First look at a new character

I just wanted to post some new images, going back to my whimsical kid look after several realistic book projects.

This is my first project as writer/illustrator so I'm sure the final product will end up being very different. I'll keep you posted as I stumble along in new territory.

Not just animals for "Animalogy", people too!

As Animalogy's illustrations are winding down a couple of new projects are gearing up - both totally different from this one.

So I'm in the process of putting final touches on the illustrations before sending to the publisher's ftp site.

For the campfire scene I used my son, Evan, along with Gracie, Konnor and Crowley for reference. It's sort of like my diary - this is what they looked like at the time I was illustrating this book.

So look for "Animalogy" August 2011 and I'll be posting a book trailer promo for it at some point too - hopefully sooner than later.

More Animals for Animalogy

It's way past time for a new post, so here's more illustrations for "Animalogy" by Marianne Berkes.

I'm not posting these in order, nor do I draw them in order. I skip around while illustrating, doing a harder illustration, then an easier one, maybe revising another rough before going to the next color spread, all the while trying to keep the momentum going.

All in all this is a fun project to work on. It's the only picture book I've illustrated where I'm not that concerned about continuity because it's a different animal in a different environment for each page not the same characters continuing throughout the story.

It's so nice having Marianne's sparse, simple verse to illustrate - leaves lots of room for creative interpretation.

Ghost Over Boulder Creek by Elaine Pease

Here's artwork for a cover wrap for a new middle grade novel by Elaine Pease. The publisher, Filter Press is right here in Colorado and they produce some of the best stories for young readers as well as old readers like me. When I received this manuscript I just couldn't put it down - it's stories like this that turn kids into readers.

Here's an endorsement from Cheyenne Chief Gordon Yellowman about the book... "Elaine Pease has written an excellent novel full of ghostly spirits of the past, filled with mystery and Cheyenne trails."

Animalogy by Marianne Berkes

Here's the cover art and a few spreads for a fun new picture book I'm illustrating for Sylvan Dell Publishing. The type is just for placement. It gives me an idea of how the final art might look.

The author is Marianne Berkes and I'm a huge fan of her writing. This book of analogies is for very young kiddos and the way that it's written is so fun and lively, I think they'll love it.

It's a Fall 2011 release and will keep me busy for awhile. I'll continue to post some interior illustrations as I go along.

The World Goes Raw Cookbook

This is the third book I've illustrated for Square One Publishing. I'm not known for clean, simple illustrations so appreciate them trusting me on this project. Working with Michele D'Altorio, the editor of the cook book made it all go very smoothly.

There are lots of yummy and unique recipes in Lisa Mann's illustrated cook book - from "Chilled Avocado Tomato Soup" to "Banana Dream with Orange Cashew Cream". I'm looking forward to trying these recipes myself.