IF: UNFOLD

Now that I’ve completed the Three Billy Goats Gruff, it seems appropriate to post the entire book so that everyone can see it unfold. Thank you all for the feedback and support; Especially the feedback about the cover. I found it very helpful.

 

I spent the last 2.5 months working on this project and I learned so much! I enjoyed developing the characters and coming up with the thumbnails and thinking about the layout and perspective. It was so much fun! I know I am in the right place!

 

I am looking forward to working on other subjects now that this project is complete. This file will be available on my web site in both Flash and PDF. I hope you enjoy it!

HOW TO ASSEMBLE A DUMMY BOOK

This post is about the mechanics of putting together a booklet at home and making it look as professional as possible.

What you will need:

1. A nice well lit open area where you can spread your work comfortably
   
2. A cutting mat to protect your working area
   
3. A metallic ruler (you cannot cut into it)
   
4. An Exacto knife with a fresh blade and some extra blades in hand
   
5. A sharp point item such as a clothespin
   
6. A burnishing tool
   
7. A scoring tool or a dull knife (like a butter knife)
   
8. A few loose staples
   

I used InDesign, which is a publishing software to layout all of my pages and layout the text. I would recommend using this or similar software as this makes the layout process more intuitive and simple. I then printed the pages at home on regular printing paper and on both sides. This was tricky and it took a while to figure out. The biggest problem was getting the printer to line up the pages on both sides so when they were folded down the middle, they would match. One option is to print your spreads on one side and then spray the back and glue them together. However, I wanted to end up with thinner pages to make flipping the pages feel more natural. I won’t tell you all of the things I tried that did not work, but I can tell you that I chose the borderless option, and printed using the InDesign printer dialogue (not exporting to PDF as some suggest) and chose the print booklet option, crop marks on. From there, I figured out how to print only the front spreads, then flipped the page in the printer and printed only the bottom (back) spreads. This was really complex and I had to refer to my original sketchbook to figure out which pages went where and in what order they would print.

Now put it together…

Using your scoring tool or dull knife score every page down the middle

Fold each page and gently press on the crease with your fingers, then with the burnishing tool press down the crease to have a defined clean fold.

Stack the pages together and test that you have the pages in the correct order.

Now you could staple your book together, but I find that I can never be precise with my stapler and the staple always lands just off the fold line. This is how to do it manually…

Lay the dummy flat and unfolded on the mat board. Use the ruler to measure the distance from the top of the spine to where the first staple begins. Using your clothespin press down on the paper until you have perforated all of the pages.  Measure the width of the staple and make another hole on the paper to match the width of the staple. Do the same for the bottom part of the spine. You may use a third staple in the middle if you have a long spine. Now take the staple and push it through all the pages. Do this with all the staples. Flip your dummy and lay it flat on the mat. Push the staples inward with your fingers to close them and use the burnishing tool to make sure they are bent in to the paper as much as possible. Close the book dummy.

Use your metallic ruler and line it up with the crop marks and use your Exacto knife to cut off the excess paper. A few safety tips: Always cut away from your body, and apply firm pressure but not too much. Don’t expect to cut through all the pages in one pass. You may need 3 or more passes to cut through all those pages. Repeat on all sides. On my book I moved the ruler about an 1/8” out from the crop marks to allow for the pages that creep out more toward the center of the dummy, you many need to be flexible with where you crop the book.

Voilá! Your book is finished!

 

THE THREE BILLY GOATS GRUFF DUMMY BOOK COVER

This is the cover I have for the dummy. I posted the entire cover (front/back) and a close up of the front. There's not much in the way of point of view, but I thought it did a good job of introducing the goats. I decided to leave the troll out of the cover.

I'm still working on the last pages of the book. ANY feedback, good or bad, is really always welcomed. 

I hope to take pictures during the assembly process and post them here in the coming weeks.

IF: Craving

Little Tim Tin was surprised by a bunch of slimy little aliens when he went to the fridge to satisfy a midnight craving.

This week I'm only posting a sketch. I liked how it came out and I'd like to add color to it if I ever get the chance. I've been thinking a lot about my portfolio and realize that I don't have a lot of different subjects. Lots of children, but not a lot of other stuff. I'm not sure if this is portfolio worthy, but I think in terms of subject I'm definitely moving in the right direction.

I'm trying to wrap up the dummy book while the family has been fighting a virus. Hopefully, I'll have it all done by next week. Yay! I may post the cover separately, just to get feedback.

Have a great weekend, and thanks for all your comments...

IF: ADAPT

The Troll is trying to adapt to the changing circumstances by compromising with the two Billy Goats and letting them cross the bridge while waiting to eat the older bigger brother.

I missed last week's IF and missed visiting many of my favorite blogs...I really need to catch up! It was a busy week since we are wrapping up the school year and there's a lot of functions and extra curricular activities for the kids. The next couple of weeks will probably be  just as busy as we try to adapt to the new summer routine. I'm not looking forward to the scorching heat that's for sure!

My goal is to finish, print and bind the Three Billy Goats Gruff dummy book before our summer vacation which is in about a month. It seems like a lot of time, but really with all of the stuff that I have going on, seems a bit unrealistic. Well, nothing like working under pressure!

Have a great weekend, and thanks for stopping by.

IF: CONTAGIOUS

Poor Timmy, he's home sick with Chicken Pox!

It's a good thing his dog is keeping him company!

I needed a break from my troll and goats.  So I drew this earlier today. I had the idea in my head, but I did not think too much about composition, perspective, etc. If I had to do it over, I would change it some.

YES! I won last week's challenge at Monday Art Day! Please check them out if you haven' done so already. They have some great talent!  I was so surprised. I had not submitted anything in months because of time, and I submitted something last week and it won! It feels great to have a little validation.

I promised I would post the progress I'm making with the Three Billy Goats Gruff dummy. I had an incredibly productive week last week. I am also becoming more familiar with InDesign, which seems to be the software of choice. So long for Quark Xpress! 

There's a couple of spreads that I'm thinking about revising because now that I see them in color, the composition doesn't work as well as it did when I was looking only at the line work. Rather than getting stuck on revisions, I will continue to move forward and do the revisions at the end. -- I'm half way through. Yay!

Comments are always welcome!

This is the middle Billy Goat

IF:PARADE

The Small Billy Goat Gruff was unaware that the Troll was about to rain on his parade. Crossing the bridge would not be so easy!

This is a stretch for this week's IF.  However, I am happy to be making progress on this dummy book. I will be adding the text after I am finished. So the bridge may seem a bit much, but that's where the text is going to be.

I am painting birdhouses at the moment to give myself a break from the troll and goats.

Have a great weekend!

IF: HIERARCHY

The Three Billy Goats Gruff walking in hierarchy.

This is another spread for the BGG book I am working on. I really feel more comfortable with this medium than I did a few weeks ago. I can consistently replicate textures and brushes digitally and I really think it feels very much like my traditional work. I am very pleased with the progress I am making. Now if I can only get my 7 year old epson 3000 stylus printer to print without any lines, then everything would be working as it should!

Have a great weekend!

TODAY MY BLOG IS ONE YEAR OLD

Happy birthday to me and to my blog! It was a year ago that I made the commitment to be creative every week by having a blog and posting my work here. My friend Nicole encouraged me to get blogging!

It was shortly after, that I discovered the wonderful world of children’s illustrations and realized my new path and my new mission in terms of my career. I set a few goals for my self for the one-year term: Create a portfolio, update my web site, create promotional materials and attend a conference to receive feedback. I accomplished all of those goals in about 8 months, so I feel very good about reaching those goals. However, the last year has not been all that easy.

After my conference, I thought my work needed quite a bit of fine-tuning to make it more appealing to publishers, and I’ve been working toward improving my portfolio. My new project is to illustrate a whole book. However, my biggest hurdle the past few months has been time. I’m not sure how many of you could relate, but as a stay at home Mom, balancing career and family is sometimes a daunting task. I’m not saying it is easier for Moms that work out of the house, but I do think it is easier to manage time if you have a block of time where you are ‘just’ working without any distractions and you know your kids are well cared for by someone else. I think it is a challenge to be productive when you have to stop your day numerous times to drop off, pick up, cook, clean, help with homework, play dates, go to activities…this is without including the unexpected illness, hospital visit (which we’ve had 3 this year!) or simply paying bills, holiday gatherings, doctor visits and other tasks to run the house.

Earlier this year I wanted to send out promotional materials to publishers since I know it may be a while before I get a call back, but the thought of actually getting a call back and be given a chance and not be able to fulfill because of my time constrains, stopped me from moving forward.

I have been reminded many times this year that my time is not my own, I have come to the conclusion (this is not the first time either) where I think I need to step back, count my blessings, enjoy my young kids (they are only little once) and wait. The time will come, where I will be able to dive into my work. As long as I remain creative even a little I’m being good to myself… My youngest starts Kinder in 2010, so I do see a light at the end of the tunnel.

I love having a blog, it has allowed me to connect with people that I would other wise have never meet. I have met so many other creative people that have provided kind words of support, inspiration and friendship. It’s been fun!

For this second year, I will enjoy my art, experiment, have fun and continue to refine my portfolio.

 

Thank you all for your continuous visits, comments and friendship. They really touch my heart. It’s Friday! Celebrate my birthday! GO HAVE A DRINK!

If: THEATER

This is an old sketch I thought would work for this week's prompt.

I don't know what is happening in my cosmic field lately, but I just can't seem to

get enough time to make enough progress on anything! Things keep popping up that need my attention and take me off track. 

Here's a color version of one of the sketches from the Billy Goat Gruff.

IF: IMPOSSIBILITY

The Three Billy Goats Gruff

Dummy Book Sketches

Pencil and Photoshop

Detail

The youngest Billy Goat Gruff began to cross the bridge not knowing the impossibility of what was ahead...

 

I am making some progress with my dummy book, and I am very excited about it. This project has made me re-think my process. I am realizing that spending a ton of time on one illustration is okay, but when there's about 14 spreads to create, each step represents time that I could spend on another project, and it minimizes my productivity.

I had thought about time vs. productivity constrains before, but didn’t give it too much importance, since at the time I was more concerned with achieving a certain level of quality regardless of time. Today, I feel that I have more control over the outcome of the illustrations, and have become more comfortable working with acrylics, pens, brushes, and pencils. However, I do spend a great deal of time on my work. 

I have been fighting going completely digital for my own comfort. I enjoy the touch and feel of the paints, brushes etc, and it makes me feel like a true artist. It probably has something to do with having the traditional stereotype of an artist holding a palette while painting on a canvas with a brush etched in my brain.

Up until now, I have used the computer mostly to scan or tighten original sketches, or create a color guide for the final illustration. I have played with some IF posts where I’ve done a quick sketch, scanned it, and then colored it in Photoshop. These quick exercises have made me realized that I can make the cross over and cut my time in half!

I’m pretty pleased with the results so far and I think I will continue in this digital path… I guess you could also say that I am working against the seeming impossibility to cross over to digital

The Breeze Award

I just received an award! The incredibly talented and warm hearted Bella Sinclair just blew me away with this unique award created by Peter Breese!

In his very own words: The coveted Breese Award is given to six inspirational individuals; since most blog awards cater to odd numbers, this particular award was designed for the more even keeled folk. These six should be a collection of bloggers that have helped you, either directly or indirectly, to stay creative.

I love this award because since I started my blog almost a year ago, I have met so many giving people that have helped me, supported and inspired me throughout my creative endeavors and this is my way of saying thanks! I couldn't limit my selection to 6, but hey! I stayed with an even number!

• Bella Sinclair
  
• Nicole Merkens
  
• Diana Evans
  
• Deborah Mori
  
• Kathleen Rietz
  
• Tom Barret
  
• Heather Hanlin
  
• ChickenGirl
  
• Froggie
  
• Kathy Hare
  
• Alicia Padrón
  
• Roberta Baird

 

 

Welcome to My Studio

I have visited numerous blogs where people post images of their studio and they are usually very impressive and elaborate areas. I just finished cleaning out my studio and adding the armoire (in the picture) to add more storage space, so I thought it would be a good time to share my working space. My studio is a room in the house where I get to be by myself. There’s nothing fancy or special about it, other than it is my very own space. I have a ‘work table’ where I do all my drawings and assembly. I find I like this set up better than a drafting table. I used to have a drafting table and found that my pencils, Exacto knife and other tools would always roll down the table, even if I had a tray or a cup to put them back in. My lamp is a jewelry lamp with ‘natural’ lighting to mimic daylight when working at night.

Well, maybe there’s one special item in the room, and that is my easel. My husband gave it to me about 10 years ago, when we were DINKS. This easel is a piece of art! It is so versatile…It can hold huge paintings or small paintings. It has so many features; I honestly don’t know how to use them all!

I also have a large cork-board where I post some of my work, some inspiration, ideas, or whatever I am working on. I bought the self-sticky cork-board tiles at Target at a reasonable price and then put them on the wall. The tiles kept falling off and I thought I would have to rip off the remaining tiles, but then I used some tiny nails to hold them in place.

I think what I like the most about the studio is that I can go and get lost in my creative world and have some peace and quiet. My husband calls it ‘my sanctuary’.  I love it!

I have my computer set up in a different room that I share with my husband.

IF: FLEETING

I just finished this illustration (Pencil and Photoshop) and I was so excited to see that it actually matched the IF prompt for this week!

HAPPY EASTER!!!!