanks Justin for sending your frightning monster thing to my room.

Ball Elementary

2008-03-20T14:13:00.000-07:00

My second day in Illinois was spent at Ball Elementary...Another huge school for K-3rd. The library was decked out with posters and art from my books.

Chatham Elementary

2008-03-20T14:09:00.000-07:00

I spent two days in the Springfield Illinois area talking to two elementary schools. I signed over 400 maybe even 500 books between the two schools. The amazing thing was how large these elementary schools were and they only had K-3rd grades. These schools were close to the size of my High School. Everyone was so nice and even though it was a long drive, it was a great time for me to talk to kids outside of Ohio.

Union Local Visit

2008-03-20T13:59:00.001-07:00

Had a great time at Union Local Elementary. The kids and teachers told me they had a great time too. Signed over 400 books for kids and of course when I sign a book I also draw a small doodle too.

ESC young illustrators day!

2008-03-11T09:47:00.000-07:00

This is a great event put on by the ESC here in Columbus OH. A handful of kids from several school districts get to spend the morning with me drawing and learning about being an illustrator. Each kid gets a drawing booklet and a T-shirt to remember the day.

Dayton Monroe Visit

2008-03-11T09:42:00.000-07:00

This is one of my favorite schools to visit. Brenda Gelm, the librarian, is a huge fan of kids' books and has had many authors and illustrators visit her school. I was honored to have my art hanging with the likes of C.F. Payne and Christopher Canyon.

Louie Kabloowie

2008-03-11T09:40:00.001-07:00

This is my cray dog Louie. I thought Labs were easy going. Boy was I wrong.

Kids Horse Drawing

2008-03-11T09:33:00.000-07:00

This is one of the things I teach kids how to draw. This is a third graders drawing of a horse. I teach them to start with a lower case h.

My very first school visit

2008-03-11T09:22:00.000-07:00

This was my very first school visit, since then I have done about 40 school visits. Most here in my home state of Ohio, but also in Indiana and Illinois. I really enjoy the visits and getting to meet the kids and teachers that read my books and enjoy my art.