This is my journey in creating concepts, writing, illustrating, finding a literary agent, and becoming a published children's book author and illustrator for the picture book genre.

Friday, June 5, 2015

Creating and Coffee

Creating:
Character development begins within my head. I go outside into my garden and let my imagination drift into a realm of open possibilities. What else can reside within the green vines and purple flowers that flourish in the shade of the pink magnolia tree? Does it have a story? What conflicts would the character have to overcome? Finally, would my children love the character? Utilizing the landscape provided by mother nature, I will sketch what my mind's eye envisions. This is how I created my sweet sprite character. 
My illustration of him creates his voice through his body language. It directly relates to his character and the kind of journey he will have. Once I create the illustration, I can create a dialogue to accompany the story. I must admit, though. My illustrations drive the story. 
There is a game I like to play with the preschoolers. I like to ask them "what do you see?". They create their interpretation of the story based on the illustrations before them. It is a great game that pushes my art forward. 
Here is the latest that I started working on today. This piece will be in pencil. So, what do you see? I will post the finished product when I am finished. Is there a story here? Is it a narrative piece? When I was sketching this, I imagined text on the side. 

Coffee:
Yes, coffee. Oh, how I love coffee. It is by my side as I draw. It is a big part of my creative process. I have a routine. There must be a warm drink at my side as I plot my artwork and write the text. Coffee is aid to my inspiration. Tea is substituted at times. It is that warm drink in my hands that helps inspire the words and engage my creativity. I think I am due for my second cup. Cheers, friends. Have a cup of coffee with me!