February 5, 2010

The Cocky who cried lunchbags!

So here, for the only time EVER (unless another time occurs) a startlingly small glimpse into what has been going on lately and hence why things have been so busy!

Coming ever so soonish via Little Hare Books is a little number entitled 'The Cocky who cried Dingo' - which came together a little something like this!

FIRST - I decided abstract and boldly coloured backgrounds were the plan (partly as I didn't want to have to draw page after page of foliage - presuming the birds in the story were tree dwelling types - and they were!). And why not try a rustic 'torn paper' vibe to abstractly (see: thoroughly obscurely) simulate the Australian outback...sky in particular!


Now...I decided brown paper lunch bags would be the tool of my trade - why? Because they're brown! thus they're an actual colour THUS when scanned into the computer I can easily change an actual colour to another actual colour in photoshop much easier than if it were a grey or white piece of paper!

Next - a plan - and in the grand tradition of my previous complex plans - behold - my plan! Note the numerous pages with question marks - yep, intensely designed to the finest detail before proceeding to rip up lunch bags!

so here are two examples of the scanned bits of torn paper in place with the rough pencil sketches included...



And then after a bit of fiddling and drawing - some finished spreads!


EASY! Now all thats' needed is a cover design and then WHOOSH - another literary gem out into the world...all thanks to Coles lunch bags and grim determination NOT to repeatedly draw leafy leafy Australian flora!

2 comments:

  1. Genius! Looks great Heath. I shall steal this paper-bag idea, tuck it away in the back of my brain, let it collect dust-bunnies and cobwebs, and then one distant day shout Huzzah as I rediscover it!

    Cheers,
    Samantha

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  2. That's such a neat idea and the end result is great too.

    PS: I love your illustrations, so much character!

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