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.

Day 4 interview- Dani Jones

Interview Day 4

Roz Fulcher:
What did you learn from this great project that has helped you on the
assignments you are currently working on?

Dani:
I was still struggling stylistically when I received Mariachi. The book was on my desk for about a year, and I learned a lot in that time period. I did quite a bit of experimenting with textures and methods. I worked a lot on character and composition. Nowadays I feel a lot more comfortable with my work, and I think this book has been pivotal in helping me get to that point.

PBJ’s: What advice would you give other illustrators interested in illustrating picture books?

Dani:
I see a lot of artists who can produce great pictures, but struggle with some of the most basic skills for picture books - fun characters, consistency, pacing, action, layout, storytelling, sense of humor, etc. If you want to get into this business, your portfolio has to show more than just one painting after another - you have to convince the editors and art directors that you have the capabilities they are looking for, which involves a lot more than skills with a paintbrush.

Dani, thanks so much for taking the time to share your experience with us. We just love your work and all you do to help fellow illustrators grow and learn in this field. We wish you continued success!

See you on Sunday, when the winner will be annouced to the drawing of a free signed copy of Mariachi! (Have you submitted your answer for a chance to win? What are you waiting for, join in the fun!)

Book Giveaway Question:

"In what Mexican state did mariachi music originate?"


A. Sonora
B. Jalisco
C. Durango


(Please leave your anwer in the comments section.)

Day 3 interview- Dani Jones

Interview Day 3

Heather Powers: Besides your great blog, how do you plan to promote your new book?

Dani:
I'm sending out a few postcards to bookstores, friends, and clients, and I've been making the rounds around the web promoting the book. To reach out to readers, my Mariachi blog - mariachibook.blogspot.com - is also being republished on Amazon.com through Amazon Connect, which is a nice feature that I think other authors/artists should definitely look into.

Kathy Weller: Who have been your biggest stylistic influences?


Dani:
I love old storybook stuff, like Golden Books and Mary Blair-ish stuff. I like anyone who can create really fun and quirky characters with great expressions and strong stories. Jimmy Pickering (jimmypickering.com) and Gris Grimly (madcreator.com) come to mind. And I love Norman Rockwell. He's a legend in my book in terms of narrative illustration. I also have to give a lot of credit to my wonderful teachers in college, which include Dan Burr (danburr.com) and Scott Franson (scottefranson.com).

There are TONS of artists that I look at every day through websites and blogs (including all you lovely ladies), and I can't possibly name them all. You can find some links on my websites, though. It's great to be able to keep up with other artists and see the wonderful work that is being done around you. I absorb them all. It has really helped in developing my style.


to be cont'd tomorrow...






Book Giveaway Question:

"In what Mexican state did mariachi music originate?"


A. Sonora
B. Jalisco
C. Durango


(Please leave your anwer in the comments section. )

Day 2 interview- Dani Jones

Interview Day 2

Alicia Padron: Dani, judging by some of your beautiful sketches
of the book that you were required to have a Mexican setting in your backgrounds.
Especially since this is a bilingual book and the topic of Mariachi is
native to Mexico. How much research did you do for this book and did
you find it difficult to incorporate that into your style?

Dani:
I really liked painting the desert setting in this book; it is a subject I've never really tackled before. I looked up lots of pictures and researched the kinds of plant and animal life that exist there. Of course, I also did a lot of research about mariachis. I found out about the clothing they wear and the types of instruments they play. Not only did I look for visual reference, but I also read many articles about the tradition and history of mariachis, so I understood what I was drawing.
I consider the research phase to be very important, especially in a case like this where I've never drawn the specific subject before. It helps me to be confident in the characters and settings as I am designing them. And if, as an artist, you are not confident in your subject matter, it will show through in the finished illustration.

Gina Perry:
Since the final product as a children's book illustrator is a
printed book - do you print your illustrations as you work to see them in that format, rather than digitally?

Dani:
For figuring out the layout, the sketches were done on regular paper and pencil, so in that sense, I did work on the book in a physical form first. It's good to actually be able to flip through the pages and see how the story will work in book form. While I was in the process of painting though, I didn't really print out any work. I used a page layout program to see the progress of the story and how the illustrations were fitting together. The publisher also sent me several proofs of Mariachi before the final book was produced, which was helpful. I was able to send comments on some of the color stuff before the final was printed. In general though, I don't print out my work a lot. Perhaps I should. That is a good idea.

to be cont'd tomorrow...

Book Giveaway Question:

"In what Mexican state did mariachi music originate?"


A. Sonora
B. Jalisco
C. Durango


(Please leave your anwer in the comments section. )

Day 1 interview- Dani Jones

Interview Day 1

Patrice Barton:
Dani, what was your favorite part of the process
illustrating this book? And your least favorite?



Dani:
I had lots of freedom and time for creating this book, which is always nice. My favorite part of illustrating a book is designing characters. I had lots of fun with the variety of family members and townspeople. I also added a dog character to the book that's not specifically included in the manuscript. It's fun as an illustrator to be able to add little things that weren't there before to help contribute to the story.


I would say my least favorite part is at the very beginning, starting from scratch. I have to formulate a lot of ideas and try to organize them into the layout of the book. The endless possibilities you have when starting a project is exciting, but it takes a lot of brainwork and can be a struggle. I like it better later on when I've got a lot of the problems figured out and can just enjoy the artistic process.



Laura Logan:
Dani, what medium do you work in? Have you always, or was there a progression or change over your years as an illustrator?

Dani:
Mariachi was painted digitally. With the exception of only a handful of assignments, all my work is created on the computer. I had a couple great digital painting classes in college, so I jumped into it right out of the gate. However, most of my art education was in traditional media (my favorite medium is gouache). The way I work traditionally has greatly influenced how I work on the computer - bold colors, lots of texture, etc. I always recommend to artists that they should have a good grasp on traditional media before making the move into Photoshop or Painter.

to be cont'd tomorrow...





Book Giveaway Question:

"In what Mexican state did mariachi music originate?"

A. Sonora
B. Jalisco
C. Durango

(Please leave your answer in the comments section.)

In the spotlight- THE BEST MARIACHI IN THE WORLD

In the spotlight...

Everyone in Gustavo's family is in a mariachi band. Everyone except Gustavo, that is. They all play violíns, trompetas and guitarrones. They all make wonderful music in restaurants and at wedding parties. Gustavo would love to join the band, but he can't play any of the instruments. What's a wannabe mariachi to do?

We are thrilled to share with you another PBJ spotlight! A warm welcome to the very talented Dani Jones, who is the illustrator of The Best Mariachi In the World, written by J.D Smith and published with Raven Tree Press.

Dani will be spending the week with us answering questions about her experience on this delightful book so be sure to come back tomorrow when we get things started.

And that's not all, Dani has graciously offered a signed copy of Mariachi to a lucky winner. Thanks, Dani! All you have to do is answer this multiple choice question:

"In what Mexican state did mariachi music originate?"

A. Sonora
B. Jalisco
C. Durango


Please leave your answer in the comments section . Correct answers will be placed in a drawing with the winner announced on Sunday. Good luck!

Until tomorrow, be sure to check out Dani's fabulous website, blog and tutorials.