Favorite childhood books: things that inspire

Favorite childhood books: things that inspire

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Everyone treasures those select few favorite childhood books. You know the ones. These books have been read so many times, the binding is cracked and splintered. And, these books came to life when we read them, and the words engraved into the very marrow of our bones. These books hold stories that were our dearest friends, our closest companions, and our solace in many a darker time. Finally, they helped us to escape from the drudgery of life. They became our first loves. And, they taught us how to dream big.

So, what makes us gravitate to certain books more than others?

In all honesty, I have no answer for what makes this book greater than that book and vice versa. I know only that the books I gravitated toward had a tendency to show one or more of the following characteristics:

  • A character I identified with: If I could not find a character to identify with, I put the book down. I have always needed that connection to the story, a person who made me cheer for them, cry with them, feel everything they felt. Otherwise, a story lays flat and wooden to me.
  • Fantasy: Honestly, the more fantastical a story, the more I loved it. Real life can get pretty darn bleak, after all, and I wanted my stories to take me away from real life.
  • Humor: No book is complete without the ability to make me laugh. Sure, most of the time I laugh, then cry, then laugh some more, then get angry… whew. But, while a really good book sends me on one humongous, emotional roller coaster, it needs to make me laugh a lot to make up for it.
  • A happy ending: That’s right folks. No tragedies for this girl (see Fantasy section). Now, don’t get me wrong, I can handle a book where I KNOW there’s going to be some sort of tear-jerk ending (Fault In Our Stars, anyone?). However, I just tend to avoid seeking out those books unless they come HIGHLY recommended (and, to be honest, FIOS is absolutely hilarious, too, so I can forgive the sob fests). That said, I absolutely loathe being blindsided and will hate a book forever if it tricks me with a horrible, dark, tragic ending.

Want to know more?

Then, keep reading my top 5 favorite childhood books:

Check out the slideshow* below:

Just Imagine

favorite childhood books

My all-time favorite picture book, and one of the many reasons I wanted to be an illustrator when I grew up. The rhymes are ridiculous and lovely and chalk full of fantasy – from dragons and fairies to teddy bear knights and beyond – and each illustration captures the reader. Honestly, this book is too perfect for words.

Sadly, this one is out of print, but it can be purchased used and, to me, is worth so worth every penny!

buy now from amazon

Winnie-the-Pooh

winnie the pooh book coverAnother huge favorite. I have always loved the sketchy, soft quality of the original illustrations. The stories are sweet, whimsical — and the characters, beloved. I loved these stories so much that I have always vowed my first nursery would be a Classic Pooh theme. Sadly, that hasn’t been possible, but it doesn’t keep me from having my own little collection of keepsakes. 😉

“Since 1926, Winnie-the-Pooh and his friends—Piglet, Owl, Tigger, and the ever doleful Eeyore—have endured as the unforgettable creations of A.A. Milne, who wrote this book for his son, Christopher Robin, and Ernest H. Shepard, who lovingly gave Pooh and his companions shape. These characters and their stories are timeless treasures of childhood that continue to speak to all of us with the kind of freshness and heart that distinguishes true storytelling.”

buy now from amazon

 

True Story of the 3 Little Pigs

I remember winning this book at my elementary school, and it was an immediate favorite. The story made me laugh out loud, but the illustrations really drew me in and made me love it. It’s such a silly premise that I would be hard pressed to find someone that doesn’t enjoy it.

“In this… clever fracture fairy tale picture book that twists point of view and perspective, young readers will finally hear the other side of the story of ‘The Three Little Pigs.'”

buy now from amazon

 

Anne of Green Gables

I consider Anne of Green Gables another classic series. The story follows a young orphan girl through life, from finding a family, to finding friends, to finding love and beyond. It warms the heart, has all the whimsy a girl like me could ask for, and has been read by me more times than I can count. Those characters are MY kindred spirits.

“Favorites for nearly 100 years, these classic novels follow the adventures of the spirited redhead Anne Shirley, who comes to stay at Green Gables and wins the hearts of everyone she meets.”

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Chronicles of Narnia

Last, but CERTAINLY not least – C .S. Lewis tops my chart of all-time-favorite authors. I’ve read about everything he’s written twice and three-times over, this series most of all. I cannot say enough good things about it, from the character development to the breathtaking description and the poetic way Lewis writes. You aren’t dragged into the story – you go willingly, excitedly, through that wardrobe and into an amazing world where things aren’t always what they seem.

“C. S. Lewis’s The Chronicles of Narnia has captivated readers of all ages for over sixty years, enchanting them with fantastical talking creatures, epic battles between good and evil, and magical doorways into new lands.”

buy now from amazon

As I mentioned before, these are only a small sampling of my favorites. After all, I was a huge bookworm growing up so to really delve into all of the books who touched me in some way throughout my childhood — well, we’d be here a long, long time. 🙂

Now that I’ve shared my favorite childhood books, tell me, what are yours? I’d love to know! Just write them in the comments below.

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16 writers & artists you should follow

With countless numbers of talent all over the world, it’s hard to narrow the list to just the ones below. However, I wanted to focus on my personal favorites because they have influenced my own art and writing in more ways than I could even know.

I hope that you enjoy the list and, with luck, you’ll find a new favorite or two. 🙂

W: writer, A: artist
  1. Aimee Major (A) | I have been a follower of Aimee Major for years. I started sometime in high school (which is well over ten years ago… Yikes!) She inspired me with her impressive portfolio, and she’s worked on some really awesome animation projects. In fact, I was thisclose to moving to California to attend the California Institute of Art because of her. (I desperately wanted to be an animator. Funny how life doesn’t always work out as expected…)

  2. CJ Archer (W) | This author is a new favorite of mine. I did a review (& illustration) of her most recent book, “The Watchmaker’s Daughter” that you can check out here. When I saw that she had a whole series of books called the Ministry of Curiosities, I went out and devoured them all! (Not literally. Sheesh.)

  3. Dani Jones (W, A) | I have been a fan of Dani Jones for a few years now. Her work is charming and engaging. The rich colors and detailed scenes she creates draws you in, and I really enjoy reading her web comics.

  4. Danny Beck (A) | I just discovered this man’s amazing talent, and I have to say: I am completely hooked! His mastery of watercolor is jaw-dropping and I adore his monster and hamster compilations. Cute plus scary? What’s not to love?

  5. David SanAngel (A) | David SanAngel works as a Disney storyboard artist (win!) and has a resume as long as my arm. It’s impressive, and I am jealous. I found him on the  Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators (SCBWI) Illustrators Gallery, and fell in love with his style. Especially the composition of his pieces, unique viewpoints and creative crops. (They make me realize how very much I still have to learn…)

  6. Gayle Forman (W) | I’m a huge, huge fan of Gayle Forman’s work. I started reading with “If I Stay,” and I have been hooked ever since. She puts a lot of emotion into her stories, and the writing is smooth and borders on prose at times.

  7. Guy Gilchrist (W, A) | My favorite childhood picture book is “Just Imagine: a Book of Fairyland Rhymes” by Guy Gilchrist; to this day, it has a place of honor on my bookshelves. When I found out all that Mr. Gilchrist has been involved in, well, it’s no surprise. The man is a fountain of talent.

  8. Heather Theurer (A) | Well known for her amazing renditions of Disney characters as oil portraits – well, where do I start? The paintings are absolutely beautiful (Random aside: I would LOVE the Lilo and Stitch one…)  and, not only that, but she captures their essence and emotion in each piece.

  9. James Hance (A) | I have been a fan of James Hance for years. I am a lifelong Winnie-the-Pooh fanatic, and also a huge Star Wars geek so naturally his “Wookie the Chew” creations excite me to no end. His creative mashups of pop culture with geek culture also make my nerdy heart flutter. In other words – he’s brilliant!

  10. Laure Halse Anderson (W) | This young adult author is another of my absolute favorites! She hits on the hard issues, and her writing is downright poetic. “Speak” will always hold a very special place in my heart.

  11. Mary Uhles (A) | I met Mary at an illustrator’s intensive during an SCBWI conference. Her art is fun, full of soft colors, and very expressive. Her pieces really draw me in.

  12. Meridth McKean Gimbel (W, A) | I had the pleasure of meeting Meridth a few years back at my very first illustrator’s intensive. She’s a wonderful artist, an amazing person, and I am a huge fan.

  13. Neil Gaiman (W, A) | His books are an obsession of mine. I’m not ashamed to admit that. The man is absolutely brilliant! His work is breathtaking and amazing, full of magic and wonder. The worlds he creates — I want to live in them. And many of his works are on the dark side, which I really, really love. (American Gods or The Graveyard Book, anyone? Coraline?) Okay. I’m done gushing.

  14. Robin Preiss Glasser (A) | Illustrator of the popular “Fancy Nancy” series. I just love her wild, whimsical art! It makes me happy, and I am forever trying to channel her talent for amazing costumes.

  15. Susan Eaddy (A) | Susan is a fellow SCBWI member and an amazing, amazing artist. She creates eye-catching pieces with clay in vibrant 3-dimensional scenes that have a lot of depth and richness.

  16. Tim Burton (W, A) | I’ve mentioned before that I love dark, twisted, and fantastical. Alice in Wonderland, Grimm’s Fairy Tales (the REAL ones), that sort of thing. Naturally, Tim Burton falls in that list. The man is a genius with his creepy dark worlds and whimsical characters, and he’s one of my top favorites.

Patches & Pepper | a web-comic

I came across these while looking through old files. While the comic quickly fell into the mythical land of unfinished projects, I figure they ones I completed are still cute enough to pass along on here. 😉

Enjoy!

Drawing Character Expressions

Silly Face Self-Portrait Caricature

“Silly Face”

tips and tricks image

I will be the first to admit: when it comes to vacations, I am a planning machine. There is something magical about seeing all the little details of our trip… planning makes it even more real. But, when it comes to characters… the process is a bit daunting. I never could figure out why, until I realized that the act of staring at a blank sheet of paper scares me. My mind goes blank.

Once I figured that out – Eureka! A character expression sheet was born! Below you can see an example of expressions I created to help me come up with the finished illustration to the right.

It really helps me, and I hope it helps you, too!

Click here to download your own copy!

*Update – 7/22/2016*

I recently came across a wonderful, (extremely!) in-depth article on this subject: “Human Anatomy Fundamentals:Mastering Facial Expressions” by Joumana Medlej. At one point, the author discusses different cues used by performers when conveying an emotion. They use different tones of speech and exaggerate body movements while “an illustration needs to make up for real-life clues that are not present on paper.”

She then continues to break down a litany of different facial expressions and the subtle differences in features that make up these emotions. It’s a brilliantly written how-to article and I highly recommend it.

While I think my expression sheet is a great starting off point, in the near future I plan on incorporating many of Ms. Medlej’s tips into a more comprehensive Character Profile document, so be on the lookout! ♥

expressions.jpg

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