Eliza Painting Factory
is in full swing!
I skipped posting last week as I am painting and painting and PAINTING on the sequel to Papá's Magical Water-Jug Clock!
But, GRACIAS for all the lovely emails, and comments saying how much you enjoy my newsletter.
Awwwwwww! STOP MAKING ME A PILE OF MUSH!
If you have read previous posts, I talked about how I paint an entire picture book in one swoop, and you can go freak out in the comment section over there.
But, to go over it quickly, I don’t do the line work on the paintings as I just want to be free to paint loosely, and enjoy the paint strokes.
Currently, I just finished inks, and now I am in the watercolor section of my process. Any moment, I’ll be jumping into the gouache stage.
With painting traditionally, there definitely is surprises, and sometimes an element of feeling out of control. Colors dry unexpectedly BRIGHTER or spookily darker.
Sometimes I keep it,
OR sometimes I paint over it again,
or I color correct afterwards in the computer.
We’ll see what I do here….
As this is the part of the process where I’m just playing!!
BUTT, make no mistake! There is a paint color battle plan, so I make sure no colors are conflicting.
Unfortunately, colors ALREADY are conflicting in a few areas..BOOHOO!
Honestly it’s hard to control as once I start painting, I get into a groove,
and just want to PLAY. So some colors get mixed differently, or I put a color somewhere on a whim just because I LIKE IT!
STOP BEING THE BOSS OF ME, COLOR BATTLE PLAN!
Honestly, I don’t get too upset as stuff will get fixed as I move forward.
I try to NOT dwell on anything looking like a mistake in this stage. Better just to keep swimming and get to the island of FIRST PASS ON ART!
And enjoy the process of painting,
as that is when I get back to PLAYING!!!
It’s like all my hard work of planning has paid off, and I can relax.
And honestly I think that’s why some illustrators struggle with their art at this stage of the process.
It can start to feel overworked as it becomes WORK.
You have done a drawing multiple times to get it right,
and then there’s the pressure of turning it into final art!
Plus a whole publishing team is depending on YOU,
AND THEN THE TICKING DEADLINE AHHHHHHHHHH!
I mean doesn’t all the above just make you want to tighten up?!
For ME,
I’m not trying to get anything perfect when I'm making final art for the first pass. I approach it with curiosity, and just enjoy the ride.
And again,
I JUST LOVE TO PAINT.
Probably at some point in my career I’ll take a few years off, and just do paintings. Don’t worry readers, or my AGENT!
It’s more likely 20 years from now with the line-up of writing projects I have…
and knowing me, it will last 3 months until I get anxious to make the paintings into books.
So you’ll still safely get your Eliza Kinkz FIX!
But, gosh…when I paint. I’m transported back to being a kid, and painting without care. Curious what marks a brush will make for me. I’m just filled with sense of mischief, and wonder at what appears before me.
As nothing is definite, or for sure when I paint…
AND I LOVE IT!!!
PS Another HUGE update is I treated myself to new, and used 6 ft tables to have my paintings on!!
My knees are super thanking me as I used to just paint on the floor all the previous times. Here is even an old picture of me painting on the floor when I used to do this for my animated films.
Not that I don't love painting on the floor still. I think it's super fun, and a way for me to connect to the kid in me.
Buttttttt not when you are painting an entire picture book at once.
So here’s a question for you, picture book creators!
How do you bring Playful JOY to your art or writing process?
If you don’t know, think on how you could!
Some Joyful Distractions this week….
I finally finished Pardalita. I just LOVED it. So many thoughts to slowly absorb from all the tasty prose. Joana Estrela wrote an amazing article about her process creating it, and has my FAVORITE of showing rough sketches as well.
In cooking, I made Snickerdoodle cookies at my younger kid’s request, and isn’t it weird that cream of tartar is an ingredient?
I didn’t read why, but it just makes me uncomfortable for some reason…
BUT NOT TOO UNCOMFY! As I definitely ate one.
Also, I gave one to my friend’s six year old, who was expecting a chocolate chip cookie, and they said the following….
OH!! And we paid for a fancy haircut for our dog Tuna.
I originally just wanted a bath, but they talked my husband into one. Also, my husband got confused, and thought half-inch meant just trimming a half an inch off his fur. Turns out it means LEAVING half an inch of fur on his coat!!
Prepare yourself for the cutest TUNA in the most expensive bandana you will ever see!
Finally, I’ll be at the Texas Book Festival this Saturday and Sunday!!
Please come out as I would LOVE to see you, and show off how many brownies I can fit in my pocket from the Author Green Room.
(WHISTLE BLOWS in Distance…)
Now Back to the Eliza Painting Factory! Have a great week!
I cannot imagine painting on the floor! But I guess it makes sense for your process. I’m glad you have the tables. Much better for you back, I’m sure!
I love seeing your process. It's so messy and wonderful. I draw on the floor a lot, too. I'm sitting on the floor while I type this. For me, if I sit on my legs, it stops me from getting distracted by using them to walk somewhere else.