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| Indiana drawing |
Just recently my daughter expressed her love to draw. I felt very proud, but more so that she has found a great gift in this life, that of creativity.
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| Rendered Mr Sleepyhead and with some elements for page 1 |
Continuing on from the previous post, now a step closer to a rendered bear and some background elements, for page 1.
An observation I have made regarding color, from the classic Golden Books is the use of neutral colorings. Neutral maybe also meaning natural colors - which seem to be 'earthly', muted, and less on the fully saturated scale. Not to say that more saturated colors weren't used in the classics, but that they were used sparingly.
I know that there is a hierarchy in this, to control where emphasis is best placed on images.
So much to learn with color. But loving it, all the same.
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| Mr Sleephyead - values |
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| Some elements for page 1 - close ups |
As always, thank you for visiting. Take care
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| Rendering with inked outlines |
The decision visually was to not have any outlines for the character, and of his background. My reasoning behind this is to create a softer look.
This has been a complete shift for me artistically, as much of my art work is outlined in ink.
For this book, I really want the story to feel welcoming, warm and cosy.
The idea behind the book is about a bear going to a place of comfort and rest, his bed. And of the routines to slow down, close your eyes, and sleep.
Hopefully I have captured that cosy-welcoming feeling in these below images.
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| Rendering without inked lines |
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| Rendering close ups |
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| Maurice Sendak bear study |
Mr Sleepyhead bear, I felt, wasn't doing it for me (visually). And this was confirmed further when I stumbled across a recent bear drawn by Maurice Sendak. After doing the sketch of the Sendak bear, I realised that my bear head needed to be more square-like.
So, out with the old head, and in with a newer variation.
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| Mr Sleepyhead version 2 |
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| Mr Sleepyhead - rough color flats |
As always, thanks for visiting. Take care.
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| Maurice Sendak Tribute illustration |
Only recently
did I discover the brilliance of Maurice Sendak.
I was
familiar with ‘Where the Wild things Are’ and can remember as a younger child
seeing those fantastical monsters, and of Max in his wolf suit. But now that
have I delved into his other works, and much to my delight, many books on the
man himself – I have come to find a creator that I very much admire. And now often
look to, for words of wisdom, wit, and wonder, as a child might.
What is it
that I find most magical about Mr. Sendak’s creativity?
Word
play
There is a rhythm of words, that as you read, are fun to speak. To hear also. They
sound magical. Maurice had this gift. Here’s one example, from ‘In the Night
Kitchen’.
‘Where the bakers who bake till the dawn so we
can have cake in the morn mixed Mickey in batter, chanting: Milk in the batter!
Milk in the batter! Stir it! Scrape it! Make it! Bake it!
And they put that batter up to bake a delicious Mickey-Cake’.
It just has
such a great lively tempo. And you also understand what is happening. No easy feat,
I am sure.
Ok, another example, from of course ‘Where the Wild things are’.
‘But the wild things cried, “Oh please don’t go
– we’ll eat you up – we love you so!”
And Max said, “No!”
The wild things roared their terrible roars and gnashed their terrible teeth
and rolled their terrible eyes and showed their terrible claws
but Max stepped into his private boat and waved good-bye’.
Playful
illustration
The tempo
of text also resonates with his pictures. On the one hand, the pictures are fully
grounded, in a world we could grasp. A kitchen, a bedroom, at your aunties
house. Yet the characters lived vivaciously through their actions, and
imaginings too. Fully - animated.
Like Mickey, flying high in a plane made of dough for ‘In the Night Kitchen’.
Max, and his rumpus of wild things baying at the moon and swinging through
trees.
The child in me just loves these illustrations, teased to see what next will
happen. So full of wonder. Maybe a little scary too.
And this is why I think the text and images of Maurice Sendak’s picture
books work so well. The movement, both in text and illustration, melded
together, yet working independently to create this culminative delight, a
wonderous story. Worth re-reading, many-many times over.
So, in closing, my humble offering, to a great man, now gone.
Thank you,
Maurice Sendak, for your boundless pursuit and deliverance, of stories so
wonderfully made. Timeless. Universal. For the children in all of us. To ponder
fourth with curiosity and an insatiable delight, for life.
Maurice Sendak, Age 83, 8th May 2012
The above illustration I created in Sketchbook (desktop version), then rendered with the additional text in Adobe Photoshop.
I will post up again soon some conceptual sketches in preparation for my tribute to Mr Sendak, soon.
As always, thanks for visiting. Have a great day/night, wherever you are..."and now", cried Max, "Let the wild rumpus start".
Very grateful for school holiday programs.
Mrs Snuggly monster also climbed a tree with my daughter, our favourite tree. Just around the road from where we are living. Grateful for trees. Aren't they the best.
Take care, thank you for visiting.
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| Mr Sleepyhead - color inspiration |
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| Mr Sleepyhead - color version 1 |
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| Mr Sleepyhead color variations |
I changed the hand (reaching for clock) of Mr Sleepyhead (see previous post for example). My wife commented that it looked a bit too cartooney – which I agree.
