Before and After...

Here's a little example of how I've been playing with many of the poems in the book, in terms of adding more life to the form and structure of the words, and the layout of how they interact with the illustrations.

See my rough "before" version of the poem, just laid-out with the words more or less as-is and the illustration....and my "after" version once I've been playing with the formatting so it all ties in better.

(This poem, by the way, is based on a true story of something that happened in our house, with our daughter Ariel.)

Back to the Drawing Board

On to printed "Dummy Book" Version 3, which is saying a lot to its "Dummy Author" at present, and he is very glad.

The last couple weeks have been earth-shattering-ly (is that even a word?) eye-opening for the process of putting this book together. After valuable feedback from trusted colleagues and friends, and spending hours of mad-obsessive thought and revision...

Remember that post from a few months back saying all the drawings were finished? Well, they're close, but not quite. A few revelations of late will be causing me to re-jig a few illustrations....and on the writing side, let me just say there have been many, many changes afoot.

BUT...these changes are opening up entire worlds to me that are blowing my mind, and I think it will result in a much better book that is worthy of its audience. I shall keep you in suspense for the time being - lest I jinx myself further - but hold on to your hats...I'll let you know when it's safe. It's all part of the process.

Many thanks go out to my friends David Robinson (for his word-smithing suggestions) and Laura Thomas, who gave me lots to think about in terms of revising and editing. Check out Laura's books and workshops for young writers...you'll be glad you did.

Thanks also go out to S.D. (Sam) Smith of Story Warren, who offered me some very valuable insight for the book. This weekend in North Carolina he is hosting the annual INKWELL Conference for young writers & artists, and I really wish I could be there! But part of me is, as Sam also kindly invited me to submit a few poems for their "Story Warren Reader" publication, which will be handed out to attendees there. This makes me happy.

Stay tooned, friends...

A Reading in the Woods

I'm re-arranging my bi-weekly schedule on the blog because something fun related to the book has just been posted online.

My office at VanArts is right next to the Acting Department, and one of their instructors, Gabriel Carter, asked if I'd be up for reading my poems on his online, low-tech & one-take talk/variety show Dog's Breakfast, which features a "surreal segment" in each episode.

I agreed, but with an additional thought: What if I could get a goblin puppet to read them? Gabriel, a big Muppet fan, got very excited, so he took me out to the wilderness of Vancouver for a fun little film shoot with my "friend" Skraboonikus the Moss Goblin.

Here is Episode 3.1 of Dog's Breakfast featuring slam poet Mike McGee, musical guest The Population Drops, and "A Reading in the Woods" (which starts at 16:53). Enjoy, and thanks to Gabriel and his lovely fiancee & co-host Nhi Do for sharing this!

Interview...and Cover in Progress

I've recently been interviewed as a guest artist on the Canadian Animation Blog by kind invitation of Grayden Laing, where I answer questions about my book and my animation work.

READ THE INTERVIEW HERE >>

In other news, my animation gig has wrapped and I'm now working hard on trying to get the front and back cover right for the book. In some ways, the cover is more important than what's inside the book, as it's the thing that should entice one to pick it up and open it in the first place.

So far, this is the one detail I'm mostly happy with.

Inspiration Monday: The Decemberists and Other Musical Storytellers

It's been awhile since I did an "Inspiration Monday" post, and I've been listening to lots of music while working on my animation gig, so I thought I would muse a bit about it. I often listen to music while I draw, and the inspiration I soak up from it finds a way in when I write.

A few years ago I wrote a long-winded 3-part exploration on my website of the albums and songs from different stages of my entire life that always found their way back to my favorite playlists. One of the recurring themes I found that emerged was that I'm inexplicably drawn to music with a story-telling bent to it. (I also seem to be drawn to songs about sea voyages, which I still don't quite understand.) This love for storytelling in song reaches back to pop/rock artists like Simon and Garfunkel, Led Zeppelin, The Who and Pink Floyd to classical pieces like Peter and the Wolf and Night on Bald Mountain. 

In more recent years I have become a huge fan of The Decemberists, and their passion for ghost stories, ancient Victorian melodramas and strange, dark fairy tales like The Hazards of Love, a rock-opera which I can only describe as "Romeo and Juliet with shape-shifting forest creatures." Their lyrics to Youth and Beauty Brigade (off their first album Castaways and Cut-Outs)had a slight influence on one of the poems in my book called COME TO THE FEAST, around the theme of calling in various outcasts and questionable characters (or as they call them, "bed-wetters and ambulance-chasers") to some sort of gathering. I listened to The Decemberists a lot while illustrating Gnomes of the Cheese Forest and Other Poems, and expect this will continue to be the case with future works, as they keep showing me new layers of inspiration with each listen.

If you haven't yet discovered the genius of their musical craft, I recommend starting with The Crane Wife and branching off from there.

As for the book, a few changes are still being made as I share drafts with friends for feedback and revisions, and chip away at polishing it further. I'm close to wrapping up the animation project I've been working on, and plan on getting the cover finalized and creating some proofs for final revisions throughout the summer. And also, there will be some videos to watch. Stay tuned!

...oh, and if you're not yet following my book page on Facebook, LIKE!

Illustration Lesson #2

Howdy folks....continuing from my previous post on illustration tips, this week I'm sharing a few words about CONTRAST and EYE DIRECTION. This applies to all image-making whether it be an illustration or a scene in an animated film.

Your viewer's eye will always be drawn to wherever the starkest light/dark contrast is in your image. For black & white drawings this is especially crucial and at its most basic. Your blackest-black and whitest-white should POP off the page wherever you want your viewer to look first. If your drawing has a lot of detail this is especially important, as it really helps to have one central focal point to draw the eye to, and then let it explore the rest of the image from there.


If it's one large character or character face, the eyes are the most important feature to draw in your viewer. For the Wise Ancient Tree I put in the darkest-darks in large patches around his eyes, so they wouldn't let lost in the rest of his detailed face.

Same thing here with Professor Stitch-Wicket in the forest....surrounding him with lots of black in the background makes him pop from the page and not get lost. He is the central focal point of the drawing, so it's important that he be noticed.

Some of the elements around the professor also direct your eye and literally point towards him, for example the white bill of the woodpecker pointing in his direction, echoed around him by the bear's snout, the branch on the log and other animals all pointed towards him.

(Click on these images to see them better...they will grow!)



Try to find ways to frame your character with shapes that will direct the eye towards one central focal point. In this drawing, elements on the Professor's left (the test tube and weighing apparatus) lean in straight and diagonal while elements on the right repeat a curved shape (in the feather, microscope, his hair and shoulder), all leading the eye to the area in the drawing where his eye stares intensely at his scientific work, which is the whole point of this particular moment in the story.

Simply put, ask yourself what one thing this drawing (or shot) needs to communicate to your audience about the story you are telling, and find a way to draw your viewer's eye to that one single point that communicates this with the most clarity.

I hope that helps!

National Poetry Month

In the spirit of April being National Poetry Month, I thought I would share some poetry, and you, dear bloggie reader, can join me!

Go to this album on Facebook or #cheeseforest on Twitter and you will find a series of "Poetry Postcards" which you can share or re-tweet with your poetry-loving companions.

...and speaking further of poetry, check out more excellent resources at StoryWarren and keep an eye out for this film coming to theaters in August.