children's book illustrations

[hpslashluvr]

I am avoiding my french hw, and thought I'd pretend to write a children's book like everyone else seems to do one time or another in their life. (rubberduck is an inspiration of course ;) always making those awesome pics!). And start ANOTHER thread for fun x.x;;;

I've always sucked at storylines, so I'm just drawing what comes in my head. It has to do with a little girl who wakes up and her mother is gone...goes through a crazy fantasy adventure to find her mother. It's really a personal piece about my mother running off from my family all the time and not coming back, but hell that's not for the kiddos ;)

this is the girl sleeping in the beginning, those stripes are supposed to be shadows from the blinds btw...

[hpslashluvr]

and some designs for the girl's head shape and hairstyle, based off my crazy bad hair days when i was little

the top one is buns, the azn kind with ribbons...

[hpslashluvr]

part of the girl's floor, need to add more objects

[LittleFish]

go for it! looks great.:D (BTW, what art classes have you had?)

[Ibbo]

I love that first drawing, the use of a limited and basic pallet makes it look... Origional? Something like that, whatever it is its good!

[Chris-3DT]

Nice style, but maybe a bit too dark for a children's book?

[hpslashluvr]

Nah, I used to read books all the time like this as a little girl :p

Really, I think I wanted to draw illustrations for a children's book, but right now it's just going to be children in the book...

It's really just making fun of various aspects of my childhood. For example, we used to have to study Georgia O' Keefe in elementary school, and she painted a hell of a lot of skulls, so I drew in one as part of the junk on the girl's floor.

Here is me as a little girl, at the park on the tire swing (dunno if those are popular in other countries...but they were part of my childhood) and a flag at halfstaff for the recent tsunami (the flags are still down here).

I live in Texas (woot!) so I thought it'd be funny to stick this asian girl in a stereotypical cowgirl outfit. Used to want a tattoo as a kid too, always drawing all over myself x.x;;; I used to have an outfit almost like this as a little girl, except maybe the top wasn't a halter cut-off...:o

(not that anyone cares about the above ;) )

littlefish: I haven't taken too much art, except since last yr I've been taking AP studio art at my high school...but it isn't much help. We don't really do that much. Hopefully I can take some real painting classes.

[browns]

girl u can DRAW!

[jdgill]

Originally posted by browns
girl u can DRAW!

OH YEAH!

[hpslashluvr]

not worthy of a post, but i got sick of drawing my assignments and doodled the girl's siblings, inspired by two ppl in my french class.

one is the overdone not-quite-goth-not-quite-skaterpunk-slut look that seems to be going rampage thru my school...

the other isn't quite as clear, but this one girl in my class dresses as like a pirate, etc. every friday, and apparently (as i just found out) she's been cosplaying as d&d characters. i've never played it, or watched it, or even known anyone who did d&d, but it's quite scary to see grown ppl actually cosplay. If you don't know what cosplay is...don't worry, it's basically the ultimate level of (insert game/movie/anime here) obsession. I drew a fobish guy dressed as a Naruto character, basically the one and only anime I've ever seen in my entire life, I'm sure it's all wrong. And sorry if you cosplay :o

http://img234.exs.cx/img234/959/girl6an.jpg

And...I recently realized how anime-ish my doodles look...I dunno how...I've never even seen pokemon...

[Chokin Hazard™]

wow you improved heaps from the last time I saw your drawings

[hpslashluvr]

if you're talking about my mouse-drawn thumbnails, those were definitely not how i draw...x.x;;; i have poor hand-eye coordination...

[Phynius Gauge]

You've struck a nice motif with the color/linework. Great stuff.

[Sessy]

You have a real sense for color but you could add more shadows I think for sunny day effects on the swing or stuff

[Julhelm]

I like the cowgirl and that last one with the hair and headband.

[hpslashluvr]

hey julhelm! long time no see, haven't been on for a bit

[Julhelm]

Yeah, I thought you'd all but disappeared. Still waiting to see you in that fabled cowgirl outfit of yours, btw.

[hpslashluvr]

made another quick sketch, kids watch way too much violence these days x.x;; :evil:

http://img233.echo.cx/img233/8126/14yq.jpg

[hpslashluvr]

well, i thought i might actually make go back to actually making sketches that might have to do with some form of a story...

typical kid-gets-into-alt-world-somehow-to-find-momma story. i have no concept of how to draw futuristic cities, so that squiggle basically is my sorry excuse for one. girl based on me of course.

http://img187.echo.cx/img187/7536/me3kw.jpg

[hpslashluvr]

worked on some more images. one is of the girl showing a picture of her mother, and the other is of the fox queen of the nine tails (chinese myth) that she encounters later on. used a cleopatra waterhouse painting ref for the pose in the second.

http://img98.echo.cx/img98/3514/finding1oc.jpg
http://img201.echo.cx/img201/1241/fox8in.jpg

[hpslashluvr]

i saw some of phuzion's (sp?) lineart and got jealous. attempted. lameass result. again the fox queen of the nine-tails (i don't think i drew nine...anyhoo) except I actually looked in a mirror for life drawing practice. Very hard to pose...make line...pose...make line...took a photo eventually. So basically a selfportrait, although I started drawing sort of cartoonishly on the face.

http://img132.echo.cx/img132/7450/fox0uh.jpg

[Julhelm]

Looking good.

[A N T I]

hehe, you watch Naruto don't ya? Good morals there:

- Son, do everything to protect your brethren

- And what about the enemy? They're humans too...

- Kill them. And for gods sake try to look flashy when you're doing it. And say out loud the name of your moves too. So then people can say: " Oh wow! Is it THAT technique!!??"

And a litle CC: the torso on your portrait abovce there isn't in proportions with your arm. Try to work that part out.
Anyways: nice scetching;) looking forward too see more (and maybe something which is finished?)

[hpslashluvr]

edit: oh, anti, i never finish anything. :smug: i don't think there is anything wrong with the arms, they just need to be shaded so that it looks foreshortened.

i've been reading more sandman and i really like dave mckean's art...i got sort of comic book inspired and drew a crappy cover...of course is nothing like dave mckean. maybe i'll try to go for a more graphic novel look from now on, but maybe not since i'm not familiar with layouts. I've sort of got the story down now...I'm sure it's not very original (don't read too much comics and I suck at storytelling)...the cover outfit certainly isn't.

Basically the story takes place in China or some asianish country b/w two peoples:
1) the original inhabitants of the land, who wield magic and oldish type weapons
2) people who rely on technology and have taken over most of the area

The modern weaponry has basically forced the natives to become nomadic and move farther and farther back, but they're fighting to regain some territory. It's a pretty bleak situation but they've got a few tricks left.

The cover is the main character of the southern (nomadic) army, eventually I'll draw the other side with the general of the northern army. I don't think the title translates exactly right, and my handwriting sucks, but whatever.
http://img289.echo.cx/img289/8741/15ez.jpg

[hpslashluvr]

Here are some idea sketches...these are NOT the layouts, just random doodles.

first is a northern (modern) soldier taking a break. He suddenly notices a really hot girl in the doorway...she is really a shapeshifter - according to chinese myths there are foxes that turn into hot girls and basically they seduce men & have sex like crazy until finally the men are really weak, then they can steal their power or something, I dunno. Girl is ref'ed from Girl Next Door.

http://img289.echo.cx/img289/2263/21yu.jpg

Second is the nomadic army in a desert region. The main character gets a signal from a diving eagle that the northern army is approaching in the distance, and they perform some thingy that makes them disappear so the enemy won't see them.

http://img278.echo.cx/img278/6667/eagle21td.jpg

[rubberduck]

Nice style, but maybe a bit too dark for a children's book?

I agree too :eek: :) but you're getting better and better. Some really nice stuff here.
Thanks for the comment btw:) "Start another childrenbook thread just for fun"...it's alot of work and takes alot of time too, but maybe some day;)

[~¤Yami¤~X¤]

Nice!!! (Is that violence one really for a kid's book....lol) nice!!!

[hpslashluvr]

hmm, i don't know. Of course this is not really a kid's book that I'd ever publish (if I ever finished, that is), but IMO kids these days can handle a whole lot more than we were allowed when I was little, which was not that long ago (I'm 18). Then again, thinking back to my fairy tales books...there was the original Sleeping Beauty with the alternate ending where everyone's being ordered to be murdered and eaten...I forget if it's Blackbeard but the story where the girl finds the coffins of the murdered wives and gets blood all over the key, and almost gets murdered herself...all with accompanying pictures...x.x;;;

Kids can even handle things of a more sexual nature, I mean just look at the Bratz (I call 'em Slutz) dolls which are popular now with little girls. The age group I think I would shoot for is probably 9-12.

As for pictures, eventually this is what I want to shoot for. Sort of a dark, layered look mixed with some pen & ink drawings. These are both children's picture books.

http://www.newsarama.com/Other_Publishers/WolvesPosterRev4.jpg
http://img278.echo.cx/img278/7131/coraline8lu.jpg

[hpslashluvr]

i worked on the other side of the cover...here is the original sketch...some proportional issues but it's just for the idea...not sure if i want to exaggerate some features like the other side (the guy posted before) with height, although i did exaggerate her boobs a bit....not too familiar with how to draw comic-type breasts but it turned out all right IMO. The background says "north" (i think) and she is the general of the northern dudes who use modern technology like guns and all that.

http://img222.echo.cx/img222/7821/21224ct.jpg

and i tried to come up with an outfit, but i suck at that...sort of a military/bathrobe/ hotpants thingy with rolled up sleeves. :crazy: not sure if i want to make her a blonde with flying hair or a brunette :o

http://img289.echo.cx/img289/7446/together7bi.jpg

anyways, i suck at drawing hot people :cry: so any tips would be cool.