Cloud Bunnies

And Mud Snails.

Hello May! Hello Desert Ponies?

And welcome back to regular newsletters, where today we talk about the magic of commission work (and snails).

Coffee Talk

One freeing thing about commission work is that it’s a one-off. I’m not having to think and plan for 40 pages. I don’t need to have a back-up tube of paint, and if one of my markers is just about to die (whelp), it’s OK. Do I plan? Yes. Do I play more? Yes.

I did this illustrated quote for a friend a few months ago, right after my foray back into play (great timing), and freshly in my mind was cutting up old books.

Most of my picture books have included some “found paper” but it’s difficult to incorporate because there is a limited amount. So it becomes a “moment” or a support accent. Like I’ll choose to do a character’s socks in found paper, because I know I’ll have enough paper to complete that “task” over 40 pages.

But on a commission I’m just jamming on a one-time, no pressure to conserve/plan/save the perfect piece of found-paper. I’m going to find the perfect spot on a page to cut out a delightful cacti-horse or cloud-bunny.

You’re also more open to “happy accidents” with commissions because you’re playing in the moment more than with books. For example, I cut out a shell for the snail in this piece (hey buddy!) and as I was messing around with other parts, the shell got flipped over (gasp!). On the backside of the pretty purple lighting storm paper was a big, sloppy brown mud bath (huh?). Which turned out to be perfect for our snail.

Weirder than you thought right?!

Would I have picked that image while flipping through a book looking for colors or patterns? No. Definitely not. (Would you have?!) But it was the backside of something “beautiful” and it’s exactly what I needed.

A last good creative push point of commissions is the “must-includes”. Usually a client has a like-list. Or at least I ask for preferences. In this case it was the color purple. But I also knew this piece was going to live in a shared office. So the game became, how do you sneak purple into multiple spots without hitting everyone other the head with it.

I think one day I’ll make a post on how this whole piece was made. It was a fun challenge, where digital layouts met tactile glue. In the end, I was able to do hand-made textures for everything and it was a good reminder that I used to know how to work digitally, and that for the right piece doing them in tandem is perfect.

Book Talk

This Is Our City published last month! Big thanks for y’alls support of it :)

This week I finished two dummies, that will hopefully go out on submission soon. I love them both, and they are completely different from each other. Both pushed me creatively — 1. I had to figure out how to do majestical landscapes (spoiler, I did it! and it was FUN! and they are beautiful). And 2. I had to figure out how to draw animal characters (turns out I LOVE DRAWING ANIMALS). Ha!

I’ve said it before — but I don’t do sketch books or draw for fun. I need a reason or a purpose, and these stories gave me a reason to stretch myself (quite a bit).

Paper Bits

April-May happy bits? It’s flowers! Flowers everywhere! Taking over Asheville in the most healing way, with still more to come.

Be on the watch-out for a new Book Talk Series, coming soon! xo