Colorizing the Graphite

I've gotten a bit of feedback about my portfolio, and more than one person has suggested I run with my graphite drawings. One of those people (an art director) said if I could figure out a way of colorizing those drawings, it would be awesome. An agent pointed out one particular graphite drawing and said, "I'd like to see this in color."

Awesome.

Here you go.

The original drawing:

The colorized drawing (click to see biggie-sized):

Me likey.

Things are not as they seem

I've decided to put an all-out effort over the next few months into illustrating promo pieces for my portfolio based on Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. When I thought of it, it seemed like a good idea. It meant the onus was on Lewis Carroll to tell me what my next promo illustration would be, not me.

The bigger reason I decided to do it, though, was because of all the feedback I've been getting about my illustrations.

I'd rather not elaborate.

Last night I read the first chapter ("Down the Rabbit-Hole") and came up with quite a few ideas. The problem was, I had to do some character development first, so those ideas had to wait.

The other problem was, my character development has turned out pretty sanitized. Vanilla. 50% gray.

Alice lacks that Rotty flavor that my illustrations from yesterday had. She lacks any flavor at all, to be honest. I'm afraid I'm trying to draw what I think somebody else wants, not what I want. Of course, that's entirely the case, but if I want to get work (and I do) I need to give them what they want.

But I'm sure sanitization isn't it.

Back to the drawing board.

Branding: Now I have to update everything I own

It was a good idea at the time. Really, it was.

It started with creating a font. That was simple enough. I've wanted to design one for so long...

Then the font ended up on my website. Wasn't that just the coolest thing?

Then I started thinking about how I've always wanted the font of my logo to be something I created by hand. Not a problem.

The problem didn't happen until the reality set in that I was going to have to update absolutely everything in my marketing arsenal.

My new business card

So I ordered new business cards yesterday; I updated my studio invoice with the last commission; I updated the pages that will go into my portfolio, and the file is waiting on a USB drive to take to the printer; the ID stickers I have on my portfolio are updated and waiting to be printed out...Unfortunately, I had a load of postcards printed months ago, and they're all with the old branding. I'm going to have to use them anyway; I don't have a lot of choice.

I love the new look, but the new look means a lot more work than just designing a new logo.

It was totally worth it.

My first agent submission

I finally went and did it. My first submission to an agent.

Ever.

You never forget your first.

This also meant I wrote my first query letter, which seems to always want to be spelled "queary" when I type it out. I think it has something to do with the word "queasy," but I'm not sure.

Oh, and my first synopsis.

(Why do you people keep making me write more words?)

Bones are crossed.

New portfolio to Issuu

I've uploaded to Issuu the portfolio I'll be bringing to the New York SCBWI conference next week, and here it is:

Shirley Jones

When I grew up, I remember thinking my mother and Shirley Jones were equals. She (Shirley Jones, not my mother) grew up in a small town (Smithton, Pennsylvania) that was pretty close to where I grew up (although my mother grew up in a town that was even closer), which I thought was terribly exciting and made the two of them practically sisters.



I wasn't quite six years old when The Partridge Family debuted, but I was instantly in love. I wanted to be in a band. My dad told me later that the reason I played drums in school was because on that very first episode a little girl drummer showed up Chris Partridge on the show. I don't remember it happening that way, but I believe him that it did.

Anyway, the point of this was that I ran across this painting I did of Shirley Jones from way back, maybe ten years ago. For those of you who follow this blog and have seen my work, yes, it was in fact painted by me. Acrylic on bristol. Before I escaped to the dark side.

My illustrations @SCBWI Bologna

Each year, the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) mans a booth at the Bologna Children's Book Fair, and they take along a portfolio of pieces from selected members. I entered my work and was selected to be a part of that portfolio, along with just 39 other people. I'm very grateful and excited that my illustrations will be participating!

Along with the physical portfolio in Italy, SCBWI also displays a gallery of art from the participating illustrators on their Website. Here's the link to this year's page. Bummer having a last name that starts with a letter of the alphabet that's toward the end and requiring a scroll down, but there you go. I'm happy to be there.

The image up above is one of the illustrations that will be included on my page in the physical portfolio, and it's the one I chose to represent my style on the SCBWI Web gallery.

My illustrations are heading to Italy! #BolognaBookFair

At the end of January I submitted a page of my illustrations for possible inclusion in the SCBWI portfolio at the Bologna Book Fair, and this would be the page I submitted.

The portfolio selection team notified me that my page was chosen to be included (yay!). Not only will it be in a physical portfolio at the book fair, but it will also be included on their site. Once my image becomes available (along with the rest of the portfolio), they will send me a link to it which I'll post here.

Here was how they described what they're doing:

"A portfolio of SCBWI illustrator members work will be on display at the SCBWI Showcase during the 2012 Bologna Book Fair and available for browsing by publishers, agents and other attendees from across the world. In addition, a digital version of the portfolio will be posted on this webpage with thumbnails of artwork and contact information as we did for our 2010 Illustrators' Gallery."

The fair will run March 19-22 this year.

New photography portfolio images

I've updated my photography portfolio with several more landscape images and photos from Banning No. 3 Mine. Click on "portfolio" and choose "photography." These are all silver gelatin prints, made the old-fashioned way with film, chemicals, paper, dodging and burning.

My portfolio site URL: http://www.norathompson.us

Banning No. 3 Mine operated just outside Van Meter, PA and is off the Yough River bike trail, part of the Great Allegheny Passage. You can read in more detail about the Darr Mine history and explosion at http://patheoldminer.rootsweb.ancestry.com/darr.html

Electronic kid's illustration portfolio

I've put together an electronic portfolio on issuu.com (relatively easy!) to send out to those great publishers who are looking to go green (way to go!). Issue makes your pdf look like you're flipping through a portfolio (or magazine) right there on your computer screen.

Changing to all Rotty

After some soul-searching and cutting of losses, I've decided to ditch the marketing of my traditional illustration style in favor of 100% of my twisted illustration style. I still have the traditional portfolio up on my site in case there are any leftovers from past marketing campaigns who still want that style. But for the most part, I haven't had many takers, and the twisted style seems to have gotten legs.

This is the kind of stuff I want to do most. I know I've now eliminated myself from a lot/many/most markets that want more traditional material, but if I'm to stand out of the crowd at all, I have to be true to myself.

This is me.

Hello world.

Giraffe polo

Here's a sketch I did between teaching classes yesterday. I had the thumbnail for this drawn over a year ago, but was afraid it wouldn't work and never pursued the idea. Looking for more portfolio pieces for the fall SCBWI conference made me revisit some old sketchbook ideas, and after I came across this one again I decided to give it a shot.

New York

Well, we made it to New York and, although we were terribly rushed, we had a great time. We took the Amtrak in (about an eight-hour trip), went to our appointment at Scholastic the next morning and then off to our one-day conference and portfolio review in the afternoon. We had breakfast at Sarabeth's the next morning, then back on the train for home. We didn't have time to go to the Scholastic store, which was a bummer since we were already there, but we were trying to get where we needed to be in plenty of time. And another bummer on top of that, it rained the whole time we were there.

I ended up showing just the "twisted" style in my portfolio. I wasn't able to show the book I had finished for Lark because of that, but I think it was a good idea. Thirteen of the promotional packets I put together for the conference were taken, which also tells me it was a good idea.

Unfortunately for me, my sleeplessness took over for this trip: I had four hours the night before we left, one hour the first night we were there, and an intermittent four hours the second night we were there. Somehow I think I was still coherent through all of it. At least, I hope I was.

The editors at Scholastic were very helpful. We had a productive talk, and I had a lot to think about by the time we left. I was afraid I wouldn't be able to come up with ideas based on the things they were looking for, but thankfully after a full night's sleep it all came together. But I guess that's just my opinion; hopefully they'll agree.

Filed under things you don't see every day: On the train ride home, a guy who sat behind us was transporting a rooster he had rescued in New York to Altoona as a present for his daughter. The bird wasn't all that happy at first, but eventually he calmed down and had a peaceful ride.

Getting my act together

I'm trying to get my act together for the SCBWI Children's Book Illustrator's Conference in New York coming up in April. The set-up sounds interesting: Illustrators bring their portfolios and set them up and then leave them there to listen to speakers all day. The magic part happens after we leave the room; art buyers spend the day perusing the portfolios, taking the promotional leave-behind material and leaving comments and advice for the illustrators. What a great opportunity.

I'm kinda torn between what I think I should show there though. I've got two very distinct styles, and I definitely want to expose the style that is very much me, and which also has gotten a lot of positive feedback. With the other style, though, I have a book out that I can show along with my portfolio. We're allowed 15 pieces, so I have to edit down to what I think is my very, very best. I think what I'll do is edit to 15, no matter what the style, and then see how many of each I have left, and that can be Option 1. Options 2 and 3 could be all of one style or the other. Then, I can run all three past some people I trust to see if they see the same things I'm seeing.

Thankfully, there's still time...