I've been sharing with you little tidbits here and there about my picture book project (SuperSecretProject#1) since last year, and I realized today I never shared with you the coolest part- the finished art! So here it is...
Except you'll probably notice, it
still isn't finished, and I'll tell you why:
Throughout the Book Dummy course, I had a mostly-drawn the entire picture book, edited the text and story a few times more, and began to do some pages of Finished Art when I had realized I didn't like the style in which the art was being done. No... let me rephrase that. I didn't think the style fit my story's energy and humor.
I really liked the art I was coming up with, and the gazillion steps it took to get me there, but it still felt like my story had a different energy... a different feel to it. I could easily point out what style I think would fit my story with a few examples of books here off my shelf, but to create it in that way I would have to almost start from scratch!
So I put the project aside to give it some breathing room. I had been working on it consistently for a solid year now, so I thought this would be a good idea. And it turned out it
was a good idea, because I took this book dummy with me last Spring to the NESCBWI conference where I had a critique with Mr. Harold Underdown. It was super informative and helpful, and quite encouraging! He didn't have a lot of negative things to say; rather, he was quick to tell me the things I had done right in my story. He did tell me, however, that there needed to be one specific change, which in turn would change a lot of the art in my story.
So my MS needs a bit of an overhaul... I know what I've got to do to change it and how, but I think I'm just dragging my feet a little. I had been so happy to
finally get to the painting stage, I really just wanted to get the thing finished! Writing and editing and more editing and drawing and more drawing and then painting... that's a ton of work! (Anyone who says creating a picture book is easy... well, they need to wake up!) And I'm okay with work, but I still needed a break from that particular piece, so I've been working on other things, like my portfolio and Client work.
Anyhow, now you know why those pieces haven't been finished, and I still plan to at least make them portfolio-ready even though they won't make it in the final story. Or perhaps I'll change my mind again and they will, who knows? You'll at least be able to say one day, as you read my published book, "Hey, the artist worked really hard on this story! She has come a long way from that unfinished art on her blog. What a gem!"
Hahahaaaa, well, maybe one day.
