November...yikes!

Once again, I'm participating in PiBoIdMo (Picture Book Idea Month) hosted by the indefatigable Tara Lazar. This is possibly my fourth year, but hey, who's counting? I look forward to daily posts of wisdom (some by people I know, such as Josh Funk) and of course, prize giveaways. But prize winning or no, the biggest prize of the event is just allowing myself the month of November to dive into the zaniness that is picture books. Just saying "It's okay, let the dust bunnies fly. Write and doodle more. That's what matters." is a breath of fresh air. Somehow it's more permissible when hundreds of others are doing the same thing. Kind of a boycott of adulthood (within reason, wink and nod). November is my "Let it flow" month. Sometimes it flows, sometimes it doesn't but at least I tried!

In addition to that event, there's the annual SCBWI Tomie dePaola contest. So picture book folks who write and illustrate have a lot on their plates in the month of November. I took a couple of years off from this contest, but thought I'd sharpen my pencil once again and jump in.

Not to mention all the other local events going on before the end of the year: Mary Blair exhibit at the Eric Carle, Illustrator exhibit and auction for the Bacon Free Library in Natick, and the Children's Book Tree exhibit at the Concord Family Museum. I think my head might explode!

Tomie de Paola SCBWI Award

Technorati claim token: HV8F8S3RAX2P

Well I finished it, for better or worse. It's out there, my Little Women illustration for the annual Tomie de Paola SCBWI contest. In an earlier posting I mentioned that I chose the scene when Beth receives a piano from Mr. Laurence. Funny how once you choose a scene it does come together (with the help of my art buddies Lin Norman-Lyman and Brook Gideon). There were challenges, particularly in keeping the values distinct (it was supposed to be in black and white). But then again, that is usually my weak point anyway. So, no matter the outcome I enjoyed the process and it was good to dive into the world of grayscale.
It was interesting to see other illustrators artwork at Diandra Mae's gallery site. (My illustration isn't up yet, but I'm hoping to see it there sometime this week.)
I find it endlessly amazing at how people can take the same topic and render it completely different, even with the same the black and white parameters. Lots of great art out there!
I'm including in this post a few intermediate sketches that show how the piece evolved from thumbnail to finished art.

Early layout idea

Character studies

Finished sketch without digital treatment

Final piece

Little Women

Working on the beginnings of a project: the Tomie de Paola annual illustration award for SCBWI. The start of a project is both exciting and nerve-wracking for me. I don't like the blank slate feeling but on the other hand I love researching projects. I like illustration rather than fine art because there's usually a guideline involved. The client or the project sets a limit ie: a picture book about teenage ferrets or an educational coloring book set in Nepal. Then my favorite part, the research begins. Googling away, learning new things. This is always fun.
Then I have to put a limit on it. Let the sketching begin. Unfortunately, even the best illustrators (and I'm not putting myself in that category) have to begin with roughs. And rough they are. One has to swallow pride and accept that the first efforts look like dog food at best.

With this year's Tomie de Paola project, illustrators were given three books to choose from: Tom Sawyer, Little Women or The Yearling. Now I have read none of these books. Yup, I'm illiterate... no, of course not (hah!)....just grew up under a bush in the outback. Hey, I've read David Copperfield, Huck Finn, and Phantom Tollbooth but none of those others. Somehow it escaped me. So, I chose Little Women. I always had a soft spot for the Transcendentalist/Concord bunch plus I liked the idea of illustrating 19thc. clothing. It was hard reading at first, with all the constraints placed on women in those days. Thank god for Jo, the only rebel in the family. She pulled me through the book. All in all, I'm glad I read it and I may even re-read it with my girls.

Then I had to choose a passage from the book. This was difficult, since there were so many possibilities. One could go in a million directions. I chose the moment Beth receives a piano from Mr. Laurence. She's such a humble character and loved music, so it will (hopefully) be a touching scene.
My roughs are so rough that I hesitate to include them here. But I'm including them here just to prove how infantile the beginning stages are in any project. I wonder if well known illustrators had such trouble. Did Maxfield Parish or Norman Rockwell ever produce such sketchiness?