The Understanding... the Rainbow Club by Annette Aubrey

My first picture book contract was in 2005 with QEB Publishing for a series of four picture books. QUESTION: When did you get you first contract for a picture book? What was the title? You can see the little dummy in the sketches below.

Since the line art was on a separate layer, it was easy enough to do even with the art almost finished. That way I can make changes a bit easier.įor example on the MINE (illustration below), I changed the shape of the baby’s face. In Painter I work in layers, with the pencil lines on one layer, clothing and hair on another, etc. I scan in bits of canvas that I have painted and textured, papers I like that have nice grain and I play with them in photoshop using layering and effects to find a nice background to paint on. When I’m happy with them, I send this version to my art director for approval. I kept printing them out and gluing them into my dummy to see if the pacing, page turns and gestures were working. I sized them in photoshop, then added shading/value in Painter. When satisfied with the layout and page flow, I sketched out the first roughs and scanned them into my computer. These were small, around 4 inches square. Then I fleshed out the thumbnails and made little dummy books (step2). With tracing paper, I can layer the sketches and see through a bit to make changes. I kept reading the manuscript and started working up thumbnail sketches using tracing paper and a number 2B pencil. I just played, sketching dozens and dozens of babies. Then I started sketching babies in all positions to try and get a feel for them. When I was ready to sketch, I began this book by plastering my studio wall with baby photos… of my son, my nieces and nephews… my friend and fellow illustrator Laura Logan emailed me pictures of her infant daughter’s hands and feet. I read the manuscript over and over- even when it only has only two words, if you count “Woof”. Patrice tells a little about her process using her new book MINE to walk you through. Her passion for art grew, and she earned a BFA in Studio Art from the University of Texas in Austin, where she now lives with her husband and son, a few doggies and one can of Crisco (for cooking only). They quickly gave her a better canvas and more appropriate supplies.

Although the work itself was never fully appreciated by her parents, her interest in art was.

Patrice Barton says her artistic talents were first discovered at the age of three, when she was found creating a mural on the dining room wall with a pastry brush and a can of Crisco.

The Understanding... the Rainbow Club by Annette Aubrey