The illustrator's obligation to the author.

by Ginger Nielson

A Picture Book is the world in your lap.  It can be an art gallery within 32 pages.  But it is more than that. It is the love and labor of an author. The words may be few or many but the combination of words and pictures must fit the story.

For example: This page from Caelaach McKinna's book, Little Charley Thornpaws, contains few words.  The illustration has been given the job of defining the action. With only one line of text, the illustrator was given an entire two page spread to show the action.  Ample space above the running cat was left for that one line.

Some chapter books require much more space for text and very little room for illustrations.

Here the illustrator is challenged to create a meaningful image in a much smaller space and often in black and white.

The many words in a chapter book are important to the author and they need their space along with any illustrations that accompany them. Some illustrations may run along the side of a page or be located only in the top third of the page. Those are normally in black and white but could be color.

In some cases there may be so much text per page that the illustrator needs to use space creatively and sparingly.  In the case in a chapter book where only a small portion of a page can be used for an illustration the image need not be more than one single item of importance.

Suspense, mystery, humor, delight, beauty, power, danger, glee and even plain foolishness find their way into an artist's interpretation of the story. But all those emotions are the property of the author first.

An illustrator needs to show respect for the author, the author's vision and the need the author has to create their own world of characters, places, things, adventures.

Painting a two page spread with little regard for the importance of the author's words can lead to a page so filled with images there is little room for text.  It may seem like the most basic of rules; the illustrator must leave room for the text.

In addition to the importance of space for the author's words, the illustrator also needs to think of the reader. Leaving room for the text that accompanies an illustration is important.  Leaving some "resting space for the reader" is equally important.  Not every inch of the page needs paint.  White space creates a place for text as well as a rest for the eye of the beholder.

This "resting" space need not be white, but it should be a clam area with not much going on to be defined as true "resting" space.

A well balanced picture book will have illustrations that compliment the author's vision and enough areas of white space or "resting" areas to allow the reader the most enjoyable experience.

The job of the illustrator is to interpret the author's vision, show respect for the words that have been so carefully chosen, and contribute to the journey a reader is about to begin.

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The Monday blues: Head in the Clouds syndrome: Tuesday Trivia: Wednesday Woes

by Ginger Nielson

They are all related in a way, those categories.  There are most likely several more you could add. They approach each other in varying degrees until they mesh and you and get on with your day of, writing, painting, wringing of your hands, and trying not to focus on things left undone.

One of the great mysteries of life is simply life itself. How do we fit into one lifetime all the things we know we want to do, the things we think we can do and the things

we are desperate to try but have not the energy, physical strength or time to attempt. What happens to the things we HAVE done but have become such faded memories that they fade slowly and inevitably into the past.

There is a secret here that is really no secret at all.  WRITE!  SKETCH!

You may not be planning the next great novel.   You may not be appearing on the Today Show with a silver or gold sticker on your newest book.  You may not be signing endless copies of your most recently published work.   On some level, however, you have it in you to create something wonderful from your writing.

Keep a journal. Write in it every day.  Sketching is a plus.  Then go back and read what you have written in a year or two or even the next week.  Sometimes you can surprise yourself. At times you will find wisdom for the days ahead in what lies in your past.

If for no other reason, your journal can revive some memories that would be lost forever if they were not documented.

If you are a writer or an aspiring writer, this journal of your thoughts, fears, ambitions and creative ideas will serve you well in your future endeavors.

Artists keep their sketch books.  These are another kind of journal of the everyday and the sometimes unique images that generate new ideas from older ones.

Every note, every sketch has value.  Not only is it part of you as a writer or an artist, but it is a valuable tool in your future. 

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Is Your Online Portfolio Overwhelming?

by Aidana WillowRaven

Back in art school (I won't be going into how long ago THAT was ... lol), it was repeatedly drilled into our impressionable minds to keep our portfolio neat, clean, and ready to show off at a moment's notice. We were taught that too many images, especially if we worked in various genres and mediums, vs. a set 'look' or style, could confuse the viewer. And the last thing you want to do, when showing your work to a prospective employer or client, is to confuse them. You want them to know, without a doubt, that you are the artist that they just have to have doing their project.

The trick is enticing them with enough to convince them without going overboard. So where do you draw the line?

Well, in the olden days ... we used a physical portfolio. The came in various sizes and had the option of holding anywhere from 6 to 100 pages. We were coached to keep portfolios between 12-24 images of any one genre or style, and to also consider having different folios for different styles. That way, if the potential client is a clothing designer, you don't waste her time and yours by flipping through children's book illustrations, but you show her a full portfolio of your best fashion illustrations.

With the accessibility of the internet, the opportunities for artists have skyrocketed. We no longer need to mail in our portfolios, requiring that we have several copies on hand of each. We no longer need to request our work to be hopefully returned after review, and pray they use our prepaid postage and honorably send it back. An artist without an online portfolio these days does not really want to have his/her work seen. Having an online portfolio is essential.

But we run into a new dilemma. It's so easy to upload images when there is no consideration of space or consciousness of physical 'pages,' to over 'fill' a portfolio.

I recently noticed I had fallen into that trap. I had a gallery page on my site that held almost all of my professional work. Almost everything I had in print. 

Problem ... I've got over 100 books, not counting magazines and websites, with my work in them in print.

I am one of those artists who works in several genres, in several styles, and in several mediums. I pride myself in my diversity. But when I started getting comments like 'You're such a prolific artist,' and 'Wow, I don't know where to start,' I knew I had to go old school and tidy up my portfolio ... my online portfolio. I had to look at my work objectively and select only key pieces -- not all of them -- regardless of how much I had a personal attachment to them. Check out how my gallery page used to look:

I only should showcase my best work (we all have those old works where we go, 'Boy, I've improved' ... lol) and the styles I want my potential clients to see, not everything I've done.  If you notice, the left column was kid's books and illos, the second column was originals and promo pieces, the third column was novels, and the right column was logos and banners. All on one page. What you don't see is how long this stretched on ... lol. I just kept adding to the top of the pile. Here's the link so you can get the real idea of just how congested this got (I kept the link active just for ya'll to see): http://willowravenback-up.weebly.com/gallery.html

I also had to evaluate who would be looking at what. Since I work in so many genres, am I wasting someone's time or misleading them into thinking I can't deliver what they want, because they are overwhelmed with children's art when they are seeking high fantasy or graphic art? I had to compartmentalize my portfolio. Effectively create several folios, just like back in the day, but on my website. That way, when clients pop in, they know just where to go for the type of genre they may want to hire me to do. 

Here's a screen shot of my new main page:

 My old main page was full of quotes, links, a video folio, and widgets (http://willowravenback-up.weebly.com/). I moved my 'follow me' widgets and other non-art stuff to the bottom and kept the page minimal and neat. It's not what I want people to see first. The art had to come first. You see above that there are five clear categories, or portfolios, to choose from. That's it. I deliberately made myself stick to as few a number as possible. I had to really evaluate 'what I do.'

I made each image that represents a portfolio a link to the pages that hold that genre. I also included the links in the drop down menu for those pages. As one follows to the genre of choice, he will find either small to medium sized examples of the work, with links to full sized examples, or find a subcategory page (let's look at the Children's - YA Illustration page, where you'd find such a page):

As you can see, I sub-divided this category into three parts. That way, if the client or publisher is looking for a picture book artist, they know where to look and are not distracted by my middle grade line art. This also allows me to show 24-24 images of just that type of art, rather than trying to show 12-24 images of all three types together.

Say we choose to go to the Tween - Young Adult page and we see:

Right now, I only have eight images, but they are solid works, and the viewer isn't distracted by everything else I've done. I still end up showing off a lot of my work this way. But now it's much more targeted to the audience.

The sub pages and enlarged example pages are not listed in the navigation bar. Again, I don't want to overwhelm the viewer with choices. I want to herd them, gently, to the areas I want them to travel. As I've often seen editors tell authors, less is more.

Lastly, I wanted to create a sense of my work, as a whole, and wanted something to introduce people to my art, a welcome page of sorts. So, I linked my URL, to a 'portal' page, which I have opening up with my latest piece.

So in conclusion ...

Your online portfolio needs to be treated like your physical portfolio. You don't want too little, too much, or work that just isn't up to your current standard. You don't want to muddy the waters with too many quotes, link, or bells and whistles. Make sure your audience know how and where to reach you, and can be able to communicate their wants by your showing them what you have to offer in the best possible way.

For those that wish to check out the new site in action, follow my link: http://willowraven.weebly.com/.

Aidana WillowRaven

Art Director & VP of Operations
4RV Publishing

How do you pick out your pallet?

by Aidana WillowRaven

You have a new project. Great! Now what? Myself, I start doodling with my colored pencils, but I have a bad habit of trying to use every color ... lol. So, I try to use color schemes in order to reign in that tendency, so I don't end up with a mess. A pallet that's too broad can distress and distract the viewer.

When deciding your pallet, which I hope you do at the very start of a new project, isn't as easy as one may think. A lot depends on your audience and subject matter.

Analogous colors are any set of three or five colors, that are closely related in hue(s), and are usually adjacent (next) to each other on the color wheel. Some examples are green, yellow green, and yellow or red, orange and yellow. Analogous color schemes are often found in nature and are pleasing to the eye. The combination of these colors give a bright and cheery effect in the area, and are able to accommodate many changing moods. When using the analogous color scheme, one should make sure there is one hue as the main color.

Color schemes are used to create style, mood, clarity and appeal. A basic color scheme will use two colors that look appealing together, while more advanced color schemes involve several colors, usually based around a single color.

In the following example, the pallet is very analogous. If you compare it to the color wheel, and draw a diagonal line running from the red to the green, you can see the upper left side of the pallet was used. It also happens to be a warm color scheme, which I'll go over warm and cool color schemes. It just fit the theme.

an example of an analogous color scheme

A monochromatic color scheme is made of different values (tints and shades) of one color. This color scheme is easy to get right and can be very effective, soothing and assertive. They do, however, lack the diversity.

The next example was done in varying shades of the same color of blue. I wanted moodiness here, too, but a cooler mood was wanted. Do you see how color affects a scene? Would it feel different if I had used a full pallet?

an example of monochromatic

 We'll go over more pallet options in future posts.

 

Aidana WillowRaven

Art Director & VP of Operations
4RV Publishing

Now, "That's a baby!"

by Ginger Nielson

When we were growing up we usually lived in a neighborhood.  The houses were close enough that families got to know one another, did a fair amount of visiting, and shared their joys and concerns with one another. We shared the chaos of growing families.

Because our homes were often very close to our neighbors' we knew what was going on in their homes and the homes of their friends.  Every time a new baby was born into the neighborhood the new moms would come visiting to show off their little ones.

After all the waiting and anticipation the new  babies were paraded up and down the street to each home for inspection.  Everyone loved seeing the new babies.  Mothers had them dressed in their cutest pink or blue outfits and the hair, if they had any, was swept up into a cwepie doll curl.  The ooos and the ahhs were expected responses.

Just the same, there were times, when we children could not exactly agree that these newcomers were worth all the oooing and ahhing.  Some of them were not at all as beautiful in those early visits as they might eventually become. But, let's face it. Not all babies show their potential in the beginning.  Squish-  faced, red blotched, bald headed, toothless, crying little creatures are not at their best.


When our mother cautioned us to be nice and not say anything unkind, we had to ask for guidance.  How can you say an ugly baby is "Oh so beautiful" and really mean it when you don't.

Our sweet mother borrowed a line from a current comedian and told us just to say, "Now, that's a baby!"
It seemed to fit the occasion more than once.

Why this story?

It seems that some writers and artists as well are like those mothers.  After waiting long months for the manuscript they created and submitted to be recognized, they have a tendency to think it is perfect.

Everyone should love it .  Right?

Only if you are one of the rare few who can produce a masterpiece in one version, could this be right.
Any manuscript needs more than one eye, more than one critique, more than what a writer might give to it in one draft.  You might even need to put it away for a month or more and come back to it with your own new view.

Editors and Art Directors have learned over years of experience how to spot the best, or what could become the best.  Once an interest has been shown your work, your foot is in the door. The advice and direction an editor is willing to give is worth the time they take to give it.  The author or artist is well advised to listen, pay attention, learn from the experts and follow the advice.   If an editor has taken the time to review and ask for changes the author or artist needs to act upon the advice.

Some criticism is definitely hard to swallow and there is a tendency to reject the comments, remove the submission and move on to another and another publisher or editor.  It sounds all too familiar, but it is a sign of the professional when the communications between editor and artist are acted upon in a positive way.  Good things come from intelligent collaboration and respect for one another.

Be aware that if your manuscript continues to go unedited by you or a professional you may constantly receive the non committal comment: "Now, that's a book!"

Another artist term author's may not know ... What is a Pochade?

by Aidana WillowRaven

Many artists draw a sketch with pen, pencil, charcoal, or some other 'dry' medium (although ink is technically wet), when planning an illustration. Generally it's monochromatic (one color), and is intended to capture form, shape, and composition. This is commonly accepted knowledge, even by non-artists.

A term most non-artists, or even many working artists, may not know is pochade.

A pochade is a french word for a sort of sketch, traditionally with paint, rather than a 'dry' medium. It's usually small, often pocket sized, but can also be a full sized version, based on the final work's planned size. The main reason for an artist to use a pochade vs a sketch, is a pochade utilizes color, tone, and shades, though in more of a rough manner, than the final piece will be. Sort of like a storyboard, but in color.

Painters will often create a pochade when painting a landscape, or some other subject, that can't be controlled and brought into the studio. Say the artist wants to paint a sea scape, where the setting and lighting changes by the second? Today, most would use a camera as their pochade medium. But before camera's, what they'd have had to do was capture the essence of the scene, the mood, colors, hues, and tones, in a rapid way. Then take it home and allow the mind's eye to remember the rest for the actual work.

As an artist, I have experienced a magnificent sunset that I had hoped I had captured with my camera, only to find the colors to be dulled and lifeless, once developed. Even today, a pochade would have done me more good than a camera.

Known more commonly is a pochade box. It's an artist's tool that folds open into an easel, while carrying a modest amount of paint and supplies, intended for use in the field.

Here is a question to make you ponder, though ... 

If an artist, while planning a painting makes a small, colored pencil or marker version of the final piece, is it a sketch or a pochade? In my opinion, if the intent is to capture the various colors and tones, more so than shape or perspective, I'd say yes, even though it's a dry medium.

What's your opinion?

Aidana WillowRaven

Art Director & VP of Operations
4RV Publishing

More artsy terms ... Frontispiece

by Aidana WillowRaven

Time and again, I find myself explaining an art term to an author or publisher, because it's not a term often used in common speech, unless you're an artist or designer. To continue the theme of my last post: Boy, artists talk funny! What on earth is a triptych? And why does my artist think I'd want one? , today, I'll explain what a frontispiece is, show an example of one I've done, and how one can benefit your book.

For this example, we'll be looking at Second Chance, by Galand  Nuchols. 

The story is set in the past, so I wanted something traditional in look, something old-timey. After doing some thinking, and researching older books at the library, I noticed many older books had an illustration, usually an etching styled piece, directly opposite the main title page.

This illustration is referred to as a frontispiece. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary ...

fron·tis·piece noun \ˈfrən-tə-ˌspēs\

1 a : the principal front of a building  

   b : a decorated pediment over a portico or window

2 : an illustration preceding and usually facing the title page of a book or magazine

The second definition, is of course what I am referring to. Wikipedia embellishes on this with: A frontispiece is a decorative illustration facing a book's title page. The frontispiece is the verso (left-hand page) opposite the recto title page. Elaborate engraved frontispieces were in frequent use, especially in Bibles and in scholarly books, and many are masterpieces of engraving. The word may also refer to the title page itself, but this meaning is obsolete according to the Oxford English Dictionary. To the left, you can see the example posted on Wikipedia, and below, the frontispiece I did for Second Chance.

For the old-timey look I wanted, I went with a very earthy medium, charcoal, and used old photos from that era for models. 

Of course, the older publication is much more elaborate than my interpretation, but it serves the same purpose. For a non-illustrated book, it introduces the text much like the cover art does. It pulls the reader into the story a bit, before they even begin reading. The cover told them it had something to do with watermelons, wood chopping, and oil. A simpler time, as they say. The frontispiece gives more, it shows the main characters are two young boys, and hints at the period through their clothing. Kinda Huck Finn/Tom Sawyer-ish (which is also a hint of the types of trouble they get into). 

Now that you know what a frontispiece can do for your book, next time you have a non-illustrated book, maybe you can suggest one?

Aidana WillowRaven

Art Director & VP of Operations
4RV Publishing

Seven Keys to Picture Book Winners

by Ginger Nielson

Although no one can predict how your hard work as an author or illustrator will fare in today’s marketplace, there are some keys that can open the doors to success.

THE ILLUSTRATOR

KEY:  A picture book, by its nature and name must have illustrations.  Think of each page as a teaser for the next.  Elements that are not written but implied in the story have an impact but only if they truly belong there.  An unexpected splash of color, an unusual point of view, dramatic perspective, a sense of humor or mystery add interest.

Normally an illustrator is chosen by the publisher or art director of a publishing company.  Their job is to find the best match between the story and the artist and the media the artist is using. 

KEY:  Think of the right side page of any picture book as the entrance to the next.

Are your characters leading you to the next page.  There should be some reason to want to turn that page.  This is where the text and pictures must convey the message together.  It is why artists and editors carefully construct the pagination for a picture book.  Placing illustrations in key points of interest in the story leave the reader/viewer wanting more with each page turn.

KEY:  Have you studied your characters?  In any good picture book the characters must be consistent from page to page. This may sound as easy as dressing them in the same clothes and keeping the hair color the same.  It is more difficult than that if you think about the various actions, emotions, facial expressions, and situations.

Character development sketches are one of the keys to a successful picture book.

Your character whether animal or human or even machine has a personality that was created by the author.  As you interpret the character you need to know what it will look like from any angle and in any position.

THE AUTHOR

KEY: To rhyme or not to rhyme.   One famous author/illustrator has written a number of books in rhyme.  His statement that writing in rhyme works best for him as opposed to straight prose makes sense because his rhyme is close to perfect.

But this is not so for most of us, so unless you are proficient enough to make it work, it is best not to rhyme.  This is not to say that one key rhyme that is repeated throughout a book won’t work.  Children love a book with something they can “READ” page after page.  It doesn’t need to rhyme either… it only needs to captivate them enough for them to want to repeat it as the pages turn.  An example is the

Woman who Swallowed a Fly.   The key phrase, “I don’t know why she swallowed a fly.”  is repeated page after page and children love to chime in with that repetition.

KEY:  Age appropriateness needs to be a  main consideration for the child.   Since picture books for the young are normally read to the child, the story needs to be easily understood from their point of view.  Pictures help, but the manuscript needs to visit the mind of a child in thought and word.  And if the child loves the book it is going to be one that will be read again and again.  So think of the adults who are reading the book, will they be willing to do so over and over?

KEY: It has been said by many and deserves being mentioned here as well.  A good picture book needs a beginning that creates the need for some action on the part of the main character and a resolution that culminates in a satisfying ending.

Characters need personality, a problem to solve and the ability to find ways to solve the problem on their own. They may do this by asking for help or by cooperating with other characters. There are exceptions, however, as in alphabet books or picture books that are primarily non fiction, science related, or a collection of items children want to see in groups, such as animal types, trucks, trains, planes and the like.

KEY:  Although the author does not normally communicate with the illustrator,  a good editor or Art Director will form a bridge between the two so that concerns of the author for his story are transmitted to the illustrator in a positive manner.

If the collaboration is between a self publishing author and an illustrator of their choosing the same cooperation is nescessary .

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