Time to make a book!
In this entry, I will cover: Story, Research, Reference, Layout, Sketching, and some Technical.

Read about the process below
and go to YouTube to see it happen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mb2jf68Sc2I&t=310s

My Assignment

Now that I had done some fooling around with different medium, I have made an assignment for myself.  (I’m also just really excited to put these new to me ideas to the test and am maybe a little impatient, so time to make a book!).

I looked through some folk tale books I had and decided to choose “Skogsrå at Lapptjärns Mountain” from “Swedish Folktales & Legends” by Lone Thygesen Blecher & George Blecher. It sounds like a mouthful, but it’s a simple funny story, so I thought this would make for a good test.

The story is about a man who works in the woods as a charcoal burner and is being tormented by a Skogsrå. The creature teases the man and asks of his name. But the man, not wanting to give his name to a troll says “My name is myself”.
The man is not afraid of the creature however night after night the creature comes to the doorway of the man’s cabin and yells and yells with its big mouth, resulting in a very sleepy charcoal burner.
The man thinks of a plan to remedy the situation. And one night while waiting for the creature to arrive the man prepares a boiling pot of tar. Then, when the creature takes it’s place in the doorway and begins its yelling, the man tosses the tar into the creature’s mouth.
The creature run outs into the woods in pain and panic yelling “myself has burned me, myself has burned me!” And the reply from the woods and the creatures in the woods is “you burned yourself? Then you only have yourself to blame!” And in agony and probably embarrassment the creature runs away leaving the charcoal burner in peace.

Now my assignment is to turn this folk story into a picture book.

Research and Reference

I can’t just get right into drawing, though. I need to do a bit of brain storming and research. A few main points I look into are charcoal burning, what it is, what would charcoal burners wear, and how would they live. I also looked into the Skogsrå creature.

I do research because it gives me more ideas and references to work with. I also like to learn about the folk stories and the world around them.  Personally, I find historical everyday living interesting and use the opportunity to learn about it and pass it on in my art. (n_n)

The main character in the story is a charcoal burner. Charcoal burners are men who would live in the woods and make charcoal to sell akin to what we may use today for barbeque. They would make charcoal by cutting down trees and building a big fire stack. The stack had to be constantly tended and burn slowly to produce the charcoal. A very laborious job.

Why make charcoal? This was very important to the smelting of iron, which leads to the development of tools and society and so forth. Sound very important and something I didn’t know about until looking just a little more closely at this story.

Charcoal burners, I believe could wear whatever they wanted, probably a rough shirt and pants, something to keep warm in, but I gave my character more recognizable clothes to place him in 1800’s Sweden.

Charcoal burners live in huts.  Because they moved around a lot, going from one forest to the next for wood, these huts were of simple construction and just large enough.  They were often triangular like an A-frame, made with planks of wood and insulated by putting dirt and moss on top.  They would have a little fireplace and a hole for the smoke to go out.

Images and illustration of Charcoal Burners.
Images from picryl.com in public domain.

The next main factor was the creature: The Skogsrå!

The Skogsrå is a lady sprit of the woods. She can have a tail. She can have a hole in her back or her back is covered in bark (She tries to hide this.) She is also a temptress to men in the woods. Even though these elements do not appear in this telling of the story, I like to keep them in mind for the design of the character.

Above sketches of the charcoal burner and the Skogsrå

Layout and Sketching

Next, I did a really really rough lay out to pace the story and figure out the page count. Once that was figured out, I started sketching.

When I make a book, I like to have loose pages. This way, I can flip through and rearrange them. So, I do the sketching on loose paper.
Here I used regular printer paper that I cut in half.

Lots of drawing and redrawing. At this point I am putting down ideas, working out problems, and discovering new problems.

It is at this point in the project, doubt set in.  I was having second thoughts and thinking about tossing the whole thing.  (that did not take long) If I had quit, though, that would have defeated the purpose of the assignment: to use new methods and mediums to create a story. Anyway, I should be able to problem solve and make any story interesting. That’s my job. So I treated it as if someone else told me to do the book and I kept on.

The design of the Skogsrå was giving me a hard time.

I first drew her as a women. I wanted her feminine but it was not fitting the vibes. The more I thought about it, and the more I thought about sending her away crying at the end, the more it did not set right with me.

I did not want her to come off as a temptress at all. I also did not like making the lady cry.
Another time, not this time.

So, I ended up leaning into the creature side of it.

After I gave myself permission to draw her like a troll and see how it looks, I felt better about the design.

I was also hung up on how to draw the door frame. I was over thinking. I just need to sit down and scribble and not care. The more time the pencil is on the paper the more things reveal themselves: If thinking does not work then just draw.

I can not find my thumbnails for this story (x_X) but they would look something like this above

The struggle with Skogsrå

So I drew the story once, then I drew it again and again until I had some sketches and composition I was happy with.

If I liked something about a drawing, I would use my light box to trace on a new piece of paper what I wanted to keep then redraw in the rest.

During this process I did notice a bad habit sneaking up: The habit of drawing what I think is expected. Specifically, with the round shapes and such.  So, I went back with design in mind and made some adjustment. Putting in hard straight lines verses the puffy round lines.
It’s all mind games!

My more finished sketches and page layouts

Some Technicals:

Here are a couple important things to think about while designing the layout:
-the size of your final book and the trim
-where the words are going to go

“Live space” is the safe space. Your important text should be within this area.
Trim is about where the pages of the book will be cut.
Bleed extends outside the trim and is for colors or images that you want to go to the very edge of the page.

The bleed can vary a little bit from printer to printer.

I am making this book a square. 8.5 x 8.5 inches seems to be a standard book size. I think, for this book, I will keep all my images in the live space and not have things go off into the bleed.

Also, during the designing of a book, keep in mind where the words are going to go. I have predetermined where the words will go using lines as seen here. (I do not have my final words decided on, maybe this is will hurt me later, but I have some idea. This might be foreshadowing.)

So Far So Good

I still have some pages that are not nailed down, but I can come back to those. For this book I may do things a little out of order. But, I am my own boss. If I am a little stuck on a page or tired of thinking about it I can work on another part of the book and come back to the troublesome page with a fresh brain later.

Next time we will begin painting!

Video version below!

In this entry, I will cover my thought process and a smattering of materials I have been experimenting with.

Read below
and watch the video on you tube: https://www.youtube.com/@emilyzelaskoart

Because of the nature of my past projects, much of my work had been ink on paper then colored on the computer or all digital. I can paint with acrylic, too, but I do not have much experience in mixed media. Mixed media is combining a variety of materials. I have dabbled for fun but not for any major projects. However I believe mixed media is the direction I want to go for a couple reasons. As stated in the last log entry:
Save the energy of the pencil line, become more familiar with more coloring mediums, and get away from technology.

I really don’t like computers. I did Edme all on computers and it served its purpose but with much headache. This is a personal thing. Partly, due to my own incompetence. I also would rather have the art in front of me, in the same world as me, so I can see just what it is with no hidden layers, no misunderstood sizing, no format disagreements, and no hidden surprises or marks. It just is what it is. And I prefer that.

The other reason for mixed media is I want to preserve my pencil lines and the energy of the sketch of the original drawing. It is not uncommon for finished art to lose the energy of the original sketch. This is unfortunate. I have seen this happen with artists I like: their prototype work and sketches are fantastic, but when the project is final, it feels too clean. In my opinion, sometimes it loses some personality. It happens to me, and I want to avoid it. (Nobody wants that I’m sure)

In the past few years I have also been reacquainting myself with older picture books, like Madeline.  The illustrations are so crazy looking but it also looks done. I feel becoming more familiar with different coloring mediums will help with this and open doors for me. So, I want to incorporate methods that help keep the energy of the sketch.  I want to work with looseness and scribbles and texture. I want to move away from such clean work.

So, now, onto experimentation and over thinking!

I am torn between different styles and executions. This is fine. One can have more than one style. But it is not fine when everything is interesting and you want to do all the projects right now. That is uncomfortable.  So, I will look at some methods, one at a time, putting some aside, knowing I will come back to them later.

 Here is a short explanation of what I have done with different mediums.

I like the texture and gradient of graphite, like Chris Van Allsburg‘s art in Jumanji. ( also known for The Polar Express).  His art has a kind of surrealness to it and it is a bit spooky.  I like the vibe of his illustrations as seen also in A City in Winter.

Though I do not know if they are also done with graphite, the illustrations in My Father’s Dragon, art by Ruth Gannett are a similar motivation for me. (My Father’s Dragon has stuck with me since 1st grade when the teacher read it to the class)

1st Row: Art of Ludwig Bemelmans
2nd Row: Art of Chris Van Allsburg
3rd Row: Art of Ruth Chisman Gannett

Thinking about these illustrations led me to the style I would use for the cover of Edme: A graphite drawing that I colored on the computer.

So, as a test I drew out some graphite drawings.
But I chickened out and colored them on the computer.

The Images Above: All done on Strathmore mixed media paper. Under drawing done with graphite. Colored with, from left to right, Dr. Martins Bombay ink, Winsor Newton Gouache, QOR Watercolor.

I think they all came out well. A little hard to tell which way I like better.
This way of drawing is a little more time consuming and is more about the shapes then the lines. I like the look of these but I want to solve the line problem so this method is put on hold for now (but I do have a book in mind to be done in this manner)

I also did this illustration with Yupo paper. Making the gradient on the paper and coloring it on the computer. It was interesting. Yupo paper likes to hang onto any mark you lay down. It was also interesting to blend on, and fairly easy to get a smooth blend.

Left : Graphite drawing done on Yupo paper
Right: Color added in on Photoshop

This purple dragon below was done on the fly with Dr. Martin’s ink. These are really my first experiences with the ink. It is very nice. The building up of the transparent layers gives fun effects.
What I am not crazy about is that it dries very fast on the pallet I mix the colors on. I can think of work-arounds for this, but I have not found a solution for it yet. (I am using Dr. Martin’s without really knowing anything about Dr. Martin’s.  A little research would probably go a long way but I have not gotten around to it yet.)

Next, the bold ink and watercolor is how I did the bagpiper. It is not bad and I did get some good lines out of it. But I think right now I am drawn to pencil lines over ink lines. Ink is very solid and black and maybe I want a softer line that blends with the look of watercolor a little more.

Then this green dragon I like a lot. It was done with a black pencil and colored with gouache and there are touches of ink in it to make a few select parts darker. It is subtle, but has an impact.

From Left to Right: Purple dragon is Dr. Martins Bombay ink, Bagpiper is Winsor & Newton Gouache and Speedball Ink, Dragon is Winsor & Newton Gouache with Prismacolor Black 935 and Micron Pen. All were done on Fluid watercolor paper.

With these methods in mind, I did this kitchen witch illustration.
I used colored pencil as a base layer, slowly built the gouache up over the pencil, then color pencils again. I used Strathmore mixed media paper.
I like how this one turned out.

Kitchen Witch Above: Layers of Prismacolor color pencil and Winsor & Newton Gouache on Strathmore mixed media paper

I have to admit, though. In the past my art processes have been so straightforward.
Ink and color on the computer, or paint and that’s it.
These layers of mixed media make me a little nervous.  There are so many options and everything interacts with everything else a little different.  There is much more to think about and many decisions to be made. It spooks my order seeking brain.

I’m also concerned that I will continue to be able to repeat the same effect over and over, as would be desirable for picture books.

More experimenting.

Then, I bought some Derwent Inktense paints. They don’t reactivate, like Dr. Martin’s, once they are placed on the paper, but they come off a palette and can be reactivated on the palette. This makes them way more accessible then Dr. Martin’s. And I did get a nice bright green out of them.
Below are ink and color pencil, and I liked them a lot.

Above: All were done with Derwent Inktense Paint Pan, Prisma color pencil and Derwent Procolor pencil, Dragon was done on Blick watercolor paper, the other two on Strathmore mixed media paper

A couple more to note. This knight was done with a simple drawing of pencil, then colored with gouache, then more details over that with pencil.
This dark wizard was done in a series of layers of Dr.Martin’s Ink.

Above: Knight done with Prisma color pencil and Winsor Newton gouache on Blick Water color paper. Wizard was done Dr. Martins Bombay ink, Micron pen, white gouache on Stonehenge watercolor hot press paper.

All that to say, I did a fair amount of goofing around before picking a direction for my next project.

In future logs I can go into detail a little more about the how-to’s, but this is to get a quick overview of what I have been goofing around with in a nut shell.

Now, after some experience, I was excited to put my new materials and eagerness to the test and make a book. I have a few books plotted out and different styles in mind for them. First, I am curious to do a style that experiments with the energy of lines. I picked a folk tale and began to plot it out and that is where the next log will begin!

In this entry, I will cover some background information and what I hope to accomplish with this series of art and blogs.

Go to YouTube to watch the video!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U2jhXZlsOz0

This log (not a blog XD) will be a account of my current projects in illustration. While finishing the comic, Edme, I began thinking about what my next move would be.  I have decided to use traditional illustration in my next projects. I want to develop a style and practice methods with a few particular goals in mind:  Save the energy of the pencil line, become more familiar with more coloring mediums, get away from technology. I’m also really excited about storytelling and want to keep drawing stories and a variety of characters. The coming logs will follow my journey of illustration and book making, and I’ll share everything I can about the process for those who might be interested in doing it for themselves.

Without further delay, the first log:

Why am I here, learning how to draw again?

Long story short, working on Edme, my 188 page comic, available now (click here!) XD, taught me a few things. For a while I was really hung up on the style of the comic. I was pulled between what I’m capable of, what I think it should be, and what I want it to be.  I was committing myself to a very long process and was putting on myself a lot of pressure for the success of the book.  I was going to put a lot of time into this book and because of the sacrifice of time needed, it needed to be done right.  I put way too much pressure on myself in regards to the style.

What I‘m capable of

Edme was trouble from the start. I wanted it to be highly detailed. There are comics and art that I admire and I wanted it to be like those. Illustrators such as Gustave Doré and Albrecht Dürer were, and still are, particularly inspirational and motivational to me.  Through the process of making the comic I have learned this style of illustration is not for me.

(Samples of Doré and Dürer below.)

In some of my art you can see me trying and exploring that style (below). For example, this early concept for Edme. They don’t touch the quality of Doré, but you get the idea (maybe (-_-;)).

(The Images above where all ink with pen on paper and (if colored) colored on the computer.
The original size of the inking being 11x14in. The first two images are concept art for Edme)

So I had to come up with a plan-B:  Foregoing more detailed illustrations for something more simple, modern, and duplicateable. (I enjoy working in this style but not all the time and not for a 188 page comic).

What I think it should be

Unknowingly, I was trying to mimic what I thought an acceptable comic is.  It was not natural for me to draw this way nor was it even any fun.  It took a while for me to realize that I had unintentionally placed a condition on myself as to how the comic should look. These ideas naturally came from the input of the influences around me: social media, comic shops, other artists, everything. Eventually I learned I’m not interested in drawing these ways either.  What a dumb and scary thing to be subconsciously steered by other people’s ideas. (not that anyone was forcing me) Now I know. I did the whole first issue in this way then after it was done and in my hands I realized this is not what I want. And admittedly the drawing was weak. What on earth was I thinking.

What I want it to be

So, then, I was left with the questions of “what do I want the comic to be?” I did not know. Years went by, I did other work and would struggle with my own on and off. But, this is how I found my current direction. Through a series of events, I was learning how really not much in life matters. I was set on things making sense and being a certain way. But, things can be many ways.

As long as the most important thing remains the most important thing (that is another story). But this though also applies to my art.

I had started drawing in my sketch book with pen. I found, the less I cared about the outcome of the sketch, the better it was. I learned to not care. I learned to let the lines be what they will be. Suddenly, I was having fun. I was excited about shapes, and I leaned into it. I thought, if nobody else likes Emde, that is fine. I am going to draw it the way I want to draw it.

I feel this is a break-through I should have had years ago, but what am I going to do about that? And so I had gone from this to that. The first the comic images are from some years ago and the next three are the final pages from the book.

More important then my drawing style or skill is my new mind set which is projecting these new projects and processes. Not much matter, draw carefree, you have more freedom and options then you know. Since then, and while finishing Edme, I have been thinking about how I want my art to be moving forward.  In the next entry, I will reveal my experimentation’s!

The Plan!

I’m making an attempt to record the process of my art and book creating! I’ll be doing blogs here and have videos that go along with the blogs on youtube. It’s a bit of an undertaking for me so wish me luck. (@_@)

Why am I doing this? Because there is a lot of behind the scenes that never get seen and I think that might be interesting and insightful to some people. I’m also at a point where I am experimenting with my next step in art so now might be a good time to record how things go.

I’m sure things are going to start off rough but every week I’ll work to make the videos better and more informative.

The official introduction will come out next Friday February the 22nd!
But for now we start off with a short video about inking (n_n)

Also you are all welcome to comment with any question you have involving art, tools, and the process! And I will do my best to answer your questions.
Thanks and see you next week!