Raindrop, Plop!
Written by Wendy Cheyette Lewison
Illustrated by Pam Paparone
Published by Viking / Penguin Young Readers Group 2004
Raindrop, Plop! is a fantasticly written book for young readers. A young girl and her dog finds many things to count as they play outside on a rainy day. As the storm developes into a downpour, they venture inside and find more objects to count as they dry off in a warm house.
The bright colors used in the illustrations is what drew my attention to the book. I love the way that Pam used a bright, orange red and juxtaposed it along a kelly green on the rain boots. A lot of times, I think the illustrations are what sells a book. At least for someone that is taking a quick glance trying to make a decision. I know for myself, I buy books for the pictures. I'm an illustrator, what can you expect, right?
I wonder what percentage of people, meaning parents, librarians, teachers, etc. would buy books based on the illustrations.
I should take a poll. Here's what I would ask: "If you had to make a decision between 2 books, and couldn't read the text, what would you base your decision on?" I think the answers would be interesting!
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Friday, June 26, 2009
Eric Carle
Highlights of the Biography of Eric Carle
Eric Carle is the beloved creator of brilliantly colored illustrations that appear in some of the most popular children's books. The Very Hungry Caterpiller has eaten it's way into millions of hearts all over the world. This book has been translated into more than 47 languages and has sold over 29 million copies. Since The Very Hungry Caterpiller was first published in 1969, Carle has illustrated more than 70 titles and many of them have appeared on the best seller list. Most of these books, he has written and illustrated and more than 88 million copies have sold worldwide.
Eric was born in Syracuse, New York in 1929. He moved with his parent to Germany w hen he was 6 years old. In Germany, Carle was educated at a fine art school and in 1952, returned to America with a portfolio in hand. He went to work for the promotions department for the New York Times as a graphic designer. Later, he became the art director.
After some time, Bill Martin, Jr. approached Eric Carle about illustrating a book for him. Bill Martin had been facinated with a picture of a red lobster that Carle had created for an advertisement. Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? was the result of their collaboration. This was the true beginning of Eric's career. Soon, he was also writing. His first written and illustrated book was 1,2,3 to the Zoo, and soon followed The Hungry Caterpillar.
Eric Carle has a distinct and recognizable style. His artwork is created using the collage technique. Carle hand paints his papers using a rainbow of different colors and textures. He then cuts out shapes and begins to lay them down to form his objects. Many of his books have added dimension, like die-cut pages and twinkling lights to help bring life to his illustrations. This gives the books a life-like quality-- a toy that can be read and played with.
The secret to Carle's books appeal with children, is his understanding and mutual respect of children.
Eric Carle is the beloved creator of brilliantly colored illustrations that appear in some of the most popular children's books. The Very Hungry Caterpiller has eaten it's way into millions of hearts all over the world. This book has been translated into more than 47 languages and has sold over 29 million copies. Since The Very Hungry Caterpiller was first published in 1969, Carle has illustrated more than 70 titles and many of them have appeared on the best seller list. Most of these books, he has written and illustrated and more than 88 million copies have sold worldwide.
Eric was born in Syracuse, New York in 1929. He moved with his parent to Germany w hen he was 6 years old. In Germany, Carle was educated at a fine art school and in 1952, returned to America with a portfolio in hand. He went to work for the promotions department for the New York Times as a graphic designer. Later, he became the art director.
After some time, Bill Martin, Jr. approached Eric Carle about illustrating a book for him. Bill Martin had been facinated with a picture of a red lobster that Carle had created for an advertisement. Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? was the result of their collaboration. This was the true beginning of Eric's career. Soon, he was also writing. His first written and illustrated book was 1,2,3 to the Zoo, and soon followed The Hungry Caterpillar.
Eric Carle has a distinct and recognizable style. His artwork is created using the collage technique. Carle hand paints his papers using a rainbow of different colors and textures. He then cuts out shapes and begins to lay them down to form his objects. Many of his books have added dimension, like die-cut pages and twinkling lights to help bring life to his illustrations. This gives the books a life-like quality-- a toy that can be read and played with.
The secret to Carle's books appeal with children, is his understanding and mutual respect of children.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Creative Flow
Entering and Optimizing the Creative Flow State
I always wondered about the creative flow state. I subconsciously knew it existed, but felt it was very illusive and never felt like I could harness it. I always thought if someone could bottle it, they could make a fortune. I’m talking about the creative flow state where you lose track of all time and you become one with the project in front of you.
There are 7 steps for optimizing the highly creative flow state:
1. Have a clear purpose.
To crank up the flow state, you need a goal. Decide what you want to create and why. Start with a clear intention like, “I am going to draw a black and white illustration for my portfolio.”
If you are working on a larger project with a broader scale, state your purpose for this single creative session. What will you accomplish right now? Do you need a character design? Will you need to paint the background for an illustration?
Don’t box yourself in – leave yourself enough clarity that it will be a general direction. Let it simply be enough to get you working.
2. Have a motive.
Why do you need to be creative? Does the task affect you personally? Why do you care about the project?
If I don’t care about the project I’m working on, no matter how hard I try, the creative will not flow! I have got to care about the project I am working on, otherwise time will pass slowly and chances are good that it will not be my best work.
3. Let there be a worthy challenge.
To awaken your true and worthy potential, let the challenge rate on a scale of 1-10, 1 being remedial and 10 being rocket-science, around a 7-8. You want a task that will keep your attention, but not something that is so ridiculously easy or difficult that you lose interest.
4. Provide yourself a conducive environment.
You will find certain conditions are better for entering the creative flow state than others, and other conditions will make it completely impossible. The optimum environment varies from person to person, so you will need to experiment to see what works best for you.
I work best when I am completely alone and have music on in the background. I have to have complete “heads down” time with absolutely no interruptions. I suggest experimenting with different music to see what has an effect on your ability to maintain the creative flow state.
5. Schedule a committed block of time.
It normally takes me about 15 minutes before I begin to enter the flow state. After about 30-45 minutes, I’m totally consumed and flowing. After the first hour, I tend to hit the state of deep concentration and the only time I stop working is for snack breaks or fatigue.
I think a work block of 3 hours should be minimum for a serious creative task, maybe even closer to 5-6 hours. Once you are cranking away in the flow, time passes differently. You will barely notice the time passing.
6. Prevent distractions
If you can’t keep yourself away from emails, phone calls, and the like, you won’t consistently achieve and maintain the creative flow state. You need to do whatever it takes to prevent interruptions during your creative work time. Make arrangements with whomever to ensure that you will only be interrupted with fire or blood.
I like to tidy my desk as a ritual to getting to work. I turn off the email, phone, and unnecessary computer programs.
If you have a creative job, and your boss makes it impossible to tune out distractions, this can severely hinder your earnings potential since your income is a function of your ability to produce creative value.
7. Become the master of your tools.
You must achieve a basic understanding of the tools you use in order to achieve subconscious competence and allow your creative mind to operate at the flow state.
When you are in the flow state, you won’t be thinking about which buttons to push because that will happen automatically. Your subconscious will handle all those details for you so you can stay focused on the task at hand.
After you turf out the first draft, you can go back and work out edits later. Work on the creative right-brain material first, then go back and preform a left-brain pass to make necessary adjustments and correct any problems.
Entering the creative flow state takes practice and is most certainly a skill. By putting these steps into practice, you will be able to enter and maintain the creative flow state more often and for longer periods of time.
I always wondered about the creative flow state. I subconsciously knew it existed, but felt it was very illusive and never felt like I could harness it. I always thought if someone could bottle it, they could make a fortune. I’m talking about the creative flow state where you lose track of all time and you become one with the project in front of you.
There are 7 steps for optimizing the highly creative flow state:
1. Have a clear purpose.
To crank up the flow state, you need a goal. Decide what you want to create and why. Start with a clear intention like, “I am going to draw a black and white illustration for my portfolio.”
If you are working on a larger project with a broader scale, state your purpose for this single creative session. What will you accomplish right now? Do you need a character design? Will you need to paint the background for an illustration?
Don’t box yourself in – leave yourself enough clarity that it will be a general direction. Let it simply be enough to get you working.
2. Have a motive.
Why do you need to be creative? Does the task affect you personally? Why do you care about the project?
If I don’t care about the project I’m working on, no matter how hard I try, the creative will not flow! I have got to care about the project I am working on, otherwise time will pass slowly and chances are good that it will not be my best work.
3. Let there be a worthy challenge.
To awaken your true and worthy potential, let the challenge rate on a scale of 1-10, 1 being remedial and 10 being rocket-science, around a 7-8. You want a task that will keep your attention, but not something that is so ridiculously easy or difficult that you lose interest.
4. Provide yourself a conducive environment.
You will find certain conditions are better for entering the creative flow state than others, and other conditions will make it completely impossible. The optimum environment varies from person to person, so you will need to experiment to see what works best for you.
I work best when I am completely alone and have music on in the background. I have to have complete “heads down” time with absolutely no interruptions. I suggest experimenting with different music to see what has an effect on your ability to maintain the creative flow state.
5. Schedule a committed block of time.
It normally takes me about 15 minutes before I begin to enter the flow state. After about 30-45 minutes, I’m totally consumed and flowing. After the first hour, I tend to hit the state of deep concentration and the only time I stop working is for snack breaks or fatigue.
I think a work block of 3 hours should be minimum for a serious creative task, maybe even closer to 5-6 hours. Once you are cranking away in the flow, time passes differently. You will barely notice the time passing.
6. Prevent distractions
If you can’t keep yourself away from emails, phone calls, and the like, you won’t consistently achieve and maintain the creative flow state. You need to do whatever it takes to prevent interruptions during your creative work time. Make arrangements with whomever to ensure that you will only be interrupted with fire or blood.
I like to tidy my desk as a ritual to getting to work. I turn off the email, phone, and unnecessary computer programs.
If you have a creative job, and your boss makes it impossible to tune out distractions, this can severely hinder your earnings potential since your income is a function of your ability to produce creative value.
7. Become the master of your tools.
You must achieve a basic understanding of the tools you use in order to achieve subconscious competence and allow your creative mind to operate at the flow state.
When you are in the flow state, you won’t be thinking about which buttons to push because that will happen automatically. Your subconscious will handle all those details for you so you can stay focused on the task at hand.
After you turf out the first draft, you can go back and work out edits later. Work on the creative right-brain material first, then go back and preform a left-brain pass to make necessary adjustments and correct any problems.
Entering the creative flow state takes practice and is most certainly a skill. By putting these steps into practice, you will be able to enter and maintain the creative flow state more often and for longer periods of time.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Book Review: The Tale of Pip and Squeak
The Tale of Pip and Squeak
Written & Illustrated by Kate Duke
Published by Dutton Children's Books / A division of Penguin Books 2007
Two mouse brothers try to out do each other every year at their annual party. One brother is a musician and the other an artist. They mutual agree to stay at opposite ends of the house except for one day out of every year. The day before the big party, a mishap occurs that brings the brothers together to reconcile their differences.
I fully enjoyed the book because it reminded me of the relationship I have with my sister as she is a musician and I am an artist. I will admit that we did have our differences growing up and now as adults, we have ironed out our issues. The writing is clean and tight. A terrific read-aloud!
The words just seem to flow as easy as the watercolor onto the page; combined with acrylic, ink and gouache the little pleasant mouse neighborhood springs to life. The mice have made an attic their home with an old suitcase as the movie theater, a tricycle becomes a ferris wheel. The fine detail in the pictures will keep young and old captivated for hours. You will always see something different everytime you pick up the book. A fantastic pictoral read as well.
Written & Illustrated by Kate Duke
Published by Dutton Children's Books / A division of Penguin Books 2007
Two mouse brothers try to out do each other every year at their annual party. One brother is a musician and the other an artist. They mutual agree to stay at opposite ends of the house except for one day out of every year. The day before the big party, a mishap occurs that brings the brothers together to reconcile their differences.
I fully enjoyed the book because it reminded me of the relationship I have with my sister as she is a musician and I am an artist. I will admit that we did have our differences growing up and now as adults, we have ironed out our issues. The writing is clean and tight. A terrific read-aloud!
The words just seem to flow as easy as the watercolor onto the page; combined with acrylic, ink and gouache the little pleasant mouse neighborhood springs to life. The mice have made an attic their home with an old suitcase as the movie theater, a tricycle becomes a ferris wheel. The fine detail in the pictures will keep young and old captivated for hours. You will always see something different everytime you pick up the book. A fantastic pictoral read as well.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Book Review: The Grouchy Ladybug
The Grouchy Ladybug
Written and Illustrated by Eric Carle
Published by Harper Collins Publishers 1999
The Grouchy Ladybug is about just that - a grouchy ladybug. He tries to pick fights with all sorts of animals and thinks that he is bigger than everyone else. He continues on his journey throughout the day to meet bigger and bigger "friends." By the end of the day, he meets his match and learns to be a better bug!
This story is great because it is fast moving and it invites children to learn the concepts of time, size, shape, and manners!
I love this story because it is written very repetitive and children catch on to that concept quickly. This invites them to want to read because they already know a part of the story.
Here is a small excerpt:
At six o'clock
it met a yellow jacket.
"Hey you," said
the grouchy ladybug.
"Want to fight?"
"If you insist," said
the yellow jacket,
showing its stinger.
"Oh, you're not
big enough," said
the grouchy ladybug
and flew off.
Children will love it!! I love it!
Sometime soon I will do a posting about how Eric Carle executes his illustrations. Stay tuned!
I will be highlighting other illustrators whom I think are worthy. If you find someone you think should be given the spotlight, please let me know! I will be open to your nomination!
Written and Illustrated by Eric Carle
Published by Harper Collins Publishers 1999
The Grouchy Ladybug is about just that - a grouchy ladybug. He tries to pick fights with all sorts of animals and thinks that he is bigger than everyone else. He continues on his journey throughout the day to meet bigger and bigger "friends." By the end of the day, he meets his match and learns to be a better bug!
This story is great because it is fast moving and it invites children to learn the concepts of time, size, shape, and manners!
I love this story because it is written very repetitive and children catch on to that concept quickly. This invites them to want to read because they already know a part of the story.
Here is a small excerpt:
At six o'clock
it met a yellow jacket.
"Hey you," said
the grouchy ladybug.
"Want to fight?"
"If you insist," said
the yellow jacket,
showing its stinger.
"Oh, you're not
big enough," said
the grouchy ladybug
and flew off.
Children will love it!! I love it!
Sometime soon I will do a posting about how Eric Carle executes his illustrations. Stay tuned!
I will be highlighting other illustrators whom I think are worthy. If you find someone you think should be given the spotlight, please let me know! I will be open to your nomination!
Monday, June 22, 2009
Working in Home Studio with Children
A Day in the Life of an Illustrator
Five years ago I decided to "officially" work full time from my home studio as an artist. I had many previous jobs that allowed me to get the experience needed to handle most anything that a client would need. My plan was to start a family after work started to pick up and the money-flow was even. For the most part, all of this has happened just the way I imagined it.
Throwing children in the mix of working in the studio has been an eye opener! My daughter was born in August of 2006 (Yes, she's sneaking up on her 3rd birthday and very excited about it). In December of that year, I was offered a "guaranteed print" picture book for children. The time frame was disgustingly quick with a fast turn around. When I started the project, Hannah was 4 1/2 months old. This was relatively easy to manage because she was still sleeping quite a bit and needed bottles. The swing provided sufficient entertainment as I worked my hands to the bone one room away! After the project was finished, I had some brief time where I was able to get Hannah down for naps which provided me a good chunk of time to be productive. By the time she turned 2, naps were history. I never saw it coming! Suddenly my quiet work time had been ripped away and I was looking for anything to entertain my child so I could work! I spent about 8 months in utter frustration "trying to work" while Hannah was crawling all over me and needed stories, juice, diaper changes, walks, you name it! My freelance jobs were slipping away and I felt like I was drowning in stress and straining to see the pin-hole light at the end of the tunnel. What in the world was I thinking? All of a sudden, I became jealous of the people that went to an office to work because it meant they were uninterupted and could get their job done in fewer hours. Hmmm. Obviously, I needed the same thing.
About the time I made the decision to transition to children's illustration, instead of graphic design, my husband and I had a talk about how to get this mess to iron out. What was going to happen if I got a big book deal like the one before? A long story short - we decided that I needed to hold morning and night office hours and take afternoon off to get errands run, the house cleaned, etc. It seems to be working better, however it has taken some time to make the transition.
So far, I have learned this: No matter how hard things get in your life, if you make a few adjustments, there will be a way to make it work a little better. AND - just when you get into a nice, comfortable routine, it's all going to change and you have to adjust AGAIN!!
Five years ago I decided to "officially" work full time from my home studio as an artist. I had many previous jobs that allowed me to get the experience needed to handle most anything that a client would need. My plan was to start a family after work started to pick up and the money-flow was even. For the most part, all of this has happened just the way I imagined it.
Throwing children in the mix of working in the studio has been an eye opener! My daughter was born in August of 2006 (Yes, she's sneaking up on her 3rd birthday and very excited about it). In December of that year, I was offered a "guaranteed print" picture book for children. The time frame was disgustingly quick with a fast turn around. When I started the project, Hannah was 4 1/2 months old. This was relatively easy to manage because she was still sleeping quite a bit and needed bottles. The swing provided sufficient entertainment as I worked my hands to the bone one room away! After the project was finished, I had some brief time where I was able to get Hannah down for naps which provided me a good chunk of time to be productive. By the time she turned 2, naps were history. I never saw it coming! Suddenly my quiet work time had been ripped away and I was looking for anything to entertain my child so I could work! I spent about 8 months in utter frustration "trying to work" while Hannah was crawling all over me and needed stories, juice, diaper changes, walks, you name it! My freelance jobs were slipping away and I felt like I was drowning in stress and straining to see the pin-hole light at the end of the tunnel. What in the world was I thinking? All of a sudden, I became jealous of the people that went to an office to work because it meant they were uninterupted and could get their job done in fewer hours. Hmmm. Obviously, I needed the same thing.
About the time I made the decision to transition to children's illustration, instead of graphic design, my husband and I had a talk about how to get this mess to iron out. What was going to happen if I got a big book deal like the one before? A long story short - we decided that I needed to hold morning and night office hours and take afternoon off to get errands run, the house cleaned, etc. It seems to be working better, however it has taken some time to make the transition.
So far, I have learned this: No matter how hard things get in your life, if you make a few adjustments, there will be a way to make it work a little better. AND - just when you get into a nice, comfortable routine, it's all going to change and you have to adjust AGAIN!!
Friday, June 19, 2009
Un-Brella
Un-Brella
Illustrated by Scott E. Franson
Published by Roaring Brook Press
Just imagine if you had a magic umbrella that could change the weather outside to whatever you wanted it to be, wherever you went. Open this book to find out how one little girl changes uses her un-brella to change the world she lives in.
I think the book is exquisite. It was created by Scott Franson, a graphic designer who developed the illustrations digitally on the computer. I’m guessing the large part of the work was made in Illustrator and Photoshop. The color scheme is very nice as it is not too bold, however, it matches the tone for the book beautifully. I like wordless books for young children because they don’t need words to tell them the story. The child will make up the story as they look through the pages. Lastly, of course, the illustrator does not need to leave room for the text! The illustrator has the whole page as their playground. I love that!
I think it is a book that children will enjoy for a long time to come.
Illustrated by Scott E. Franson
Published by Roaring Brook Press
Just imagine if you had a magic umbrella that could change the weather outside to whatever you wanted it to be, wherever you went. Open this book to find out how one little girl changes uses her un-brella to change the world she lives in.
I think the book is exquisite. It was created by Scott Franson, a graphic designer who developed the illustrations digitally on the computer. I’m guessing the large part of the work was made in Illustrator and Photoshop. The color scheme is very nice as it is not too bold, however, it matches the tone for the book beautifully. I like wordless books for young children because they don’t need words to tell them the story. The child will make up the story as they look through the pages. Lastly, of course, the illustrator does not need to leave room for the text! The illustrator has the whole page as their playground. I love that!
I think it is a book that children will enjoy for a long time to come.
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