Nothing Like A Picture Book

Stars
by Mary Lyn Ray
and Marla Frazee

Thank you Tara Lazar for getting Emma Ledbetter as a guest on your PiBoIdMo blog.

". . . there’s nothing in the world that sticks with you like a picture book. Think about your favorite book when you were little. Why do you still remember it? The most special of special characters, voices, stories—they all contribute to this warm little nugget of childhood that you’ll carry around with you forever. You can’t create that by hitching a ride on the big, flashy, commercial, book-selling train of the moment. You create that by pulling your inspiration directly from that spot, by reigniting that spark from your childhood and writing from your heart."

This was the invaluable advice from Emma Ledbetter, editorial assistant at Atheneum Books for Young Readers, an Imprint of Simon & Schuster.

Bedtime For Frances
By Russell Hoban
and Garth Williams

She edits all kinds of books, but I think it's appropriate for Picture Book Month to focus on the books from our past which made an impression, subtle or dramatic.

Crafty Chloe
by Kelly DiPucchio
and Heather Ross

Here are three of her favorites and below you'll find three of mine to help you celebrate Picture Book Month.

"Stand Back",
Said the Elephant,
"I'm Going to Sneeze!"
By Pat Thomas
and Wally Tripp

The Most Perfect Spot
By Diane Goode

The Quiet Place, 
By Sarah Stewart
and David Small

Sketchbook Essentials

Sketching from life should be routine for every illustrator.  It is essential to variety and life in your illustrations.  Keep a sketchbook and use it everyday.  Don't let the white space intimidate you.  Cram it full of the details of your environment.  Challenge yourself to capture moods as well as details.  My drawings are always fresher when I've spent some time out and about documenting the world.  You'll be surprised to discover how many nuances appear in your current work which are borrowed from a previous, unrelated scribble. 



Don't know how to get started?  Grab a copy of The Artists' Guide to Sketching, by James Gurney and Thomas Kinkade.  You won't believe how emboldened you are.


Here are a few doodles to inspire you.

David Small

James Gurney

Glen Keane

Hilary Knight