New Purple

Things are getting off to a sloooow re-start. But to begin, I am trying to solve the "purple" problem. That is, am trying to get some consistency with the purple in each image, and making it stand out within the illustrations. So using photoshop, I've selected the correct area, and painted over with a selected purple, keeping a degree of transparency so that the textures and luminosity of the images is retained.

As you can see in these exciting before and after shots!

Before...

And after...

Before...

And after...

It may not seem to make a huge amount of difference, but I am hoping it now looks more purple, and if added to all the images - may add a degree of continuity and flow between the pages, fingers crossed!

Continuity problems...

Two posts in one day!!

I also want to document my concerns (from an illustrative book point of view) confirmed from a recent group criticism by the Picture Club (a group of illustrators I am part of).

Most importantly the lack of continuity between the images. As you can see from the current double page spreads...

Although I am relatively happy with each image individually (although all need tweaking/re-drawing, etc.) there are too many differences between the images in terms of:

- different lettering

- use of different media

- the point of view of the images

- the characters within the images

- the colours - especially the yellows and purple.

I had a decent conversation about this within the group criticism, one of the problems with my way of working is that is is so definite. Once the paper has been cut, there is little room to make amendments to an image, you can't rub it out. Therefore, one of the changes I hope to make is my way of working, to build up layers using photoshop, so that I can play with the finished image so much easier. So I need to polish up my adobe skills! I am concerned that this will give too much of a "digital" feel to the illustrations, but we will have to see. Also, one of the most important things within the images is the use of yellow and purple, although I want there to be a variety of yellows, to symbolise different emotions and memories: fear, sickness, loneliness, triumph, hope, happiness, the purple, I want and need as a constant. The purple symbolises the missing person, and needs to be obvious enough so that the reader eventually realises it, so I may need to depend on trusty photoshop to provide one definite purple colour, rather than the red/blue-y variants I currently have in the images. So, lots to be done!

Bereavement Charity Research

Right then, everything has pretty much come to a halt over the last couple of weeks, hence the lack of blogging, as life and work has got in the way of the project and anything remotely creative, which is very frustrating. So I need to get into some kind of routine again and focus on some new (less tight) deadlines, now that I have less time on my hands.

In the past few weeks I've been able to contact some grief charities, local and national, and have received really helpful responses, information packs, words of encouragement, and I'm meeting a local charity tomorrow - which will be an invaluable experience. Speaking to someone first hand who talks to people and children dealing with grief on a daily basis will be a great opportunity, for one of my main concerns about writing this book is that I am not professionally trained within this area. It will be also be good to get the opinions of someone new to the project and my work - as I constantly worry that it won't make complete sense to readers (although, to some extent, everyone's reading of the book should be different, incorporating their own feelings and experiences into the words and pictures).

Marketing strategies

Self-publishing is obviously a lot more than book production and printing - that bit is relatively straight forward, although expensive and time consuming. The advantage of self publishing is that as the author and illustrator you have complete control over the book production part, but the disadvantage is that you also have complete control (and responsibility) for the marketing, sales and distribution part of the publishing. I have very little professional experience, knowledge and understanding of marketing and sales - although I have gleamed bits and pieces from various jobs, work experience and general life and common sense. So I am hoping that the best way that I am going to learn is through trial and error.

It is hard to be both business-minded and creative, whilst remaining sensitive to my subject matter and vulnerable target audience. But my way of coping with this currently, is to think in terms of: the better the business strategy, marketing, networking and advertising, the more readers the book will be able to reach out to, and potentially help.

So from my very basic business skills, here are my ideas/plans for a vague marketing strategy...

Audiences:

Local contacts

When self publishing, the marketing of selling books to friends and family is quickly exhausted. Luckily, through my course and employment, I have a small network of creative contacts in Cornwall, who may be interested in my endeavour to self publish, and the original illustration technique, if not the subject matter.

Bereaved children and those around them, their friends and family and professionals

Through my research I have come across a number of bereavement, and specifically child bereavement charities doing invaluable work to support and guide those dealing with grief and the grief of others. They are a brilliant source of information on how to talk and help those grieving, and often provide links to other sources of help. Some of them also include reading lists - books that explore the subject of grief and bereavement to help people come to terms with their loss. Relatives and friends can often feel at a total loss when someone (especially a child) is grieving, and providing them with a gift of a book which they could possibly read through with the child could prove an invaluable source of comfort.

I am currently developing relationships with some of these charities - which may be a great way to reach the book's target audience.

Collectors of illustrated books/tourists

I am hoping to set up sale or return arrangements with local businesses within Cornwall. There are huge numbers of local galleries, gift shops, books shops, artistic cafes who already sell similar limited editions by local creatives - it will just be a matter of keeping track of stock!

New illustration

I'm catching up with the deadlines! Another completed (ish) illustration...

I am really enjoying spending all this time drawing and playing - it is such a pleasure to get to spend so much time on one project all at once (rather than bits and pieces whenever I can fit it in) - I'm hoping it will help with the flow of the work, rather than seeming stunted.

I love how exciting putting these images together can be, you do a nice drawing, some nice colouring in and paper cuttings...

And then you switch the lightbox on and the image is transformed, almost magically...

Another double page spread

I am very behind at the moment (predictably). I should have completed 8 double page spreads by tomorrow if I was keeping to schedule - but I'm currently finishing number 5 (busy day tomorrow!)

But to document this, here is number 5 (to go on page 6)

I'm not overly impressed with the image - although I'm not convinced that these blog posts reproduce images at a particularly high quality (printed the background colour will be more of a deep ochre giving that feeling of old sepia tinged photographs.) Sadly, I have had to photoshop the finished image again (just a case of highlighting the stars around the empty hand) as previously, they looked like this:

Luckily, the digital re-touching isn't too obvious.

A current concern (I'm always full of concern!) are the background colours of each spread. As explained previously, I don't have complete control over this medium and the resulting colours, so I am fearful that I don't have control of the book as a whole e.g. the relationship between one page and another - that one page may be too contrastingly different in colour to the next, or too similar. I've been looking at my mock up and the overall structure of the book to try to anticipate problems beforehand (the order I am completing images is quite erratic, based on which ever I fancy, rather than in order 1-14, which could prove problematic!). Anyway, I've concluded that may aim is for the following structure/colours for the 14 double page spreads:

1 Darkest image - with bright yellow sunshine beginning to brighten the image

2 Getting lighter - as the day begins (breakfast)

3 Getting lighter - (getting dressed)

4 Getting lighter

5 Yellow - within these six central pages I want to include a range of different yellow backgrounds

6 Yellow

7 Yellow

8 Yellow

9 Yellow

10 Yellow

11 Getting darker - as the day ends (remembrance and hope through the daffodils)

12 Getting darker

13 Getting darker (sunset)

14 Darkest image - of the night sky

Sorry, this post is very rambling and personal notes that possibly only I would understand. But they are helping me to think about the whole project and the finished product.

Illustration issues and concerns

Things have slowed down immensely last week - things like friends visiting and general life got in the way of the book project, and so I just didn't stick to deadlines. But it is a new week - so hopefully this one might go a little better.

Another current concern is my lack of control over my light box/photography medium. Although I've been using this technique to make images for the past couple of years, it is still (and I imagine always will be) much more complicated to control than putting a pencil to paper - especially in terms of colour and the lightness of a completed image. I quite like not being able to completely control the end result of an image, but in a book of sequential images, where the relationship between each is really important - it can become a bit of an issue.

See, for example, some of the images for the "Yellow are feet in the cold white sand" image:

Here I've experimented with a range of camera settings and also with the levels of light/dark, contrast etc. within photoshop. (I always find using photoshop an issue - I would really rather leave the original images as raw as possible, but to get the desired effect, colour, and to ensure the images are readable once printed, it is usually essential).

Also, within this image, I've had to (grudgingly) use photoshop to add in the purple tints (to the necklace and footprints) that just weren't possible just using the light box. For example, an attempt to create purple tints using just the lightbox...

Rather than a bright purple, it unfortunately just looks like dark shadows. Whereas using photoshop...

It is possible to control the purple tinted effect (to an extent). However, through this blog analysis, I still want to make some amendments - firstly, I wish to use one of the more "yellow" images - the one above is too white - and secondly, the purple of the necklace and footprints just do not stand out well enough within the image. These blog posts are proving very helpful!