I’m working on an interactive picture book dummy that developed from my participation in the Sketchbook Project last year. It was creatively freeing to work on something called a sketchbook. For me, a sketchbook ment nothing more than sketches. No pre-thought, no research, and no final art. Without using a pencil as a guild, I created my monsters with india ink and a brush. I added color using a cheep tin of watercolor (which I’ve fallen in love with). The sketchbook is part of a permanent collection at the Brooklyn Museum of Art Library where patrons can check the sketchbook out and peruse its contents. Every now and then I will get a wonderful comments via e-mail about my work. It’s pretty darn cool.
Three original monsters from the sketchbook project.
I reworked the monsters. I sketched them out this time but I used the same materials, india ink and a cheep tin of watercolor.
Sorry to those of you who follow my blog. It’s been over a year and I’m ashamed. BUT, it isn’t because I haven’t been working. There have been some projects that required me to keep images to myself. Hopefully, I will be able to post those shortly. In the meantime, I’ve decided to join the Sketchbook Project. www.thesketchbookproject.com Artists can choose their theme. Being that I am a fan of the dark side, I chose Nighttime Stories. After signing up, the artist is sent a plane brown sketchbook. The hard part, what to fill it with. I stared at the book for a few weeks. One day, while in Dallas for a hockey tournament, I started doodling on the cover with ink. I decided that I would not outline or use pencil on this project. Straight to ink….terrifying yet freeing. I doodled out the cover and added color with some watercolor. I got the basic idea down…but I had no idea how to fill the pages. I knew I wanted to involve the viewer. I wanted it to be interactive. I reflected on past projects and remembered this hatbox.
If you moved the hat box lid, you could change the character’s expression. This is what I wanted for my sketchbook. Something people would want to touch and play around with. I decided to cut the pages in my sketchbook and allow the viewer to change faces, torso’s or feet to create a gazillion different monsters. Here is the start of my project.
It feels great to finish a book dummy. Suddenly you find that you can think about other things, play with your kids… shower! All this extra time!!! I sent my agent a digital dummy, (Indesign makes it so easy) but I need a hands on dummy for myself. I need to hold it in my hand, leaf through the pages, carry it in my purse and just adore it for a bit. Lot’s of work went into that little booklet.
I didn’t get to sketch till this morning. Along with the other wheels I’ve done, I needed to sketch out one of the double page spread ideas. Hopefully this will be enough for Rosemary to move forward. I love this simple book more and more.
