Beginning the book...the sketch phase

As I begin the seventh book of Tiny (the big dog),

I decided to document this process for others to see what this creative road of children's book making is like....and also I wanted to be able to remember in years to come this season of time that I am just stepping into. I pray this will encourage others.

Any creative project for me needs to flow out of my heart because that is where Jesus Christ lives and He made all things. He invented "creativity"...in fact, He is the embodiment of creativity. So the process (journey) begins with Him...is traveled with Him...and ends with Him. In every phase He gets the glory. I need Him.

"So, Lord Jesus, Master Creator, I ask for Your supreme help in taking on this project You have given me the privilege of doing...I want to do it in fellowship with You. I ask you to lead me step by step and bring great enjoyment in the journey. I ask for your encouragement when I feel low and tired and spent...when it seems I'll never get done. You have said through Your servant, Paul, "I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me"...

I thank You for this promise and I pray for Your anointing to rest on me so that You will be glorified. I pray this in Your strong name, Lord Jesus Christ. Amen"

My due date for initial sketches is November 1, 2011.

This means 16 different pages of drawings to include the cover of the book and the inside 32 pages that are the standard number for most kids books.

The finished paintings for the whole book (16 as well) are due July 2012...8 months later.

I had already received the "galleys" from the editor earlier in the Summer in the mail...these are large sheets of paper that has each spread in the book with the words in the actual places they will appear on every page. The spread shows where the "gutter" is on each spread ... this is where the two pages meet to make a seam when you open a book.

Because it has been a while since I made my last Tiny book (Tiny on the Farm 2008...that means I was painting him in 2006 and 2007!), I felt I needed to "get to know Tiny" again in a visual way.

I haven't drawn him in a while!

I didn't want to start drawing the new spreads until I had drawn Tiny and the boy, Elliot, in lots of different positions. I am taking some of the other books I've already done and am choosing different pictures to sketch out of each one. Guess I could say that doing this is an exercise in "learning to draw like me again"! Whatever....

The sketches you've seen in this post are some of these sketches I've done so far.

I am also taking the book text...spread by spread and reading it out loud everyday a couple of times (as if I were reading it to a kindergarten class) in this period of time and letting it soak into my head without making any new sketches.

The story is like a new clothing outfit and I need to feel that I am putting it on... "wearing it"....so that I get used to it and it feels comfortable after a while.

Reading the story over and over for a couple of weeks without drawing it, let's me get inside the story and walk around in my imagination without any pressure.

This is something new that I am trying for this book....I noticed that when I'm memorizing scripture and meditating on it during the day, I find it effective to say it over and over and over in my mind without letting my mind "critiqueing" myself to see if I'm really getting it or not.

It came to me to try the same thing with the book copy at the beginning. I have enjoyed doing this alot and am already seeing myself relax with the whole project...I think I'm gaining "ownership" of the book by doing this.