Creating a Board Book Cover

I thought I would share my rounds of sketches in creating the book cover for The Great Matzoh Hunt. Even though this was a simple board book, a dynamic cover is a must to grab the attention of kids (and parents buying the book.)

• Round 1: When I think of matzoh, I think of matzoh ball soup. Thats why Duck is holding a ball. Oops! There are four characters in the book, yet all of them on the cover seems a little too crowded.

• Round 2: The matzoh is fixed and three characters are now on the page. Although all three characters are given equal attention but Duck is the one who finds the matzoh.

• Round 3: Duck is scaled bigger for a much better layout. Ready to go to color!

• Round 4: Question about the bunny's gesture- does she look like she is searching?

• Round 5: Testing out a different gesture on the bunny- maybe she needs to be on her hands and knees? Shaved duck's "feathers" on his head too. Hm....

• Round 6: The first bunny was OK afterall. The pale yellow background was changed into a brighter green for a bolder look. This is the final-hooray!

• With the type and on the book!

The Great Matzoh Hunt

I illustrated a board book that was just released a few days ago called The Great Matzoh Hunt, a companion to Light the Menorah, both published by PSS. A funny coincidence: this is the second book I've worked on in which the title starts with "The Great..." (the other, The Great Reindeer Rebellion.)

Anthropomorphic animals going around the house looking for the matzoh? Oh yes, I did like this job very much!

Its also a lift-the-flap book, and I had the freedom of coming up with where the flap was and what was underneath. I hope the kids will enjoy the fun little things I put there while they look for the matzoh with the animals.
If I can get away with drawing anthropomorphic plates and cups, I will do so!
I also sneaked in some chicken goodness in this book (which I actually try to do in all my books.) A little teaser for you to go and check it out in the bookstores at least! Also available on Amazon.

Breaking into Freelance Illustration

Lately I've been getting quite a few emails asking for advice on becoming an illustrator. Sometimes I'm quite surprised (and flattered) that people want to ask ME for advice, when I'm still learning and finding my way everyday. However, I've realized that I've been doing this professionally and full time now for about 4 years. I've learned a thing or two along the way and would love to pass it along.

Thanks to Holly DeWolf, I got to contribute to her book, Breaking into Freelance Illustration. She sent me a comp copy back in December- with the holidays and traveling I didn't get a chance to blog about it here. It is a great read for people starting out and even professionals who sometimes need a reminder on a few things. Alot of familar names and blog friends are in it, be sure to check it out if you are interested in becoming a freelance illustrator.

I'm thinking of writing more posts on topics like this, such as what I've learned so far as an illustrator, and my journey of getting there. I feel like I need to pay it forward, as when I was starting out, I looked to bloggers like Keri Smith and Danny Gregory for encouragement and inspiration. So stay tuned.

**OTHER AWESOME NEWS** I'm so excited- I'm going to Japan in May! Just booked flights there for a vacation AND it will be the same week as DesignFesta- which I did purposely so I can attend that as well. It will be a heavy dose of creative inspiration...hope I don't OD! :-)

New year, New Banner

Happy New Year! Kicking off the year by changing up my blog banner. These new colors and textures are the kind of style I'm striving for lately. Doesn't seem to match the rest of my blog right now but it feels like the right direction!