Children's Book Week

I will be celebrating Children's Book week with a fantastic crew of super nice and incredibly talented folks. Join me, Adam Lehrhaupt, Jamie Michalak, Anika Denise, Mary Jane Begin, Zoe B. Alley and Melissa Guion at Barrington Books. Join us for an after school kick off party on Monday, May 12th, 3-5pm.  Readings, book signings, drawing-demos, prizes, cupcakes and more!

Bookmaps and Storyboards using Photoshop. Part 1-Why digital tools?

In January I gave a series of talk at Kindling Words east and can now share a bit of what I talked about during the breakout sessions with the illustrators. May 27th will mark the release date of Sleepytime Me by Edith Fine, my next book with Random house so it best to focus on this title for this series of posts.

First I need to address the question of why I am using digital tools. Not for myself, but because I am asked...all the time. Technique and materials are really of little interest to me. Photoshop is a tool. Pastels and charcoal are tools. I am more interested in what you create with them. However, the question is always in the air so I will give you the cliff notes version of my thinking on the debate.


I started using photoshop when I began work as a visual development artist working on animated films and have found the program to be an invaluable tool in my book production work. First a quick note to all the skeptics who ask: "Don't you miss traditional materials?"Quick answer: No. While there is a learning curve, I have been able to customize my tools to create a process that not only replicates my traditional technique but removes many of the limitations of working in pastel and acrylic. Here are two examples of work. The one on the left is from my pastel work on the Redwall  picture books, the image on the right is a detail from my book due out at the end of August 2014,  Baking Day at Grandma's by Anika Denise. The image on the right was created using only digital tools.

I am impatient with my art. I work best when I can act and react. With digital tools changing the piece as it begins to emerge is far easier and I can get to the fun stuff faster. The goal is not necessarily to shorten the production time, though in this day  of ever tightening deadlines and shrinking advances this is clearly a very good byproduct. The goal is to get as much of original inspiration down on the page as possible. With digital tools, I can cut right to the chase and then have the flexibility to edit, change, and repaint the piece to suit the needs of the entire book.

In the next post I will focus on the previously time consuming process of creating a bookmap with Photoshop.

Book Expo!

I will be signing this weekend in Connecticut. Don't miss this chance to meet Rosemary Wells and have your copy of Following Grandfather signed by both author and illustrator!

Southwestern Connecticut Youth Book Expo
Saturday, October 20
10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Huntington Branch Library
41 Church Street
Shelton, CT

The roster of authors and illustrators looks good!

More info at: http://swctyouthbookexpo.org/

       I was chatting with my friend the incredibly talented Kelly Murphy recently about deadlines and the long hours we each spend in the studio. Long hours in which we are concentrating but also looking for material to occupy that part of your brian that is trying to get you to stop what you are doing. That same part of your brain is responsible for that annoying and monkey like specter of self doubt that you can find knocking about the corner of the studio after a good few hours if you are not careful. You need to give it something to keep busy so it does not notice that you are doing good work.
      Well if you find yourself on deadline or are facing a decent drive, Neil Gaiman's audio edition of the Graveyard Book is just the thing.
      It was hands down fantastic, touching, poignant and entertaining. You will notice the medal attached to the cover right over there so it should not be difficult to find eloquent and descriptive endorsements of this book.
      I  did miss the Dave McKean illustrations, as I am a huge fan of his work as well. But the reading was not to be missed. You will need to buy both.

Sneak peak, my next book due out this Fall!

I just received a stack of bookmarks from Candlewick Press announcing my new book due out this Fall. The piece was really nicely printed and designed (thank you Candlewick!) and features the cover.

I have had the incredible opportunity to work with one of my heros in the picture book and Y/A world, Rosemary Wells.

Wildwood (the book) inspired sketch

A quick sketch made this rainy morning while waiting for a phone meeting to start. If you, or your kid (reading level 8 years or older is my guess) has not yet read Wildwood by Colin Meloy and illustrated by Carson Ellis, you should.