What the heck does an illustrator do?

Quick Sketch

2012-01-25T15:44:00.002-05:00

Today I was finishing up some line work on a book and I had a little ink left in the nib. So I quickly doodled this little girl. She just came out saying, "PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE, can I have a puppy?!" This is my own daughter's daily request.

With 4 kids (one of them an active toddler), a home and a job to keep up with, a puppy would put me over the edge. Hence, I have to keep telling her no. Maybe this makes me a bad mom, but I think having another thing to take care of in my life would make me far worse. I'll leave the puppies to all you who can handle more chaos than I can. Good luck with the cute little furballs.

This doesn't look like my daughter, but this little girl came out saying the same thing...
"PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE, can I have a puppy?!"

What a stinker.

2012 Caldecott Award Winners Announced

2012-01-23T14:19:00.000-05:00

I was so excited for this year's announcements of the Randolph Caldecott Medals. I've been following book blogs, tweets and illustrators more closely this year in an effort to up my inspiration levels on my own work. I think that could be my full-time job...but it probably wouldn't bring in much revenue. ;-)

I also participated in a Mock Caldecott panel for the first time at my local library run by 2 of its librarians who actually have served as Caldecott judges a total of 3 times between them. It was a wonderful evening spent with librarians, teachers and a few of us illustrators looking at beautiful books. It caused me to go right out and buy 8 of my favorite books. I was certain one of MY favorites would be chosen as the Caldecott Medalist for 2012.

But alas, my opinion wasn't quite the same as the committee's. And from my gleaning of other Mock Caldecott Predictions running up to this announcement, the winner probably came as a bit of a surprise to others as well.

Chris Raschka's "A Ball for Daisy" was announced this morning as the 2012 Caldecott Medal winner. While I think it is an adorable dog and a cute story, it wasn't quite the book I thought would win. I do enjoy this book infinitely better than Raschka's "The Hello, Goodbye Window" which also won the Caldecott back in 2006. I do love Raschka's Daisy character in this year's winner. She's lively and ful of personality. And it does take real talent to tell so much with so few strokes. Props to Raschka...not many illustrators can claim 2 Caldecott Medals.

Thankfully, the committee did agree with me (because of course they asked for MY opinion...haha) on the other award winners. “Blackout,” illustrated and written by John Rocco,"Grandpa Green" illustrated and written by Lane Smith, and “Me … Jane,” illustrated and written by Patrick McDonnell, were 3 of my favorite books.

I had hoped "Me...Jane" would win the gold medal in all honesty, but that's probably because the book spoke more to me personally and touched on my personal love of line and watercolor. I loved all the details and the design added into the book beyond the ink and paint. It was beautifully done.

Congratulations to all the winners. You are amazing and inspiring artists.

Here's my shortlist of books I also loved from this year (these are the ones I went out and bought)...

Me...Jane
Grandpa Green
Along a Long Road
Red Sled
Stars
Blue Chicken
Balloons over Broadway: The True Story of the Puppeteer of Macy's Parade
Mine!

Blackout

How to Publish an Ebook Picture Book from a Mac: for Nook, Kindle, PDF

2012-01-19T15:12:00.002-05:00

I promised I'd post the process I used to create my ebook, "Princesses, Princesses, Princesses!" for PDF download, for Kindle, for Nook. It's actually not that hard but certain steps can be tricky. Hopefully this little tutorial will help you avoid some of my mistakes. I need to thank VonLogan Brimhall for their tutorial. It got me started. It may work well for PC users, but I am an Apple girl. So there were just some parts that didn't translate well. In addition, the dimensions they proposed for the devices didn't work for me when importing to InDesign and to the devices from there. And finally, there were a few easier tricks I learned in the process.

Remember, Kindle and Nook both have free apps for iphone and ipad and in the android market so anything sold by them can be read on those devices as well. You aren't limited to just kindle or nook users.

Here's what programs I used...so if you don't have these 2 programs, this tutorial won't be super useful to you. I'm sorry.

Adobe Photoshop (any version should do- I have CS5)
Adobe InDesign (version CS5 is what I used, I don't know if earlier versions work, I think CS4 does)
Adobe Acrobat (I used Pro, you'll need more than just the reader)

I'll start with the most difficult and go to the easiest. Ah, you thought I'd start with the simple and work my way up. Too bad. Time to jump right in.

Or download a PDF of this entire post, HERE.

Creating a Nook picture book

Step 1: Open each image in Adobe Photoshop. Resize all of your images to fit within a space 2550 pixels wide by 3941 pixels high, set at 300 dpi.

And save as jpg images (do not check the progressive scan option, baseline standard jpg is what you choose).

I wanted my images to be the best quality, so don't worry that Nook's screen resolution is actually less than 300 dpi, if you set it to these dimensions, it'll be downsized properly and look tighter. To resize them you can create an action (see help section in photoshop) to rotate & size them all automatically. However, if you first create them at these dimensions, your process in this step will be simple.
I had to rotate my images 90 degrees counter clockwise because I wanted it to look like a real horizontal picture book spread and not a single vertical page. Then the viewer using the Nook just turns the device horizontal to read instead of vertical.

Save all the images in one folder. I named my folder NookKindle because you'll use the same images for each device. And make sure the files are named so they are in the correct order. For example, I named mine cover, page01, page02, page03 etc.

Make sure there are no glitches or spelling or formatting errors in your images before moving on.

Step 2: Open Adobe InDesign CS5 (or you can try it in an earlier version...post in the comments if these steps still work for you).

Press 'COMMAND N' (cmnd N) for a new document. And Click 'OK'.
Press 'cmnd D' to place an image on the page.
Choose your file (start with cover.jpg or whatever you named your cover). Click 'Open'
A thumbnail image will show up with a little brush. Drag it to the upper left corner and line up with the reddish purple margin and CLICK the mouse button. It'll end up looking like this...going off the page. LEAVE IT as it is. Do not worry. It'll all work out.

Save it by pressing 'cmnd S'. Put the files all into a separate folder so they are easy to access later.
Do each of the above steps again and again until you've saved each of your images as a separate .indd document.

Step 3: Make your book file (using InDesign)

Go to File/New/Book or choose Book from the main InDesign Menu Panel and name your book file and click Save
In the pop-up window, press the + symbol on the lower right to add your content to the book.

You can select all the files at once by clicking and holding down the shift key, just make sure they are in the order you want them. Then click Open.

Save the Book file you just created by clicking the disk icon in the open panel which includes your book files.

Step 4: Export to EPUB

Here's where my instructions again vary from VonLogan's. Thankfully, it's simpler. Click on the small dropdown menu icon in the upper right corner of the book files panel. Click Export Book to EPUB... and save it under yourbooktitle.epub

In the "Digital Editions Export Options" panel, under General, you can include data such as your name or company name under publisher and an isbn number if the book has it (those can be purchased but are not necessary)

Then click Images on the left and change the jpg size option to High instead of Medium.
Click Export

Your book is now ready to upload and sell on the Nook. Go to http://pubit.barnesandnoble.com , create an account, and upload your book. It takes longer to get through the review process for Nook than for Kindle...a full 72 hours. But that's not too bad. Have your bank account numbers and tax id numbers ready when you create your account.

Creating a Kindle picture book

Now that you've created your book for Nook, creating the Kindle book will be easy. You already have all your files ready and in InDesign. If you didn't follow those steps, follow steps 1-3 under Creating a Nook Book. Then, follow the next few steps and it'll be up on Kindle in less time than on the Nook.

Step 1: Download the Kindle plugin for InDesign here
You must be running Mac OSX 10.5 or later and InDesign version CS4 or later

Step 2: Open your Book.innd file or if you didn't save it, follow step 3 under the nook instructions above.

Step 3: Export to MOBI for Kindle

Click Export Book for Kindle... and save it under yourbooktitle.mobi . Click Save.

Click Images on the left and change the jpg size option to High instead of Medium.

Click Metadata on the left and fill in the information.
Click Export

You now have your Kindle compatible file to upload.

Go to kdp.amazon.com (kindle direct publishing) and create a publisher account. Again you'll need all account and tax info handy. Word of caution, they will try to get you to sign up for KDP select. I chose not to because of the exclusivity for 90 days. Just an FYI.

There are many options to review (more than for Nook) concerning royalties, digital rights management etc. I cannot tell you what to do here, except that you should read each thoroughly and then make your choice.

FINALLY the easiest one to create...

Creating a PDF downloadable Picture Book

Step 1: Resize all of your images to fit within 865 pixels wide by 562 pixels high at 72 dpi. These will need to remain horizontal as you'd want to view them in a normal pdf reader. In this version of your ebook, what you see is exactly what you get. Then Save each image as a jpg in a folder labeled PDF with names that will keep them in the proper order.

Step 2: Open Adobe Acrobat Pro

Click File/Create PDF/Merge Files into a Single PDF...

Click Add Files and Add Files again, Select the files and click Add Files.

Make sure they are in the right order and click Combine Files.

And when the next window pops up, just save the file as YourBookTitle.pdf
Scroll through the document and make sure it looks how you want it to look (it should if you've prepped it right and then followed the steps).
If there are no changes, YOU ARE DONE! Your PDF is ready to upload for sale.

Step 3: Selling your PDF book
PDF books open in any pdf reader, on computers, on smartphones, tablets, etc. It's nice to make sales this way because no one takes a cut of the profit. You can sell them off your blog, webpage, etc. and use paypal as the money changer. However, I just chose to upload mine to another illustrator's store that she has set up and link to it off my blog. I highly recommend it. Go there and click "create an account" at the upper right. Nice and simple.
Here's the link...

THE ILLUSTRATED SECTION

You are now in business. Just a reminder, having an ebook doesn't mean you'll make money...it's got to sell. You've got to market it and most importantly, it has to be good. Best wishes to you! (Let me know if I got any of the above information wrong--thanks!)

If you appreciate this tutorial, I would greatly appreciate positive reviews of my ebook on Nook, Kindle stores and even a download or two of the book. ;-)

Ebook Published

2012-01-11T14:19:00.002-05:00

Hello, Friends. I just thought I'd let you know, my first exclusively digital book, "Princesses, Princesses, Princesses!" written and illustrated by me, is now available.

PDF version: You can download the PDF which can be imported to itunes and synced/downloaded to any smart phone (especially iphones or ipod touch) or tablet (like iPad) which has a pdf reader (like iBooks). This is the way I like to download it for my iphone. iBooks has a nice interface and automatically keeps the orientation correct (on the kindle app for iphone you have to lock your screen rotation to the proper position)

Kindle Version: If you are a Kindle user or Kindle app user, the book is now available on Amazon.com as well. NOTE to iPad and iPhone users using the Kindle App to view this book: You must lock out the screen auto rotation before viewing this picture book for optimum viewing. iPhone users must tap the lower right corner of the screen when the image is in the proper position and a small padlock icon will appear in the corner. Tap to lock. iPad users must use the four finger swipe to access the dock of icons and then swipe those icons to the left. Tap the "rotate" icon at the far left to lock the screen into position.

NOOK Version: If you are a nook user, the book has been submitted (as of 2 days ago) and should be available within the next 24 hours. I will update the link below as soon as it's available. So COME BACK!

It's great to have books with you when you need to entertain a little one while you're out and about without lugging around an actual book. And at less than $2.00, you can't beat the price! ENJOY!

Here is the description of the book...

"Princesses, Princesses, Princesses!" by Julie Olson
Nearly every little girl wants to be a princess. She dreams of the fancy dresses, the castle, and of never having to lift a finger. But at what cost? The little girl in “Princesses, Princesses, Princesses!” finds out the day her dream comes true. A story of hopes, wishes, and realization.

This 22 page picture book, created specifically for ebook, entertains readers of all ages with its non-preachy message and colorful line and watercolor illustrations. Parents will appreciate the short length of the text and early readers can begin to read along or to a younger sibling.

Coloring Pages of the book to print out for the little ones can also be found on my website by clicking the "fun-facts" link or directly HERE.

PDF Version : Click Here
Kindle Version: Click Here
Nook Version: Click Here

"Dear Cinderella" and other work

2011-12-13T15:20:00.001-05:00

It's a busy season...I don't know why it's always that way for me...more work over the Holidays than in the summer. But that's alright. Here's what's been going on.

I received my advance author copies of "Dear Cinderella" from Scholastic. I illustrated this cute girly book and it'll be out in February 2012. It is always fun to see the finished result of months of hard work. And they even added glitter to the cover (glitter always makes things even more special, right?). I love it. My seven year old daughter read it again and again the day it arrived. Christmas came early for me. I'm sorry this book can't be to you by Christmas, but you can pre-order it so it arrives when it's released if you'd like.

Then I was told that ToysRUs will be stocking the book on their shelves. They requested, through Scholastic, that I sign bookplates to place in each copy. I happily agreed to sign them. I was a little surprised to see 1,275 bookplates arrive via UPS on Monday. It took nearly three hours to sign them all. My right hand is a little bit cramped. So if you happen to see the book in ToysRUs come February, open up the front cover and see my signature and think of my little cramping hand. But I'd gladly do it all again. :-)

I've also been working on adding color to my ebook and I just finished and sent off all the sketches for another book I'm illustrating. It's nice to feel productive.

Creating an eBook

2011-11-29T10:08:00.010-05:00

Text and Images for "Princesses, Princesses, Princesses" are copyrighted by Julie Olson 2011

I am working on an eBook for Nook and Kindle and downloadable pdf. I decided to take this approach with a personal project of mine and see how it goes. Tell me what you think so far. Keep in mind this pdf viewer has compressed and pixelated the images greatly. But you'll get the general idea. Honest critiques are welcomed. Now is the time to make changes. :-)

Working on a few projects

2011-11-09T13:51:00.000-05:00

So my summer was fairly slow in the illustration arena but very full with adventure and fun on the home front. And then school started and my baby boy began to walk. I think things were turned upside down for me then. HE GETS INTO EVERYTHING now. So even though he takes a lot more of my time and attention right now (and for the next few years of mayhem) I'll enjoy the sweet moments and get what I can done when I can get it done. Here he is in a rare, holding still moment...

That said, I've been working on a couple of projects...

Project #1 came about from the picture book marathon. I'm working on an ebook for the Nook. It's the "Princesses! Princesses! Princesses!" book. I've got it all sketched out and laid out. Now I need to put color to it and get an editor friend to look at a few of my phrases in the text. Here's a sneak peak at one sketch.

Project #2 is a picture book called, "Purple." I didn't write this one, but it's a sweet story about a little boy's blanket and all the love it had to give. (in the same vein as "The Giving Tree" but the blanket will not be personified in the illustrations like the tree is).

Little Penguin: Emperor of Antarctica

2011-10-05T17:57:00.001-05:00

My book "Little Penguin: Emperor of Antarctica" just released. You can check for it at your local bookstore on get it here. It's so fun to see your books actually printed. They even got the color matched really nicely on my illustrations. (That's always a concern)

"Lazy" days of Summer

2011-08-15T09:29:00.000-05:00

I had grand plans at the beginning of this summer. I'm in between contracts right now so I thought, "PERFECT! I can work on my own projects." I thought with the kids out of school and no homework or school obligations to worry about, I could just let them run free and get some personal illustration projects done. I did finish my "Doggy Day" picture book dummy and have my agent shopping that around. And I got started on another story about a little girl who wants to be a princess. I got the story written and edited down and have about 1/3 of the sketches done, but that's it. Here's a little sketch of the main character...

UGH! I wanted to get so much more done! Oh well. Maybe this picture depicts what I've actually been doing instead. No, really...I've been trying to be a good mom and give my kids a great summer. Between swimming lessons, family reunions, birthdays, camping, swimming, hiking, crafting...the summer has flown by. It's been a great one for our family...just not for my illustration career.

BUT...school starts next week and I'll just be left with a 1 year old at home. I'm hoping his nap times will be nice and lengthy and I'll get back into a routine. So I apologize for the lack of posting. Maybe you've been so busy you didn't even notice. :-)

Here's to a productive Fall!

All for Nothing

2011-07-06T12:51:00.000-05:00

I've never had it happen before, but a publisher has decided not to publish a book I illustrated. They killed the job. Fortunately it was a "Flat Fee" project meaning there were no royalties in the contract. Instead, it was a large up-front flat fee. So if a project had to be killed before going to print, this would be the one because I'm not out any potential money by it never going to print. (Here's a link to a few posts about the project)

But no matter what the job is or was, it is really frustrating to have put in so many hours and months worth of time into it and then it never comes to fruition. Maybe I should see if any of the illustrations are sell-able. Here's what was going to be the cover...

Little Penguin coming this Fall

2011-06-30T18:27:00.001-05:00

Marshall Cavendish just put a link up to their Fall 2011 Catalog. The book I finished illustrating last summer about this time, "Little Penguin: The Emperor of Antarctica" written by Jonathan London (author of the well-known Froggy books), can be seen on page 18. I can't wait to actually see the book itself. If you click on the "Portfolio" tab under the title bar above, you can see some of the interior illustrations. I'll give you a hint...they are the illustrations that have penguins in them. :-)

Page 18 from Marshall Cavendish Fall 2011 catalog.
Marshall Cavendish Children’s Books
99 White Plains Road
Tarrytown, New York 10591
Website:
www.marshallcavendish.us/kids

Doggy Day- Page 32

2011-06-08T12:15:00.000-05:00

Doggy Day- Pages 30-31

2011-06-07T15:14:00.003-05:00

Doggy Day- Pages 28-29

2011-06-06T15:13:00.000-05:00

Doggy Day- Pages 26-27

2011-06-05T12:12:00.000-05:00

Doggy Day- Pages 24-25

2011-06-04T12:10:00.001-05:00

Doggy Day- Pages 22-23

2011-06-03T12:09:00.000-05:00

Doggy Day- Pages 20-21

2011-06-02T15:07:00.002-05:00

Doggy Day- Pages 18-19

2011-06-01T12:05:00.002-05:00

Doggy Day- Pages 16-17

2011-05-31T15:02:00.000-05:00

XBox Birthday Cake - Illustrator's Creation

2011-05-30T17:33:00.000-05:00

So I think if I weren't an illustrator, I could definitely get into cake decorating...especially with all the fun things you can do with Fondant these days. I thought I'd just post a little ditty about how I made my son's birthday cake this year. I had a blast doing it.

First I researched on YouTube videos on how to make homemade marshmallow fondant. Here and Here are the videos I followed, but I added a drop of pina colada oil flavoring to the mix as well.

I also made this BUTTER CREAM FROSTING recipe with 3 drops of pina colada oil (found at the local cake shop) added to the flavoring.

With my basic white fondant and buttercream frosting ready, I started the cake.

First I baked 2 9x13 rectangular cakes (my son requested rainbow chip), leveled the bottom one, stacked them with cream cheese frosting in the middle and then covered them and placed them in the deep freeze for about 8 hours.

Then I printed out a top-view of the Xbox controller found on google image search on 11x17 paper (making sure the controller was sized to no more than 13 inches and 9 inches tall). I cut out the image and placed it on top of the cake.

I cut around the paper template with a serrated paring knife.

I rounded the top edges a bit with the knife and then I frosted the entire cake with the homemade butter cream frosting. It didn't look this smooth initially. I frosted it as smoothly as I could, then placed the whole thing in the refrigerator for a couple of hours. When I pulled it out, I used small pieces of parchment paper, placed it on the cake (section by section) and lightly rubbed to smooth out the icing. I know this isn't the professional way, but it works.

Then the REAL FUN began. It was just like sculpting out of playdough. I tell you, I was a kid again.

I took tiny bits of the white fondant and made the two top center left and right arrow buttons. I also took a bit of white and rolled it into the rings that surround the joysticks.

Then I took a small bit of white fondant and added a titch of black food coloring to it for the center button and kneaded and kneaded it til the coloring was mixed in. Make sure you wear plastic gloves or your hands will turn black too. I took a larger clump of white fondant and mixed in enough black food coloring to make a dark grey for the majority of the controls. Seriously, I was having a blast.

As for the colored buttons, I simply added the food coloring for each to a small amount of fondant and made the buttons. I even rolled and sculpted the letters on the buttons themselves. The X on the center button was also just colored, rolled fondant.

Then I freehand carved the letters for my son's name out of some rolled out white fondant. It turned out spectacularly...better than I could've hoped for. And not bad for my first attempt with fondant. And the whole thing was DELICIOUS. My kids liked the fondant but it was far too sweet for me to eat...seeing as how it's just sugar sugar sugar. But hey, if you've got a sweet tooth, go for it!

Now my daughter is requesting a dog cake. That'll be a bit more of a challenge. We'll see if I dare. OK. I guess I better get back to the studio. Enjoy the doggy book posts in the meantime.

Doggy Day- Pages 14-15

2011-05-30T14:58:00.001-05:00

Doggy Day- Pages 12-13

2011-05-29T12:52:00.000-05:00

Doggy Day- Pages 10-11

2011-05-28T12:50:00.000-05:00

Doggy Day- Pages 8-9

2011-05-27T10:54:00.000-05:00

Doggy Day- Pages 6-7

2011-05-26T12:45:00.003-05:00

Doggy Day- Pages 4-5

2011-05-25T12:44:00.004-05:00

And the actual story begins. Here are pages 4-5...

Doggy Day Dummy Book Finished - Pages 2-3

2011-05-24T12:43:00.003-05:00

I finally finished a dummy book I've been working on for a few years (in between paid work).

For the next couple of weeks, I'm going to post a spread a day until it's all out there. So stay tuned. Today you get the cover and the dedication/copyright pages. Feel free to comment and suggest.

I'm So Proud

2011-04-08T09:06:00.000-05:00

My adorable 7 year old daughter says she wants to be an illustrator when she grows up just like me. She had to do this worksheet at school I'd say she's well on her way...

Here's the portion of the original page from the book she was referencing. I don't know if she had it in front of her at school or not. This was from the first retail market picture book I illustrated, "Hip, Hip Hooray for Annie McRae!" by Brad Wilcox.

Bank Street Book list 2011

2011-04-05T11:40:00.000-05:00

I just received notification, that the chapter book I illustrated, "The Chihuahua Chase" by the talented Ann Cannon, made the 2011 Bank Street Book List. See the complete list HERE.

From their website, the Bank Street Book list is "One of the most comprehensive annotated book lists for children, aged infant-16. The Committee reviews over 6000 titles each year for accuracy and literary quality and considers their emotional impact on children. It chooses the best 600 books, both fiction and nonfiction, which it lists with annotations, according to age and category."

Yea, for Ann! Yea, for me! Yea, for "The Chihuahua Chase."

Finished the Princesses

2011-03-28T18:16:00.000-05:00

Sorry for the delay in posting, we've had a lot of stuff going on in my family the past three weeks. To make a long story short, my husband had to have 1/3 of his lungs removed because of a rare tumor. Thankfully it wasn't cancerous and he is on the road to recovery after a brutal 9 hour surgery. But, I must say the blog has taken a back seat.

On a happier note, I just thought I'd share some snapshots of some of the princess illustrations I finished. Thankfully, all revisions etc. were completed before my husband's surgery.

Enjoy the sneak peak! The book (title announced this Fall or so) will be released Spring 2012.

Retreat

2011-03-01T11:18:00.001-05:00

Sometimes I need someplace quiet, pleaceful, clean and serene to retreat to...get away. I wish it could always be here...(ahh that was a nice trip 4 years ago)...

But most of the time, it's just my bedroom. My Husband and I redid the room a couple years ago. We put in Bamboo Flooring, painted the walls a calm grey, and got new furniture, lamps, and bedding. New Paint, lighting and cement counter with steel backsplash in the Bathroom as well. I created some complimentary art and wahlah...My retreat...

reading nook

resting nook

refreshing nook

I just wish I actually could get there more often these days. I also wish I had the funds to redo my whole house and take another trip. Someday. But for now, go find yourself a retreat!

Picture Book Marathon- Day 28 - THE FINISH!

2011-02-28T18:51:00.000-05:00

So here I am...at the finish line. I took my final day off yesterday and geared up for the big final push. I didn't have it left in me to do a full color comp for you today, but that's what happens....sometimes we limp to the finish line. BUT I MADE IT!

I visited my 95 year old grandmother today. And she inspired today's post. She's an amazing woman and still hanging in there. My dad and my baby boy were there too...so we took a 4 generation picture. Even though we weren't all female (like in my book here), you can see where this idea came from. I feel very blessed to have a strong family heritage and I am proud of my family. I want to publicly thank my wonderful grandmother for the woman she is and the son she raised to be my dad. I love you!

Picture Book Marathon- Day 26

2011-02-26T14:19:00.000-05:00

Today's idea plays back to the simple in illustration style (I'm not feeling 100% today). But we're almost near the end. This book is about a giraffe who wonder's why she looks different than the other giraffes. She's embarrassed to be seen at first but by the end loves herself for who she is. (really, it all just started because I drew a giraffe head).

Picture Book Marathon- Day 25

2011-02-25T19:35:00.000-05:00

We're closing in on the end of the marathon. I must say, it got me thinking and drawing and being more creative on a daily basis than I have been in a long long time. So, THANK YOU, PB Marathon.

I decided to go a bit retro with today's illustration style. This book idea is about a little boy who would deliver groceries to his elderly neighbor every week.

Picture Book Marathon- Day 24

2011-02-24T14:12:00.000-05:00

I see how much my baby boy loves his binkie right now and I dread the day we'll have to wean him from it. However, it's much easier to wean a kid from a binkie than a thumb. I'll tell you my trick, I cut off the tip of the binkie nipple when the child isn't looking and leave it out for him/her (at about 2 years old). When the child puts it in, they don't like it. they bring it to me and I say "I'm sorry, sweetie. It's broken. You'll have to throw it away or use it like that." None of my kids have ever chosen to keep using it. They throw it away themselves. Then when they ask for it later (at bedtime usually), I say, "Remember, it was broken and you threw it away." I know it seems deceptive, but it really has been less traumatizing for me and the child than if I were to take it away and just say, sorry you can't have it any more. So this story is inspired by that experience. Good luck all you parents out there weaning your children from binkies!

Picture Book Marathon- Day 23 & illustration Friday

2011-02-23T13:41:00.002-05:00

As per the previous post, I used my own kids as inspiration for today's picture book as well as Illustration Friday. Illustration Friday's theme is "Layer."

So how many of you parents out there can relate to this...
It has just snowed...A LOT! Your kids are elated. They can't wait to get out and play in it. So they start getting out all the gear (while in a T-shirt and shorts). You remind them to go put on appropriate winter clothing just like you do every day and then proceed to put on the layers of snow gear. In the end it has taken you 30 minutes to push, tug and pull on all the layers of clothing and YOU are ready to put on a T-shirt and shorts. You send your little "Christmas Story" movie look-a-likes out to play with an exhausted wave and watch them waddle across the yard. 20 minutes later, just when you've pulled out a good book to enjoy in the comfort of your living room, there's a banging at the back door... "Mommy, it's cold. I got snow down my glove. I want to come in and have some hot chocolate." So, you sigh and begin UNlayering your child, which is a little easier but a lot more wet and slushy. You make them a cup of cocoa and sit down to enjoy it with them. They finish in a flash and are off to play. You throw the snow clothes in the dryer, wipe up the tracks of melted snow, clean up the cocoa drips off the counter, and sit down to enjoy your good book. But alas,

"Mommy, I'm warm now. I want to go play in the snow again."

I love my kids.

(JujubeeBooks.com)

Cutest Inspiration EVER!

2011-02-23T11:47:00.007-05:00

So I have to put in here that I am sooooo proud to be a mom to 4 beautiful kids. They literally have become my inspiration in so much of my illustrating. Because of them, I draw better, I think like a kid better, and I have many experiences to pull from. I don't know how illustrators do it who don't have children in their lives somewhere. So THANKS to my cuties!

Picture Book Marathon- Day 22

2011-02-22T22:53:00.003-05:00

Didn't think I'd get to this today. One of those days where business overcomes the art. I had to pull all my taxes together today. If I'd keep better records during the year, it wouldn't be such a process. Maybe this year...

Anyway, today's post isn't anything grand, just kinda cute... But I'm sure an editor wouldn't be fond of a shirtless, diaper-clad baby on a cover. I think they're pinchable though.

In this book a toddler sets sail with his trusty mate Skippy (not skipper) in their own backyard. Yo-ho me mateys! (I think I have Pirates of the Carribean on the brain since my son watched a marathon of those movies yesterday while he was sick).

Picture Book Marathon- Day 21

2011-02-21T16:38:00.002-05:00

Today's picture book is honor of President's Day. Watch out, someday Penelope may just make it. It's about time for a change.

Picture Book Marathon- Day 20

2011-02-20T12:48:00.001-05:00

Wow, I've made it 20 days so far, posting 19 of them. This one needs work on the illustration obviously but of course it's just a sketch/color comp book idea as usual. None of these are really final illustrations, I hope you can tell.

So you probably see a theme continuing from yesterday's post but it's really just a spin off idea. This idea is for a concept book on the days of the week. A little boy visits the zoo each day and acts like one of the animals being kind of crazy and wearing the animals out in the process. Monkey Monday, Tiger Tuesday, Wallaby Wednesday, Thoroughbred Thursday (gotta work on that one), Froggy Friday, Salamander Saturday and finally SLEEPY Sunday (where all the animals and the boy are asleep from their week of fun). Picture intensive, word light.

Picture Book Marathon- Day 19

2011-02-19T12:00:00.003-05:00

This book idea came off my Doggy Day book idea...a sequel.

Maybe this will be an ebook as well. There are my next two app ideas. If you're interested in that, you can check out the app we already have out by clicking on Jujubee Books at the right.

Picture Book Marathon- Day 18

2011-02-18T11:43:00.003-05:00

Okay, so this is a huge departure from yesterday's post, but I'm feeling like my house is a bit messy so I decided to post something pertaining to my mood. Something quick and messy. And yes, I'd rather just sit and ignore the mess and chaos around me right now...enjoy a snack or a cupcake. (that's kind of what I'm doing minus the food. I'm blogging and ignoring the mess) Anyway, this book is about a pig who's not sloppy, just hungry, which is actually true of real pigs, regardless the stereotype.(see fact sheet here)

Picture Book Marathon- Day 17

2011-02-17T13:32:00.004-05:00

This is where I want to be today...on a beach! But I'm not, so I might as well imagine it.

She Sells Sea Shells
by Julie Olson

She sells sea shells, by the sea shore.
And by the sea shore, she does much more...

Picture Book Marathon- Day 16 & ILLUSTRATION FRIDAY

2011-02-16T14:00:00.002-05:00

Once again I'm combining posts, my daily marathon post and Illustration Friday. The theme for Illustration Friday is "sweater." Simple enough to incorporate. Here's an idea for a book. Shelly thinks she's shrinking (because all her friends are getting taller and she's not). Yes this may be a joke on my own life...I'm a shorty. But hey, could make a great picture book.

Also, don't forget to check out my Children's Book Apps for iphone and ipad. The 3 year old I was babysitting this morning couldn't get enough of the monkey and croc sound effects. She wanted the story again and again.

Picture Book Marathon- Day 15

2011-02-15T12:55:00.002-05:00

A book about Ellie Phant, the elephant, who wants to be a Ballerina.

Picture Book Marathon- Day 14

2011-02-14T23:16:00.002-05:00

So, I didn't make it yesterday. So I guess I only have one more free day for the rest of February. But hey, I'm not quitting.

Today's post is a spin off of Goldilocks (in name only). This is thanks to Rick Walton's Goldilocks project on his website. Thanks for the inspiration, Rick!

Premise: Goldilocks has lost her socks (among other things) because her room is so messy.

Picture Book Marathon- Day 12

2011-02-12T22:53:00.004-05:00

This is a little different idea...a gift-type picture book. I thought of writing poems for each of the months of the year and including tear out calendar cards at the back with illustrations on them too. Sometimes I like just looking at pictures of cute kids. In the end, that's what this is about. So it probably doesn't truly work as a picture book, but I'm counting it anyway. :-)

Picture Book Marathon- Day 11

2011-02-11T23:28:00.004-05:00

So I've been working on finishing a dummy book all day today. It's actually one I've been working on for years but never finished. Here's to finishing!

What's a dummy book? It's essentially a "fake" picture book. A mock up. I don't have a cover for you but I will show a sketch. Hopefully I can finish up the dummy and start on the real thing soon. I think I might make this one into an iPhone/iPad app book...and an ebook.

Picture Book Marathon- Day 10

2011-02-11T00:04:00.003-05:00

Well, these posts come late at night, but at least they come, right? This is a story I actually have been working on for a while called "Firefly". I've got the words down but I'm trying to get the characters and the style pinned down. This one is a "NO" I think, but I don't have time to redo it right now. Gotta post somethin'. Maybe I need Will Terry to illustrate it.

iPhone/iPad Children's Books

2011-02-10T13:27:00.002-05:00

So Jujubee Books' first iPhone/iPad app is now available...
http://itunes.com/apps/childrensbookmonkeyandcroc

Jujubee Books was created in 2011 by professional author & illustrator, Julie Olson and her husband, Rhett Olson, after realizing the need for professional quality iPhone/iPad children's book applications. With her years of experience as a children's book illustrator and author and her husband's technical expertise, Julie knew she could provide just what iPhone/iPad users need...high quality children's book apps.

Jujubee Books only works with professional children's book illustrators and authors to bring you better quality books for your children. Each book has been edited and reviewed by industry professionals before publication. This allows for a better quality product to be available to you. We do not simply allow just anyone with any book to pay a fee and create an app for our store. We work like a print publisher, accepting only books we feel fill a need and are top quality.

Our first Book App, Monkey & Croc, is written and illustrated by professional illustrator, Will Terry. Synopsis: Monkey and Croc both live in the jungle but have never met, until one day when they are both out hunting for food. Find out what happens next. The bright, playful illustrations add another whimsical touch to this fun book. The adventures of Monkey and Croc are just beginning. This app has highlighted "read to me" text as well as sound effects for the animals, each can be turned on or off. This provides a fun interactivity and educational value for this book that can only be found on our app. So enjoy! http://itunes.com/apps/childrensbookmonkeyandcroc

Picture Book Marathon- Day 9

2011-02-09T23:13:00.002-05:00

Here's a very girlie picture book. I have princesses on the brain (I've been illustrating a princess book for the last three months). It's about a kingdom full of princesses and one little girl who wants to be a princess very badly...until she realizes how prim and proper you have to act and how boring it all is. Then she's happy to be her.

Princesses! Princesses! Princesses!
by Julie Olson

Once upon a time, in a castle far far away, there lived a princess...

and a princess...and a princess...Princesses! Princesses! Princesses!

Fair ones, tall ones, dark haired small ones. Smart ones, silly ones, fluff and frilly ones.

And next to the castle, there lived a little girl...

Picture Book Marathon- Day 8

2011-02-08T23:55:00.002-05:00

Today I didn't illustrate a cover, just a character. These are what illustrators call character sketches. The story is called, "Frankly Frankie." It's about a little girl who says what ever is on her mind. (this causes quite the silly, shocking, embarrassing moments) Might be better as an early reader chapter book. It's a little wordy.

Picture Book Marathon- Day 7

2011-02-07T21:08:00.002-05:00

I didn't have time to paint this one today. But I'm excited to later. You get the idea though.

This idea came from a trip to the museum I took with my dad and kids. My cute son pushed my dad around the exhibit in a wheelchair (he has bad knees and bone spurs on his feet). He slowly, quietly pushed and talked for the whole hour. It was sweet.

So in this book, a little girl, takes her elderly neighbor on a daily walk around the block, sharing life along the way.

Picture Book Marathon- Day 6

2011-02-06T20:27:00.004-05:00

Today's picture book idea is in honor of the Super Bowl today AND my 7 year old daughter's question, "Is the super bowl a big bowl?" Sorry for the crude nature of the illustration. I'm not at home and my father-in-law's computer only has limited capabilities. I'm so thankful for a wacom tablet and for CS5 at home.

So, have a good chuckle. But I wasn't going to stop running the marathon just because of a few obstacles.

Picture Book Marathon- Day 5

2011-02-05T11:00:00.002-05:00

Here's a baby picture book or board book idea. All about baby talk. Get ready, get set, babble...

Goo, Goo! Ga, Ga! Moo, Moo! Ma, Ma!
by Julie Olson

Goo, Goo! Ga, Ga! (picture of a baby)
Moo, Moo! (picture of a cow)
Ma, Ma! (picture of mom)
Da, Da! ( daddy)
Wa, Wa! (water)
Lu, Lu! La, La! (baby singing)
Boo, Boo! (picture of a ghost)
Baa, Baa! (picture of a sheep)
Nana! (grandma)
Papa! (grandpa)
Ya! Ya! (hooray for the end)

text and pictures copyright Julie Olson 2011

By the way, check out these awesome illustrators doing the picture book marathon too.

Nate Hale
Jed Henry
Will Strong

Picture Book Marathon- Day 4 & Illustration Friday

2011-02-04T17:57:00.003-05:00

I'm combining two posts in one today. I haven't participated in illustration Friday for a while and I decided to work it in with today's picture book. The theme for Illustration Friday is "Surrender." So surrender to your inner child and enjoy the simple things in life, like riding a bike.

The picture book idea I had is called, "Summer Cycle," about a little girl and all the adventures she has one summer on her first bike.

I did a little different style today. A sketch, a dab of digital watercolor, and then layers of paper textures and designs. I think I want to do more of it.

Picture Book Marathon- Day 3

2011-02-03T18:26:00.002-05:00

I'm a little pressed for time today so the cover had to be the first thing that came out of my sketch pencil. If I were to redo it I think I might make it a little more dramatic...more crud all over the place, a real mess. And maybe a puppy licking up crumbs. Puppies are always cute in picture books.

Anyway, this picture book idea is about a little girl who one day decides she's queen of the house...doesn't think she needs to lift a finger...and the chaos and mess that ensue. Probably too preachy for a real picture book, but could be made funny instead.

Happy Groundhog Day 2011

2011-02-02T18:17:00.003-05:00

I was so happy with Phil's prediction this year...Spring will come early. See the Washington Post article. I HOPE he's right! I'm ready for Spring.

I think it happened in honor of Gus...MY groundhog. If you want to celebrate, feel free to pick up a copy HERE.

Picture Book Marathon- Day 2

2011-02-02T18:13:00.002-05:00

So I decided to do a take on "Goodnight Moon." I thought about being really satirical about it, but didn't have the brain power today. So it's just a jungle theme instead. But I can't decide whether to use the word "Hello" or "Good Day." What do you think?

Hello Noon
by Julie Olson

In the blue afternoon
there was an elephant,
And a brown baboon,
And a tree branch with--

a bird cleaning its plume.
and there were three little frogs, sitting on logs,
and two little snakes and a few small lakes,
and a little blue bird and hippos, a herd,
and some ants and some apes and a vine full of grapes,
and a stripy strong tiger who was swatting at shapes.

Hello noon.

Hello baboon.

Hello bird cleaning its plume.

Hello elephant singing a tune.

Hello frogs, hello logs.

Hello snakes, hello lakes.

Hello bird and hello herd.

Hello little bug and hello slug.

Hello ants and hello apes.

Hello everyone. Hello grapes,

and hello to the tiger swatting at shapes.

Hello sun, hello breeze.

Hello jungle filled with trees.

(words and art copyrighted 2011 Julie Olson)

Picture Book Marathon- Day 1

2011-02-01T21:38:00.005-05:00

Ready. Set. GO! The Picture Book Marathon has begun.

I think this will be easier when the big book I'm illustrating is finally finished. But I did squeak out a cover and an idea for a picture book today.

It's called "Big. Little. Middle." It's about a middle child who feels like nothing special but in the end finds his own unique place. I included a picture of the cover below and the text from the first pages.

Benny is big.

Kadie is little.

And I'm in the middle.

Benny is a big basketball star.

Kadie is a little princess.

And I'm in the middle.

Benny is a big eighth grader.

Kadie is a little angel.

And I'm in the middle.

(Picture and words copyright 2011 Julie Olson)

Ken Baker: Children's Author: Ebooks vs Printed Books Part 1

2011-01-31T18:47:00.000-05:00

Ken Baker: Children's Author: Ebooks vs Printed Books Part 1

I thought this was a really interesting article about the need for Ebooks. Watch my blog for an exciting announcement this month concerning eBooks specialized apps for iPhones/iPads.

2011 Picture Book Marathon Starts Tomorrow

2011-01-31T11:27:00.002-05:00

I am participating in this year's Picture Book Marathon. It begins tomorrow. So watch my blog throughout the month of February for daily posts of a new picture book each day. It'll mainly just be a draft of an idea or at least a title and cover illustration. I think I may be crazy to do this because I'm so darn busy right now...but hey, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger, right?

Check out the blog HERE.

And buy your participants' T-Shirt HERE.

Logo Designed by Utah illustrator, Nathan Hale.

Great Review

2011-01-27T22:33:00.004-05:00

I was soooo excited to receive this review from School Library Journal for my book, "Tickle, Tickle! Itch, Twitch!" I don't think I could have received a better one. Yea!

Editorial Reviews
From School Library Journal
PreS-Gr 1–Olson has created a book that just begs to be read aloud. Gus is enjoying a lazy summer day when a little mouse sneaks up behind him and tickles his back with a feather, causing a very big itch that the groundhog needs to scratch. He grabs a stick–and then realizes that it's a snake. The mouse continues to torment him, and each time Gus reaches out for help to scratch his back, he is surprised by another animal. This story is simple and repetitive, allowing for audience participation and many different storytelling techniques such as reader's theater or flannel-board retelling. Young children will enjoy the simple and silly humor and the bright, colorful illustrations that fill the pages. In fact, the art on the dedication page starts telling the story before the actual text begins. An excellent choice for story times.–Lora Van Marel, Orland Park Public Library, IL.

You can read it off the official site HERE. Just scroll down to my name.

Watch Me Paint REALLY fast!

2011-01-19T14:22:00.003-05:00

By the way, this is a mirror image of me working (for some reason that's the way my camera took it). I am not left handed. I wish I could paint equally well with either hand. But alas, tis not the case.

Two Down, lots more to go

2010-12-22T01:30:00.002-05:00

I'm working on a book right now with a crazy deadline. I just finished the first two illustrations and I'm pleased with the result. This is going to be a little girl's dream book...princesses all the way.

Storytime and Book Launch at Borders Books- Success!

2010-12-11T19:36:00.004-05:00

I was worried that no one would show up for story time and my book launch for "Tickle, Tickle! Itch, Twitch!" but it all turned out great. Some good friends and family showed up for support and a lot of unfamiliar faces as well. There were slow times during the signing, but overall it was great. I had fun reading the book to the kids with my daughter's over-enthusiastic help and appreciated the friendliness of the Borders staff and customers. So for being an "unknown" like myself, I feel that selling 40+ books at a signing is awesome! (Thanks, Mom for buying 10...that really skewed the numbers) Watch a small portion of the reading here.

Book Launch for my first book as an AUTHOR!

2010-12-10T18:15:00.002-05:00

Come to an awesome storytime and book launch party at Border's Books (4801 N. University Ave., Suite 910, Provo, UT (801) 224-2720) in Provo Utah tomorrow for my new book, "Tickle, Tickle! Itch, Twitch!" authored AND illustrated by me. I'll be making a total goof of myself using puppets and encouraging crowd participation as we read the story aloud. Then I'll read one or two other books and stay for a signing until 2pm. See a preview of the book here...

Book Pick

2010-12-07T13:34:00.005-05:00

One of the books I illustrated, "Chihuahua Chase", was on a local TV morning show on December 3, 2010 as a book pick (at the 2 minute mark).

Check it out...

Buy the book HERE.

UPDATE 1/10/2011
I'm in good company here. My book is sitting next to the 2011 Caldecott Winner "A Sick Day for Amos McGee" by Philip Stead illustrated by Erin Stead, a young husband and wife team...both authors, both illustrators. Check their blogs out and check out the TV spot at the 1 minute mark on the video

Holiday Book Party

2010-12-02T13:44:00.002-05:00

Come on by "The King's English Bookshop" tonight, December 2nd, in Salt Lake City, for their annual holiday book party. I'll be signing books there with a bunch of other authors. What a great place to get your Christmas shopping done!

Tis the Season...

2010-11-30T12:18:00.003-05:00

...to be busy...

Holiday shopping, decorating, baking, rushing...who isn't busy this time of year. Well I certainly am more busy than ever, with all of those things plus raising 4 kids PLUS illustrating. I signed a picture book deal with a large publisher and I have just 2 months to complete an entire book. I'm working like a mad woman.

But in-between all that, I am also trying to find time to give back.

Just a little over a week ago, I participated in a fund raiser for a local school. They had an art and basket auction. The baskets were donated to the school (filled with fun stuff) and then auctioned off silently. Then a bunch of local artists came in and painted pictures on the spot to be auctioned off at the end of the night. Here is the piece I painted (something for a little girl's room...Cinderella). It brought in a bit of money for the school and I felt good being able to help out.

Book Festival in St. George

2010-10-28T22:58:00.003-05:00

My husband came and helped me out at the Book Festival in St. George last weekend. It was great fun. I presented to a room of about 30 adults and children. I was surprised that many actually got out of bed at 9am on a Saturday morning. I hope they weren't disappointed. I always have fun, though, talking about what I love to do...illustrate. Here are some photos my husband took.

The Community Arts Building where the festival was held.

One of my books for sale from the book seller.

Reading a book during my presentation.

Signing books afterward. It's so fun to talk to and meet the people.

Video of School Visit

2010-10-22T22:17:00.006-05:00

Check out a few clips from one of my school presentations to a small group of 5th graders at Red Mountain Elementary. (I presented 5 times...to 1st through 5th grade)

School Visits are GRRR-RREAT!

2010-10-22T16:24:00.007-05:00

I had the great opportunity to do several presentations at Red Mountain Elementary School in Southern Utah today. The teachers and students were absolutely wonderful and well-prepared for my visit. I couldn't have asked for more from them. They welcomed me with this sign signed by all the 2nd through 5th graders.

I shared with them all about how I became an illustrator and what it takes to illustrate (and write) a picture book. The kids were great listeners, had all the right answers, and the best questions.

Then the kids helped me create a whole new character. They created a boy named Crew who was going on a trip to San Diego, and a Bear named teddy who was going to Florida, and a girl named (the best name ever) Julie who was going to Antarctica. Good job kids!

I'll post a short video later. Thanks again, Red Mountain Elementary, for letting me come share my world with you.

COMING SOON! "Tickle, Tickle! Itch, Twitch!"

2010-10-12T18:48:00.006-05:00

The first book I wrote AND illustrated is due to hit shelves November 1, 2010. Gus the Groundhog It's a really fun page-turning, read-aloud picture book that ends up teaching about friendship, judging by appearances, and even some language development skills along the way. Watch the trailer below.

You can buy/pre-order the book on my website under the BOOKS tab...
www.jujubeeillustrations.com

Creating a Photoshop Brush/Stamp

2010-09-28T17:00:00.001-05:00

So for my firefly (see last post) I needed a design on her thorax...something that reminded me of jewelry designs/etchings. So I went into Adobe Illustrator and created a design with swirls and strokes. Here's what it looked like.

Then I simply selected the object in Adobe Illustrator, hit Command C (copy), and then in Photoshop I hit Command N (for a new file), Yes, and then Command V (paste). It pasted the design onto a transparent layer. Then I hit Command A (for select all), then Edit-Define Brush Preset, name the brush...AND WAHLAH! the brush shows up in your brush pallet. Pretty darn awesome.

I know a lot of you may have been doing this for a while, but I never have. I've simply downloaded brushes from the internet. Now that I know how to make my own license free brushes, I think I'm going to have fun with this. Try it out.

Getting Back in the Saddle

2010-09-27T21:59:00.004-05:00

Boy, having a newborn really throws your routine off. ("Duh!" you may be saying) But I'm starting little by little to work back into things.

I'm currently working on a personal project, a book I wrote and am working on illustrations for. It's about a little firefly who thinks she's "all that." So here are my character sketches of her and then of her 3 supporting characters, baby bumblebee, fly, and gnat.

What do you think?

Writing for Charity

2010-08-17T10:03:00.003-05:00

If anyone would like to get books in the hands of underprivileged children AND learn more about breaking into the children's publishing industry, then this is the event for you. Rock Canyon Writing for Charity is sponsoring a one-day event designed to get books into the hands of kids who need them most. It's on August 21st in Sandy, UT at the Waterford School.

Our goal is to give books to all of the kids in at least ten of the lowest socioeconomic populated schools in the state. That would be approximately 6,000 books to 6,000 kids. And not just any books, but books by Utah authors, their neighbors. Where possible, these books will be signed and the author will speak to the kids. Our hope and our expectation is that by giving kids their own books, and making these connections, we will spark an excitement for reading, and an understanding that writers are normal people, like them, and that writing is something they can do too.

Click the button to donate, register or find out more!

Creativity in all forms

2010-08-05T20:15:00.003-05:00

Here's what I've been working on recently...a true endeavor in creation. We welcomed our new son into the world just one week ago. (Hence the lack of posts recently).

Photos taken by his daddy, Rhett Olson Photography

Working on Two Illustrations at Once

2010-07-07T13:22:00.001-05:00

www.ustream.tv/recorded/8131937

See how I often work on two illustrations at once...more, going back and forth between them. While a background dries on one, I move to the other. Enjoy!

Dueling Banjo Pigs

2010-07-07T00:06:00.007-05:00

This will make no sense to many of you, but after you check out THIS BLOG, you'll understand a bit more. I've included a little video of part of the painting process I did for this one...all digital in Corel PAINTER 11. (Click on the lick at the very bottom of this post to see the video) Now, before any Twilight fans are offended, this is all in jest. In the spirit of "Team Edward" vs. "Team Jacob" I made a "Team Pig." I wanted to get in the spirit of the summer blockbuster. Hope you enjoy.

You have to click on the link to see the video of the digital painting process.
Dueling Banjo Pigs: TEAM PIG

Watch the demo, see the final illustration...

2010-06-29T17:23:00.004-05:00

So, if any of you have viewed the second and third recordings of my paintings on Ustream, you saw me working on the following illustration. Well, I thought I'd post the final result for those viewers. This is for the upcoming book, "The Littlest Emperor of Antarctica," published by Marshall Cavendish, 2011. I post this here to show the little bits of digital manipulation I do after the painting stage. I added texture to the ground ice/snow, cleaned up the horizon edge, enhanced the colors in the penguin a bit and darkened some areas of the water. Enjoy.

See the Illustration Process LIVE

2010-06-28T11:22:00.004-05:00

Today June 28th at 2pm Mountain Time, I will be broadcasting live from my studio...painting illustrations for "The Littlest Emperor of Antarctica." So click on the video stream at the top of the blog at 2pm for the live show.

UPDATE: unfortunately the record button did not get pushed correctly (by me) so this part 2 of the live broadcast will not be available for later viewing. Sorry! But I did broadcast another one right after to show the beginning process of another illustration for the penguin book. So even though you won't see the finish from the first illustration, there is a new video to see.

Book Launch!

2010-06-21T16:32:00.003-05:00

This Saturday, June 26, 2010 from 5pm-7pm The King's English Bookshop in downtown Salt Lake City will be holding a huge book launch party and signing for "The Chihuahua Chase" by A.E. Cannon, illustrated by me, Julie Olson. But starting at 4pm and going til 8pm, they will be holding their summer reading program's block party as well. So come join the fun! And enjoy this little book trailer to get you ramped up.

Conferencing, Mingling, Illustrating

2010-06-15T23:31:00.003-05:00

Well all this week I am helping out with the Writing and Illustrating for Young Readers conference in Sandy, UT. I fortunately get to assist in Kevin Hawkes' illustration workshop every morning and then attend workshops in the afternoon put on by amazing writers, illustrators, agents, editors...it's awesome! The best part is hanging out with people who are passionate about what I love...children's books. I become inspired and rejuvenated (although exhausted at the same time). During morning workshop, I get to listen in and then I just work in the back of the room on my personal current book job (the penguin book, mentioned in other blog posts). Here's a close up of the little baby penguin. I can't show you final images right now, but hopefully you get an idea of the feel and look from this close up.

In addition to the conference, I was put in charge of a potluck mingle for all the local professional authors and illustrators as well as librarians, booksellers, publishers and all the visiting presenters to the conference. "The King's English" Bookstore in Salt Lake City hosted the event and it was a lot of fun. We have AMAZING talent here in Utah I must say. So many award winning children's book authors and illustrators.
But now, I am worn out. It's time for some rest before beginning again tomorrow. But I will enjoy the next three days as much as the first two (and thankfully get some work done as well).
I would like to thank my husband, mother-in-law, and babysitter for taking turns watching the little ones at home while mom's not in the home studio. Getting out and socializing with my peers has been nice. We illustrators get a little lonely in our studios from time to time.

Presenting at the Provo Children's Book Festival

2010-05-13T13:03:00.005-05:00

I, along with AMAZING authors and illustrators, will be presenting at this year's Library Book Festival in Provo, UT. Don't miss out. Every kid gets a free book and the chance to meet and hear from some great authors and illustrators. Hope to see you there!

CLICK HERE TO CHECK OUT THEIR WEBPAGE WITH ALL THE DETAILS

The Provo Children's Book Festival celebrates the world and wonder of children's books. With a bevy of talented authors and illustrators in attendance each year, crafts, games, and giveaways; storytimes and puppet shows, visits from favorite characters, and more, the Festival is fast becoming an annual Provo tradition.

Saturday, May 15, 2010
12 Noon - 5:00 pm
Provo City Library

Featuring Jennifer Holm and Matthew Holm

dynamic sister-and-brother superduo,

author and illustrator of

Babymouse

Sketches Turned in

2010-04-28T17:20:00.002-05:00

I turned in all the sketches for the penguin book I'm working on for Marshall Cavendish. They sure are cute little critters. Now I need to paint them one full spread of one of the interiors so they get an idea of my color and style for this book.

Illustration Friday: LINKED

2010-04-13T17:13:00.004-05:00

I haven't posted to IF for a while. But here's one for the theme "linked."

It's an illustration for the upcoming book, "Chihuahua Chase" by A.E. Cannon, release date, June 2010 published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux.

And check out my post below about an awesome conference coming up!

Free Books: Writing and Illustrating For Young Readers Conference

2010-04-13T16:53:00.003-05:00

I'd like to announce a little fun give-away drawing I'm doing. For anyone who blogs about, tweets about, or posts a facebook message about the upcoming Writing and Illustrating for Young Readers Conference, with the link to the conference website in their post, will be put in a drawing to receive an autographed copy of "Hip, Hip Hooray for Annie McRae!" and another drawing for an autographed copy of "There's Always a Way, Annie McRae!"

So put the following link in your post, and then post a comment below with a link to where you posted.

http://www.foryoungreaders.com

And check out the conference yourself. It's an AWESOME opportunity to learn, network, and hear from great authors, illustrators, a literary agent, and two editors from New York. It's priceless!

2010-03-30T14:05:00.001-05:00

I just wanted to make you all aware of a GREAT conference for you or anyone you know who is interested in writing or illustrating for the Young Adult or Picture Book Market. This conference has traditionally been held at BYU for years and years. However, because of the growing nature of the conference, it had to be moved to another facility. It's still run by the same great organizers and still has an amazing list of presenters.

Here's the information on the conference. I just want to encourage you to spread the word to those that may be interested. It's an AMAZING opportunity. Now, I'm especially talking to you illustrators on this list: You've got to sign up for Kevin Hawke's morning workshop classes. He's an amazing illustrator and is ready to teach us all so much. And all you writers, just look at the list of faculty you have to choose from!

Hope to see you there!

Read on...

www.foryoungreaders.com

The For Young Readers annual writing and Illustrating workshop brings together writers, illustrators, agents, and editors to explore craft, genre, and current publishing practices.
Full-day participants spend their mornings in small workshops led by award-winning faculty (see the list below or go to the website for full bios). Both full- and half-day participants enjoy afternoon plenary sessions by national children's book editors and an agent, as well as breakout sessions by our workshop faculty and guest presenters. The keynote address and book signing are open to all conference attendees.

Join us June 14 - 18 at the Waterford School in Sandy, Utah for a better than ever conference experience. Register online! www.foryoungreaders.com

Mary E. Pearson, Author - Keynote speech presenter

Kate Angelella, Assistant Editor at Simon and Schuster

Jennifer Hunt, Editorial Director at Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Mary Kole, Associate Agent at Andrea Brown Literary Agency, Inc.

Bonny Becker, Author - picture book workshop

Kristyn Crow, Author - picture book workshop

Cheri Pray Earl beginning writing class

Ann Dee Ellis, Author - contemporary novel workshop

Alane Ferguson, Author - novel workshop for intermediate/advanced writers

Kevin Hawkes, Illustrator and Author - illustration workshop

Mike Knudson, Author - chapter book workshop

Brandon Mull, Author- fantasy/sci fi workshop

Emily Wing Smith, Author - beginning novel workshop

Rick Walton, Author - beginning writing class

Dave Wolverton, Author - fantasy/sci fi workshop

Sara Zarr, Author - novel workshop for intermediate/advanced writers

Ally Condie writer

Heather Dixon writer

Guy Francis illustrator

Matthew Kirby writer

Sydney Salter writer

Kirk L. Shaw editor

Will Terry illustrator

Local School Presentation

2010-03-29T17:00:00.005-05:00

I just thought I'd let you all know, I'll be presenting at Timberline Middle School in Alpine, UT tomorrow morning along with author Brandon Sanderson. I definitely don't have the following that this amazing fantasy author has, but I'm happy to share my knowledge about picture books at the school's writing conference. I love going to schools and sharing my love of books and illustration with the kids. Hopefully I can inspire some future writers and illustrators.

Someday, I'll post a video of my presentation so you can all see what I do. I just need to get someone to come along and tape it for me. Any volunteers?

Local Newspaper Article

2010-03-27T11:13:00.006-05:00

I was asked to give an interview to our local newspaper by journalist, Marilyn Nielson. Here's what she wrote up about me. It's all about my job, how I got started, and what I do now. The photo was actually taken by my husband, photographer Rhett Olson (see his website) at a book signing. Click on the image to see it full size and read the article.

Entering Contests

2010-03-18T21:07:00.008-05:00

Another great way to promote yourself is to enter contests. Today I just submitted my entries for the 3x3 Children’s Show Here's a little description from their website...

"The 3x3 Children’s Show is the only truly international competition for illustration. No other show is as completely international as ours. While many shows showcase the work of their own country’s illustrators, 3x3 features the best work from all over the world."

Even if I don't "win" or even make it in, my work gets seen by editors from some great publishing houses. So wish me luck. I entered in the Book category...you submit the cover and up to 4 interiors. The work had to be published or produced in 2009. So I submitted work from the book I wrote and the chapter book I illustrated (both produced last year, hitting shelves this year.

DAY SIXTEEN: WRITING AND ILLUSTRATING A PICTURE BOOK

2010-03-16T16:37:00.000-05:00

THE END or THE BEGINNING?

So after reading all that or DOING all that (which of course usually can't be done well in only 15 days), you have to decide for yourself whether or not this is the thing for you. It's a tough road but it's so exciting too. You won't become rich or necessarily famous by doing picture books...they are probably the least appreciated form of literature out there. But you can gain a great sense of satisfaction and accomplishment from creating wholesome, fun, inspiring products to put out into the world. GOOD LUCK!

DAY FIFTEEN: WRITING AND ILLUSTRATING A PICTURE BOOK

2010-03-15T16:36:00.000-05:00

PHASE FOUR: Step 4

4. BEGIN AGAIN, WHILE YOU WAIT: during those months of waiting and possible rejection, get started on another book. Then you won't be obsessed and frustrated with the long process. Just know, most of the time, a picture book takes YEARS to create, to get to a publisher, to get through a publisher, and out on shelves. It's usually at the least a 3 year process (and that's fast).

DAY FOURTEEN: WRITING AND ILLUSTRATING A PICTURE BOOK

2010-03-14T16:35:00.000-05:00

PHASE FOUR: Step 3

3. WAIT AND WAIT AND WAIT: Give the editor at least 3 months to respond. After that, it is fine to call and ask them what they thought of your submission. They are VERY busy people...overworked and underpaid. But they love what they do and want to find good work. Just respect them and their time. If they have feedback for you, that is REALLY positive. Take it and make your work better. If they don't, that means they didn't even like it enough to try to help make it work. That doesn't necessarily mean your book is bad though. It could just mean it's not the book for that editor or publisher. But feel free to ask them specifically what you can do to make it better. Ask them if they ever see it working for their publishing house.

DAY THIRTEEN: WRITING AND ILLUSTRATING A PICTURE BOOK

2010-03-13T16:34:00.000-05:00

PHASE FOUR: Step 2

2. SEND OUT THE DUMMY BOOK: If you have an agent, great. They will do this for you. However, if you don't, the work is up to you. Find a list of publishers who publish books in the same genre and send it to their head editor and assistant editors. The lists can be gathered through joining the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (www.SCBWI.org) or checking out CBC.org online or by researching in "Writers Market Place" (however that publication is often out of date). When mailing your work, you put a cover letter in the envelope along with a report style printout of just the words (double spaced, 1" margins, start half way down with title and name, put your contact info at top left and the word count top right) and your dummy book. In the cover letter, type it business style, introduce yourself and any credentials in the first line (publication credits, degree, or experience). Then briefly explain what's enclosed. Tell what the story is about in one sentence. Thank them for their time and close with Sincerely. Include a self-addressed stamped postcard for them to return to you with their comments.

DAY TWELVE: WRITING AND ILLUSTRATING A PICTURE BOOK

2010-03-12T16:29:00.000-05:00

PHASE FOUR: Step 1

1. HAVE A WEBSITE OR BLOG: Make sure before you begin submissions, you have a professional website or blog the editor can refer to if they want to find out more about you or your work. If you are an artist have your portfolio out there. If you are a writer, have some other samples. Think of it as your online resume. Best foot forward.

You can set up a blog at www.blogger.com or various other sites. You can also download website templates for free online or pay for a more professional looking site like at www.bludomain.com

DAY ELEVEN: WRITING AND ILLUSTRATING A PICTURE BOOK

2010-03-11T16:28:00.000-05:00

PHASE THREE: Step 4

4. CRITIQUES: This time you need critiques especially from other illustrators. You've had writers critique the words, now have illustrators critique your book. Be ready to make changes. ALWAYS be ready to make changes.

DAY TEN: WRITING AND ILLUSTRATING A PICTURE BOOK

2010-03-10T16:17:00.000-05:00

PHASE THREE: Step 3

3. CREATE A DUMMY BOOK: this is a book in sketch format. I scan in all my sketches to the computer and type in the words on each scene...knowing full well that the designer at the publisher will put it all in place in the end. It's just there to hold space and show there is space for the text...and to read the story along with the sketches. I also mock up a cover, a title page and leave space for a copyright info page and dedication. I do try to start smaller elements of the story or art in illustrations on these pre-story pages. It adds a fun element to the book. I load the pages into a program called "IN DESIGN" by adobe and this makes printing out the pagination and dummy book much easier. (You can do tutorials online for it if needed...but you can also just cut and paste the printouts onto the proper pages in a pre-stapled blank page book). It's hard to describe the actual creation of the dummy book in words, but essentially, think back to your gradeschool days and those little books you used to make with your own stories and illustrations. That's what this is. After I print out the pages I staple them in the middle and have a small sketched out book. (I usually only print it at 1/3-1/4 of the actual size of the book.

These are little examples of dummy books. Only the one with the sketched cover is ready to be sent out. The others are my own working copies, from the VERY rough one on scrap paper and sharpie, to the printed text version where I'll tape in copies of sketches to check flow or use as a half-way point, to the final one with text and sketches.