Rebecca Green's Blog, page 9

How To Make Friends With A Ghost - it's almost time!

Guys! I have to apologize, if you get my newsletter, you're probably up to date on what I'm sharing today. (If not, sign up on my home page - I promise, my newsletters are few and far between.) Just in case though, I wanted to share all the exciting upcoming events for the release, as well as the official book trailer! 

As some of you know, I have my very first picture book coming out next month with Tundra Books, and I'm so happy I could fall over. Time to put on the cider, light a fire in the crisp Autumn air, and dive into the world of ghost care. Good thing you can learn everything you need from How To Make Friends With A Ghost! 

What do you do when you meet a ghost? One: Provide the ghost with some of its favorite snacks, like mud tarts and earwax truffles. Two: Tell your ghost bedtime stories (ghosts love to be read to). Three: Make sure no one mistakes your ghost for whipped cream or a marshmallow when you aren't looking! If you follow these few simple steps and the rest of the essential tips in How to Make Friends with a Ghost, you'll see how a ghost friend will lovingly grow up and grow old with you. 

Want to see more? Check out the book's officially official trailer!

Let's celebrate Fall and ghost friendships together, shall we? 
Mark your calendar for the Book Launch Party at Parnassus Books!

I'm also happy to announce two upcoming book festivals I'll be part of this Fall. Though the book comes out September 5, you can get a sneak peek at the AJC Decatur Book Festival! I'll be doing a presentation with Tad Hills called BOO! Saturday September 2 at 11:30 am! 

October 13-14, I'll also be at the Southern Festival of Books here in Nashville! Stayed tuned for more info on that and other school, library, and bookstore visits!

YAY! I can't wait for you guys to see this book! 

PRE-ORDER How To Make Friends With A Ghost!

GUYS! It's a good day to put on some spooky jams and pre-order your copy of How To Make Friends With A Ghost! This week only, Tundra is giving away special gifts to everyone who pre-orders! I'll give you a little insider secret....the early bird gets the cinnamon dusted worm: The first 200 entries wins a craft kit to make your very own felt ghost, and the rest receive a limited edition art print! 

Here's how to enter:

Step 1: Pre-order the book. (You can pre-order from anywhere – even your favorite local bookstore and e-books count, too.)

Step 2: Fill out the form between July 17, 2017 to July 23, 2017 to confirm your pre-order.

Step 3: Once we receive your form, we will send you a “How to Make a Ghost Friend” craft kit or a limited edition READ art print.

Ghosts need friends too, and who better to befriend them than you? "A whimsical story about ghost care, Rebecca Green’s debut picture book is a perfect combination of offbeat humor, quirky and sweet illustrations, and the timeless theme of friendship." How To Make Friends With A Ghost comes out September 5! For more details about the pre-order campaign, head to Tundra's Blog to learn more! 

 

The Unicorn in the Barn

What are the hardest things to draw? HORSES. I drew a horse in fifth grade with pastel and it was so difficult, I almost gave up on my dreams then and there. (Where is that drawing now? Probably in the trash).

So, when I got the invitation from Kate, my editor at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt to illustrate The Unicorn in the Barn, the sweetest and most magical story by Jaqueline K. Ogburn about a Unicorn (read: horned HORSE) I was nervous but thrilled. Seriously, first page and I was hooked - the book is set in what feels like real life, but only if there are magical creatures in your definition of real. (You know how much I love everyday magic and bending the line between real and fantasy ever so slightly) The characters are warm and dynamic and it's set in the South, which is where I currently reside. Win win! It was my first time working on a book that wasn't a re-edition and that was so exciting! As usual, I overcomplicated the process, and that mixed with my uncanny ability to screw up horse drawings, meant there was a rather large learning curve. But learn I did, and I'm so happy to share the process with you. 

Right off the bat, I dedicated an entire sketchbook to the project - this helped me keep everything on track. This was where I took notes, wrote down illustration ideas, and kept sketches. I've learned that it's immensely helpful to write down details as you read, instead of having to revert back to the pages when you're creating your finals.

Then it was time to research. One of my favorites parts of the process! 

I visited barns, taking photos of the exteriors and the details. I also stayed on a horse ranch (as part of a women's group - lucky for me, it totally played into my research!) There, I got to photograph some wide expanses of land with horses and barns in the distance. There was also a very friendly white cat at the ranch...which was a happy coincidence because I needed to draw a white cat for the book! They also had a great barn stool which made its way into the illustrations.  
My friend Pat then invited me to take photos and draw on her farm. It was a gold mine for visual references, and her very sweet dog and cat followed me all over the property. There, I drew farm equipment, her horses, and an awesome tree fort (which made its way into the book as well!) 

After visiting Pat's farm, she connected me with a horse trainer, Angela, who was so generous is showing me around her place. She shared grooming and feeding tools and I got to hang out with a couple of beautiful horses. White horses, nonetheless, not very different from pearly white unicorns. 

After gathering references, it was time to tackle drawing horses. I feel like a fraud, but here goes: I grabbed a 'How to Draw Horses' book from the library, some tracing paper and traced the images until I could fully understand the shapes. I studied the heads, the eyes, how they communicate emotion through body and ear movement. Their legs also have a specific way of moving, which I wanted to get right. Eventually I was able to take the technical aspect of what I learned and transform it into my own drawing style, to create a Unicorn in my own visual language. To do this, I usually draw from the reference, put that reference away and draw from the drawing, then I'll put the first drawing away and keep repeating until I'm far away from the original reference. 

Now it was time for the characters. Since I never properly learned character development, it's been a challenging but rewarding feat. One thing I'm navigating is the consistency of the characters. Since my drawing style is simple, each detail is important - the way the hair falls, the thickness of the eyebrows, the shapes of the eyes and nose.

Throughout my career, it's become clear to me that the task of an illustrator goes well beyond the immediate interactions between characters. You become the costume and wardrobe designer (for this book, I created folders with wardrobe items for each character) the interior designer, the architect, and the landscaper, not to mention a historical researcher when you're doing a time period. Taking information from reality and translating it through your own visual language can take time and exploration. Don't even get me started on lighting and shadows (I make them up!) In the end, I simplified, but I wanted every detail to be thoroughly executed. Once I nailed down the the visual world, it was time for me to lay in the content. 

In my sketchbook, I laid out all the chapters, adding notes, illustration ideas and placements for the final page designs. Since I was creating an illustration + header for every chapter, I found that I needed to layout the entire book to make sure there was enough variation between spots, full pages, and spreads. Also I just like drawing tiny things. 

To send along the sketches to the editor and the designer, Rebecca, I created fake pages to show where the illustrations would be laid out. Once those sketches were approved, I created the finals on bristol paper in gouache and colored pencil. 

do you see the tiny stool?! 

The next thing on my list was the cover! Very important part of the project of course, and I did a number of sketches to show the editor and designer. I did some with a close up of Eric and the Unicorn and some from far away. We decided this was the best one, and after a couple rounds, I finally found my footing on the final painting. I painted it in gouache and colored pencil on wood.

Ta da!! The final cover! 

Here are just a few of the final pieces...

I cannot wait for you guys to read this book - you're going to love it. It's so charming and magical and sweet, and I feel immensely lucky to have been able to illustrate it. It was a dream job for sure, and I learned so much working on it. Huge thank you to Kate, Jackie, Rebecca, Pat and Angela. Check with your local bookstore to pre-order - the book comes out July 4! (The author is doing a giveaway next month too so be sure to check her out!) 

Thanks for reading this ridiculously long post! 

**Copyright strictly enforced on all images, please do not use without permission. Thanks! 

Themed Drawing Nights: Why they're awesome, and how you can do your own!

At our studio, The Warren, we've had multiple drawing nights, mainly the classic ol' Drink 'N Draws where people bring sketchbooks, art materials, and a drink of their choice. Each one has been wonderful - obviously when you're hanging out with your tribe, pencils in hand, and you're sharing a few beers, there's nothing better. 

Or it there?

We started having 'Themed' Drawing Nights, something I'd wanted to do since we opened the studio last year. No longer is the 'drink' the most alluring part of gathering, but the gathering itself around one central idea. The first one was based on Food and Cooking, and the stipulation to attending was that you had to bring a food item to share to the drawing table. We had ginger knobs, old food tins, cookbooks, kitchen tools, fruits - everything culinary! The second themed night was based on Nature, so we brought in sticks, pinecones, mossy branches, and flowers. During both events, instead of drawing the same old 'comfortable' things we were used to (you know, that character, or that object you always draw out of habit - especially in the presence of other artists...) we drew within a perimeter of sorts and from life, which is rare for some of us. The best part to me was that we were all on the same wavelength, drawing 'together' instead of being in our own visual worlds. 

At the end of the second event, we opened up the room to suggestions for the next Drawing Night and Erin, who has come to all the events suggested we do costumed figures! So, this past Tuesday, we all dressed up to draw for our March Drawing Night and I think it was my favorite ever.  We had incredible costumes - the attendees blew us away! What we shared wasn't like the stuffy life-drawing classes we had back in school. Instead, we drew circus ringleaders, sleeping witches, and beautiful fairies. We gave the night a little more structure than usual, timing out poses at one minute gestures, five and ten minute poses.
We also had a very cool addition to the night: A Writer! We sometimes get folks who are interested in coming but they don't 'draw'. This didn't stop our wizard, Emily Arrow from coming and writing the best poems about the models. It added an inspiring new layer, and we're thrilled she's now part of the gang. Below are some of the models with my drawings of them. (Later in the post I'll share more pics along with some of the other artist's work!) 

Lauren Lowen was the ringleader!

Emily Arrow - the sleeping wizard!

Olivia and Ivy MADE their costumes!!!

Carla was the 'Emo Vegan!' 

Green and red colored pencil 

Her face was hard to draw without eyes!

They were SO fun to draw!

Sad about a turkey. 

The whole gang! Although there were more artists that came just to draw and not to model. 

Here's where YOU come in! I've had inquiries about putting on events like this so I wanted to share some tips with those interested in starting their own drawing series. 

PLACE:  
- Open up your home. You don't need tons of seating, generally artists are fine drawing on the floor.
- Host it at a bar, restaurant or coffee shop. This is harder to pull of a 'theme' as you won't want a bunch of stuff crowding their establishment. If you go this route, I'd highly recommend calling the business beforehand to make sure they can accommodate you, if you need to reserve tables, and if there'd be a fee. In my experience, groups are welcomed but should be encouraged to purchase food/drinks from the business. 
- Take the event outside! Meet up at a park, a cemetery, a crowded city center, anywhere. The theme can easily be based around the location. 
- Some libraries could be a great place to host a quiet drawing session. It'd even be fun to create an event surrounding books - either in physical form, or their content. 

CONTENT:
- Themed Drawing Night can include literally anything! Shoes, food, musical instruments, coffee mugs, clothes, knick-knacks, teas, gardening tools, makeup, animals, science, sports, nature, colors, antiques, maps....and on and on. 
- Based the drawings on stories, and have people read snippets of writings. 
- Process based drawing. For example, you can all cook a dish together, drawing the ingredients, the process, and the final dish! 
- The social sketch idea is that each person works a bit on each piece, creating a large collaboration where everyone takes a piece home. 

MAKE IT HAPPEN:
- Put out an invitation on Instagram, Facebook or Social of your choice. Name the time and location. I find it's good to put a start and end time, for those showing up a little later. 
- Check to find local artists in your area and email them personally to invite them. You should, of course, invite others too, that don't fall in the general 'artist' category. 
- It's fun to make an event of it. Bake some cookies, make a pot of coffee, put on some good drawing music. 

Thanks again for everyone who came to the event! And if you put on one of your own, I'd love to hear about it! 

xoxox

How To Make Friends With A Ghost

According to my friend Joe Kolean, via his friend John Hanson, you have to 'follow the tingle'. I'd never heard it put quite that way, but listening to your curiosities and following that spark can lead you into a state of that sweet magical 'flow'. There is a literal truth to it as well: my toes physically *zing* when I'm in that state of creating - so when I heard this sentiment, I knew! The tingle! Now the tingle is a precious thing because it's elusive. You have to stop forcing ideas to come and almost let them come to you - which is hard when you want to always be making genuine and wonderful things. (Let me interject but not get off track on the subject of constantly being bombarded with so much great content. The comparison can drive anyone mad, and you can never let your zinging toes feel ashamed that they've led you towards something that doesn't measure up to what other's are making.) But when you've watched yourself go through the cyclical pattern, you start to understand your rhythm and when the tingle finds you, MAKE.

One tingling curiosity found me on a walk with my dog, where my head was not particularly filled with creative thoughts. Just the opposite in fact: we had moved (again) and I had finished too many projects at once during our move. I was in a dull lull, if you will, feeling as though I'd like to swear off art, and never make a lick of it again. I had a small project due and was dragging my feet big time. The theme was October, and I waded through all the immediate visual possibilities, and not one of them sounded intriguing. I was tired of drawing girls and animals...and a little ghost wandered into my head. Obviously, little ghosts have been around for eons, but nonetheless, I followed the scenario. Suddenly, I was struck by a little spark...if one were to read to the ghost, what would one read? What kinds of stories do ghosts even like? What do they eat? What do they do for fun? There needs to be a guide, I thought, about how to take care of a ghost! 

Hours later, I was still frantically working and reworking my idea - it'd be a book, a little book, but a book. I'd do quick illustrations and lay it all out and tell a little story and have a good time doing it. Just the perfect fall project to get me back into the making of things. My husband Matt, who teaches English, is a wonderful ideas person - he pushed the story and helped me organize and flesh out the ending. At the end of the day, the framework for the book had been born.

I posted the final book on my site, printed 125 copies, you awesome people bought them, and I got a phone call from Penguin Random Houses, children's Imprint, Tundra. The book was going to be real. This last year, I've worked with my editors, Tara and Jessica, and the team at Tundra, to extend the content, recreate the illustrations, and bring you my first picturebook, How To Make Friends With A Ghost. I couldn't be more proud for this little book to come out into the world. The release date is September 5, 2017. Stay tuned for more info, regarding pre-orders, giveaways, and library/bookstore visits! And because I can keep it a secret no longer: here's the cover reveal! 

I could die I'm so happy! It's going to be hard waiting for Autumn (as usual) but it'll be well worth it. Thank you to those who have been so enthusiastic and supportive for this little ghost, I can't wait to share the final book with you. 

xoxo

Little Book!

I've got a little update to the Blurb post I did before the Holidays! While I was visiting with family, I was in the middle of nowhere in the land where a 4 second video can take 18 hours to load. Hence, I am just now sharing this little timelapse of the interior of the book! 

I've also had requests to sell the publication, and am working on putting that together to sell through Blurb. I'm hoping to have that available later this month, so I will keep you guys posted!

And without further adieu...

I'm not into dead animals...

But I can't stop my obsession with the dioramas at the Denver Nature & Science Museum. Spending time drawing there is one of my favorite parts of that city, and it's something I miss deeply after moving to Nashville. Whenever I needed to re-energize, I'd take my sketchbook down to study the gemsbok, the springhare, the warthogs and the puffins. The exhibits themselves look sort of timeless, like stills from a Wes Anderson movie. 

For our Holidays, we decided to spend time in Colorado, and the trip wouldn't have been complete without a date with my stuffed babies. I carried in my sketchbook and colored pencils and worked quickly, as I didn't have a lot of time to spend. Lately, I've been using Faber-Castell Colored Pencils - they are oil based and I really love the hardness of them. Really great lines, but not super rigid. They're almost like a mix between Prismacolor Premiers and the Verithins. (Both of which I've used for a long time). Because there were SO many kids running around, and so many parents chasing them, I had to work simple, and didn't get to throw any color in.  

I've been trying really hard to stylize when I'm drawing from life. I have to consciously offset angles, and try to have fun making these little characters come to life and not look like the dead little creatures they are. If you've followed my work for a long time, you'll know I have a constant struggle not leaning into realism. After looking at my previous museum sketches, I think I've come a long way in the last two years and that's pretty exciting! 

These characters need to be in a story....

Look at those babies!! Rhea babies! 

As much as I would have loved to spend the whole week there, I had an incredibly revitalizing time resting and laughing with some of the best humans on the planet. Did you find some time to creatively re-energize over break? What do you do to recharge? 

PS > One of my goals this year is to blog more and share more behind the scenes with you so perhaps if I can keep my head on straight, you'll be hearing from me soon! 

Happy New Year my glittering friends!