Official Cover Reveal for the Dog & Cat Diaries Paperback Editions!

I talked about the process of creating new Dog Diaries cover art back in May, but I finally have a super nice comp from the publisher and I'm excited to see how smart these two look side by side :) Not officially available until April 16th, but add 'em to your list for spring!

Cover Story: Creating new DOG DIARIES cover art!

I just recently finished some new cover art for a paperback edition of Dog Diaries (Henry Holt, 2007). It doesn't officially published until April 2016... but it's a popular choice with school visits and I'm very excited to have a paperback version in the mix.

Why a new cover? Well, as much as the good folks at Holt (and hopefully the authors!) liked the first cover, they actually liked the cover of Cat Diaries (see below) just a little bit better. Since there will be a simultaneous paperback release of both books, the art department wanted to create a "companion" cover of sorts that was a little more focused on a single dog.

Just like the original, the new cover was painted with watercolor, ink, and colored pencil. Scroll below for a glimpse of the process -- from early sketches and options to final art -- and I'll remind you again when the books are available next spring :)

LOTS of sketches... some pencil and some digital.

And then revisions to the consensus pick of the Macmillam Art Department and on to final sketches...

...and then the final art :) A little mock-up here on my part, but it should be pretty close in the final version.

Back to Work!

A signed copy of Boo's Surprise to the first person who identifies our photo locale!

My family and I just returned from a 10-day summer trip and we're right back in the thick of things on this fine Thursday afternoon.

I just mailed off several framed Dog Diaries pics for a September/October show at the Morris Graves Museum of Art, in Eureka, CA. These images will be shown in conjunction with the Humbolt County Author Festival, and I couldn't be happier about this return trip to northern California.

To top it off, I just learned that David Diaz is going to be there! I met David briefly at last winters' SCBWI NYC Conference, but was a little too shy (as usual) to really make his acquaintance. I'm totally cool when it comes to meeting kids, teachers, librarians etc., but put me in a room full of incredible authors n' illustrators and I shrink: "The agony!" To wit, since so many other fine folks are attending the Humbolt shindig as well, I promise to get out of my shell and make the most of it.

Signing off, I'll leave you with a proof of the Spring 2010 Cat Diaries cover. I've shown the cat image before, but the design is really coming together...

The drawing table awaits!

Considering Covers...

One of the last things that the illustrator and art director do, is to design the cover. Very important when you think about it, because the cover sets the stage for what's inside. It's exciting too, because it means that you are getting close to the finished book. What you see here is the final cover for Dog Diaries, plus a few additional sketches. How did we do? Do you have a favorite?

Cat Diaries is currently "in the works" so stay tuned for more news and a few sneak peeks of that project soon.

Too Cool!

I LOVE going to the post office! Because you just never know...


And today, I was rewarded with this super cool Korean language edition of Dog Diaries: Secret Writing of the WOOF Society by Betsy Byars, Laurie Myers, and Betsy Duffey. I illustrated this about 2 years ago, but seeing it with a few design tweaks is giving me goosebumps all over again.

This is the first book that I've worked on to get any kind of foreign language edition (more news in that regard soon) and - please forgive me for saying it again - it is SO COOL!


It's a high quality paper back with lots of great design. Love the paw prints in the title font, the sepia tone rendering of my black & white art, and the little touches like the puppy's head down where our page numbers usually live. A big thanks to Arom Junior Publishing Co. and the Korean Copyright Center in Seoul for making this happen. Thanks again to Betsy & family and the good folks at Holt as well. I'm really looking forward to digging in to that Cat Diaries manuscript! Opps, I've said too much!

News!

Dog Diaries: Secret Writings of the WOOF Society (Henry Holt, 2007) by Betsy Byars, Betsy Duffey, and Laurie Myers was recently named to the Bank Street Best Books lists for 2008. Congrats Byars family :) and thanks again for giving me so many great dog stories to illustrate.

***

I've also just had my fourth picture book accepted for publication! Aroooo!!!! More on that in future weeks...

Meet the Authors of Dog Diaries

A brief interview with Besty Byars, Betsy Duffey, and Laurie Myers, was posted recently at www.childrenslit.com. They about their inspirations as writers and readers, and give us just a few hints about the origins of DOG DIARIES. Enjoy!

PS: What's this about a CAT DIARIES? Meeeow!

DOG DIARIES: Secret Writings of the WOOF Society!

Aroooo.... My latest book debuted today! Dig it up at your favorite brick & mortar bookseller or online at this new and neatly convenient locale.

A Teaser for Spring... '007

Final covers are complete for both What Are You Hungry For? written by Emme and Phil Aronson (HarperCollins) and Dog Diaries written by Besty Byars, Betsy Duffy, and Laurie Myers (Henry Holt). Lots of waiting to do between now and then, but seeing the covers completely typeset and in all of their glossy glory is always very nice! Much more about both projects as we get closer to the springtime publishing dates :)

Elements of Style

The Blue Rose Girls are an amazingly energetic and insightful group of authors, illustrators, and editors in children's publishing.

They were discussing this ever present question of style just few days ago. After a whirwind weekend of illustrating - a cookbook cover for my daughter's school, a sign for the native plant garden at my wife's work, and just a few chapterbook illustrations -











it is clear to me that a signature style is NOT entirely obvious in my work. I simply run with it.

Three vastly different images in less than 48 hours? I feel like this is a good thing, but suppose as well that it makes me unpreditable... Perhaps, an evolution towards something more consistantly recognizable will be my progression over time.

Illustration Friday: Quiet

I will get back to creating original IF pieces soon enough. However, this week's image did emerge from my project d'jour (and I just finished it last night). A civil war battlefield... all is quiet.

A Concentration of Canines

Another sample from the project that is requiring all of my attention of late... Final art is due at the publisher next Tuesday! I really like the way that these are turning out, but I'm also sorely missing my bed. Soon enough...

Illustration Friday: Safe

Under mom's watchful eye...

Illustration Friday: Run

This sample art for a new chapter book-in-progress suits the topic nicely... Mt. Vesuvius is erupting. For goodness sakes, RUN!

Illustration Friday: Match

Print this out twice, trim into ninths and settle down for a game o' memory. The "matching game" as my daughter deems it!