A different style of drawing …

Halloween has come and gone – even if the candy is still sticking around!

When thinking about the feel of the world Penelope inhabits, my mind often changes, based on the type of thing Penelope might be up to, or how I imagine it might look or feel to her and her friends …

Halloween is ghostly.  It’s a bit magical.  The streets are transformed, from safe and predictable, to spooky and unpredictable.

Inverted, one might even say …

Here, the kids stand, bathed in the glow of another open doorway.  Or maybe the glow is reflected off the treasure they’ve come to collect?  The kids themselves are re-made, their identities fluid and ephemeral, like the drawings they spent so much time sketching out weeks earlier as they eagerly anticipated and planned their Halloween alter-ego adventures …

Penelope Bloom: We can FLY!

It’s a fairly common misconception amongst adults, that humans are unable to fly, unassisted.

Children know differently…

Especially when there is a big pile of  leaves to land on.

Junjie, Eloise, and Penelope Bloom find adventure in every season.

What memories of fall do you have?

Penelope Bloom’s Scary Campfire Story

Penelope peered at her friends through the crackling flames with a mischievous grin. “Once upon a time,” she lowered her voice, “there was a dark, dark forest.”

Gripping the hands of her chair, Eloise’s eyes widened with fear and anticipation.

“And inside the forest,” Penelope spread her arms wide, “there was a dark…,” she paused for effect, “dark tree.”

Above their heads, a large maple swayed, its limbs black next to the starlit sky.

“You can’t scare me!” scoffed Junjie.

She leaned closer. “And in the tree, was a dark,” she lingered on the word, “dark nest.”

“Ohh!” Eloise covered her mouth with a trembling hand.

Overhead, a branch creaked.

Junjie’s eyes shot toward the sound. “Nothing but a bird, I bet.”

“And in that nest,” Penelope’s words barely rose above a whisper, “there was a dark, dark….” Her body tensed.

Eloise and Junjie hung on her every word.

The pounding waves filled their silence.

“BOO!”

Eloise shrieked.

Junjie almost fell out of his chair.

Penelope giggled. “Gotcha!”

Their laughter carried across their campsite.

“My turn,” said Eloise.

They quieted.

“Once upon a time….”

What inspires you?

The winter Olympics are over now, but boy were they fun to watch when they were happening!

The athletes of every nation are so inspiring, they make me want to try many of the amazing things they are able to do … (this year I decided I might want to try hockey … lol).

Near the end of the 2014 Olympic games in Sochi, Janna and I wondered what Penelope and her friends might be doing in response to the inspirational athletics they were watching.  We decided that they would most likely join in, with great imagination and enthusiasm, and that it might look a little like this  …

Dream big dreams!  These three sure do!

Sketch anywhere!

I never know when I’m going to get an idea that I need to remember … which is why I like to take my sketchbook everywhere I go.

Sometimes, however, I forget to bring it along.  That’s when it’s time to get creative.  Thankfully, most places will have something to write on, even if it is just a serviette.

Just a little while ago, I was out for lunch with some friends.  If you’ve ever been to Montana’s, then you know how it is:  a whole table covered in fresh kraft paper to doodle on!

So here is a little idea brought to life with a purple crayon on the table covering at a Montana’s somewhere in southern Ontario.

It’s not perfect, but it’s the start of something cute …

Sketching Junjie

Junjie, as one of Penelope and Eloise’ close friends, will end up in many stories and pictures in our books.

Before drawing scenes to illustrate our book, I like to spend time getting to know the characters.  I’ve done that with Penelope and Eloise so far, and now I’m doing that with Junjie.

I do this by drawing him (all of them, in fact) in as many positions, activities, and scenarios as I can imagine.

It’s a lot of fun to do, and it helps me build a history and rich personality for each character (besides the one that they were each created to have).

Below is an example from my sketchbook of some exploratory drawings of Junjie.  As I draw, I become familiar with how he stands, sits, and moves … which allows me to focus more on the imaginative settings in the story .

Getting something right, often means a lot of repetition and practice!

Junjie in colour

Penelope is blonde and wears a lot of pink.  Eloise has curly black hair and mostly wears green.  What colours would Junjie have?

I think, there will be a variety of colours with Junjie.  He will often be pictured with his trusty magnifying glass in the future … and his is a truly scientific mind.  I think his colours will tend to change with his goals and pursuits :).

As for his eyes, I thought hazel would be nice …

First thought’s on “Junjie”

The third of our irrepressible little trio is a boy, named Junjie.

Yesterday, I began to work out what he might look like, and how he and the girls might relate.

This is a first sketch … and I like it so far.

Pictured below are two stages of a drawing;  first, the blue pencil drawing (it’s an erasable animation pencil), and second, the drawing after I’ve scanned and altered it on the computer so that it is an outline only, ready for colour to be painted on in a layer below the drawing.

I haven’t quite decided on his colours yet …