My Very Own Picture Book :)

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.

New! Project #4 has just begun!

Here I am again, as promised!

So this new project began when I was contacted by an Author, (we'll just say for the sake of privacy, instead of his real name) who found my work in the SCBWI Illustrator's Gallery. He was looking for an artist to illustrate a book he plans to self-publish, and my style fit his story perfectly!

So the story is an early reader/chapter book geared toward third to fifth graders, and it's about the water cycle! Very educational and fun, and the main character is cute too. I'm extremely happy drawing from nature, though with my cutesy (I guess that's the word for it) flair and a comic-y graphic novel touch, the project will be super fun to work on!

Author and I began with a copyright contract to protect our work, and then he shared some of his manuscript so that I could come up with a few sketches to see if our stuff would match. Here are my Sample Art sketches, though I omitted the text:

Character Study, © Melanie Linden Chan 2011

Cover/Title Page, © Melanie Linden Chan 2011 

Chapter Opening,
© Melanie Linden Chan 2011

Sample comic spread,
© Melanie Linden Chan 2011

What I sent was really rough, (it obviously needs lots of work) but we were both pleased with the direction in which it was going. And we've decided that markers are not the way to go- pen and ink will be much nicer. Now I am working on what I call a "Sample Finish," which is a fully colored and finished double-page spread that I illustrate without much influence from the Author other than his manuscript and illustration notes. It is due in about 10 days from now, and only then will I reveal it to the Author. (Actually, I might show him right before I ink it, just to be sure.)

I think this is an important step because it teaches me what questions to ask before I draw, thus saving time, and it also helps the Author to trust my artist's instincts and perhaps it will create for an even smoother partnership. This Sample Finish may or may not be included the final edit of the book- there are always many things that change over the course of a book's creation. However, it will show the both of us the results of our combined efforts to prove whether our talents are compatible or not. (And so far, it looks like they are from where I'm sitting!)

Once I complete the Sample Finish, I will come up with a price quote for the entire books project based upon the time and amount of work the illustration needed, and I will submit both to the Author. He will review everything and if both the price and the art are what he is looking for...
then, my friends...

...then we sign a contract and I've got myself an illustration job! (tee hee!)

Of course I am calling it Project#4 because that's the next number in the lineup, but it is currently my Top Priority. And if all goes well and I do get the job, I won't be able to share every single bit (in order to protect the story from Story Snatchers), however I plan to post regular updates and snippets and fun things!

I'm really excited, though I know not to count my chickens before they hatch... so, would you all cross your fingers for me? Because I can't... I need mine for drawing!

Book Dummy 101, Part I: Getting Started

Last semester I took the Book Dummy class, and boy was that intense! There was no time to update my blog or write about what I had learned each week- every day was go, Go, GO!!!

But as busy as I was, it had been quite rewarding. Taking the Book Dummy course has helped me not only to (almost) fully complete my first book dummy, but I also now feel confident enough to continue on my own with the rest of the stories brewing in my brain. And the best part is, I can now finally share it with you!

First Thing's First...


1. You Need a Story.
And it better be good! Get rid of those typos and grammatical errors- before you start drawing, your manuscript really should shine all by its lonesome. This also means there aren't any holes in your plot, either. This step wasn't necessarily required in this particular class, however, because each student began in different stages. But if you're just starting off, this step will save you time and headaches and all the back-and-forth stuff you don't already have time for. Seriously, take a writing course if you are going to be an author/illustrator. Because editors also don't have time for those who don't take the time to be serious about their work. Perfect your story. Or find an already perfected one to illustrate.

2. Pace Out Your Story
Pacing is SUPER important. Grab a few picture books and ask yourself why you think they put those particular words on those particular pages. Is there suspense created? A surprised revealed only when you turn the page? Do they need to slow the story down for the full emotional effect? Pacing and page-turns help turn a story almost into a movie- a whole production. Everything placed on that page was put there for a reason. Once you figure out those reasons, and learn to recognize them, put those skills to use with your own manuscript. Then take your MS (manuscript) and break it into numbered pages so you can actually see it for yourself.

3. Work Out Some Thumbies and Make A Storyboard
Okay, so now you've got your story broken down into pages, draw up a grid of page layouts so you can get some basic thumbnail drawings down. It doesn't need to be pretty, just recognizable. Step back and take a look at your completed storyboard. Is the pacing working? The general story playing out the way you pictured it? Is there plenty of action where it is needed? Do this step a few times if you must- try to work out as many kinks as possible. Then take a look at your compositions. Do they help or hinder the story? Mull it all over, pose like Rodin's Thinker, then move on. There's still plenty of time to change things around a bit!

First-Pass Storyboard for my dummy book!

4. Cut and Paste
This is the step I took to help me visually see my words right there in front of me, the way they would look in print. I printed my manuscript in size 18 pt, then sliced up each sentence and pasted them all down (according to my basic sketches) onto 8x10 paper with a Post-It glue stick. Then I stuck the pages into a binder and read them like a book. Some pages had too much text, but the pacing worked. So I worked on those sentences until everything looked like it was where it should be. The re-positionable glue is great for re-arranging. And yes, I know I could do this on the computer and save paper, but I needed something tangible in front of me to get a better feel for my book.

Sample page layout, complete with notes and reminders.

5. Scan, Resize, and Print!
As I worked on my medium-sized thumbnails, I found myself getting frustrated that I had to draw blobs for my text, and in the right place, on forty different page layouts. So to save myself some time I scanned all of my text layout pages and reduced them to 50%, and then printed those pages. I now had my entire Mini Dummy ready to be sketched without having to mess around with guessing where my text should go. Even better, I could do my sketches onto tracing paper (in my case, parchment paper) and re-do them as many times as I wanted. I hate erasing stuff. It is messy, and you lose so many good little sketches due to wrong placement or size, etc. I just keep moving on, and scan the things I like and ignore the things I don't like.

Well! If you've been following these steps, now you've got yourself a nice foundation to work upon! Your MS is as shiny as you can make it, your pacing helps move the story forward, creates tension and reveals surprises, and you've got everything laid out for Part II: Drawing!


I'll see you at the next posting of Book Dummy 101! To Be Continued...