Bye-bye Fox and Crow

With this week's new assignment coming in, it is time to say bye-bye to the Fox and the Crow.  Don't worry, I will still finish coloring the double-page spread!

Bye-bye Fox and Crow!

MATS Part A Week 3: The making of The Fox and The Crow book cover

I love children's books.  To be more precise, I love children's PICTURE books.  I hope one day I can publish my own picutre books.  But for now, I illustrate the front cover for this week's MATS assignment: The Fox and The Crow.

In the previous two blog posts, the preliminary handsketches of the book cover and the inside double-page spread were revealed.  After sketching, I traced them onto the paper using carbon paper getting ready for painting.  [Carbon paper is such a vintage item.  In the old days when computers were not yet popular, carbon paper was used to duplicate documents, either by hand or by typewriter].  I gessoed the paper surface.


Tracing book cover sketch onto to a piece of gessoed paper 

Tracing book cover: Done

 

Close-up of book cover lineart



Tracing inside double-page spread



Tracing double-page spread: Done

Close-up of the double-page spread lineart

I have not used my brushes for quite a while, the snail speed proved that I could only finish the book cover, but not the spread.  Never mind.  As it has already been sketched, I will paint the spread anyway.  In fact, I love the the spread more than the book cover, since two pages allow spacious room to include more characters and create a richer scene.  I can even bring in the DREAM of Mistress Crow who was happy to hear Master Reynard's flattery that she is Queen of the birds.

Below is the finished art for the book cover.  Yet to create the book title by handlettering.

Almost finished ... yet to add the book title

To me, book title needs to be BIG and eye-catching.  While my book cover art is seemingly busy, I have decided that the book title should carry no color (to avoid competing with all the other colors already there) but to be in plain white.

Handlettering of the book title painted in Prussian Blue but then inverted to white

After all the handmade parts are completed, I moved to work digitally.  I inverted the color of the handlettering to white and added to the book cover, inserted also the author and illustrator line at the bottom.

The final art for submission looks like this:

The Fox and The Crow, story by Aesop, pictures by Kris Tsang

The Fox and The Crow WIP (2)

Okay, I have also made a sketch of the inside double-page spread (not completely finished, but getting close). Coloring tomorrow.

Front cover AND the double-page spread sketches

Double-page spread sketch

The Fox and The Crow WIP (1)

To an artist/illustrator/designer, the scariest thing in the world is a blank plain white sheet of paper sitting in front of you.  To create something from nothing to something, the first thing to mess that white page!

Initial sketch

Maybe this look clearer?

How to illustrate The Fox and the Crow

Busy finding the best way to illustrate The Fox and The Crow ... Should I draw the cover, or do the 2-page spread inside the book?  Either is difficult.  BUT, I have already figured out solutions for both.  Will try to do two sketches tomorrow, and color them.  Then, decide which one to submit.

Finding the best way to illustrate The Fox and The Crow

Fox? Forks?

Fox? Forks?

More foxes .. and crows for MATS Part A Week 3

Okay, foxes are less fat like cats.  I have tried some other fox doodles with slender bodies :-)  They care less if they look good; they enjoy themselves with different poses and emotions!

Sketching, sketching ...

Foxes, foxes, foxes ...

This week's MATS Mini: The Fox (and the Crow)

The Mini for this week's MATS market (children's picture book) is to sketch a fox (and a crow).  I am thinking what personality should my fox have.  Usually, foxes have a slender body and are clever and nasty, but I think they can also be plumpy and cute.  It depends on the story.  Well, the crow, should he be a friend or enemy?

Fat Fox and Crow Boy

Rob Silvestri's Ormie the Pig short film

This short film of Rob Silvestri is SO GOOD! Must watch.

Home Decor - Ceramic Plates: Succulent Series

Tried to mock up two plates. Will you buy them to cheer/scare yourself after you finish the food?  Ha ha!

"Succulent hairstyle" ceramic plate

"Succulent hairstyle" ceramic plate on table








"Cactus" ceramic plate

"Cactus" cerami c plateon table

Succulents

Doodling some succulents for this week's MATS Part A assignment for Home Decor market.

Succulents on my head!

Birthday wishes

Best wishes for two friends' birthday.  Painted in pastel on paper.

April Fools

Today is April 1.  A day for the Fools (you?)?

April Fools Day.