Happy Birthday Blog!

I just wanted to take a moment to celebrate the birthday of the blog. One year ago it was launched, inching us closer to realizing our dreams, day-by-day. I encourage everyone to work a little harder towards those dreams and notch up your ambition and imagination. Congratulations to all the contributors.

Illustration Contest: Final Book Cover Design

Alright team. This next contest will consist of making a finalized rendering of the book cover you submitted for the last contest. Keep in mind it doesn't have to be one of your submitted drawings with color. Start from where you left off and really push towards producing a final draft of a book cover. Think about all the details you want to include. Make sure the proportions are true to the proposed final dimensions of the book. Ask for input by leaving comments. If you have a version you want to put past people before the deadline, email me your submission and I'll add it to this post for others to see while you work out the details. (I'll do my best to post it the same day.) Let's see what you can come up with. Keep up the hard work!

Deadline: Midnight, Saturday, October 30th, 2010.

Illustration Contest: Book Cover Design

Thank you to everyone who made submissions to this week's illustration contest. We had some great drawings showing potential covers for future book ideas. Great job everyone; keep up the great work!

Kristi G. (Top 3) So I am going to focus on working on the story I had a while ago with the play date of boy and girl siblings.  I am changing it up a little bit.  I needed to simplify it to make it not so overwhelming.  I am going to have just two characters.  I am still going to contrast their likes, resulting in frustration, but ultimately they will learn how similar they really are and have a fun time doing it.  My first cover idea was both of them posed back to back looking frustrated, but I felt that was a little negative.  My favorite (and the one I put more time in) is the one with both of them side to side happy to be who they are and even happier to be with their friend (even though they are different).  Something I need to change with this picture that I am noticing now is that they are too far apart.  I was worried that this one was a little posed and stiff, so I thought about them on a swing (something they will be doing in the book).  I like the idea, and obviously need to put more time on proportions and angles.  I would like the title (which I am still not sure about) to be in block letters across the top.  –Kristi

Nate S. (3 previous) I wanted to explore different layouts for the cover of the book I’m writing/illustrating for my daughter. It centers on the tooth fairy, the one from my last contest entry. I used some ideas from the covers’ of books that we like right now to rough out some general ideas. Let me know what you guys think. -Nate

Scott W. (2 above) I have one that actually would be near the climax...one with the wild idea of having them both in the bubble jar....and the last of a close up with the entire world rendering in the background.



I'd love to know what you think! -Scott