News On B&N ebook Publishing

Some quick updates on my experience on Barnes and Noble.com. Unfortunately due to my workload right now I have to make this a quick update and so I didn't compile the great information you guys have been sending in to me on publishing sites and software. If you're new to reading and watching my videos on ebooks please check out the great comments below and below other posts - that contain some of this hard to find information.

New Portfolio Piece - YA Cover

Here's another piece for my portfolio - I love creating a piece out of nothing. I started with photo reference of lizards and went from there.

Part 2 - ebooks Formatting etc.

This is a continuation of our discussion here on ebooks. Since this is such a new industry the only way we can get good information is to share what we learn with eachother. I'm putting together what I've learned in video form and answering questions as best I can with what I've learned. If you have any information that would benefit authors and illustrators I'd love to hear from you.


In this video you'll see what my back office looks like on the "Pubit" Barnes and Noble site.

Part1 - ebooks - Are they worth making?

Last week I got an email from Illustrator Laura Zarrin asking if I thought publishing my own children's ebooks is financially worth the time. I've published 3 of my own ebooks in the last 4 months and have learned so much in doing so. There was too much information to type out in an email so I thought I would just make a video and answer her question here. I hope this helps anyone contemplating this decision. If anyone has an more questions just leave a comment and I'll try to answer it.

Portfolio Work

I gave my Illustration 1 class this assignment:

Setting: Castle
content: One human figure
Concept: "Something's coming"

I was sketching at the in-laws and started working on it - liked it - decided to render it for my portfolio. I don't get young adult cover work so I thought I'd try to expand my portfolio to possibly attract some.

I was inspired by one of my students concepts - I hope he takes this as a compliment.

My Painting Class - Art Puzzle

Just for fun I took a picture of my mentor- Perry Stuart an amazing illustrator and figure artist and teacher at UVU. I enlarged it, printed it, mounted it on foam board, textured it, and cut it into pieces. The video begins with the pieces being handed out so my students could begin painting on top of the cut up photo. The fun part was watching them piece it together at the end. They had no idea it was a portrait of Perry.

Perry just started a new blog on figure drawing - check it out here!

Pollywog To Frog

I just released another ebook on Barnes and noble.com! My other books have really been encouraging. There are two things I really like about ebooks: 1) I love to draw fun simple little characters and 2) I like to be able to pay my bills. Publishing my own ebooks in my "spare" time allows me to do both. I carry my sketch book everywhere and so if I'm not writing I'm sketching and vice versa. Pollywog was written in the few hours I have in-between the two college classes I teach and the digital paintings were done in-between assignments.

One of the best things we can do as artists and business people is develop passive streams of income. The ability to earn money while you're sleeping, playing, or working on other projects is a really cool thing. I'm already working on my next ebook.

If any of you feel comfortable illustrating but not writing and would want to work on producing an ebook I have a professional well known author who would love you to take one of his manuscripts and turn it into an ebook. My brother in law is also available to take the finished jpeg files and produce the epub files necessary to publish your work. Just email me off list if you're interested: will@willterry.com

Just For Fun!

Last night I decided to avoid working on the projects that pay real money and do something just for fun. I painted this in photoshop last night sitting in our new recliner watching "The Thing" (1982 John Carpenter version)with my boys. I rendered it on my little netbook just to see how far I could take an image on that little $248 computer. Technology is getting really affordable for everyone.

I combined the background photo (google images) with my rendering to save time. FYI I would never do this for a paying client - I don't like confrontations, threats, law suits, etc. :)

What Flavor Are You?

I've been a freelance illustrator for almost 20 years and for the first 17 it was business as usual. In the last three years I've seen more changes in our industry than ever before. In some ways I must confess that if given the choice to see big changes or keep business as usual I would have ignorantly chosen the latter. Change isn't fun. Change is usually painful. Change is scary because not knowing feels insecure and most of us crave security. But the reality is that change is on the menu to stay - so our choices are to dine or leave the restaurant and starve.

In the past you were odd if you called yourself a freelancer. To most of the "normal" 9-5 crowd a freelancer was synonymous with freeloader or at best someone living on the fringe. Over time freelancers became more mainstream. Most freelancers (myself included)own their job. In other words, they get an assignment from a company and then through their skills, crafts, or abilities satisfy that assignment. If they aren't working they usually aren't earning so while they have more freedom they still have to work to earn.

Now we're seeing a whole new job description - The artist as "The Product". Greg Spalenka a world renowned illustrator calls it "Artist as Brand". In the past and present artist relied on companies to function as the liaison between them and the consumer. For gallery artists it was the gallery. For book illustrators - the publisher. For video game artists - the studio. These entities provide big money to produce and market products using art - the kind of money few artists could generate or commit themselves. The artist's risk is time - the companies risk is money. A symbiotic relationship that was virtually the only way - until now.

Don't get me wrong - I'm not saying that the days of these entities are over by any means but their roles are changing very quickly. The internet has in many ways leveled the playing field. Artist now have a direct line to the consumers of the products they create. Never before in the history of the world have artists had the opportunity to reach their audiences so efficiently. If you're a fine artist you can develop a following through social networking, blogging, emailing, etc. The same is true for children's book illustrators, art book artists, graphic novel and comic artists, art educators and so on. You say you want to produce your own video game? What's stopping you? Many iphone games are now being produced by solo tech savvy artists or artists teamed up with a tech person. A simple upload to itunes and if the game is good they could start raking it in.

The idea is that you can no longer use "nobody will hire me" as an excuse not to produce your own products. Many companies will go out of business in the near future. Many will adapt and thrive. For me I'm looking at each new request for my services in a different light. I'm trying to balance my freelance assignment time with time spent on producing my own projects.

I've realized that even though I've been illustrating children's books for over a decade and sold over 750,000 books (all combined) a very small percentage of my audience associates Will Terry with the books I've illustrated. This is a huge problem! We usually buy name brand products because people associate the brand with quality. I need to be constantly working on the Will Terry brand and for me one of the easiest ways to do that is to also start to write some of the books I illustrate. The reality is that it's an authors world and illustrators really take a back seat in many ways. As I see it an illustrator can complain or become an author.

Last year as I was getting my brain around the changes I was seeing in art related industries I became frightened and depressed. The insecurity was really getting to me. Now that I've started to take control of my own branding I'm finding the future exciting and I'm always thinking of new ways to take advantage of the technology that has fallen in our laps.

New Book with Helen Ketteman

So these are some character sketches from the new book I'm working on with Helen Ketteman - author of Armadilly Chili and The Three Little Gators among many others. This book is due out next year from Albert Whitman. Senorita Gordita is a re-telling of the little ginger bread man story in a south west flavor. It's full of fun characters and desert imagery and plenty of fun chase scenes. In short - I'm having way too much fun to be getting paid - don't tell A.W.

Michelle Bayuk answers your questions.

I'll start by asking the first question: Michelle, what kind of mistakes do you see beginning illustrators or for that matter professional illustrators make as far as the business side of their careers?...and don't use my name :)

Michelle: I think that authors and illustrators forget that it is a business and they are the lead spokesperson. And yes, you are creating art, but in the end, you need people to buy it. Do tell people about the book, even if it seems awkward. Have your publishers information handy. Have your author visit information handy. Always have a business card with you. Of course, you shouldn’t become that person who can only talk about their book, but there is a happy medium. Most people you meet would love to know. Oh, and don’t get too caught up in reviews and Amazon comments.

Mighty Kwan said...

Michelle, with so many social arenas open for self promotion, what are the best ways for an artist to promote and sell their own brand and identity? Are things like Facebook, Twitter, Flickr and DeviantArt preaching to the choir? Or are there other means of promotion that artists don't use as effectively as they could or should?

-Wilson

First of all, you do have to spend time preaching to the choir – especially when it’s a big choir. If you’re a new author or illustrator, the best place to build a fan base is with people who are already fans of your genre. If you’re established, your fan base needs to know when you have a new book. So, yes, you need to spend time on social media…BUT! You don’t have to do all of them and you shouldn’t be spending hours a day. After all, you do need to work on your next book. My suggestion is to start with one and see how it goes. All the various media have their own personalities and so do you. Find the one (or ones) that fit.

Basically, authors and illustrators need to be out there. You are the best spokesperson for you work…period. No matter how good a publicist is, they will never know your work better than you do. This used to be done through media tours and answering fan mail. Now, you can stay home more…but you still need to accept speaking engagements and go to conferences and other book events. You need to be part of the community, whether it’s online or in person.

Jack Foster said...

Hey Will, thanks for having Michelle on... and thank you so much Michelle for taking the time to answer questions.

Michelle, from the illustration side of children’s books, what would be the single most marketable aspect of an illustrator’s portfolio. I know that character design, style, color and quality all work together, but is there ONE thing that floats to the top? Also, I do not have an agent..... should I be considering one?

I know it sounds simple, but the ability to tell a story with your pictures. The best picture books have stories in both the words and the pictures. The illustrations are not necessarily literal interpretations of the text. If you haven’t already, go to the library and/or bookstore (preferably several and often) and take down 20 picture books. Sort them into piles of “doesn’t work” “almost works” “works” and “really works.” You’ll find a very diverse group of styles in each pile. Your job is to emulate the magic that makes the “really works” really work.

As for what I need as a marketer – a great book with eye-catching illustrations. Vague enough for you?

And then, speed. Publishers like illustrators that meet deadlines.

And yes, agents make life easier. It’s not always necessary, but it allows you to spend more of your time on the books, less on the paperwork. If you don’t have an agent, definitely have any and all contracts looked at by a lawyer that specializes in entertainment/publishing. You need to understand what you’re agreeing to and what you’ll get in return.

Marion Eldridge said...

Thank you, Michelle and Will for doing this!

MIchelle, I wondered if you could tell us a couple of characteristics of your dream picturebook from a marketing perspective. Or, maybe what types of books are in demand from a marketing point of view. Or, which are the easist to market. For example, holiday books, humorous books, etc. Sorry if that is three questions in one. Whatever is easiest to answer would be a great help!

Well, my dream picture book has amazing illustration and text and kids demand that it be read again and again—not very specific, am I? I think those perfect picture books are few and far between because magic is hard to capture. Artists should concentrate on finding and following a vision. As for what’s easiest to market – a new picture book by a New York Times bestselling illustrator or author! Other than author or illustrator name recognition, books with good hooks can be easier – back to school, holiday, cancer, bullying, etc. But there’s a big caveat, it still needs to be a good book and just because the topic is hot today, doesn’t mean it will be hot when the book is ready.

Phyllis Harris said...

Thanks for this opportunity, Will! This is timely since I just sent off a post card yesterday to Albert Whitman...well, actually it was the second time since I didn't realize Albert Whitman had moved to a new location and it came back in the mail. Oops! But anyway, I am an illustrator and I usually send post cards quarterly to clients I have worked with or would like to work with. I have been told to send post cards to either editors or art directors so I sent mine to Abby Levine. Does the editorial staff or the art director choose the illustrator for a project or is it more of a collaboration?

It’s definitely more of a collaboration. Our art director did a blog post you can find here -- http://albertwhitman.wordpress.com/2010/08/19/illustration-station-qa-with-an-art-director/


Thanks for participating guys - this was fun - and thanks Michelle for being so gracious and willing! You can visit Albert Whitman's blog right here!

Michelle Bayuk answers your questions!

Today I have a treat for you - Michelle Bayuk (Director of Marketing for Albert Whitman & Company) has agreed to answer questions from any of you. She is NOT an editor but she can answer questions related to publishing and specifically marketing in this crazy world of children's books. Albert Whitman has been very good to me over the years and I am now working on my sixth book with them. They have quite a track record from their early beginnings in 1919 they've seen their fair share of successes including the very popular "Box Car Children" series (which my mom read to me as a child).

Before coming to A.W. she served as the Marketing Director for the Children's Book Council as well as marketing and publicity positions at several other children’s book publishers, including Millbrook Press and Scholastic.

She's very qualified and very gracious to agree to answer questions you may have. So you can leave a question in the comments and in a few days I'll post her responses in another post.

I'll start by asking the first question: Michelle, what kind of mistakes do you see beginning illustrators or for that matter professional illustrators make as far as the business side of their careers?...and don't use my name :)

You have to unplug!

NEW BOOK - "Tickle Bugs" !

Oops I did it again - I couldn't help it - I had to make another ebook! Monkey & Croc has been doing so well that I've been moonlighting as a second illustrator - the one that doesn't sleep. I'm thinking I need to see one of those mad scientists like Michael Keaton did in the movie "Multiplicity" - I could use a few extra me's around to get everything done.

Tickle bugs is an attempt to explore a much simpler ebook void of backgrounds and complete with very simple characters. The audience is extremely targeted to the teething ring and diaper crowd. If you're wearing pull ups and sucking on a pacifier you just might like Tickle Bugs.

It's so much fun to take an idea from concept to finished product and published!!! in less than a month!!! We'll see if Tickle bugs can climb up the search ranking as fast as Monkey & Croc - I have a feeling that it will get progressively harder to get the same attention but I have to keep trying. The idea of author/illustrator as brand is way too exciting.

Tickle Bugs doesn't wiggle but if the reader holding the toddler is on the ball the little tike will be giggling at the end. Tickle Bugs is available at Barnes and Noble - click here.

Book Signing in L.A. for the CTA

Well I just finished signing books again for the CTA (California Teachers Association)in L.A. I blogged about this last year (click here if you want to read more in greater detail). Basically I was chosen to be the CTA illustrator in conjunction with "Read Across America" and the CTA chose Armadilly Chili to be their "RAA" book for the state of California for 2010-2011. Its such a great gig because they print up posters, conference folders, pencils, stickers, and for Armadilly - mugs, T-shirts, a plush Tex, and even an apron. Also, this year Helen Ketteman the author of Armadilly Chili was there to sign books and she's a hoot. This woman has more energy than the sun!



We signed books Friday evening and then were up at the crack of dawn to sign books all day Saturday. About 1000 teacher reps fly in from all over the state for their council meeting and most of them buy the books to take back to their districts for the upcoming read across America day on March 2nd. I was so lucky to get this opportunity!



My good buddy Wayne came with me to share in the fun - we also stopped in Vegas to visit family.

Now back to work - another book that Helen wrote - "Senorita Gordita" a retelling of the little ginger bread man story due out in 2012 by Albert Whitman.

Digital VS Traditional

This was a little mouse doodle in my sketchbook that I painted in Photoshop and posted a few weeks ago. Yesterday I painted it in acrylic as a demo for my Media and Techniques class at UVU. I thought it would be kind of neat to do a side by side comparison. I paint so dry that I just lightly put some Liquitex heavy gel medium down right in my sketchbook and painted him there. I like having a few paintings in my sketchbook - I always have a few finished pieces with me wherever I go.

Digital Painting In Photoshop - video series by Will Terry

So anyway, I had such a great response to my "How to Illustrate Children's Books" video series that I decided to make another series that explains in detail how I paint in Photoshop. I've had many requests over the last few years to actually make a tutorial on painting in acrylic but I never got around to it. So about a year ago I was introduced to digital painting by Jed Henry - a young illustration graduate and promising new upstart (He's already sold two books to major New York Publishers. His generosity in helping me learn how to re-create my acrylic style digitally will never be forgotten! So I'm sorry to report that I probably won't be doing any tutorials in acrylic painting but you never know.

In these videos I go from sketch to finish describing processes like: making and importing a texture, under-painting, value, brushes, layering, design, and many other aspects of coming up with your own personal way of thinking and working. If you want to know how I paint from start to finish you might be interested in these videos.

Just to be clear - these videos are not a general "How To" in Photoshop but rather a "How Will Terry fumbles his way into a digital painting with a very limited knowledge of photoshop" In other words you could say these are photoshop videos for dummies like me. I try to use as few tools as possible because part of my philosophy is simplicity and reduction lead to purity and essence.

Above is the digital painting that I start and finish in the videos so if you hate that painting DON'T BUY THE VIDEOS! :) Click here to purchase the videos.

Drawing For Kids - video series for preK - 3rd

Ok, This is totally embarrassing but I'm putting it up here because it fits with the whole children's book theme of this blog. Be prepared - you're going to see some bad acting. Someone long ago should have told me to take acting courses because you almost need those skills to keep kids engaged...either that or just act stupid. My sister Ellen is a reading specialist in Maryland and she's always telling me how lame some peoples school visits are. In her words, "No, Will, you have no idea...the guy read in a monotone voice material that was way above grade level and had no pictures to show"..."Then he talked to 1st graders like they were adults...the kids were squirming almost as much as the teachers!"

So, enter my series, "Drawing For Kids". My idea was simple - use the fast evolving internet marketing idea of providing value and driving traffic to your website. Seems simple but in the back of my mind I'm thinking, "This is a lot of effort with no guaranteed return."

Earlier last year I had a conversation with myself and decided to agree on a mission statement for myself. What we came up with was less than earth shattering but satisfying for me and the voice inside: 1) Create the best art I can. 2) Be smart with my time. 3) Provide value to the world. 4) Help others to realize their dreams.
The rules are simple but not always that easy to follow. But making these videos clearly fit into number 4 so I decided to put them out there for free and hope that teachers could find them.

I'm not going to pretend that I'm not hopeful that by having my books and website in the background I sell more books and get more paying school visits - but the main purpose of these videos is to teach children. I've seen too many attempts to create value but then muck it up with a crass commercial interruption that leaves the viewer feeling like the whole thing was a waste of time. Anyway Making this took the better part of a weekend and now that they are finished I can sit back and smile every time a teacher sends me their students artwork - so far three different teachers have sent in their students work - that's a huge payoff!

You can view all 5 videos here: http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=0455BA1360AC306D

Also I have a new teacher section on my website: http://www.willterry.com/kidscourse.html

The Great Digital Land Rush!

Disclaimer: I'm no expert here - but I have to share what I've learned both as encouragement and as a warning. The encouragement is to help you find the motivation to start publishing your stories and illustrations digitally. The warning is that if you don't do it soon you might have regrets in a year or two or sooner.

I've been doing a lot of reading of various blogs and web pages about self publishing digitally and most agree that we are seeing a change in publishing the likes of which we haven't seen in our life times. Until now the gate keepers have been large traditional publishers. They held the keys because they could afford to put up the tens of thousands of dollars to print large runs of picturebooks. Also, they had established complicated distribution channels that an individual author/illustrator would be hard pressed to compete with. Most of this hasn't changed. The day of the large publisher is definitely NOT over and I'm glad - I like the publishers I work with and most of them have been very good to me.

What has changed is how inexpensive it is to publish your work which means that one of the two cards publishers held has evaporated. Now the only real advantage a large publisher has is a distribution channel. I'm not underestimating how important this channel is either. Large traditional publishers have relationships with stores that you and I do not. They have publicists working for them to promote our books and editors to polish the final products. They have customers that they've established long before you or I ever worked with them. They know the business better than us. They submit our books to all the major book awards and from what I've been told that list is well over 200. Imagine trying to research, compile, address, and pay for 200 give away books and shipping just to put them in the hands of jurors who probably won't pick your book anyway. And I'm sure there are a lot more things that they do that I'm overlooking.

Having Said all that - I still see a huge opportunity that isn't going to last forever. Like the Oklahoma pan handle rush of 1889 there was opportunity for a limited time and then it was OVER. For the first time in our lives a new platform is emerging that is giving the early birds a distinct advantage. I'm sure that you've all thought about ebooks - I have been for the past year or more. However, I never realized how important it is to be first to market until I started reading and researching. It only takes an hour or so poking around on Amazon or Barnes and Noble to see self published books doing extremely well. One in particular featuring a dragon has been flirting with number one in ebooks on B&N for the last month.

If you've been reading my blog you know that I just published my first ebook - Monkey & Croc and that it's doing pretty well on B&N. The only reason it's doing as well as it is - is because of the lack of competition. Right now there are a little over 500 ebooks for children ages 3-5 on B&N. Crazy right? Think of how many thousands of books there are in hard copy in that group. Look, I don't even own an ereader but you can't ignore this new format - it's coming on strong. Amazon says that for any particular book that they sell in physical format - they sell 48 digital copies of the same book. That number is growing every month.

Aside for being early to market you can afford to sell an ebook for only a few dollars because the only cost you have is your time. Right now the big publishers are selling their ebooks in most cases for about the same price as their hardbacks. This is another reason to get your book to market quickly. While they sell their books high - we can sell ours low and create an advantage for the buyer. Think about it...if you bought a new ereader or ipad and you wanted to load it with content wouldn't you gamble on a few unproven $2 and $3 books since the alternatives are $12.99 books that you might already own?

My belief is that if you can create a following due to timing - your book could gain the kind of momentum that could build a franchise. If this happens there's also a good chance that a traditional publisher would want to buy your book and print hard copies. Another option is that you incorporate a print on demand publisher and offer hard copies on your own. Either way the future is bright for self published books. I think that there will always be a place for large publishers but now there is a much larger place for self publishers.

Some drawbacks: You won't have the benefit of an editor and this places a great responsibility back on your shoulders. My suggestion is to acquire the help of a professional writer and/or join a critique group that can help you polish your story. Another obstacle is finding software that will easily let you turn your jpeg images into an ebook. This was a very frustrating process for me and without the help of my brother in law I don't think I would have been able to release Monkey & Croc. There has been talk about Barnes and Noble, Amazon, and Itunes holding back publishing software and only releasing it to large publishers. Monkey & Croc suffered a bit with a few minor hiccups because we couldn't get that software. I think that this will soon change as open source programs become available. Where there is a need someone will fill it.

I published Monkey & Croc on Barnes and Noble's Pubit.com site. They take 35% of every sale but they give you an account for free and you can check your sales in your back office any time you like. It's neat to go in and check every day or so. My friend Julie Olsen and her husband Rhet are developing an app for Monkey & Croc for the itunes store.

Finally for those who don't think that parents won't turn their kids loose with an expensive ereader to beat up you're right. However think of the advantages - Carrying an unlimited amount of picturebooks on a plane, train, or automobile will keep kids passified much longer than the few books parents can carry in hard copy form. And how nice will it be for the parents who have long commutes with children in tow to and from day cares. How long do you think it will be before they develop the kid proof ereader? I suspect it's around the corner.

At the beginning of my illustration career I was asked to complete an illustration about email - I asked the art director, "What is email". It's happening now.

The Artist In Me

I don't know if you can see it but that little boy has an artist trying to find it's way out. My parents should have known when I took apart my brand new transistor radio. My sisters should have known when I removed their barbie doll heads - it wasn't that I took pleasure in the removal of the heads. It was seeing how many different reactions I could create in their emotions. By the time my motor skills really developed I painted my masterpiece - Three barbie dolls owned by three different sisters all coming off at the same time. Magnifique!

Without boring you with all the details I had a pretty typical American exposure to art in junior high and high school. I was always pretty good but there were always those who were much better.

Making it into college was a challenge - I really didn't fit in the one size is supposed to fit all public school system. I had quite a bit of trouble with reading comprehension, science and history always netted below average grades and forget about math...that left art and music...the only two bright spots on my report card.

On the other hand the little girl in the picture was destined for academic honors...if you look close you can see that she knows it too. :) (Love you Beth- look what she does!)

So on to college and more bad grades in english, history, science, and math - what's new right? Art on the other hand was still keeping me in the game with my grades. Kind of like adding base to acid. (I did remember that from science class)

Then...upon applying for the BFA at BYU I distinctly remember hearing the earth crack as I was barely allowed in on probation. PROBATION???!!! in art??? but I'm supposed to be good at art - at least that's what everyone had been telling me. How could this be? If not art then what?

I finally had to come to terms with the fact that my past effort had taken me as far as I could coast. It was time to admit that I wasn't the savant I thought I was. That I had to get to work - that I had to humble myself and start listening and learning from my teachers - mainly Richard Hull and Bob Barrett - also Rob Colvin. If not for them I wouldn't be able to enjoy a successful illustration career. (Ironically I was later hired to teach part time at BYU by Richard Hull)

One of the reasons I wanted to release my "How To Illustrate Children's Books" video series is to help others learn those very important principles that can be the difference between success and failure. I know how frustrating it is to wallow in depression when a piece doesn't work out....when you spend a lot of time on an image and you wish you had never started it. I know what it's like to try to talk yourself into liking your own work. And I know what it feels like when you show a new piece to someone and their facial expressions just can't lie as good as their lips....and how when you work and re-work a piece and re-work it some more you want to smash it and scream. Been there. I'll admit it I've shed real tears over my art and I don't cry very often...although "Driving Miss Daisey" gets me every time.

I wanted to post this as encouragement to my fellow artists - and leave you with this: I've realized that all those frustrations, emotions, disappointments and tears have led to one happy camper. I love my job. :)

How To Illustrate Children's Books

I'm so pleased to announce my new video series - "How to Illustrate Children's Books".

I made these videos while my kids played xbox and my wife caught up on her reading. It was a choice between relaxing doing dishes, cleaning bathrooms, and taking my turn cooking OR...Making a video series. It was a toss up - on one hand I'd get the satisfaction of cleaning and watching my kids mess it up again or creating something that I've been thinking about for quite some time.

I've put quite a bit of work into my college picture book class but I always thought I could do more with it. In class the images that I show are static and often leave me feeling that I could have done better. Video is a much better medium for showing someone exactly what you mean in many cases. Don't get me wrong - I demo in my classes but sometimes you just aren't prepared or equipped to do exactly what you want. I've tried to include just about every aspect of the children's book making process in this series to provide viewers with a basic knowledge of what they need to work on.

It's definitely not perfect but I'm proud of the work I put into it and hope that it brightens the lives of those who want to learn more about narrative illustration. Perhaps this isn't your cup of tea but if you know anyone who might appreciate it send them a link - I can't wait to get feedback!

Monkey & Croc Book Release!!!

I'm so proud to announce the release of my new ebook Monkey & Croc! I've had so much fun making this book and getting it ready before Christmas. I also had way too much fun with the trailer - I think I've watched too many movies. I now have the beginnings of a store on my site and you can download a PDF version of this book if you look over to the upper left side of my blog. If you happen to have a Barnes and Noble Nook ereader you can by this book from barnesandnoble.com Also Julie Olsen and her husband are working on an iphone and ipad app to release this book on itunes soon. I'm undecided whether to sell my book on Amazon right now - the kindle is still black and white and it looks like there is no color version in sight right now.

I'm not planning on publishing a hard copy version of this story on my own. Perhaps if it does well someone will want to offer it fully bound but until then it will only be in electronic form.

I really wanted to explore this new digital format and basically kick the tires on what's available right now. I've learned a lot in this process and have many more ideas for future books. Monkey and Croc has just begun but I have a feeling you'll be seeing more of them in the future.

I couldn't have done this without the help of my critique group - Brotique - I heavily rely on their help to tell me when my stories aren't any good. Like any good group of guys they don't sugar coat it - an average critique might sound like this: "dude - that sucks" or "ummmm - what were you thinkin???" Check out the Bros at Brotique.

Text Book Covers for Innovatus

This year I painted 9 textbook covers for Innovatus in acrylic. It was a really fun project and I got to work with Karen Steinberg who I had worked with over 10 years ago when she was at Harcourt. It was interesting coming up with "acceptable animals" - apparently not all animals are created equal in educational publishing...some come with baggage. In some countries certain animals are sacred and yet others are "dirty" and not fit for the classroom. It was a challenge finding usable animals without repeating.

Also I found it funny that in this cover the animals absolutely had to wear helmets for safety but were allowed to desecrate natural arches with their combustion engine desert machines - up to a $5,000 fine in a national park.

Prehistoric Headstone

I was sketching in my sketchbook this week and this just kind of happened...I hadn't painted a pile of rocks before so of course I had to find out what it would look like in color. I say paint but of course I used photoshop - still feels like painting to me. Then the next logical step was to make it into a video. I sent it to my sister Beth who said its boring, "make something move or something cool". So I did. This is my prehistoric headstone - I have no idea what is buried beneath or who the kid is - seriously - weird things happen when you just start drawing.

Hansel and Gretel images are in!

Well today is the day - I'll be adding images as I receive them. If you haven't been following over the past few weeks I decided to post images from anyone who wanted to participate in the assignment I gave my college class. To catch up - scroll down and find the first post on November 8th. It's always very interesting to see the variation in style and concept that comes from different artists. I was going to try to finish an image for this assignment but ran out of time and got a nasty cold as well. That's my excuse - good story huh?

I'm going to give a few observations for each piece but I won't be able to give a comprehensive critique on all of these images. I think it would be great if you guys want to give your opinions as well - I only ask that you do it tastefully. Art is so subjective and I certainly don't have all the answers. Stripped of innuendo a typed comment can easily come off the wrong way and we don't want anyone to feel worse for having participated. Lets make it fun!



Really nice work Cameron - strong overall design and a fun twist on the story. The layout is easy to read and understand - I think the concept would work even better if the girl was eating closer to the boy. Hansel and Gretel are in some ways one character as far as the story goes and separating them begins to turn ambiguous. I also think it would be good to be able to tell that the house is made of ginger bread or graham cracker or something like that - perhaps icing could be seen in the seams.


This piece comes from Von Brimhall and would make a nice vignette in the story. You have a nice feel for creating energy in the bird and great contrast between the bird and background. I think you could create a more subtle transition to black again or fade to white. The scratches above and behind the bird are really bold - they draw attention when they should help create relief. More detail on the feet would help to finish this into a really nice piece!


Andrew Finnie has a hauntingly beautiful style and his image for Hansel and Gretel brings us face to face with the reality of this grim tale. We are so insulated from the raw stories once told to children around the world. I really like all of the details found around the room - they add visual flavor to the concept - the cat in motion is wonderful. I'm having a hard time understanding what the old woman and girl are doing. We can clearly see the boy trapped in the cage and looking for a way out - great. I love the glowing light in front of the old woman - I just don't know why it's there.


This is a great piece from Kari Larsen - I love the mood she has set with the color and dark values, dark birds, trees, contrasting with the light innocent skin tones of the children. The scale of the large tree also creates good contrast showing how vulnerable the kids are. The children really look lonely and scared with older brother doing his best to comfort little sister - great story telling! More delineation on the edges of the foreground tree would be consistent with background edges. More attention could be given to the construction anatomy of tree roots in the foreground tree - in keeping with your style. It would also be nice to see more light on ground below children helping to define dark side of children. Bringing children up or adding more image at the bottom would give you the space you need. Great Job!


This art is from Aaron Anderson. This is a fun take on the story - inviting house, cute kids, enticing treats...I'm sold - I want a piece of this house! I think it would be more comfortable compositionally to have included the entire figures of the children...and I think this piece could have more impact if there was a more direct level of focus/movement controlled by value - I forgot to mention this in class today but if you preserve the brightest whites for the most important areas - or area. We also had a debate about whether the kids would venture into the house with a witch standing in front - conceptually I think it would be better to make her an old lady but make it clear that she has ulterior motives.


Nice work Michael Nikola! This guy usually paints in oil but can also get that really nice painterly look in photoshop. :) This piece has a really nice mood set with evening sun and contrasting shadows. We get the feel that even though this might get scary everything is going to be ok because big brother is watching out for little sister. Nice color harmony overall. I think you could give more of an indication of the distant house - perhaps centered in the symmetrical negative space you provided - or left out and give us more trees going back into the distance. A careful attention to anatomy and detail in the foreground would tighten up and bring focus and interest into your work. Nice.


This is a really cool style by Eric Arballo. The simplicity of form is charming and very readable. A good style for children's books. Creamy pastel colors and texture give unity consistently throughout this piece. Right away I get what part of the story we are in. With more attention to anatomy on the figures, less demand would be placed on the viewer to decide if the figures are children or adult. Dropping the hill down would give more room to see some of the father's legs. Love the simplicity of the crow - nice shape design.


This is a fun piece from Rani Bean. A fun overall composition - sweeping foreground tree leads the eye in a circular direction. A fun house shape and interesting characters make your piece very unique. The figures feel a bit low as their hands get close to the edge of the image. Dressing up the house with recognizable candy would help with the overall storytelling. Strong shadows on background trees would be consistent with shadow from house. Lightening values on the figure's faces would make them seem more alive.


This one comes from Emily Decker. I think if I were walking through the forest and happened on a cottage like this I'd be in the old lady's cage in no time. A strong foreground and misty middle ground gives drama as the forest fades away in the distance. Good storytelling with the figures - I get the sense that the older brother is trying to convince the sister to venture further. I like the moody mist but I wonder if it is carried too far? I didn't think of this in class but without explaining where the mist is coming from I think it tends to be more than what is necessary to tell this story. Foreground trees should probably have the same focus as the children. While I know that the kids are going to be darker because they are in the foreground I think you pushed this a little too far. More light on the kids could bring more life into them. If you want to keep a strong silhouette you could bring the sky down behind them - a part in the woods.


We have a late comer! This beautiful piece is from Angela Matteson - She's a children's book illustrator and package designer from Columbus Ohio. Using the story of the three little pigs is a fun way to spice up this vintage story. I love her quirky stylizations of these characters. The piglets are lured by cupcakes, cookies, and huge candy apple. I love the cookie shutters - I wish there were more hidden goodies like that - perhaps the roof line, edge of house could have decorative treats? Flower bed? I wonder if the lower left corner of the illustration could bring the eye back up with some sort of object - path, foliage, etc. Fun illustration!

Better late than never - here is an image from K.H. Whitaker - wife, mother, grandmother and aspiring children's book writer/illustrator. I love the feel of this piece. The candy is so inviting I'm thinking about sneaking over there and taking some myself. I also really like the textures on the fabrics in the old lady's clothing. This has a really nice traditional feeling for the original story except I feel that the witch isn't witchy enough - she's so sweet. I think the grandmother in you is too afraid to scare these young ones - the original story isn't very friendly and actually isn't compatible with children's literature today. I feel that the background starts to get too dark...scary but perhaps would help the tree and house stand out more if lightened a bit. Thanks for letting me post this.

I made this on Xtranormal.com

Have you ever been in this situation??? It's always awkward. It would be flattering if these people knew my work but most don't. Anyway, I had fun typing this in on xtranormal.com. You can waste a lot of time there - I better get back to work.

Happy Holidays!

I couldn't wait to do a Seasonal piece this year. I finished this one (created in photoshop) last month but figured I'd wait till after Thanksgiving to post it. I'm sending this out as a post card so if you're an art buyer and want to be on my list send me your contact info and I'll shoot you one pronto!