Hacks

you know what really gets into my craw? jerks who have drawing blogs, but never post. i mean, what's the point, right?

as for me and my drawing blog, and my not posting, what you may not know, and what this blog was created--in part--to chronicle, is the creation of my children's picture book (illustrated and written by c.s.jennings). we're way beyond creation now, the book being under contract to a major publisher, and in its third revision. (the deadlines also suck up any time i would have to do drawings for the blog or to drag up things--primarily freelance projects--you haven't seen.)

actually working on the book, though, i find i am reticent to share anything specific, such as, the title, any text, and picture postings. i am, instead, prompted to secrecy. it's probably what my publisher would want at this point anyway.

so, minus those things, here's an update:

AB update

the deadline for the revision is tomorrow morning. i spent the weekend drawing, as i will spend all of tonight. even without the publisher's notes, i had/have several itches i needed to scratch, ie: things i wanted to fix. it's a huge overhaul, with at least six spreads being totally redrawn, or with major element changes made.

i received a jolt of energy after talking with my art director for the first time on friday. he has a Great idea for the cover and jacket--a die-cut and use of UV overprinting. it's going to be gorgeous.

i also got an idea of how excited they are about the book, which makes me more excited. i'm isolated working in my office, hunched over my drawing board in solitude with no feedback, and little contact from the outside world, and i kind of forget what this is all about. (ie: dreams coming true, that sort of thing.)

i watched someone read the book on friday night. the rhythm really comes through (she was bouncing around to it). the idea is not so much that AB is a rhyming book, but that it is an uptempo song with a kind of "tink-tink-tink" rhythm running underneath the pictures and words.

overall, i am really pleased with how the book is coming together.