Poem of the Week – Hi!

Hi everyone,

This poem is from the second book I did with Rob Shepperson (http://www.boydsmillspress.com/contributors/illustrator/shepperson-rob ). I’ve raved about Rob before but never tire of singing his praises. He can take anything and make it better. Our first collaboration — BUGS, POEMS ABOUT CREEPING THINGS — is a favorite, in great measure because of the way Rob portrays the characters in the poems.

In VACATION, Sam is a little boy whose family takes a driving vacation to the ocean. Sam narrates the story of their journey, much of which he has to spend on the back seat with his sister and stinky baby brother. I named Sam after Ruth Culham’s (http://www.culhamwriting.com/home.html )son and his middle name after my son, Jeffrey Scott Harrison.

David

by David L Harrison from VACATION

Robin Brickman tomorrow

Hi everyone,Tomorrow my Featured Guest is Robin Brickman. http://www.author-illustr-source.com/robinbrickman2.htm

It is always a treat to feature a gifted artist as you have seen with Brad Sneed, Dan Burr, Cheryl Harness, and Rob Shepperson on past posts.

Robin graduated from Bennington College with a B.A. in graphic arts and botany. She has been a freelance artist since 1976 and a workshop leader in schools since 1999. She has illustrated twenty books. Robin has had her work shown in several exhibitions at museums and galleries such as the New York State Museum, the Normal Rockwell Museum, the Berkshire Museum, the Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation, and the Smithsonian Institution. Robin is a member of the Guild of Natural Science Illustrators, the Western Massachusetts Illustrators Guild and the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. In addition to creating detailed paper sculptures, Robin works in pen and ink, graphite, colored pencil, watercolor, airbrush, and pastel dust. She is also an avid knitter. >

Dont forget to join us tomorrow to learn what Robin has to say.

Rob Shepperson today

Greetings all,

Today it’s a pleasure to feature Rob Shepperson, the talented illustrator of several popular books. You’ll enjoy meeting the witty voice behind the pen.

Q/A with Rob Shepperson
1- How does on artist prepare for becoming a book illustrator?
Someone once said that the difference between an artist and an illustrator is that an illustrator makes art for publication. In other words, art with a story. An artist planning to become an illustrator might want to look into that—does the art have something to say? And who’s listening?
2- How closely do you usually work with the author?
In the case of BUGS and VACATION, David e-mailed poems that looked pretty darn finished. I e-mailed back sketches that looked pretty darn finished. How close was that? We inspired each other, but didn’t tell each other what to do. Have you seen David’s drawings?
3- How long do you usually need to do a complete book project?
Sometimes the editor is having lunch, or is reading the wrong manuscript, and boy, things grind to a halt. But generally, it takes six to eight weeks to draw a book, if you don’t count naps.
4- What steps do you take from idea to finished work?
I think I’m finished as soon as the idea occurs. No-one else does, so I have to put the idea on paper. First, pencil sketches. Once the sketches are approved, or disapproved and redrawn, I use pen and ink to make the same drawings in a printable style. At this point, I’m finished again. Oh, and the artwork has to fit the page. For instance, if I’m drawing a snake on a “vertical” page, the snake has to stand on its back tail to fit in the book. Sometimes, I forget, and terrible things happen, like to that giraffe in BUGS.
5-How much do you revise your work?
With David, revisions are few, and painless. He writes clearly, and knows his subject. On the other hand, I just finished a job for someone else. Oh, there were many many revisions because new characters were introduced every time I sent in finished artwork. Sort of like if this question were changed after I answered it. What?
6- How do you use the computer as a tool for your art?
I use the computer to scan and send my inky drawings. Once they are scanned, they can be e-mailed anywhere, even to the White House. Or Antarctica. Or Mr. Harrison’s.
7- What advise would you give authors that would help an artist make a better book?

As an illustrator, I believe authors should write stories without clobbering the narrative with descriptions that can be shown more efficiently visually. Unless the illustrator is dim-witted. It happens.
8- Which usually comes first, the words or the art?
The WORDS come first! Did I say that?
9. How did you get into this business?
I got into the business by pestering editors, back in the day when editors could be pestered in person. That means I took drawing samples to publishing houses, and received jobs. It wasn’t as easy as that, ’cause I’ve forgotten all the jobs I didn’t receive.
10. Describe your work as a political cartoonist.
Political, or editorial art, is done on a short deadline. In fact, the art must be finished before the manuscript is read, and often before it is written. It’s no wonder that grownups are confused.

Didn’t I tell you? Please leave your questions and comments for Rob.

David

Rob Shepperson tomorrow

I’m on my way to Princeton to participate in the New Jersey SCBWI conference, but before getting away I wanted to post this introduction to tomorrow’s guest on my blog — Rob Shepperson. Rob is wonderful to work with and I know you are going to enjoy his remarks tomorrow. For now, here’s a quick summary of what he’s been up to. I hope you’ll look for his work and acquire some for your own libraries.

Rob Shepperson
62 Van Wyck Street
Croton-on-Hudson
New York 10520914 648-9778
robshepperson@earthlink.net
www.robshepperson.com  

Rob was born in 1957, growing up in Louisiana and Arkansas. After graduating with a BFA from the Kansas City Art Institute, he moved to New York City, where his artwork was included in gallery shows. His illustration career was launched when the New York Times published an illustration in 1983. Rob has also drawn for The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, Newsweek, and contributed work to magazines and an online editorial art site (INXart.com). He has done books for Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, Scholastic, HarperCollins, Front Street Books, and Boyds Mills Press among others. Recent books Rob has illustrated include “The Memory Bank” by Carolyn Coman and Rob Shepperson (2010), “Lilly and the Pirates” by Phyllis Root (2010),”VACATION” by David L. Harrison (2009), “SNEAKING SUSPICIONS” by Carolyn Coman (2007), “UNDER THE KISSLETOE Christmastime Poems” by J. Patrick Lewis (2007), “BUGS Poems About Creeping Things” by David L. Harrison (2007) (New York Public Library 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing 2007), “THUNDERBOOM! Poems for Everyone” by Charlotte Pomerantz (2006), “THE BIG HOUSE” by Carolyn Coman (2004) (Bluebonnet Award list), and “WILDFIRE!” by Elizabeth Starr Hill (2004) (Bluebonnet Award list). He lives in Croton-on-Hudson, New York with his wife, two daughters, and himself.David