Comments on: Illustrating a Children’s Story, Part 5

By: Dani

Dani — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 14:04:03 +0000

Thanks for the award Rachelle! And thanks for the all the lovely comments everyone!

By: Teddi

Teddi — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 01:16:42 +0000

Nice! It’s great to see the whole process, including decisions to re-do or change direction.

Love the colors in the new pages (with the white highlights), and the overall style. Personally, I think it’s a great example of what happens when we go “one more version” past “this is good”. Follow your artistic heart — because sometimes “better” or “best” is just over the next rise. And personally I find that the more familiar I get with the subject, the better the visual characters and storytelling flows.

(Of course, it can just as easily be overdone by trying too many times, but this is a case where taking another approach just made it better!)

By: Sonya

Sonya — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 17:53:23 +0000

I like these as well! I checked out your last post - no. 4 for the previous sketches, and truly, these new ones are heaps better in flow and story telling. The cool colours are nice too. I think you did a great job

By: Edrian Thomidis

Edrian Thomidis — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 14:41:22 +0000

I love these! There’s a lot of movement where you need to have it, but is well contrasted by the white space and quietness of the other pieces. I also like the limited palette. Very well done. Your work is so inspiring. I read the comment about the type, and my feedback about it is that you don’t want the type to take away from the illustrated story. Your illustrations, not the type are telling the story. I think what you have is fine. It’s a traditional typeface that is easy to read.

By: Rachelle Anne Miller

Rachelle Anne Miller — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 13:56:22 +0000

I really appreciate your blog - I learn so much from your posts and your work is incredible! I’ve nominated you for an award :o) Check out my blog for all the details!

By: lil kim

lil kim — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 00:28:01 +0000

It takes a lot of courage to start over so well done! I’ve only just happened upon your blog so don’t know your earlier sketches, but these look fantastic. your compositions are first rate!

By: Angela Fehr

Angela Fehr — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 20:08:41 +0000

I think that starting over is sometimes a big part of the creative process - the first version is a foundation for the second. But it is still so much work, right? The new pages look great and I think they are better than the first draft - love the colors and the swirly background - and the variety used in the quantity of detail on the pages is common in children’s illustration. Adding a few more pages helped too - seeing the original version, I remember it feeling like there were holes in the story, or it trying to say too much on too few pages. You’ve persisted when you could have given up and it has paid off!

By: chickengirl

chickengirl — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 19:38:08 +0000

Don’t be embarassed. I love the honesty. If all projects went smoothly, we wouldn’t have discussions like this. Its the real deal of how great work is churned out! I actually like these new ones alot better. The empty space and limited palette. Very refreshing.

By: Catu

Catu — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 18:55:25 +0000

I love the colours and the shapes of the characters’ bodies, but the last pig does look a lot like Bill Gates. I know you’re a fellow Mac user and I’d love it if you removed the glasses.

Apart from that small detail, it’s absolutely wonderful… the fur, the wind, the textures, the watercolours, I can’t believe these are only sketches. I really wish I could paint like that! Amazing work.

By: variousdoodles

variousdoodles — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 11:59:39 +0000

Wow, I love the changes that you made to the pages, I especially like the illustration with the full brick wall and the one with the brick house and the wolf puffing on it. I like the way you tied everything together with the color, too. The only thing that’s bugging me a little is the font of the text, it doesn’t seem to fit in with the illustrations.

You are so brave to have re-done this whole thing! I liked the first one, too, but I do think this one is better. I probably would have just tried to grit it through and finish the first one while hating it, so I really admire the fact that you changed this around and made it work to suit you.