It must be the pumpkins. They’re inspiring.

After lots and lots of pencil sketches, and a trial run on watercolor paper, I think I’ve finally got an almost finished cover. I’m going to “antique” it next, so it won’t be quite so bright. The idea is to look like an 18th or 19th century fraktur…

Fraktur is a form of American folk art originating with the Pennsylvania Germans. It was initially used as a decorative form of record-keeping… mostly for birth, baptism, and marriage records. Fraktur was also used for penmanship samples, bookplates, rewards for good students, and house blessings. It eventually became an art form in and of itself, and there are quite a few examples of wonderfully naive fraktur paintings. My “George” is based on the artwork of an anonymous fraktur artist, known only as the “Sussel-Washington Artist”… an eastern Pennsylvania artist who that created numerous paintings of George and Martha Washington. It will be a challenge, but I’m hoping to use this folky George to weave a biographical alphabet of the Father of Our Country!

Due to the lack of spare time, working on illustration has taken a backseat the past few months. However, I finally made the commitment to take an online course on Children’s Book Illustration. I’m only a few lessons in, but so far I’m liking it! Mark Mitchell, the course author, adds a unique sense of humor to the lessons, which make them fun. (What else should a course on illustrating for kids be, but fun?) He’s got me looking in the children’s section of our library with art in mind… checking out the different styles of artwork, various time periods of children’s book illustration, as well as the moods and emotions that various styles of illustration evoke.

I’ve been thinking a lot lately on the styles of illustration and the types of children’s books that inspire me. I’ve decided that if you put the artwork of Tasha Tudor, Beatrix Potter, Susan Branch, Kate Greenaway, Garth Williams, Eric Sloan, Marjolein Bastin, Norman Rockwell, and Mary Engelbreit in a paper sack, shook it until it was all mixed together, and then poured it out, that would be how I’d want to be able to draw and paint. Quite an interesting mix! And the stories would be fun, and sweet, and cozy, and uplifting, and safe, and gentle, and encouraging… something you’d feel good about reading to your sweeties as you tucked them in for the night.

So there’s a beginning. And a long journey ahead. And a new journal to fill up with doodles and ideas.

Let us, then be up and doing,
With a heart for any fate;
Still achieving, still pursuing,
Learn to labour and to wait.

~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow~

Slowly.

Quietly.

Piling up high.

They blanket the house and cover the trees…

…bringing with them the first Winter freeze.

I haven’t had a lot of time to play with illustration, although I’m still working on a Christmas present that most likely will be a Valentine’s present. Or Easter. Hopefully it’ll be done before NEXT Christmas! Here are some preliminary doodles…

And with a little color…

This’ll Doodley, oodley, oodley.

Posted in ABC Books, This'll Do Musings ]]> http://thislldo.wordpress.com/2010/01/15/doodley-oodley-oodley/feed/ 0 thistledewmercantile BoysSketch1_1 BoysSketch2 BoysABCCover_1 http://thislldo.wordpress.com/2009/11/27/watching-the-dance/ http://thislldo.wordpress.com/2009/11/27/watching-the-dance/#comments Fri, 27 Nov 2009 07:02:01 +0000 thistledewmercantile http://thislldo.wordpress.com/?p=21 ]]> At the last Civil War Ball our family attended, my friend Kathy took a wonderful picture of two young girls peeking out of a barn window at the dancers below. With permission, I copied Kathy’s picture and ended up with this watercolor rendition…

Watching the Dance

I lightened the colors from the original photo, and stylized the girls a bit… and it was a fun exercise in historical illustration! Can’t you just imagine them wishing they were old enough to join in the frolic below?

(And actually they were old enough… I’ve seen three year-olds dance the Virginia Reel at CW balls!)

Doing a little research on the web about illustrating for children turned up several illustration and writing courses that I’m seriously thinking of taking when I have a little spare time. However, just looking specifically at ABC books has been an interesting and eye-opening pursuit! I thought they would be very simple to write… just pick a word that starts with letter, and “POOF!” Instant book to illustrate!

There I go thoughtin’ again.

Turns out there are many, many approaches to writing alphabet books. I started seeing that when I actually picked up a few ABC books in a bookstore and leafed through them. Alphabet books can be witty, fun, and educational! And I have a LOT to learn!

One great resource I just found is this one hour teleclass by Nancy Sanders, offered by the Children’s Writer’s Coaching Club… scroll down the page just a bit for:

Writing Alphabet Books and ABC Articles

It’s not very expensive, and is a great inspiration for exploring letters!

Empty Nest?

… a watercolor painting from a few year’s back… Just testing to see what pictures look like on here!