On my Desk

Here's a little something I'm working on today. I'm finishing up the artwork for a grade school reader for the Korean market. I don't do a lot of baby artwork, but I had fun with this job because each page shows the brother and his baby sister interacting with each other in slightly different situations, but all in the same setting. Although this job was a fairly simple education project with a quick turnaround, it did stretch me to create characters that showed different emotions and engaging artwork that really told a story. I always like to throw a dog into the mix if I can, and I created a little side story with the dog wandering around in the background, sleeping on the chair, sniffing the laundry and stealing a sock in each of the different scenes.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Tip Tap Pop: Mini Illustrator Interview

This week on my sketch-blog I interview Valeria Docampo, illustrator of Tip Tap Pop. I'm giving away my review copy Friday to one person who posts on that blog before then.

It's the first time I've done a full interview and I really enjoyed coming up with the questions. I was so thrilled with Valeria's thoughtful responses too. I hope you enjoy it! Below is an excerpt:


5. What is your early process like when illustrating a picture book? Do you spend a lot of time on character design or do you dive right into thumbnails?
The character that I spent the most time studying was Grandpa POP. I sketched more than thirty grandfathers. Some looked too serious, while others looked too old. POP is senile, but he is also a dancer, which means that he must be very dynamic. When I gave POP his unruly fringe of hair, he looked like a mad scientist, and I realized that I was onto something.
I then worked on the character of the dog. It needed to be a dog that wouldn't draw attention away from the other characters and one that was also capable of expressing feelings. The long ears that I chose allowed me to portray his emotions in a very entertaining way.
The little girl and the grandmother came about the very first day I read the story.
Once all of the characters had taken on a life of their own, the challenge was to unify their features, giving them some family resemblance.

The book blog tour also includes an interview of the author, Sarah Lynn, her literary agent, Deborah Warren, and her editor, Marilyn Brigham (Marshall Cavendish).

It was fun to take part in a book blog tour, and also to read interviews from so many of the key players in creating a picture book.

Tips for illustrators

© Copyright Alicia Padrón

I get emails and questions regarding how to go about illustrating for children. It's hard starting out, so many options nowadays, right? I get it's difficult at times to know which route to take or what should be the first step into the right direction.

Do I send single postcards or promotional package mailings? Do I really have to advertise on a portfolio site? Should I go to NY for portfolio drop offs? Should I get an agent? Should I attend a conference, is it worth it? Do I really need a website and how should it be? What should I include in my portfolio?

These are just a few of the questions people ask themselves starting out.

I try to answer emails whenever I have a chance and I also have a formspring page where people can ask me questions and I do my best to answer them. Here are a couple of questions I've answered there, you can check the site if you'd like to read for more:

What would you say is a common mistake you see in some artist's portfolios?

Hmm, well something that comes to mind is the lack of storytelling.

If we are talking children's book portfolio here, and I assume we are, then I think it is really important to tell a story with your art.

I often see many artist's pieces with wonderful characters, beautifully rendered but nothing is happening. Sometimes the character is looking at the viewer as if someone took a picture of him or her and to me, that's another mistake.

If we are talking illustration for a book and not the cover (cover is different) then I think characters have to interact with one another and have to give the feeling that they are unaware that we (the viewer) are watching them. That's what I do when I'm working on a piece, I always have that in my mind.

A good portfolio illustration has to leave you wanting more. Has to raise some questions.. why is the character doing that? What will happen next?

To me that is the key to a great children's book illustration.

Do you have an agent? Would you recommend one?

I do have an agent. As far as recommending to have one, I think it depends on the type of person you are.

I believe there are two types of artists. The ones that like to be involved in all matters, that are somewhat extroverts, don't mind handling fees and asking for higher pay. That can keep track of clients when not paying on time and that don't mind handling contracts.

And then there are artists that just want to draw. I'm in this group. :o)

I am very bad at negotiating and contract terms etc, so for me an agent makes perfect sense. I don't mind sharing a percentage with them because they truly earn it doing all those things I don't want to do.

But if you think you can handle these things on your own then you can certainly be without an agent.

Children's illustrators can find jobs on their own without agents, no problem. Make sure you advertise on portfolio sites and send promotional postcards regularly. Of course, always have your work online on your personal website and make sure your portfolio is appropriate for children's books.

One thing that is important to know is this, if you are an illustrator and don't have any intention of writing and want representation, you might want to look for an artist rep and not an agent. Reps handle the educational market which is the bread and butter these days.
So you could be busier doing ed work on a daily bases.

Art reps usually take a higher percentage than literary agents, around 30% (edited: I mistakenly had 45% before, sorry) , so you have to take that in mind as well.

Literary agents usually focus only on trade and it's a slower process, but they take around 15% cut.

Whatever you decide to do, make sure to take your time choosing and agent/rep. Ask a lot of questions, they like this and expect it too. The agent-client relationship is a close and important one. You want to feel comfortable with your agent or rep and hopefully have a long lasting career together.

I also recently found this wonderful blog from a talented illustrator, Jonas Sickler, where he gives great tips for everyone not just for people starting out. You should definitely check it out.

Always take advantage of the web, there is tons of valuable information out there! I know I never stop reading, learning and trying to keep up with what's new. It never truly stops, you really have to just keep moving along with it. Practicing, sketching and getting informed.

(Oh, and in case you are wondering who is that up there.. that's Ralphie, my website's tour guide. He's on a break. )

Watch Scott Adams Draw Dilbert

Another Cintiq inspired post! Check out Scott Adams working and how he uses his to create his Dilbert comic. Watch it here.

Here's the youtube version but it's pixelated for some reason. I like how he has his Cintiq resting on the corner of his desk and then takes his keyboard and does the same thing. Always fun to see a persons set up.

I notice many others work with their Cintiq quite high. I have mine much lower as you can see in this pic. Currently, I have everything on one long craft desk. The desk is high so I had to buy a drafting chair that I can raise quite high too. So far this is working best for me. I still incorporate my Wacom tablet- sort of switching back and forth.

FYI - the Cintiq is already proving to be an invaluable tool. If I only ever use it for sketching out pages, it will be worth every penny. I have a looming deadline and I'm so relieved that I can sketch directly on there without dealing with my scanner (which has decided to go kaput on me right now, anyway).

Mary Englebreit and her rendition of "The Night Before Christmas" in 2D and 3D

I love Mary Englebriet's work and I love when she puts her own spin on classic Christmas tales, so coming across this You Tube video was such a treat! In this video, local St. Louis television newscast outlines Mary's process of turning her rendition od The Night Before Christmas from 2D to 3D. Enjoy!

Knick Knack Paddy Whack

My son and I have just started to enjoy books with CDs. Luckily, Knick Knack Paddy Whack is not only illustrated beautifully by Christiane Engel, but the music by 'SteveSongs' is fun and catchy. Children's music can often be hard for parents, especially when played over and over, but this grows more on me each time. As a book set I love the layers of learning to be had - counting to 10, learning the instruments visually and audibly, and of course, the song itself.

I've admired Christiane Engel's work for a long time. She has a great blog, website, etsy shop, and some gorgeous free wallpapers. I got lost for a long time looking at her work. I enjoyed this interview on Pikaland. I love her traditional/digital style for children's work and also her oil pastel/digital? style for editorial. It's all beautiful, but quite different, as the subject dictates.

Children's books and greeting cards

© copyright Alicia Padrón

When I was pregnant with my first kid I had a burst of creative energy. Maybe it was due to the fact that I was lying around most of the day with swollen ankles and lot of free time in my hands.

I remember thinking out this whole line of greeting cards. Sweet Dreams was it's name. I even tried to send samples out but nothing really ever happened from there. I have to say that my art wasn't what it is today. Basically it sucked. Honestly, I cringe ever time I bump into any of my old drawings, painting or sketches!

But it also makes me happy to realize how much I have grown and moved forward. The only way to get where I am today was to go through what I did. So no regrets there. I also know I still have yet lots to learn.

Every time I create a little spot of art like this one I can't help to remember the greeting card market and that there is still a part of me that would like to try it out.

I like the idea of making fresh illustrations just designed for a card. Send a message of love, friendship or just because. After working on books that take months to do, the idea of working on short projects sounds refreshing.

So I might try it out. I know myself and that little voice inside me will never shut up unless I do.

How about you? Do any of you work for that market too? Any pointers, pros/cons, want to share your experience? I'd love to know. :o)

Dani Jones- "Make Stuff" article

I'm going to piggy back Kathy's post on the topic of self publishing, expanding on her mention of Dani Jones. Dani has spent the past year creating comics and shares an article regarding the industry and the mindset of independent creators. Thanks as always, Dani, for your generosity! Food for thought.

Click here to read her article.

The self-publishing stigma: Is it shrinking?

I ran into an old friend today. During our catch-up conversation,  I told her about a children's book dummy that I had written & illustrated a couple of years ago, and how it is now languishing on my shelf and gathering dust. This book had been pitched around to several NYC publishers by my former agent, but in the end, it did not get picked up anywhere. Seems like every time I tell someone about it, I feel sheepish for no reason, and a little wistful about the entire saga. In fact, the whole experience of the creation, development and ultimate "time out" of the dummy itself strikes me as a truly unfairly unfinished story. 

So, I was telling her about it, half-rolling my eyes over it, half-forlorn. Then, out of the blue, she said "Why not self-publish it?" Being schooled in  "How To Be a Respected Children's Illustrator 101", my first knee-jerk reaction: "Well, I can't! I wouldn't! No children's author/illustrator would self-publish their own book, and expect to be taken seriously in this industry." 

Self-published books have been (no secret here) a Dirty Word in respected publishing circles, children's or otherwise, right? But then, I stopped and really thought about it, and I question this old code. It's outdated. These days, businesses and industries and their ideas, and opinions move at the speed of light. Self-publishing is coming into it's own, in a big way. (Children's and otherwise.)

I have a lot of evidence that points to just that: My father and his wife, a very successful illustrator/graphic designer team, have recently self-published their own book. The e-book market is on fire. After some hesitation, I've even purchased a couple of e-books. Guess what? I'm extremely happy with them, and I'm lining up for more. Children's illustrator Dani Jones is currently publishing graphic novels in both hard copy and e-book formats. I have to then wonder, why have I been surrendering the destiny of my own story to the shoulders of a major publisher? I have all of the tools at my disposal with which to publish it, and market it, myself. Sure, my book probably won't see a shelf in Border's or a B&N (though these days, who knows? That could be just around the corner). But plenty of people (most?) shop on-line these days. Self-published books can get ISBN numbers. You can certainly sell your own self-published book through Amazon, as well as other channels.

Probably the biggest 'unknown' is whether self-publishing can hurt our reputations as Children's illustrators. To some in publishing that hold on to older ideas and ideologies, hey, it might. But if so, it's time for them to embrace the present and rethink strategies. In the past few years, I see the sea change in the publishing industry on parallel with what the music industry started going through ten or twelve years ago. Given all this, at the end of the day, I think it's a risk worth taking.Why not?

For artists and writers, I feel the self-publishing stigma is definitely fading away. People are using e-books as marketing tools to help them sell other services, as well as being a potentially lucrative product for them. A successful "how-to" e-book in a niche industry can help put you on the map as a go-to resource or even as an expert in that field. The tables have seemingly turned, and people are using it to their advantage. I think it's a completely realistic idea to use your experience as a self-published children's author/ illustrator to help you gain leverage in children's and other industries. People have been self-publishing children's picture books for years now. I never thought twice about doing it myself. Until now. Things are different now and the road is wide open.

The bottom line is three-fold: the WORK, the MARKETING, and YOU.  If the work is of a very high quality (on par with the quality of books from a publishing house), AND you have a solid base of people who enjoy your work and art and support it by purchasing your work, AND you are using all the marketing tools at your disposal and using them in smart and consistent ways,  I believe our self-published works CAN find their audience, Children's or otherwise.

And the winner is....

I counted all the comments (except for mine) and we have 42 comments! So using a random generator we got a winner! Number: 26

Congratulations to Judy!! :o)

(Please email me so I can send you your signed copy of ABC, Baby Me!)

Now I didn't want you all to leave empty handed so the above illustration, Baby Hugs, is a little gift for you to copy and use on your cell if you'd like. I specially made it for the iphone dimensions so you can use it as a wallpaper.

Thank you ALL so much for being a part of the celebration and for all your comments. This wouldn't have been the same without you!

And remember if you get a copy of ABC, Baby Me! let me know and I can email you this dedication card with a handwritten note from me, so all you have to do is print and insert it in the book. :o)

I leave you with some beautiful words from Susan B. Katz where she explains how she was inspired to write ABC, Baby Me!:

"On June 19, 2008, I was on a plane on the way back from Michigan. I had just found out that my twin nephews, David and Jacob were born that day, but I hadn't met them yet.

The whole event was so exhilarating, that I found myself bursting with energy on the plane. I started thinking, "What do people need to do to take care of babies? SO MUCH!" The idea of the alphabet format flowed naturally from that and, by the time I landed in San Francisco, I had written the book."

Got to love moments like that!

Thanks again for visiting this week, hope you all enjoyed it as much as I did.

And a special thanks to my lovely PBJ's for doing this for me.. you gals rock!!!!!!!

ABC Baby Me! Book Launch

This is Susan Katz, the author of ABC Baby Me! Since I live in Northern California, I was lucky enough to attend the author's launch of her book last Sunday morning at

Book Passage in Corte Madera. I also took pictures for Alicia, who lives in Venezuela, so she could see Susan in action.

Susan has been teaching elementary school for 18 years and gave a creative and entertaining presentation to her audience, young and old. We all sang "Happy Bookday" to her new book and she read it to the kids. She also talked about how she wrote the book, which was inspired by her two nephews when they were born.

You could tell how happy Susan was with the book. It must be hard to turn over your manuscript to a publisher and not see it again until the book is printed. Authors and illustrators don't get to collaborate when it comes to the illustrations. That's what the editor and art director are for. But Alica was definitely the right illustrator for this book. She really brought Susan's words to life!

***Don't forget to leave a comment in order to be entered in Alicia's book giveaway. The winner will be announced on Sunday!***

ABC Baby Me: A toddler review

My 20 month old son Miles and I have been reading ABC Baby Me since last week. We've generally moved beyond board books, but he was so interested in every detail. He picks out something new each time we read it. Above, he thought the kitty-cat was sleeping. Usually he wants to 'shut the (music) box'. Each time, we debate whether the baby's hat is going ON or OFF on the Mommy Me page - we always have our disputes!
He's actually able to recite most of the book, but 'Oops... I need a bib' was one of the first phrases he repeated from the book. Clearly, he can relate. And it's funny. Ali makes the book sweet AND funny - a winning combo.
One of the things I like most about this book is that all members of a baby's family have been included. Daddies, grandmas and grandpas, sisters and brothers. I like seeing the same baby in 2 scenes also. You get a lovely variety of different babies, but you see each one through two activities. It's such an easy book to read and Ali's little details make it fun to read over and over.
So I thank you Ali, for making this lovely book that has already made sweet memories for me and my little boy.

** Remember to leave a comment on any post this week to be entered in the giveaway to win a signed copy. Winner will be announced on Sunday**

The making of ABC, Baby Me!

© Copyright Alicia Padrón

I was sitting at a table overlooking the water while having ice cream with my lovely agents, Kendra Marcus and Minju Chang on Fisherman's Wharf in SF, when they spilled out the news that Robin Corey Books had decided they wanted me to illustrate ABC, Baby Me!

It was one of those moments that make you feel like you are in a movie. Talk about a great start! I was so happy and excited that I forgot about my ice cream, and that hardly ever happens.. ;o). The manuscript had won my heart and I really wanted to work on this book.

When I get a manuscript for a book I like to take a few days to just think and brainstorm. I don't even hold a pencil in my hand, even though sometimes I am dying to. I just think.

I think while I'm driving, while I'm watching TV, while doing the dishes. I think all day. I visualize the book in my head. I think of what it would be like to be a kid and read this book. I think of different ways of illustrating a particular scene. I think until I feel the book as a whole. A couple of days later I know I'm ready to jump into it, I then grab pencil and paper and ideas just start flowing out of me like crazy. I love it.

For ABC, baby me! it was the same way. I waited 3 days and was able to see this book very clearly in my head and was anxious to start sketching.

Jason Zamajtuk, the art director working with me on this book, was a joy to work with. He is every artist's dream! He gave me complete creative freedom and I was able to work on how I envisioned this book to be. I will always be grateful to him for that.

© Copyright Alicia Padrón

They suggested to have babies with their parents, mom and dad, depicting scenes from Susan's text of every letter of the alphabet. So I began sketching but the more I worked on the book the more I realized that babies are loved by many members of the family, not just mom and dad. Grandparents, big brothers, little sisters and even the family dog love a baby. So I decided to sketch the book this way, some scenes with mom and dad and others with grandparents, siblings and pets. Luckily they loved it and I got a green light to go color.

I painted the art with watercolor, then shaded with graphite pencils and when that was done I worked on the illustrations digitally adding special effects and tweaking color if they needed to. When the art was ready I sent it to them digitally. I then waited many months until that special brown box arrived and I was able to hold the finished book in my hand. The real thing. It's a beautiful moment and honestly, I don't think it will ever get old.

I knew I wanted this book to have a clean and airy feel by showing lots of white in the pages and have only soft spots of art. I wanted it to be entertaining for the adult reading it but specially entertaining for the kid. I wanted it to have scenes that make you feel joy and spreads that make you laugh. I wanted it to be a loving and a bonding experience for the baby and the caregiver reading the book.

I hope this book does all these things. I enjoyed it tremendously and I have to say it will always have a special place in my heart. :o)

© Copyright Alicia Padrón

Thank you all for visiting and sharing the book celebration with me!

And a special thanks to my PBJ's, my lovely group of artist friends, a wonderful support, always...

Remember to leave a comment on any post this week to be entered in the giveaway to win a signed copy. I will announce the winner Sunday and post a little about the author Susan B. Katz and how she was inspired to write this beautiful book.

ABC Baby Me! - Review

ABC Baby Me!, is an endearing alphabet board book, perfect for cuddle-time reading with the little ones in your life. Its quiet rhyming text walks the reader through a day in the life of "baby" with key words represented by each letter of the alphabet.

I will try not to gush over Ali's illustrations but I can honestly say that I would even if she wasn't a friend. Her charming style and warm color palette marries so nicely with Susan B. Katz' writing, while her illustrative choices kept the scenes dynamic and entertaining. How cute to use a doggy for "tickle", for example.

I particularly appreciated how Alicia handled the layouts. Using vignettes, she managed to incorporate a diverse group of baby's and their caregivers. However, each spread was dedicated to one baby, giving them substance.

Ultimately, Ali uses a full color spread for the last page which, for me, gave it a satisfying conclusion to the book visually.

Ali, the enjoyment you felt working on this project exudes off the pages and I know many families will make this a staple in their home libraries for years to come!

Tomorrow, Alicia will be sharing some behind the scenes experiences while working on this project so be sure to join us for that. =o)

Also, leave a comment to be entered for the drawing to win a free copy of this delightful book!

It's ABC BABY ME WEEK on the PBJ blog!

This week, we are celebrating our own PBJ Alicia Padron and the release of her latest book, ABC Baby Me! Get set for a book review, some fun factoids about the experience of making the book from Alicia herself, plus... drumroll... a book giveaway!

To enter the book giveaway: Leave a Comment on any post this week from now through Saturday, and be entered to win a copy of "ABC Baby Me!" Winner will be announced Sunday!

Check back every day this week for more ABC Baby Me! book release fun :)

Dog Tags

I'm working on several projects right now. All in a different state of flux at the moment, but fairly soon all will be going to finished artwork. Because I'm working on some tight deadlines, I needed to work out some quicker techniques and a little more efficiency, so I decided to get back on Lynda.com, which if you don't know about it, is a great tutorial site for learning just about any software program under the sun. Since I've been using textures and patterns in my licensing work, I've decided to really push incorporating that feel into my book projects.

I spent a couple of days just playing and experimenting without any real finished art in mind. But somehow things just ended up coming together on this piece scanning in a rough sketch which I separated from the background and used without redrawing by cranking up the contrast and making the line look rough and gritty. I also used some newly created brushes, a photo of concrete wall texture, and lots of layers with different transparencies. And, of course, used my dog as a bit of inspiration. He's a pretty cool dog :)

Don't forget to join us next week for a whole week of celebration with our own Alicia Padron, who's new book "ABC, Baby Me!" has just been released. We will be reviewing it, Ali will talk about her art, and there will definitely be a giveaway of her book. It will be a very fun week!

A little Little Critter

My mother recently got this book for my son. She's given us quite a few Little Critter books, so he's a well known character around here. Little Critter lives in a such a messy, animal-filled, chaotic world. It's refreshing to read older books sometimes, because they are less sanitized and safe. It's OK that Little Critter has a mouse eating cookies under his bed. He's part of a cast that repeats throughout the series: a spider, a grasshopper, cat, dog, etc.
Toddlers and young children relate to all his dilemmas, but his strange world keeps things interesting and a bit less preachy. This book is a lift-the-flap, which always engages even distracted toddlers. I ended up reading it 5 times in a row to my nephew the other morning.
The illustration style is nothing that would catch my eye - I prefer Mayer's "There's an Alligator Under My Bed" if anything. But the series as a whole has a very long shelf-life - something as 'bookmakers', I think we all strive for.

It's fall!

© Copyright Alicia Padrón

from I Love You All Year Round

- pop-up book by Piggy Toes Press -

I love fall. Living in the tropics I only get 2 seasons, basically rainy days and non-rainy days.. hee, so I really miss the seasons.

I think that my favorite one has always been fall. To me it's got the perfect weather, a bit cold to wear a nice sweater and perhaps a scarf. I absolutely love the leaves and the color scheme around us is just gorgeous plus fall helps build excitement because Christmas will be coming soon.

What's your favorite season?

Wibbly Pig

A couple of weeks ago my mum returned from her trip to the UK and kindly brought these home for me.

Being a huge fan of Mick Inkpen's work, I was so thrilled to receive these to add to my collection. Along with Kipper, here is another character , Wibbly Pig. Isn't he adorable? Similar to Kipper, he is charming, sweet and always up to exploring his surroundings.

I am really hoping that the books and tv series will transfer over here soon. It is possible to order via Amazon but you have to pay extra, of course.

New art

Here is a small sneak-peek of a piece I've been working on. It's a large piece! Hope you enjoy!

Lynne Chapman continued

Last Friday I posted a video by Lynne Chapman, a wonderful children's book illustrator from the UK, who has done a little series of interviews on how she works as a children's book illustrator and specifically her process with her latest book Bears on the Stairs. Here is her latest installment, where she talks about how she plans out a book. She also explains how advances and royalties work. Visit her website for a lot more great information and a look into her world of fabulously whimisical characters and art.

How to illustrate a book - Part 2 from Open College of the Arts on Vimeo.

Duck & Goose Find a Pumpkin

Duck & Goose have become favorite characters to my son. It's always nice to only do two voices when reading a book aloud, so I'm a fan as well. We live in New Hampshire, and lately it's hard to turn a corner without seeing pumpkins.I like that these characters are flawed, but since they have each other - they can just look past it all. Simple character design and art can often limit the storytelling, but Tad Hills always makes Duck & Goose show you just how they feel. Without arms! Oh, the challenges illustrators must face. We're just at the tail end of reading board books, but sometimes humor comes in small packages.

Babies!

© copyright Alicia Padrón

I think all artists have their own favorite subjects to sketch. For me it had always been first animals and then kids.

© copyright Alicia Padrón

Until one day an art director asked me if I had some babies to show him.

Babies? No, I didn't have any, not even one in my portfolio!

So I decided to sketch some and boom!.. I immediately fell in love with them.

© copyright Alicia Padrón

I honestly don't know why I never sketched them before or why I didn't have any in my portfolio. I am a children's illustrator after all, LOL. Just one of those things I guess.

But I truly feel they are one of the best subjects to work on. I love the mixture of cuteness, warmth and innocence that a baby inspires. I just can't stop smiling when I am sketching them. :o)

Maybe I love them so much because my real babies are 12 and 9..

..years old that is! Man, they grow too fast I tell you.

So how about you, do you have a favorite subject to work on?

15 Artists...

There is a meme going around on Facebook right now. It's called "15 Artists Who Have Left an Impression". You can go to Facebook and find it probably instantly— perhaps 10 of your friends have already tagged you! Anyway, I always have such a hard time with these things. I am such a completist that I agonize over my choices... It's really just ridiculous. Consequently, I usually end up just avoiding these memes altogether, but this one I had to take part in. First of all, I got so many tags to join in that I simply could not ignore it. Then of course, all of those invites got me to really thinking about some of my biggest influences ever. I did end up writing my list of 15, but for every one of the names on the list there are a few others who *should* also be on the list. So the completist in me is rearing it's head yet again!

If you have done the meme, I am sure you feel the same! If not, what are you waiting for? Join in the fun conversations this meme is spurring (and also join me in my own personal agony... ha ha.)

Lynne Chapman on How to Illustrate a Book

One of my favorite illustrators from the UK is Lynne Chapman. I love her blog so much because she shares so much of her process with her readers. She works in pastels which is a fragile medium. Here is a photo of her art table as she was finishing up her book. She sends the finished artwork to the publisher, who scans the work and sends back the digital art to her on a disk. She can then go in and alter the artwork in Photoshop to her liking.

Her latest book Bears on the Stairs is the focus piece of a series of videos she has done on how she works as an illustrator. Here is the first installment. She will be posting more in the weeks to come on her fabulous blog. Enjoy!

How to illustrate a book - Part 1 from Open College of the Arts on Vimeo.

Mostly Monsterly

How could I not grab this off the shelf of new books at the library? Mostly Monsterly is an awesome pick for most young readers, especially so close to Halloween - what you haven't bought pumpkins yet?
Scott Magoon's characters, crisp ink work, and flat colors remind me of comic books (Like Lenore - dark but cute). Bernadette will win you over, picking flowers and baking treats.
I love the subtle lesson from Tammi Sauer that we are often more complex than just monsters or sweet girls. And that we can find ways to live in both worlds.

Favorite Illustrators- Christopher Denise

I thought I would post about one of my favorite illustrators today, Christopher Denise.

Christopher works wonders in my opinion.... His characters are not only adorable and endearing but also very much alive in his skecthes as well as in his books.

Light, atmosphere, movement and telling of time are always present in his work.

One of the things I admire the most about his work is how his settings are like characters in a book. They are always powerful and important and play a mayor role in his work. I find his art to be so beautiful and theatrical, like a little masterpiece hold together in between covers of a book.

Visit his website to see more of his work. He also has a blog filled with sketches and beautiful art for you to drool over. I know I do every time I visit. :o)

Sandra Boynton

This is such a great interview with illustrator Sandra Boynton.  Greeting cards, children's books and music. I'm jealous that she's best buds with my favorite actress, Meryl Streep. hehe

Seriously, though, this is an inspiring interview. It is another example of how self belief is key to success, imho. Like Mary Engelbreit, it never occured to Sandra B. that her work wouldn't sell.  

Choosing colors

I often come up with a color palette from subjective study and my own thought process, but there are many great color tools out there you can use to help jog your color brain. They are very helpful to help get your mind on the right continent, so to speak, to start curating your own color palette. They're great when you are perhaps a little stuck, or when you have a couple colors in mind that you are sure you want to use, and you want to see that color used in many contexts. Or, when you just want to go in a whole new direction and need to find a compass to start with.

Digital tools:
Kuler
Adobe's color palette web site also has a plug-in for Photoshop and Illustrator, so you can use Kuler within these two applications as well. I used to use it in Illustrator, but it was quite buggy at the time. I have not given it a shot since, but regardless, the web site is useful and I've never had an issue using it.

Adobe Ideas iPad App
This app has the functionality similar to Kuler built into it, plus you can grab a photo of your choosing from your photo library, and it will extract a five color palette from it for you. Cool!

Books:
Colors in Context - this is the BEST color book I've ever come across for color reference. Good thing I bought it when I did— it's now out of print, and pretty much unattainable unless you get lucky on alibris (or similar site). Okay, I exaggerrated...maybe it IS available, but I don't know anyone who is going to spend $400 on it.  Anyway, it's the best color reference book I've ever found. Hey, I just discovered that it looks like the SAME book is being published under a DIFFERENT title! Check it out:
> Colorscape: And around-the-world guide to color

Color Harmony: Layout
Color Harmony: Logos
Two books of the same series that show color combinations in various uses juxtaposed together. Helps you see how colors react to each other when next to each other, or if there is a color between them.

Color Index
Another good little color reference that does "all of the above". My main gripe about it is that the color palettes in general are a little lacking in my opinion. I still think it's a great reference book. It's small, squat size and plastic cover also help it fit in tight spaces and also take a beating in stride.


Do you have a favorite source for color inspiration? Please share in the comments!