There is a reason why I became the illustrator that I am today. My mother read books to me at night for many years, it started with picture books and continued on to Astrid Lindgren’s incredible stories.
One of the most memorable picture books was certainly Tove Janssons layered and magical “Hur Gick Det Sen?”
This is published in English too but my favorite is the swedish language version.
You can find the book at Abe books here
All you artists out there!
I’ve been looking for a great online portfolio and I think the search is done. The jury is still out on the site but so far it has been VERY easy to use, seems to have few bugs (there was a little trouble with one minor change I had to make) and it is elegantly designed.
The site is dripbook.
One can hope for snow anyway.
I am in a position to create some new illustrations and to post them. I am hoping for some words of advice, comments, maybe even crits from a few of my colleagues and friends.
I am sure there are more of you out there… you artist types who are too occupied with making the every-day work to put energy and time into you creative side. Whatever the reasons are that take you away from that important part of you there is possibility. Artists of the world unite! I am finally carrying around my sketchbook again (along with all sorts of baby and kid stuff of course). I am often writing ideas for paintings and occasionally sketching. It is hard to find the time, of course… but it feels really good to make an effort.
I thought I would talk a bit about process. My illustration teachers at RISD (Rhode Island School of Design) taught me that there is no point in illustrating only the story that appears in the text. They suggested including details and character development that was not in the spare text of the picture book format. So this cover image serves as a good example. How do you create a cover for a book about a python snake that is always falling in love with the wrong things (garden hose) because he is nearsighted? I decided that if he is THAT nearsighted then he might fall in love with his own tail. Here is Pelle falling in love (you can tell because of the hearts) with his own tail. Silly snake!
Well, it was quiet in the inspiration department.
I thought I would share some images from my sketchbook. These characters are my funny little birds, characters created for a little city I drew once which I may share on this blog one fine day.
Day in a life. Today my creative forces were awoken once more during storytime (makes sense for an illustrator). A comment from my daughter “animals are funny in houses” jogged my brain and helped me to discover what may be THE solution I needed to finish and rework the manuscript (one of several logged in my computer and/or in my brain. Unblocking writers/artists block is just like heaven.
