Aaron Becker's Blog, page 2

Lately everything feels like a metaphor.

Lately everything feels like a metaphor.

This is David Macaulay’s sketchbook from when he was...

This is David Macaulay’s sketchbook from when he was developing The Way Things Work. I got to look through it during his masterclass @norman_rockwell_museum last weekend. It was amazing to learn about his very particular way of seeing the world. His book Castle was the inspiration for the cover of my first book. And amazingly, during his slides, he showed comps for his latest project. One of the working titles?

JOURNEY

#fullcircle

That moment when you know you’re on to something.

That moment when you know you’re on to something.

By the time I do my pencils, I’ve already figured out most of...

By the time I do my pencils, I’ve already figured out most of the drawing; a combination of an initial pencil thumbnail and digital color sketch which I’ll also use as a guide when I paint. I take that final digital comp and print it out lightly in pink on toothy paper, then use red pencil as a first pass and then a 2B lead for the final drawing. Later, when I scan, I can remove the pink lines. I print the digitally colorized pencils on arches hot press 300 lb watercolor paper on my Epson P800, the inks of which won’t bleed when I apply the paint. A long process, but it works for me!

It’s not every day an indie children’s bookstore opens in your...

It’s not every day an indie children’s bookstore opens in your community. And it’s not everyday that you walk into one and find your book on display more artfully than ever. @high_five_books has discovered that stacking two copies on top of each other in the window makes the colors shine in their full glory! Thanks Lexi!!!

Using #prismacolor more on this project and loving the way...

Using #prismacolor more on this project and loving the way contrasting colors create an impressionistic dissonance.

Pencils first.

Pencils first.

It’s all in the details.

It’s all in the details.

Final art #watercolorpainting takes longer than I remember.

Final art #watercolorpainting takes longer than I remember.

Looking for center.

Looking for center.