The Three Billy Goats Gruff

I’ve finished, wrapped up and sent the book to the publisher in South Korea. I did enjoy working on the book very much, although illustrating am already written story is for me more challenging than illustrating my own books.

I find it sometimes difficult to strip the pictures to the basics. To get rid of all the unnecessary details and still be able to look at the text from a different perspective and perhaps to add something extra.

I think this is all what a good picture book needs. A text that is in good balance with the pictures and vice versa. There is no need to always illustrate what is already said in the text and no need to say what is already visible from the picture.

Anyway the goats have now successfully crossed the river. The mean troll was punished and everybody’s happy!

All that is left on the table are bits and pieces and cut outs. Here is something I would like to call “An accidental goat”. The goat was cut out and the stripy paper underneath created something between a billy goat and zebra.



I’ve moved on to a board book. This is the second of two board books which are going to be published next year.

I’ve mentioned it before. Board book illustrations look simple, but they take the same amount of effort and take as long to do as illustrations for a picture book.

This board book is going to be a “lift the flap” board book. It was fun to keep the animals simple but recognisable.I had fun printing the parrot  and painting the ostrich. Here are some sketches  and this is how the ostrich was born.

I found a great old photo of a wild photographer dressed as an ostrich. At least I hope that’s what he is doing.

I’m going to put my pencils down now for a bit. March is the busiest month of the year for anybody who has something to do with books. It has something to do with World Book Day I believe.

I’m visiting two schools this week and on Friday I’m of to the Lake District. I’m taking part in “The Wray Castle Children’s Book Festival 2017″. Look who else is going to be there! Come to see us if you can. It’s going to be AMAZING!