Well, there it all is, the original, amusing little comic strip that I drew when I was a teenager so many years ago… with all its ‘making fun of creation myth’ overtones… along with one of the watercolors… ( the flower picture up above)…that I keep at my mom’s house in the Bay Area for when I just feel like playing with watercolor paints. I am going to scan the flower picture and use it as one of the backgrounds. I will just use Photoshop to stick one of the pictures of Gadzooks, my little wizard, right inside it.
The mission: Turn this not-too-kid-friendly story into a cute book for little kids.
So I broke out the pencils and brushes and watercolors. Oh look, there is the map I did for that other novel I have started writing, the one about the princesses who lead a revolt against an evil king.
I started off with a few sketches.
Obviously, besides having to eliminate the ‘teasing people who take religion too seriously’ thing, I have to change the whole end of the story.
And that meant adding a new character… a cute little girl wizard.
There is nothing more satisfying than watching a simple pencil drawing come alive with color.
You can almost feel characters come alive. And the best thing about the way I do the children’s books is that I don’t have to worry about smudges or bleeding colors, because I clean it all up in Photoshop later!
It is really sort of magical.
The colors you choose can change the whole feeling of the scene.
And then, of course, you have to set them out in the sun to dry before you can move on to the next color.
A good watercolor scene is all about the background color washes.
Layer adds upon layer, each adding depth.
Don’t be afraid to go crazy with the colors… as long as you don’t destroy the paper by getting it too wet too often.
From blank piece of paper to an adorable little moment where a friendship is born.
Add a few shadows, and you get even more depth.
But it is when I do the inking, making things pop even more, that the magic feels the most real.
Pouring My Art Out 
Ohh sometimes I do wonder if I should ink the art or not. It does make the colors pop.
Oh gosh. I didn’t mean to rhyme just now. I love seeing the creative process and ALL the materials!! ^_^
I thought you might like it… but I love the art you do. Inking would just add a time wasting unneeded step. Then again, try it on a fairy painting. Maybe use purple ink… ooooh… that could be cool.
Thank you so much, Art, but your art is awesome!!
Ohhhh THAT would be so cool to work with purple ink. Gosh. Now I want purple ink. Because, purple.
purple is awesome
Oh pretty. I want one.
I am working on it as fast as I can, thanks.
Awesome Art, Art. 😀
thanks, buddy!
Well you know those crack squirrels never get enough… Nature of addiction..
word
No! Not words, crack!
ha
You make it look so easy to my left-sided brain.
I could loan you a few squirrels…
Thanks, but I’m afraid they might try to eat my nuts.
oh, they might chew on them a bit…