Free Time At Last!

So, can you tell we’re on Christmas break? No school, no art classes (except for planning my next ones)…there’s actually a little time to think about illustration.

This one was inspired by a random doodle mixed in among dozens of doodles in an old sketchbook. I knew I wanted to do it with paint and I envisioned it in a very different, more painterly style than what I’ve been doing. My new gouache set provided the perfect opportunity to have a little fun with it (gouache is my new best paint friend). You can let me know what you think (please).

I had been thinking about my style recently, especially after my last post “Mail.” It was very much like the Spectator Ant I had done a couple years back, and I think I’ve managed to pinpoint some definite characteristics of my style - detailed, black line, watercolor wash. I like how that works for me. In fact, I think I’d like to try some different types of pen and play with different types of line. I’ve been doing these with Microns, but I’d like to try a pen with different nibs.

I’ve definitely decided that I’m NOT a color pencil person. While I like what some people are able to do with it, overall it’s not the best fit for me. I’ll only use it if the subject matter really demands it or for quick color studies.

All this thought about style brought me back to one of my earliest posts on this blog (has it really been almost 3 years?). I had read an article by Caldecott winner Paul O. Zelinsky where he said that the story dictated what style and medium was called for. And, you can see this in the variety of work that he has put out. I liked his philosophy as I tend to crave variety - I couldn’t imagine working the same way ALL the time. As much as I love how “Mail” turned out, I think I would get bored if I worked that way exclusively. But, on the other hand, I don’t want to constantly be “inventing,” either.

I guess I’m finding a happy medium by playing around with more than one style while ruling out others (for the most part). I like the style that’s emerging with the ink/watercolor and it shows consistency that, I think, would be helpful for future publishers to see. But, it’s refreshing (mentally, creatively, and - hopefully - professionally) to spend time with different approaches. I would think that versatility would also be a “plus” for publishers.  Am I wrong?

Lamenting My Lack of Illo Time on a Very Special Day

My son and I were going back through the pages of my sketchbook as I am just a few pages from filling it. I really enjoyed my time drawing and painting in this past year, and it's been pretty difficult to find the time lately (or the motivation when I do have the time). But, such is life right now...

I did recently do some sketches of various characters. I've only pictured one of them here (guess I forgot to photograph the other - baby brain). While it's Li'l Red Riding Hood-ish, that's not what was motivating me. I can really get in a rut, drawing things in the same way all the time, so I just wanted to play around and try to do something with a little different "feel." I don't know if I was successful - I don't think I can divorce myself completely.

The figure is always a challenge. I'll do something that I sort of like, and then I'll see other people's work that is different (and impressive), and it makes me want to try a different angle. I guess that goes back to my desire not to pigeon-hole myself by limiting my style. In the long run, I don't know if that's a good thing (I'd like to think it is). But, I think I'd go nuts if I was simply drawing illo after illo in the same style. Exploring and inventing are half the fun!

Anyway, today was a very special day because my youngest turned 6 years old! HAPPY BIRTHDAY JOLEY!

The Style "Trap"

I used to think in terms of trying to work towards a particular style, to build something that was uniquely ‘me.’ When I was in school, I wanted to be perceived as fresh, new, or cutting-edge. Well, we now know how that turned out. But now, a couple of things have turned my thinking around (actually many things, but I’ll only focus on 2 incidences here).

For the first, I have to refer back to Paul O. Zelinsky again – the subject of my very first blog post. If you look at his work, he offers a wide variety of styles. The November ’07 issue of The Artist’s Magazine states:

“What’s interesting about Zelinsky’s work is that the tone of his work changes in response to the demands of the text.”

This makes perfect sense to me. Each story to be illustrated will have its own unique personality to be considered based on its characters, setting, overall mood, and intended audience. Zelinsky does everything from lighthearted and childlike images to work reminiscent of the Italian Renaissance.

About his approach, he says:

“My preferred way of working is to start with a manuscript and try to imagine what the ideal art should look like for that particular voice, that particular world. Then I see if I can figure out how to make pictures in something like that style.”

There are some artists who, I think, limit themselves by developing a strong individual style and not straying far from it. It becomes their signature way of working, but they face being type-cast. My goal is to try NOT to pigeon-hole myself.

The other revelation I had on this issue came from Martin Salisbury in his book Illustrating Children’s Books. He states (italics are mine):

“Style is a word that other people use when talking about your work. If drawing is to develop naturally and with integrity, it is vital that you do not consciously pursue a ‘style.’ The process of working honestly, and with passion for your subject matter, will allow your work to evolve and develop its own identity.”

More on Character and Style – Depicting Different Ages

While we’re on the topic of character development, the project mentioned in the prior post required me to deal with another issue – how to show a character’s intended age.

My background in fine arts means that I have taken several classes related to the figure. However, there was never any opportunity to really compare anatomical differences between adults and children; we just focused on the (always) adult model before us.

So, that brings me to the main character of the book – a girl about 8 or 9 years old. I dove right in and created, playing with line, texture, and gesture. I was pleased with the result…at first. In time, and with some valuable insight from others, I realized that she appeared much older (and more sassy) than I wanted. Not to mention, I got a little overzealous in creating a shadow at the hemline so she looks a little “hairy” on the legs. Anyway, it was clear a redo was in order and the result is shown below (1st attempt on left; redo on right)



This realization forced me to study more closely what characteristics make a toddler a toddler, a child and child, a teen a teen, etc. There’s the familiar head count – a standard male is about 8 heads high and a toddler is about 4 heads. Everyone else is in between somewhere. And, to tell the truth, I had to look that up – I tend to eyeball it myself.

But, in general, I found younger kids to have larger heads, rounder cheeks, and shorter necks along with their shorter stature. They might also have longer lashes, thinner brows, wider set eyes, and more indention at the corners of the mouth.

A couple of helpful resources that I used was the tried and true “Drawing the Head and Figure” by Jack Hamm, and “Drawing People” by Barbara Bradley.

Considering the Target Audience - The Issue of Character and Style

Recently, I dusted off an old idea that I thought would be a good “assignment” for myself. It’s one thing to invent a character and move on, and another to actually carry them through an entire picture book. My target audience for this project is kids 4-9 years old who are moving into homeschooling – kind of a “get ready for school” book from the homeschooler’s perspective (the issues are completely different).

Anyway, I found myself struggling to determine the style I wanted to work in. I’m drawn toward wanting to do unusual characters (lots of that in my sketchbook). However, they can sometimes come across as a little dark or unsettling. This book is meant to be positive and encouraging, and to represent real-life experiences that kids could easily associate with.

Since I want it to appeal to a range of ages, I figured it should be fun and colorful without being TOO cartoony and babyish. On the other hand, I don’t want anything too serious, “textbookish,” and dull. (Maybe I could have picked an easier first project)

Well, I came up with some characters (done in ink with watercolor washes) that I kind of like. They’re fun and colorful, but I’m not sure if they’re borderline too cartoony. I think I’ll try to do some studies placing the characters within a setting – perhaps then I could see it as more of a whole, and that will help me decide if I should push them toward the “real” a little more.

In this post, I’m showing 2 of the 3 characters – the older brother (aprox. 12 years old) and the youngest sister (aprox. 5 years old). The main character I’ll address in a future post.