" She Put Away The Egg With Great Care..."

This is a picture from the Grimm's story, Fitcher's Bird. It's not really finished as I became unhappy with it about midway through, I love the idea and like the composition, but it's too serious. Of course it's one of the most gruesome Grimm stories but that's no excuse.

Interesting responses to the on-line book shopping debate, totally suprising to me. I also learned that many artists and illustrators live in fairly remote areas, which also suprised me. I think I still have that mid-century image of everyone congregating in New York or London.

No Room For Books

I got the sad news today that the Book Room, Canada's oldest book store is closing down. It's a pretty short walk from my house. Here's what the CBC web site said about it :
"The Book Room on Barrington Street in Halifax opened for business in 1839 and survived two World Wars and the Great Depression, store president Charles Burchell said in a release.
But the retail store couldn't outlast big box bookstores, Burchell said, nor the ease of ordering books online, competition from book selling pharmacies and grocery stores or the pressure to lower prices to reflect a stronger Canadian dollar." Yikes!
The Raincoast contract was lost because of the high dollar as well. When the Canadian dollar's value rose to that of the U.S. dollar people started demanding that books match the U.S. price on the books which is always a few dollars more. These people didn't take into account that it costs more to sell books in Canada because we have one tenth the population of the U.S. as well there is shipping and other costs. Anyway, Raincoast drastically reduced it's prices and that made the domestic publishing wing of the company unprofitable so they cut it.
These things have made me more aware of how the big wide world affects me. I don't despair because of them , I'm excited as ever about books. Does anyone have any thoughts?

I Won!

I got a You Make My Day Award from Alicia Padron! Yay! I don't usually do this stuff, but this once......

Odds And Ends

Here's a piece I posted a few months ago but I wanted to post it again. I really like it. Not a whole lot to report. The agent search continues. I'm working on a new water colour for my portfolio, it's from the Grimm story Fitcher's Bird. I realized I need more kids in my portfolio. It's rainy and slippery here. I think that covers it.

Concrete And Fantasy

Here's a passage from Uri Schulevitz's Writing With Pictures " Fantasy relies much more on specific and closely observed details of reality than is commonly assumed. The best fantasy illustrations are precise and concrete...." In an interview Tony DiTerlizzi said something similar. I can't find the interview so I'm paraphrasing, he said that it's important to create a believable world, to draw people into the fantasy. I tend to agree with both of these statements , though I think that work can be pretty expressive and still portray a concrete vision of the world. I think this is why I've always been drawn to fantasy illustration that really builds a world and lets you in.

A Nervous Pig

Here's another spot illustration. It's done in gouache but I tried to retain the line more, I did this by building up thinner layers of gouache. Here's an interesting quote from Lisbeth Zwerger " I think pictures should be mysterious, because it makes you want to look at them again and again, to solve the riddle." ( from American Artist Watercolor magazine, Fall 2005)

Mexican Beaded Lizard

This is a spot illustration for an up coming book. Well, yesterday I took the plunge and contacted a handful of agencies. I'll tell you all how it goes. I'm really blown away by the generosity of all the artists who gave their thoughts on this subject. Thank you so much for taking the time for sharing your experiences. I especially want to thank- Susan Mitchell, Gretel Parker, Phyllis Harris, Tara Chang, Jennifer Thermes, Alicia Padron and Ambera Wellmann. I'm extremely grateful that I can ask such an amazing group of artists questions like this. If any one wants some great information on agencies check out the comments on my last post( A map found in the basement ) .

A Map Found In The Basement

This is a map I found in my mother's basement. I had totally forgotten about it. It shows the secret islands off the coast of Nova Scotia where the trolls have set up a little kingdom. Bera the troll has a little island to herself on the outskirts. Most of the islands are attached by narrow wooden bridges. Sea monsters patrol the borders. I have a question... how many of you have agents? What's the etiquette for getting one? Do you wait for one to approach you?

Hemlock Ravine

Here's another older painting. I think it's about six years old. It's based on landscape studies I did of a place I used to visit called Hemlock Ravine. I had to get off the bus and sneak behind a motel. There was never anyone there and it had a quiet and creepy atmosphere. This is mostly watercolour. It's a really unusual composition for me, the way the land see-saws upwards and there is only a tiny area where the sky is visible.

Snow Fairy

During the Holidays a big lump of snow was melting, it slowly started to look like a hunched over, beak nosed figure. It was easy to imagine it with stick arms and little wings, flying clumsily through a snowy night.

I'm hard at work on a new painting. I'm trying to build up a better portfolio. I don't think I was critical enough of my last one, I could do to be more objective. I'm also working on a couple of proposals. One is the Twelve Brothers story I mentioned before. I had intended it as a picture book with the text integrated in but somehow it suits fairy tales to have a separate text.

A friend very generously gave me his old printer. It's not too old and it's a good size but of course, I can't get it to work.

Thank you so much Viviane, Stephanie, Anais, Alicia and Jennifer for the advice.

A Great Glare

This is an illustration from my first book, A Forest For Christmas. One reviewer really liked it and it was a bit of an afterthought painting. I'm really pleased with the way it turned out though. Here's a question for illustrators, it stems from a discussion with Viviane Schwarz, do you send a portfolio to publishers by mail or do you make an appointment and meet the art editor, or both?

Through The Keyhole

Back in high school, I started a small self publishing press called Keyhole Press. A new comic shop opened up in the city, Strange Adventures, and the owner Calum was inviting people to produce short comics for a local anthology he was putting together. I started there and then went on to produce my own stuff. I did a story called The Crow's Nest, which was a fairy tale adventure story that lasted about eight issues. I did a complete story arc and then some short stories. Next a group of local comic book people and myself started our own anthology. It was called Quiver( named by Calum) and was an anthology of fantasy and horror stories. Each issue was centered on a theme. I kept producing comics through high school and university but as I learned more about painting I wanted to tell stories using illustration, rather than through comics. At this point, self publishing was becoming less common. There started to be more alternatives to superhero comics from people like Image and Vertigo and more stuff was being sent over here from Europe. Now with the internet, people can publish on line and nothing needs to be shipped by an individual making their own comics. One of the reasons I stopped putting out comics was that the the industry had started more and more to focus on adult readers. I didn't pursue comics because I wasn't very interested in the types of stories that were being told. I do like where things are going now, with people like Shaun Tan and Jeff Smith producing larger, self contained works. Libraries are purchasing more of these types of books for their collections. It's hard to gauge this sort of thing but I think this is a really good direction for comic creators to go in.

Drawing And Reading

The top illustration is by Arthur Rackham. It's an unfinished illustration for Sleeping Beauty. I think it's an interesting example of how he worked and how much of his work is spontaneous. He seems here to have done a loose pencil drawing and slowly be building it up and finishing it with ink. Here's what he said about his working methods: " I dash off an idea which comes to me and often very vaguely. I build on it as I go on, and the idea develops as I work.I always, however , plan before hand and I always use models."

The bottom picture is a birthday card I did for a friend's birthday yesterday.

A little while ago I asked everyone to give me some ideas for books to read and I really appreciate all the responses I got. I thought I'd publish some results for everyone to see.

Frank suggested Yankee Doodle's cousin by Anne Malcolm and Robert McCloskey. The Family Treasury Of Children's Stories edited by Pauline Rush and illustrated by Donald Sibley.

Gretel recommends The Brave little Taylor by the Dugins, Frog Belly Rat Bone by Timothy Ering Basil, The Widow's Broom by Chris VanAllsburg, Pumpkin Soup by Helen Cooper, Moon Dog and 25 December Street both y Wayne Anderson and Helen Ward. Mary Beth suggested Enid Blyton and Edward Eager. And Mika, can you email that illustrators name, my Japanese is non existent.

Valiant

I had a very nice surprise this morning that really lifted my spirits. I sent a link for Thimble Witch to Holly Black a couple of days ago. Her book inspired the picture. I didn't expect her to see it, as the new Spiderwick Chronicles book was just released and the movie based on it is coming out soon. She's probably very, very busy. However I checked her live journal this morning and she had commented on it, she said : "That illustration is utterly, utterly gorgeous. I am stunned by the gorgeousness." That certainly made my day. Holly Black is one of my favorite writers, she writes the Spiderwick Chronicles, illustrated by one of my favorite artists Tony DiTerlizzi as well as Valiant, Tithe and Ironside, all modern Faerie books. Anyway, if you haven't read her work, please run out to the book store and grab a handful. Her books are compulsively readable and are full of gorgeous and evocative imagery. Her web site is here http://www.blackholly.com/aboutholly.htm

and her live journal is herehttp://blackholly.livejournal.com/

On a related note I just finished reading a book about fairy tales. It's called Folk And Fairy Tales and is edited by Martin Hallett and Barbara Karasek. The books approach is pretty much psychological and anthropological, which I don't think are the best ways to appreciate fairy tales, however it has a number of articles at the back by various fairy tale people. Here are some quotes I really liked: "The fairy tale presents its hero as one who, though not comprehending ultimate relationships, is led safely through the dangerous and unfamiliar world." Max Luthi

"The tales seek to awaken our regard for the miraculous condition of life." Jack Zipes

From The Vaults

I visited my Mother last week and spent some time going through boxes of old pictures. I think this one's about five or six years old and I quite like it. It was interesting to revisit this stuff. I realized I'm still on the same path , exploring a very magical world. It was also interesting to see the changes in the way I paint. This one is mostly water colour and ink with gouache built up in some areas. My work was like this up until recently when I began working entirely in gouache in order to have more control. I left with a big stack of old pictures and I'll post them periodically. I feel like there is a bit of a change in my work right now and I think it's important to see where I've been.

Thimble Witch

This is something a little different I wanted to try. It's water colour and pencil on hand made paper with paper and thread collaged on. I was inspired by the work of Gretel Parker and Lisbeth Zwerger, I wanted to do something with more subtlety and a looser feel. The paper has a slight greenish tinge and is very absorbent, both things that I had to contend with to make the picture work. The title, Thimble Witch, comes from a book by Holly Black called Valiant.(P.S. I forgot to add, the paper was a gift from Ambera Wellmann, thanks again Ambera!)

In The Bleak Mid Winter

This is a bit of cathartic writing. I find myself wondering around the city and my apartment, making lists and staring off into space. I need to feel like I'm doing something useful, like I'm making paintings for people to see, I really would like to working on a new book. I have all these little projects in mind but I think I'll refocus. I'm going to start working on my portfolio and send outs and proposals.

Jennifer Wants to Know...

Here's an interesting question from Jennifer Thermes, a wonderful illustrator and cartographer for kids, when is a picture finished?
( click on this post title to add your two cents)

How To Paint A pirate

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Here's an example of my process. This is generally how I work but I experiment all the time and am always discovering new things. The text in this part is about a very young pirate giving pirate rides to other kids. I decided to do a line up shot with a few kids. So I started with with pencil sketches in my sketch book(1.) , going back and forth between the composition and the details. This book only had a few characters in it so this was an opportunity to have some more.

When I more or less have things worked out in my sketch book I move on to the rough pencil drawing(2.) I use a fairly inexpensive drawing paper, like one of the lower end Fabriano papers.This is when I start using reference and the picture starts to take shape. I try to figure out the basic composition, the lines and the tones of the picture. Although my roughs are pretty finished, nothing is set in stone yet.

Then I transfer the rough on to tracing paper(3.) At this point I'm still working on the drawing and adding and subtracting things. I keep switching tracing brands because I'm still looking for the best kind. This one was probably done on Canson 25 lb.

I transfer the drawing to a good water colour paper. My favorite is Arches 300 lb. hot pressed paper. I love this paper but it's fairly expensive. I rework the pencil drawing again on the Arches and then I ink it(4.). For inking I use Fw sepia acrylic artist's ink by Daler Rowney. This ink will disappear easily beneath gouache with no ghost lines peering through.

After the ink has dried I start a water colour under painting (5.) This may seem like an unnecessary step but I find it makes my final pictures better, I work things out in water colour, like tone and where the shadows will go. In this one the under painting had some colour but now I prefer a more monochromatic under painting which will match the temperature of the final.

And finally I add the gouache(6.) I tend to work in one area at a time, as it's already blocked in with water colour.

When the gouache is done I'll go back and re ink some lines. I find my lines are disappearing more and more and I'd love to retain them.

And the final painting(7.)

I hope this helps someone out there who is experimenting with their own process. If you have any questions or complaints just leave a comment or email me.

A House Made Of Books

The above images are: one of my book shelves, a drawing of Julie and a drawing of Ambera, both from my sketch book. When I got the bad news about Raincoast my first response was to go out and buy a ton of books. New books always make me happy. There's a new book store in town called The Jade and they have a great children's book section, from picture books to chapter books. They sell a mix of new and used books. I bought two Edith Nesbit books, Bridge To Teribithia, a C.S. Lewis book, a Chris VanAllsberg book and a wallace Edwards book. My

father In Law, David has also been sending me books, he's an expert flea market and garage sale hunter. He's found some amazing books, some of the ones I treasure most are nineteenth century illustrated books. I'm going through them pretty fast so I need new suggestions. I would be very grateful if anyone could give me a list of great books!

Dog Walk

Here are a few more photos from Saturdays dog walk because people seemed interested. It's at Long Lake, ten minutes from down-town just passed the stall on the side of the road selling salt cod tongues. There was a weird haze hanging in the air that my wife said reminded her of the Lord Of The Rings movie. I'm going to go eat chocolates and read The Carnivorous Carnival.

Free Pirate Ship Rides

Here's a good question for a Sunday afternoon: How do you stay sane? When I'm working on a book I can spend up to ten hours a day painting. While I love doing it, I go a bit loopy after spending too much time alone. I'm an only child, so I do have some practice being by myself, but everyone needs human contact. I have a dog and a cat but they're both day sleepers and aren't always interested in keeping me entertained. The photo is from a dog walk yesterday afternoon at a lake, one method I have for maintaining my sanity...

The Beautiful Princess

This is my drawing of the Princess from the Grimm's Fairy Tale The Twelve Brothers. I'm working on a book proposal for a picture book based on the story. It has such great imagery in it and I love the story. I've been looking at the books of Rebecca Dautremer and have been loving her well designed spreads, where everything flows. I've been letting myself be influenced by her books. I've never put together a proposal before and it's an interesting process. I just read Magic Pencil : Children's books today. It's a selection of contemporary British illustrators selected by Quentin Blake. Here is a quote by John Birmingham on drawing I really like : " Drawing is like playing piano, it's not a mechanical skill like bricklaying and you have to practice constantly to keep fluent. "

Everyone should check out Gretel's blog ( All Around Us, on my blog roll) to see her explain part of her process. I think she makes it look like magic.

A Question Of Culture

Here's something I've been thinking about recently. How are the arts and culture related? Are things different now? Or, to ask the question more succinctly, how is culture expressed in the arts? In the past art movements were related to nation hood. The Italian Renaissance, the northern Renaissance, French Impressionism, Abstract Expressionism in New York, Japanese Wood Block Prints, British Landscapes etc. etc. Will there ever be anything exactly like the Italian Renaissance? Or has art become more global and culture is expressed through content? I think this is a distinctly Canadian question, part of it's national identity is it's lack of confidence. However Canada is changing every day, with immigration it changes daily. And gets more interesting.

Lamps And Faces

I hope you all enjoyed Harry And Silvio. I finished it up over Christmas and enjoyed doing it a lot. I've scripted the next one and plan to put one out whenever I have the time. At some point I'd like to compile them into a mini comic and sell it on Etsy. I actually started doing mini comics and it's a medium I love revisiting. Now that I have some free time on my hands I've started working on some new stuff : A couple of book proposals, a new send out and some personal work. I've been hard at work on the Twelve Brothers proposal. I have the main character designed and I've sorted out the story board. If anyone has any advice on book proposals I'd love to hear it.

I just read Illustrating Children's Book by Martin Salisbury published by Barrons. It's actually really good. With some great sketches by the fantastic Alexis Deacon. Here are a couple quotes from the book I really liked. The first is on drawing from life and the second is on style, a couple of topics that are pertinent to my blog: " The stronger the drawing (from life ) , the stronger the foundation for experimentation. "

and " Style is a word other people use to describe your work."

The sketches above are from my sketch book. The lamps are down the street from me, every year my neighbor fills up his window with vintage lamps and takes it down at epiphany. My wife took the picture.

P.S. I've added a web comics link list above my archives and I'll be keeping any new comics there.