Snap Magic's Cover Release

When you work towards a project for years (writing) and months (illustrating) it can be difficult to finally introduce your 'baby' to the world. Letting go of something you have been passionately working on for such a long time is often an angst-filled moment. But I couldn't be prouder of how the cover for my new release, Snap Magic, has turned out. Here it is:

ISBN: 978-0-9925753-0-4

The illustration/artwork and design vision are my own. Anthony Puttee of Book Cover Cafe brought it all together beautifully. He's terrific to work with; I especially like the font he found and the background he created to my brief.

In another post I'll show my original illustration and sketches. And who's keen to read the blurb?

The professional editing and design of this creative work was made possible with the support of

The Regional Arts Development Fund – a Queensland Government and Gold Coast City Council partnership 

to support local arts and culture.

Book Cover Modelling

My mother-in-law is very proud to have entered a new modelling career at the age of 83. She was the hand model for an illustration I worked on for my latest book cover. In the illustration an elderly neighbour offers the main character a magic sphere for her 'trick or treat'.

I was having trouble drawing the hand and had found some good visual references online, but none were from the right angle or perspective. Then it dawned on me that staying in the spare room was my very own 'hand model'.

Voila! Here are the results below.

And here is my mother-in-law hard at work. Gotta love her!

Children's Picture Book Portraits

In an effort to have fun, play a little and increase my portfolio, I am offering very reasonably priced Picture Book Portrait commissions. 

Working from photographs of children and their favourite things, I create a one image visual narrative straight from the pages of a make-believe picture book. The child becomes a character within their own one-page story.

The portrait is worked in watercolour, graphite and coloured pencil on 300gsm artist quality watercolour paper. 

In the example below I combined baby Milly's favourite blanket, beach hat and inseparable companion, Charli.

Just send me a query through the contact page on my website.

Kate Greenaway Medal Winner Jon Klassen Shares his Process

I love to learn about the illustrative processes of some of the world's best children's book illustrators and share them on the blog. Today I have a special treat for you...

The winner of 2014's prestigious Kate Greenaway Medal is Jon Klassen for his book, This is Not My Hat – both written and illustrated by him.

On the children's books page of The Guardian Jon Klassen kindly gives us a page-by-page video tour of the book in person, explaining his illustrative method and reasons behind his decisions for each page. Watch it here: Jon Klassen's Video Tour of 'This Is Not My Hat'

I was fascinated to learn that he paints the images first in black ink on white paper, scans them into the computer and then inverts them before colouring. That's how he gets the rich black backgrounds.

Also, enjoy the book trailer below.

Creative Challenges

There's a lot happening on Facebook besides the usual petition signing and cat video sharing. For the creatives amongst us Facebook is a place of connection, a place where writers, illustrators and artists can meet, share and inspire each other.

You may remember I convene the Monday Writing Sprint on Facebook. It's been running (pun intended) for three years now and the regulars who show up every week for an hour of non-stop scribbling swear it jumps starts their writing week and creative flow. At the very least it's a reminder to pop our bums on a seat and write.

But that's not the only group I belong to on Facebook. I'm also an active member of the Brisbane Illustrators Group which meets once a month at the Collectors' Cafe at the Museum. We share news, tips and play illustration games. At more serious times we hold exhibitions of our work and have a showcase website.

Then recently my writer friend Tania McCartney began the 52 Week Illustration Challenge group with a set theme for each week of the year. #illo52weeks We're now up to Week 10 - Pattern -  and the illustrations being posted onto the group are so diverse and inspiring that I have to be careful not to lose myself (and time).

Here's my quick watercolour from Week 6 - Machinery

Lastly, a brand new group for writers has popped up on Facebook - the 38 Week Flash Fiction Challenge, run by the energy-packed Sheryl Gwyther. It's only about 24 hours old, but already three stories are up, all on the first week's theme - Frog. After writing a short novel with a strong froggy theme, I thought I didn't have any more amphibian stories in me, but today I posted one to the group. I thought I'd share it here with you also. Pop over to the challenge to read some others.

Here is my 'frog-themed' flash fiction story:

The Email

What did he mean, choose which one I want?

Meg clicked on the image and waited for it to download. A close-up of a bookshelf filled with frogs appeared on the screen - plastic, brass and ceramic frogs, lying, hopping and doing handstands.

Shaken, Meg bit her lip and breathed in deeply through her nose. She could pick out the place and time she had bought each one: a flirtatious weekend in Adelaide, a trash and treasure day at school, the Potter’s Barn at her local markets. Each one a reminder, each one lovingly chosen and wrapped in bubble wrap before the short walk to the post office.

She had even had trouble convincing her mother-in-law she didn't actually collect frogs.

'But you have a whole selection of them.'

‘Yes, but… it's a joke, a private thing, between Lisa and me.

The puzzled look.

'Okay, thank you. The frog tea towel is perfect! It'll go with the calendar you gave us for Christmas so well.’

Then Meg noticed it.

Tucked in behind a skiing frog in a santa hat, a faded greeting card, its surface speckled by yellow mould spots, leant against the back of the shelf. She had kept it all these years? The card with a frog in a beret and a cravat. The card she had sent Lisa from Paris in the days when they were both still young and single and living a world away from each other on either side of the world. The card that had started it all.

Meg shut her eyes as familiar tears welled. The words inside she knew by heart. They'd laughed about them often. It was their little in joke, the whole reason the frog gifts had been exchanged in the first place, the whole reason Lisa had nicknamed Meg’s husband Kermit. A silly frog card - ‘You have to kiss a lot of toads before you meet the handsome prince’. Kev was a prince for sure, but Lisa's had turned out to be a toad.

And now she’s gone and he wants me to choose just one.

Meg clicked, then paused as her finger hovered over the ‘block sender’ button.

© Angela Sunde

Finding Your Images on the Web

Recently an artist friend of mine had an image of his artwork stolen from the web and then entered into a competition under the thief's own name. Luckily my friend was onto this quite quickly and filed a complaint with the competition organisers who withdrew the thief's entry.

But how do you know when or where an image or photo you created and uploaded to your blog, website or social media page is then taken and re-used by someone else? There are millions of sites out there. Your images could be anywhere, masquerading as someone else's creative talent, or simply used without any reference to you as the creator and copyright holder.

The answer is simple. Google has introduced 'Search by Image'. You can easily drag and drop an image from your computer into the 'Search Box' or upload one from your computer and then search the entire web for every website where your image appears. Just like magic!

The other handy use for 'Search by Image' is if you find an image on the web and want to find out more about it. Perhaps you want to know who the artist or photographer is. Simply copy the image URL and go to images.google.com, then right click on the camera icon and paste the URL; or if you have Chrome Extension or Firefox Extension you can just right click on any image on the web. Quite handy for research.

Of course I've tried this with one of my own illustrations, fully expecting to find my artwork on a heap of sites. It turned up on three: here on my blog, my website and the third was the blog of a friend of mine. That was fine with me, but she did forget to reference the image with my full name and a link to my website - online etiquette. If she had, it would've turned up on the Google Alert I have out on my own name and I would've been informed by email - another handy Google tool.

Have a go at searching for your own images and then come back and leave a comment on whether you found anything. Perhaps you'll uncover a following you didn't know you had or ... a den of online thieves!

Art in Auckland

Recently I flew to New Zealand to visit friends and family and network with the NZ children's book industry. Below is a little sketch I did on the plane.

Auckland is my home town. This is where I first drove my car to uni, had my first date at the movies and made the friends I have for life. Whenever I go back, I like to visit some of my old haunts. I thought I'd share with you three of my favourite historic buildings in downtown Auckland.

The Civic Theatre. Built in 1929, when I was a kid it was a movie theatre and the queue would stretch up the hill and around the corner. I used to love looking at the twinkling stars on the blue night sky ceiling. After a complete restoration in 2000 it is now a live theatre venue. The inside is so beautiful it is heritage listed and people often miss part of a performance because they're too busy staring at the ceiling. It is internationally significant as the largest surviving atmospheric cinema in Australasia (and also one of the only seven of its style remaining in the world) in which lights and design were used to convey an impression of being seated in an outdoor auditorium at night.  

Top left of the photo is the Town Hall tower - where I graduated from uni many years ago.

Smith and Caughey's Department Store. A classic art deco purpose built store which has retained its character, charm, personal service and extensive range of quality goods. They've been in business since 1880, so they must be doing something right. It was about 1979 that I had my first 'application of make-up' lesson together with my besties in one of the rooms upstairs. We laughed so hard as we walked down Queen St later - none of us looked like our normal selves. 

This is the Auckland Art Gallery - Toi O Tamaki. Opened in 1888, it is New Zealand's oldest established and largest public art gallery. I used to walk past it every morning up the hill on the way to uni. And I always wished I could just stop and immerse myself in the art for the rest of the day.

So that's what I did on one of the days while I was visiting. Above is the new modern section and new front entrance of the Art Gallery which opened late this year. It joins the old building on the right and is just perfect!

Don't you love the vaulted wooden ceiling?

The floral installation above was a gift from the artist. Made from a type of parachute fabric, the petals open close on their own - just gorgeous and huge.

The interior of the old art gallery is breathtaking and beautifully restored.

A highlight of any visit are the many Goldies in the gallery's collection. Charles Goldie was a New Zealand painter well known for his portraits of Maori dignitaries.

Lunch with friends at the gallery. Life is good!

Even if it's raining outside.

A few days later I catch up for lunch with my cousin, Tania Sunde, who is also an Auckland artist. (It runs in the family). That's Tania below in the cafe which recently purchased her triptych in acrylics above the fireplace. It's just fabulous.

Step by Step Illustration

Following on from the Process of Illustrating I thought I might share with you an illustration I've been working on for my website. Ah, yes... I've been designing a website for my transition from writer to author. I thought it would be a nice gift to myself and a whole lot of fun doing. First up, thank you so much to my darling daughter who discovered the host website builder wix and who started me off on this adventure. She's not afraid to have a go and press as many buttons, change options and generally fiddle around with things. When I was little my mum always told me off for fiddling with things and Dad often thought I might break something, so understandably I am somewhat reticent to do so. But, no more! I am very proud of my new creation. It's almost as much fun as writing and illustrating.

If you're looking for a free website builder, check out http://www.wix.com/

Back to the illustration. I did some sketches for it quite a while ago and I'm too embarrassed to show them, but here is the last pencil sketch which I scanned onto the computer and then copied onto watercolour paper just to play around with the colour scheme.

As you know, I've got a thing for apple trees and here two little children are sitting in an apple tree (this one isn't high off the ground) reading a picture book. The girl is munching on an apple and looking over her brother's shoulder. I always love the crunch of a fresh apple when reading. Don't you?

Once I was happy with the colours I traced the sketch onto A3 size Archers 300gm watercolour paper using the lightbox my husband made for me. (He is such an angel). Then, undecided whether to actually do a wash for the background, I started with the tree and the children. Here is the first wash on the good copy.

I then did a blue wash for the sky and another in green for the leaves, darkened certain areas and dulled some of the tones. The finishing touches were done with colour pencil - Derwent Artists and Prismacolor. My set of Prismacolor was a Christmas present last year and I find them so different - creamier, richer. It will take me a while to get used to them. I mainly used them for the apples in the foreground and the boy's shirt.
Now, you're probably waiting to see the finished result. Sorry, but it will only be revealed with the launch of my website, which is in the next few days.

The website doesn't have a name, but I guess you could call it 'In the Apple Tree'.

My gift

I've been working on a special present for my daughter. She turned 18 this week and to commemorate I painted her portrait (in acrylics). It's something she'll have forever and I think it captures her inner beauty and cheeky smile. Having a daughter is a gift. 

Tonight she was late home from work. It was pouring down with rain - a torrential Queensland 'shower'. When I rang her she was at the shops choosing a card for me. (It's my birthday tomorrow).
"Don't worry about the card," I said. "Just drive home slowly and safely because I love you."
"Love you too, Mum."
She aqua-planed the car on the way home, but made it safe - minus the card.

Who cares about the card? I already have my gift.

Letting the characters loose

I've been uptight for a few months. Loads of deadlines and the pressures of family have stifled my creative spirit. So when I sat down today to sketch some new characters not much happened. Tony's advice in these situations (Tony Champ is my art/illustration mentor) is to scribble very loosely. Just sketch random stick figures dancing and jumping all over the place. Don't aim for any particular pose. Just see what evolves.

In Tony's demos he begins with a blue colouring pencil and sketches a figure, then shifts to a red pencil and moves the figure to a different position, then green etc. It is similar to animating the character. When he's finally happy with a pose, he sketches over the lines in a black pencil or ink.

Here's an example:

Do you see how this little character just jumped out of the colour scribbles? Cute isn't he?

Here's another one:

Perhaps he's a victim planning his revenge. He certainly looks grumpy.

Ok, my turn to have a go.

I have to let those characters loose, relax my attitude and not be too hard on myself. Then my first happy little character danced onto the page... Minus hands, but nevermind.

You can hardly see the blue lines I drew and that's the beauty of the blue line. They seem to recede when you draw over them and nearly disappear when photocopied or scanned. This can benefit the artist who feels restricted by the darker line. The blue line lets you make mistakes and be free! Then when you're happy with it, go over it in a darker medium.

My next sketch evolved into a ballerina exercising. Don't ask me why. It was the scribble muse...

What happened after that was a surprise. The character I had been looking for and wishing for climbed onto the page and up the apple tree, where she began to swing her legs and read a book. Finally a character I could work with. Do you want to see her?

Where's the apple tree?

This blog post is about letting characters loose not trees.

Maybe next week.

Here she is:

You still want the tree?

What? You're hanging out for it?


So was she...