Flop Flop the Turtle Top Roughs

Just wanted to post a sneak peak at couple illustration rough drafts I have for a children's book I am working on, "Flip Flop the Turtle Top". The brief synopsis- the books is about a young girl who finds a painted turtle in the wild. Brings the turtle home in an effort to make a pet out of a wild animal. The moral of the story in a sweet and childish way..."never cage a wild thing". She returns the turtle to the wilds when she begins to realize how unhappy he is.


Some samples of the story board on the floor in my studio.


I wish I had a larger studio ;)


There are many steps that go into planning the whole book project. Right now the author (who is my mother) is reworking the story so it is more lyrical, as children like rhyming and it has been shown rhyming patterns play a significant role in the development of a child's mind. My only hope is the story doesn't change too much so I don't find myself going back and reworking the illustrations that are already complete.


Some close ups of the sketch process



I will be starting the color study phase this weekend. I am also working on the illustrations of another story I wrote. It is lyrical as well and is a story I had in my mind for quite sometime. I put it all down on paper last summer and spent the better part of the year rewriting and reworking it. Now I am starting the drawing phases. I will post more on that later. I hope to one day have a Caldecott Medal winning book (or books) under my belt.

I am working on a poetry book of my own and have started the layout design for the book. The poems are done and it has turned out to be a very autobiographical work. The poems, for the most part, explore the darker side of my life and the circumstances that I have been dealing with. The creation of this book has become a healing process for me.

Well that is about it for now! Cheerio.