MARCH (2016)

Part 1 – 42 minutes

We had such fun exploring the enchanted world and genius of Hans Christian Andersen in the rough (and several not so rough) sketches you uploaded for the March session.

Loraine Joyner gave us just the right assignment when she asked to see your ideas for spot art for classic Andersen fairy tales. Looking at them we discovered how

• The flying trunk of The Flying Trunk landed in Turkey.
• Predatory birds and animals have their eyes in the fronts of their heads. (Loraine explained it's for 3-D vision to help with pouncing. Meanwhile prey critters have eyes on the sides of their heads to help in their vigilance.)
• The original Little Mermaid holds scenes as splendiforous and over-the-top in the imagining as the best Studio Ghibli movies.
• Shadows, like real objects follow rules of perspective.
• An abundance of detail, however loosely sketched can make the difference.
• Reference = crucial for an artist.

Illustration by W. Heath Robinson for The Snow Queen (1913)

Here are two hours and 37 minutes distilled from our four hours together on March 24. (While I've edited for clarity and your convenience, nothing instructive was removed.)

The breadth and depth of Loraine's critiques over the past two months were amazing, down to earth and practical. I strongly recommend second viewings.

We hope they inspire you to bring your rough sketches to a painted finish.

A beautifully captured moment from an Andersen fairy tale will never be out of place in your portfolio.

Part 2 – 41 minutes (YouTube thumbnail art by Laura Rackham)

Beverly Washburn and Danny Kaye in Thumbelina  song from Hans Christian Andersen (2:43 minutes)

Part 3 – 27 minutes (YouTube thumbnail art by Virginia Rinkle)

The Emperor's New Clothes

Part 4 – 47 minutes (YouTube thumbnail art by Kathy Lewis)

'Show Notes'

You'll enjoy this great interview with Loraine on the Children's Illustrators website (cited earlier above.)

You might enjoy this 'picture walk' that author (and my wife) Julie Lake and I did through the pages of the picture book, Bunny Bungalow, with pictures by Nancy Hayashi, whom Loraine has worked with before (though not on this title published by Harcourt Brace.)

Submission guidelines on the Peachtree Publishers' website.