What Makes Your Characters “Tick”?
Let’s look at the beginning of a picture book story.
The initial step is introducing your main character. Can you tell us what he/she is thinking?
What is their prime directive? What motivates them? What problem are they confronting in your story?
I love sharing this series of spreads created by graphic design pioneer Bruno Munari — an Italian Paul Rand — who loved children’s picture books. This is from his book The Elephant’s Wish.
Here’s Elephant, who wishes he could be as carefree as a bird…
Bird wishes he could swim. Can you guess why?
Snake wishes he could graze majestically like a bull . . .
Bull wishes he could be like the elephant. Why? Then he could swish away those pesky flies! We come full circle by the end of the book.
Artist Laurent Moreau contemplates himself!
By Laurent Moreau. A girl dreams of being by the sea
Here’s the cover, which hints at the animals’ thoughts, while intriguing us with an unusual graphic.
Check out how Laurent Moreau lets us in on his characters’ thoughts:
The cover from “What Are You Thinking?” by Laurent Moreau
Ah, a play on line textures and far away thoughts by Laurent Moreau…
This woman is full of jealous thoughts. By Laurent Moreau
What a little girl in costume imagines, by Laurent Moreau
What an absorbing story! Could she be lost into it? By Laurent Moreau
Subconscious memories from a famous
folk tale, by Laurent Moreau
What a boy thinks
by Laurent Moreau
What one young woman
pines for, by Laurent Moreau
It’s all math to some people!
What a beautiful mind!
A nature lover!
Try it yourself! This one is by Marcia Sorini,
an elementary school teacher (see part 2, below)
Check out what other students have created here!
Drawing a story? Do this exercise with each of your characters first.
Check out more results here!
This may be the first book cover that actually teaches how to letterspell “A B C” in American Sign Language! (click to enlarge)
Let’s start with unveiling the cover itself. It features a lenticular!
And it’s going on press this month! I’m so excited!
Why? Because it all began as a list of words on a spread sheet almost five years ago. Gallaudet University Press lined up a team of illustrators for their upcoming definitive American Sign Language reference (think Merriam-Webster, but for signing), aimed at the pre-school through grade 3 level. It had to be usable for hearing families as well as the deaf and hearing-impaired.
Page 1 from the Dictionary
One of the illustrators already on board was Debbie Tilley. When agent Richard Salzman discovered it was (a) Gallaudet first foray into children’s books and general trade; and (b) they expected Debbie to produce the layouts too, he recommended they contact me to pull it all together for them. It was a dream project for all of us!
392 pages of full color! It looks like a graphic comic, with over 1,000 word entries, fully illustrated. Plus it includes a DVD featuring a rainbow of children signing. There’s also a special feature on forming sentences.
Over the next few weeks, I’ll guide you on the process. It will be like a diary on the making of a children’s reference classic. . .
Spread from pages 238-239 (click to enlarge)
You will witness exclusive behind-the-scenes book making. Stay tuned. That’s why I’ve been away for so long. Been dictionary-ing…
It’s about seeing common shapes differently. Like D.Frog
sasquach!
Every new class I teach is like embarking upon a new adventure mind trip.
It’s good to re-visit familiar terrain from a wholly different angle. Here, I do it upside-down, sideways, anyway-but-regular. I see it as the ultimate brain synapse challenge. Like quickie sit-ups, with a lilt!
For instance, I love drawing from Emberley. In each of the following, we start with the letter D, step-by-step. . . but holding the book itself upside down.
This is the way to see PURE SHAPE. Forget about the end result entirely.
Fact: Guess who has the hardest time doing the above — from all the people who’ve taken my illustration class — the artists, or the writers? The seasoned artists. Not all of them, but just a few. Why? It’s unfamiliar, not envisioning the end-result. These renegades then discover they are falling back into old patterns of drawing, unwilling to try something new. I remind them that this is the way to venture into new terrain. To discover new possibilities in drawing. How letting go of certain drawing habits will set them free. And when they allow it to happen, they smile. Inevitably.
Try any of the following. Bonus: If you render these, purely as shape, you can do them in ANY size, from tiny to titanic — no sizing tools needed!
D-turtle
D-porcupine
D-mouse
Then notice how these same shapes re-occur in everything around you. . . .
The above images are progressive drawings from Ed Emberley’s Drawing Book of Animals, © 1970 by Edward R. Emberley, animated as .GIFs . This book is the required textbook at my UCSD Extension class, Illustrating Books for Children. I think everyone needs this book in their lives. Follow each step. Watch it change the way you see your world.
Greetings! If you live, work, or are vacationing this summer in the San Diego area, consider creating stories with pictures at my class, on the beautiful campus of UCSD in La Jolla!
Illustrating Books for Children
Instructor: Joy Chu
June 26-August 21
Wednesday evenings, 6:30pm-9:30pm
extension.ucsd.edu
Register before June 25!
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Inspiration is Everywhere!
During last winter’s 2013 class at UCSD Extension, I asked my students to locate the CIP book summary from any picture book, and use it as the inspiration for an eight-panel wordless picture story.
CIP (“pronounced “sip”) is book publishing jargon for the Library of Congress Publishing Cataloging-in-Publication Data. This is found within the copyright page text of every book. It features a well-constructed one-phrase synopsis of the book’s theme.
Here is an example. One student, Aijung Kim, selected the following CIP summary from Chalk by Bill Thompson. While she didn’t read the book, she knew from its cover that it featured a dinosaur. . .
“Book Summary: A wordless picture book about three children who go to a park on a rainy day, find some chalk, and draw pictures that come to life.”
Here’s what she came up with:
Aijung Kim’s 8-panel wordless story, created during Joy Chu’s class, Illustrating Books for Children, at UCSD Extension (right-click image to enlarge)
Another student, Fnu Anisi, enchanted by Kevin Henkes‘ Kitten’s First Full Moon, wanted to explore an eight page wordless re-telling.
Book summary: When Kitten mistakes the full moon for a bowl of milk, she ends up tired, wet, and hungry trying to reach it.
Here are Anisi’s results:
Fnu Anisi’s 8-page wordless story, created at Joy Chu’s UCSD Extension class (Right-click to enlarge)
At my upcoming summer 2013 UCSD Extension class (June 26-August 21), Illustrating Books for Children (ART 40011) we might look into creating an advent-styled calendar as a possible inspiration for creating a picture story.
Example: Look at the one Zachariah OHora created from his own story. Fun, yes?
Many thanks to Zachariah OHora and Julie Danielson for sharing the above image.
Creating a 3D model for your story setting can also serve as an invaluable reference in plotting out your narrative, as well as a guide in drawing scenes from a variety of perspectives. Note how illustrator Sophie Blackall created a diorama for her work-in-progress. She can view her characters from above!
(photo © PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved)
Author/illustrator Barbara McClintock builds cut-paper replicas of her illustrations, in composing her scenes. The following sequence is from her studies for an upcoming book, Adèle and Simon in China (all 3 photos below © Barbara McClintock)
“What do those little flat boats in photos of Tongli really look like? I have to find out by building one.”—Barbara McClintock
“…Now I can draw the boats in the picture and feel some sense of confidence in what I’m doing/seeing…”
Here’s Tove Jansson, creating reference models for her fabulous Moomin stories.
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Illustrating Books for Children / Art 40011
June 26-August 21
Wednesdays, 6:30pm-9:30pm
extension.ucsd.edu
Register before June 25!
Exercise your art chops!
Summer Solstice! What could be better after a full day’s work (or surfing), or sight-seeing around San Diego, than hunkering down, and drawing pictures with other passionate story-tellers?
We’ll work on hand-on drawing-and-sharing, in class, in person. Examine the latest picture books, plus a few timeless classics. And address aspects of the current children’s book market.
Join us!
Class: Children’s Book Illustration – ART-40011
Dates: June 26 – August 21 (9 meetings)
Day: Wednesdays
Time: 6:30pm – 9:30pm
Location: Extension, Room 128
Required books:
Don’t delay, sign up today!
You may purchase textbooks via the UCSD Bookstore.
extension.ucsd.edu. Register now. Ask about ART 40011
Fee: $250 / $275 after 6/10/13
. . . comes in threes !
[1] Blog hop* time!
It’s been awhile since my last post. I’ve been deeply immersed in the world of online learning & teaching, at UCSD Extension. What an adrenaline rush!
I will share highlights (my students were awesome) next week. Alumni & friends will be invited to comment. In the meantime…
[2] I was tagged …
by the a•maze•ing Roxie Munroe , who shares links on creating apps for books at my public Got Story? Facebook page. Her books are a maze of dazzling fact-filled wonders. Besides creating e-books, she takes you inside and outside of cities, events, and creatures (eggs, bugs, and snakes, oh my), and much more. Do check out Roxie’s blog-hop responses here.
* What is a blog-hop? An author is tagged to answer a set of questions at their own blog. They then tag two other authors with blogs, to keep the blog-hop going.
I think I’m the first blogger/art director/book designer/teacher who’s ever blog-hopped this event! Here goes:
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1. What is the title of your work-in-progress? The Gallaudet American Sign Language Dictionary for Children [as art director/designer, and production artist, that is].
2. Where did the idea come from? *Gallaudet University Press editor Ivey Wallace.
[* Note: Based in Washington DC, Gallaudet University is the only institution of higher learning whose programs and services are customized to accommodate deaf and hearing-impaired students. Thomas Gallaudet (1787–1851) was a pioneering figure in the advancement of deaf education.]
[ASL sign for TV, by Debbie Tilley (l) and Peggy Lott (r)]
Debbie Tilley was selected because her witty illustrations communicate well to children and adults. Debbie’s agent Richard Salzman recommended my services as a free-lance designer who’s fluent working with artists and editors; and in the prep of layouts and electronic files for print and other media.
ASL entry for twins
3. What genre does your book come under? Children’s illustrated /Ages 3-11 / reference / American Sign Language / parenting / instructional / school / general trade
4. Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie? A wide spectrum of fluent multicultural ASL signing children, ages 4 through 11, will be in the accompanying DVD. A joyous group!
5. One sentence synopsis for your book? A kid-friendly definitive children’s American Sign Language dictionary with companion DVD, of over 1,000 entries, humorously illustrated by Debbie (Hey Little Ant!) Tilley alongside easy-to-follow signing diagrams by an unparalleled team of ASL experts.
6. Is your book self-published, published by an independent publisher, or represented by an agency?
Due out Fall 2014, from Gallaudet University Press.
7. How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript? Debbie, the signing illustration team, and I were supplied with the final word list in December 2010. We’ve all b
een collaborating steadily since then. That’s over 1,000 illustrations from Debbie; and 1,000+ diagrams from the signing team. Sketches, approval process, revisions, final art, organizing, scanning, etc. Sentences are composed as layouts are formed.
8. What other books would you compare this story to within your genre? There’s none like it. Anywhere.
9. Who or what inspired you to write this book? The Gallaudet University Board of Directors made this project part of their mandate. The jewel of the crown.
10.What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest? In addition to instructors, students, and users, parents will want to teach ASL to their babies, who are often able to sign before they can talk! Imagine that. Real-life ASL, and it’s from Gallaudet, the go-to source!
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And now, I’m blog-tagging three friends. Visit their blogs for…
[3] Tag 1, 2, 3…
My colleague Andrea Zimmerman [1] teaches the writing aspect of picture book creation at UCSD Extension [Writing Children’s Picture Books (WCWP-40261)] with Sara Tomp. Check out her fabulous blog, Picture Book Party here. She is both an author and author/illustrator. Among her many titles are Train Man (with David Clemesha); Eliza’s Cherry Trees; and Trashy Town (illustrated by Dan Yaccarino).
Julian Hector [2] draws and writes stories in his inimitable way. Visit his blog here. Check out C.R. Curmudgeon (written by Leslie Muir); Monday is One Day (written by Arthur Levine); The Little Matador; and The Gentleman Bug. Here’s the trailer for his 10 Scary Animals: A Field Guide.
Kathleen Krull [3] roots out the most interesting aspects of a person’s life, and distills it into snappy delightful prose. Let’s peek at her über-awesome output:
I knew her back in the days of Harcourt, San Diego (she was Senior Editor, I was Art Director), where she edited luminaries like Tomie dePaola, Eve Bunting, Patricia Hermes, Anne Lindbergh, Jane Yolen, and Amy Schwartz, before she left to launch her own writing career.
She also collaborates with husband Paul Brewer on projects — including The Beatles Were Fab (and They Were Funny), and Lincoln Tells a Joke: How Laughter Saved the President (and the Country). In 2011, she won the Children’s Book Guild Nonfiction Award for her body of work.
NOTE: Since Kathy uses her Facebook page in lieu of a blog as of this writing, her Q & As (and tagging) will happen here at the Got Story Countdown. Watch for announcements, and spread the word. . .
