Jim Aylesworth’s, Cock-a-doodle-doo, Creak, Pop-pop, Moo, takes place on a farm, and although Jim doesn’t specify when the story takes place, I imagine the early, 1920′s. I always”picture” the paintings in my mind as I develop sketches for the dummy book. So… I’m sketching and the images percolating in my imagination are different than usual — they are completely without color! I continue sketching, and slowly a bit of color seeps in, but it is very subtle. The art in my mind’s eye is reminiscent of the hand-tinted black-and-white photos displayed in my grandparent’s house.
It occurs to me that this might be an appropriate “look” for the illustrations in this book. I set out to simulate the look of a hand-tinted photo. I decide to fully render the image in graphite and then add a bit of soft color with watercolor paint. The effect is perfect!.. But something isn’t right. The style reflects the era but seems too somber for the story, which is quite lite. Now I’m torn. I really like the look of the piece, and I had a good deal of fun rendering it, but I can’t ignore the nagging notion that the mood just doesn’t fit the text. I decide to send the illustration to the Editor at Holiday House to get her opinion. My fears are confirmed when the Editor responds that after showing it around the office, the consensus is the art won’t appeal to a young audience because it isn’t colorful.
Back to the drawing board!
The second illustration is colorful, and while I still really like the first version, the bottom line is it just doesn’t reflect the mood of the story. So the remaining illustrations for, Cock-a-doodle-doo, Creak, Pop-pop, Moo will have all the color typical of my past work. I will, however, find a way to use the “tinted drawing” style in a future story!!
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| Version 2 |
Both of the images are beautiful! I think I'm going to show this post to my Art students so they can see that artists really do revise their work and try new things instead of doing something "good enough". My younger students at Pauline Central were very excited to meet you last spring!
Thanks, Katie! And to your students… In High School, I never revised because I felt my first attempt was fresh and exciting, and that I would not be able to duplicate that on future attempts. I was WRONG. In college I learned the value of sketching and revising and trying new things. Don't be afraid to make a mistake. That's how you grow as an artist!
Both are amazing. One of the many things that makes you great — the ability to see multiple perspectives and the willingness to try different angles.
Hi Brad, I had to come check out our site after you posted to illustrators for kids. You work blew me away this morning. It was such a nice way to start the day to see your beautiful illustrations. I love your style! I am so happy to have the SCBWI illustration blog so I can be introduce to all you amazing illustrators in Kansas.
Thanks, Katie! How kind of you to visit my site and leave a message. I look forward to getting to know you and your work through, Illustrators For Kids!