So, I've been sketching like crazy trying to get ideas for illustrations down on paper for my storybook "Johnny in the Moon." The ideas have been slow in coming. The drawings for space vehicles are the hardest for me to draw, plus the depictions of a city built under the surface of the moon. It's tough trying to put together illustrations when you have very little training in art.
One of the main problems has been that I have been finishing my artwork in photoshop using a Wacom tablet and pen. What has worked pretty well in the past seems not to be working anymore. I have researched how to get them to work better, but to no avail. There is so much technical lingo this old brain just doesn't understand. It is driving me crazy.
On top of that, I have been trying to copy pictures as much as I can of the real people in my family. However, I don't have enough pictures of the kids at the right ages to get the feel of how to put them in poses that will work. This is when I realize that I've probably bitten off more than I can chew.
My niece Amy who is the oldest of my dad's grandchildren and the one who wants me to do this storybook the most says that she approves of how I wrote the story. She said she even likes the ideas I have sketched for the book. She even told me that when her wind ensemble played the last concert of the Program Music piece based on my dad's story "Johnny in the Moon," one woman told her that it would make a charming picture book for children. Amy said, "That's the idea." She said that she would like me to get it done enough by the next concert in October so that they can start advertising it.
You see, I have the notion that this should NOT be just a retelling of my dad's story, but should be a story ABOUT how my dad told his stories. He could just talk and talk until everyone fell asleep. Most of the kids didn't even know the ending to his stories, this one in particular. So I feel duty bound to create a picture book that will document this particular one of Dad's stories for all future generations of our family complete with the ending. (NO PRESSURE THERE...)
One of the main problems has been that I have been finishing my artwork in photoshop using a Wacom tablet and pen. What has worked pretty well in the past seems not to be working anymore. I have researched how to get them to work better, but to no avail. There is so much technical lingo this old brain just doesn't understand. It is driving me crazy.
On top of that, I have been trying to copy pictures as much as I can of the real people in my family. However, I don't have enough pictures of the kids at the right ages to get the feel of how to put them in poses that will work. This is when I realize that I've probably bitten off more than I can chew.
My niece Amy who is the oldest of my dad's grandchildren and the one who wants me to do this storybook the most says that she approves of how I wrote the story. She said she even likes the ideas I have sketched for the book. She even told me that when her wind ensemble played the last concert of the Program Music piece based on my dad's story "Johnny in the Moon," one woman told her that it would make a charming picture book for children. Amy said, "That's the idea." She said that she would like me to get it done enough by the next concert in October so that they can start advertising it.
You see, I have the notion that this should NOT be just a retelling of my dad's story, but should be a story ABOUT how my dad told his stories. He could just talk and talk until everyone fell asleep. Most of the kids didn't even know the ending to his stories, this one in particular. So I feel duty bound to create a picture book that will document this particular one of Dad's stories for all future generations of our family complete with the ending. (NO PRESSURE THERE...)
Here is one of the first pictures I have rendered fairly well, I guess. It documents which of the older grandkids were actually privileged to hear Grandpa Tom tell this story. The younger kids don't have these memories of their grandpa.
I guess I'd better figure out how to use the Photoshop and Wacom tools better.
Wish me luck!
I guess I'd better figure out how to use the Photoshop and Wacom tools better.
Wish me luck!
RSS Feed