illustrating a book

the first book i illustrated is out. printed on real paper, available in real book-stores. a whole new chapter starts with this step.i am being called an “illustrator” now as well.

here you can read me writing about the process.

i am very pleased with the result. the drawings look neat and simple. those two are my favourite ones:

 

III copy

 

 

XIII copy

but you know me, i am a results person, definitely, but with a great passion for process. and how did the process look like? honestly – many more nights at the desk than i assumed. drafting, prototyping, drawing, redrawing, correcting, changing, consulting. the cycle of creative processes of:

this is great! –> something’s fishy –> this sucks! –> i suck! –> this is not so bad –> this is great!

i went through oh so many times. the toughest one was simon. i just couldn’t get his story. it seemed like the text said, he fell into a crevasse, while climbing a glacier, because his line broke. me myself, a glacier climber, thought i was on the safe side, so i drew:

simon 1

 

turned out i was almost right.

 

ehjfbiff

 

i have been almost right probably 10 more times.the people at the publishing house i though are gonna come after me at night with their dogs :) but they didn’t. they were nice and supportive.

 

SIMON

 

 

noname copy

finally i got it and we were all satisfied.

 

II copy

 

i have always been a person who though of herself “i cannot draw”. school & co. definitely supported my conviction. but then surprisingly in my mid-thirties with visual thinking i have found a way around me not knowing how to draw. still if you ask me to draw a cow or a shoe you might see me running away. but with a lot of practice and a lot of passion i have found my style. i became a very curious observer – copying, searching, appreciating shapes and their representations. i always carry a sketch book on me. i draw whenever i wait, i travel, i have nothing to do. i draw all that is around me. i learn how to draw if you hold the belief you cannot really draw. this is what visual thinking opens up for me. and you know what – there are people who enjoy my style.

i guess what i am saying to myself and all of you reading this – do not let yourself be discouraged. this notion of “no matter what you want you can become it” is getting bigger and bigger in the world. i believe you can become (almost) all you choose to. so choose bravely. and choose wisely.