2012 Tomie dePaola Award Part 5

 I used to add color using water color over my pen and ink drawings.

But that all changed when I was taught how to work in Photoshop, 

It took me six months to understand how the program worked ; it took me another

 six months not to look like I was painting on a computer.

So the question I get asked is "why bother?";

in someways it saves me time. But what I truly like about it is that it gives

me more freedom to play with color with out messing up the original pen and ink.

Nothing less fun then re-drawing an image that took you days to ink, and it never comes out looking as fresh. I also love to layer the color tones overlap them then blend

 I feel it gives the artwork some depth.

Depending on the illustration I can use a few layers or many

This one had quite a few layers with all the characters on one page it was easier to

 keep them apart then blend them together later.

I think I spent about two weeks from start to finish.  

well worth the time!

Almost done

(BTW this is version CS5)



2012 Tomie dePaola Award part 4

finshed sketch 

 

pencil drawing starting on inking

finished ink drawing

2012 Tomie dePaola Award part 3

"I want to be surprised, excited and - Very jealous..."

Those words are hard to ignore, the first thing I did was look up all the different versions of the title “Chicken Licken”, “Henny Penny”, and “Chicken Little” including the specific title/text that the Mr. dePaola used was from “Chicken Licken,” by P.C. Asbjörnsen.

1) How do I make this different?
 2) How do I stand out in a crowed of hundreds?
 3) How do I make an established illustrator jealous?

1) So how I make this different? As an illustrator you add your own voice I have said it from time to time plus others have said it as well “I tell the story behind the story” This does not mean that you ignore what was written it is just you read between the lines add a background story to the characters. So my little story floating in my head will be different then the next illustrator.

  2) How do I stand out in a crowed of hundreds? My style is different from others. However, is that enough?

The hardest one:
3) How do I make an established and respected illustrator jealous?

  In October, the contest was announced, I am doodling, and coming up with the same old thing as everyone else a bunch of farm animals, and I am going over in my head the text for the contest,

“they met Turkey Lurkey” “Good morning Goosey Loosey, Duckey Daddles…”

  My first good idea was to make Turkey Lurkey into a Thanksgiving Day Turkey (Tom Turkey) with a Pilgrims hat or maybe a bonnet, and then I thought maybe a parade with all the characters as balloons. As I was sketching, I came up with this.

  A Halloween Party! I love Halloween!!!

 That is when it all clicked the little story in my head not a party a play with the popular boy playing Turkey Lurkey, and the blushing shy girl playing Goosey Loosey.

finished sketch

link: part 1 & part 2 

2012 Tomie dePaola Award part 2

So they went along and went along until they met Turkey Lurkey “Good morning, Goosey Loosey, Ducky Daddles, Cocky Locky, Henny Penny, and Chicken Licken,” said Turkey Lurkey, “where are you going?” “Oh, Turkey Lurkey, the sky is falling and we are going to tell the King!” “How do you know the sky is falling?” asked Turkey Lurkey. “Ducky Daddles told me,” said Goosey Loosey. “Cocky Locky told me,” said Ducky Daddles. “Henny Penny told me,” said Cocky Locky. “Chicken Licken told me,” said Henny Penny “I saw it with my own eyes, I heard it with my own ears, and a piece of it fell on my tail!” said Chicken Licken. “Then I will go with you,” said Turkey Lurkey, “and we will tell the King!”

"You have the challenge, so now, and I’m repeating myself…

I want to be surprised, excited and – VERY jealous that I didn’t think of that way to illustrate it.

I want to see an image, a style, a vision that I’ve never seen before!

Good Luck.

I’m on your side!"

It was not the text that inspired me it was the note Mr. dePaolo wrote :

"I want to be surprised, excited and - Very jealous..."

Those simple words that took my image from this simple sketch to what it became.

This is a link regarding other entry's to the contest I just sent them an email to add mine to the mix of wonderful entries

"Unofficial Gallery of the Tomie dePaola Award"

2012 Tomie dePaola Award

(Click on image to enlarge)

This is my entry to the 2012 Tomie dePaola Award.

I will do a breakdown from sketch to finish artwork in future post.

  The subject of the contest was from this text:

"So they went along and went along until they met Turkey Lurkey Good morning, Goosey Loosey, Ducky Daddles, Cocky Locky ,Henny Penny and Chicken Licken," said Turkey Lurkey, "where are you going?" "Oh Turkey Lurkey, the sky is falling and we are going to tell the king!" "How do you know the sky is falling?" asked Turkey Lurkey. "Ducky Daddles told me," said Goosey Loosey. "Cocky Locky told me," said Ducky Daddles "Henny Penny told me," said Cocky Locky "Chicken Licken told me," said Henny Penny "I saw it with my own eyes, I heard it with my own ears, and a piece fell on my tail!" said Chicken Licken. "Then I will go with you," said Turkey Lurkey, and will tell the King!"

It is from the story of

 “Chicken Licken”

 also known as

 “Chicken Little” or “Henny Penny”.