I hate titling these. I feel like they come out sounding too self-serious, so I try to deflate that with a self-deprecating subtitle, and anyway my apologies if you read to the end of this sentence.
Yes to experimenting while hoping to knock some traditional rendering in its pants. It’s hard. I try to set up things like you did where things get messy and uncomfortable and random. It’s good stuff. 💪
As a reforming good art boy (and graphic designer) myself, I especially like the surprise of revealing the colors - the same way I like the intentionally imprecise brush. I've always loved your work - but, even more-so now!
What a cool experiment! And I love the inherent surprise in the results and how you can just keep reacting to the surprises in layers as you go. I've been wanting to do something similar to this with traditional mediums where I organize all my colors of paints, markers, etc. by values. You've given me a good way to go about it, so thank you!
Ooo he's actually got a pretty in-depth breakdown of his process saved to his instagram stories that you can check out (it's about halfway through the Q + A saved highlight), super interesting! It's not quite as randomized as the method you used here, but essentially just starting by putting down really loose funky washes based solely on temperature/value and then finessing after.
Honestly, there value charts have always hurt my head since Art School. But I really do appreciate the fact that you are trying to be looser, and let yourself experiment. I went to a talk by Marc Majewski, and loved seeing how he began his art career being so realistic and obsessed with getting everything right in perspective. And now his style is so childlike, that his dad got out an old painting he did from when he was 7 years old and it was so similar to what he was doing currently.
Which I relate to with my style... but maybe I will try this and hurt my head all over again.
Oh my goodness I LOVE the wild colors version!! I would absolutely read a whole book like that. But I love the revised one too?? AND the cowboy one??? The cowboy one reminds me a bit of Don Wood. (Also isn't Amy Timberlake just utterly fantastic?)
I love this. I was literally having a conversation the other day about this very topic, the difference between color contrast and light contrast, and made my own example with a red and green apple that become indistinguishable when desaturated. Your example explains it way better and way more fun.
For a long time, I thought I had read The Giver. Then I saw a trailer for the movie version and I was confused because it was not at all the book I remembered. Where was the senseless murder and the subsequent examination of the oppressive nature of bureaucratic systems? Then I realized I was thinking of The Stranger by Albert Camus. Turns out that’s a different book.
Good gravy this is a brilliant solution to coloring. I gotta try it.
Also, I've been doing a newsletter for a few years now and hands down the hardest part is coming up with a title for the darn thing. Just wanted to let you know I see you and you are a Good Title Boy too.
I think all of it is a good idea, and I love the whole vibe of the “garish” colors. Keep going!
Also: my kids and I finished Gumluck just this morning at breakfast and it deserves all of the attention and accolades it’s receiving. I’ll be recommending it far and wide (and buying the second in the series whenever it drops).
What a fun exercise!! I personally LOVE the wild colors version! I find it so hard to break out of my usual palette I might try out this exercise sometime
When I paint the Gumluck covers, I do it a bit like this. The illustrations inside are only black and white, so I draw them on my iPad with an app called Procreate that makes my drawings look like chalk and pencil.
I think I was inspired to write Gumluck because I always loved fantasy and magic stories when I was a kid. Stories like The Hobbit.
I don't know what my inspiration was for the story I wrote when I was five! That was 46 years ago, and I can't remember.
A lot of people inspired me, but the team of Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith made me think kids' books might be for me when I discovered them as a teenager. Books like The Stinky Cheese Man. Look them up!
My favorite color is a shade of green called Eau de Nil. I also really like pink.
Hi everyone! I took a lot of art classes over the years. Some in elementary school, some after school, and I took many art classes in college. Lately I've been thinking about taking a class again—I'd like to learn how to paint different.
Yes to experimenting while hoping to knock some traditional rendering in its pants. It’s hard. I try to set up things like you did where things get messy and uncomfortable and random. It’s good stuff. 💪
As a reforming good art boy (and graphic designer) myself, I especially like the surprise of revealing the colors - the same way I like the intentionally imprecise brush. I've always loved your work - but, even more-so now!
Thanks, Chad!
You both ruined and rescued it; A+, no notes
It's in a quantum superposition of both sucking and ruling, and has to be observed to collapse the waveform.
What a cool experiment! And I love the inherent surprise in the results and how you can just keep reacting to the surprises in layers as you go. I've been wanting to do something similar to this with traditional mediums where I organize all my colors of paints, markers, etc. by values. You've given me a good way to go about it, so thank you!
Let me know if you try anything like it!
Oh man, the Good Art Boy struggle is so real!! I’m a big fan of the wild colour version, definitely reminds me of the feel of Matt Forsythe’s stuff! 🙌
I would really like to watch him work. I don't know how he does what he does, but I doubt it's anything like this.
Ooo he's actually got a pretty in-depth breakdown of his process saved to his instagram stories that you can check out (it's about halfway through the Q + A saved highlight), super interesting! It's not quite as randomized as the method you used here, but essentially just starting by putting down really loose funky washes based solely on temperature/value and then finessing after.
Oh, excellent! Thanks, Monica!
Honestly, there value charts have always hurt my head since Art School. But I really do appreciate the fact that you are trying to be looser, and let yourself experiment. I went to a talk by Marc Majewski, and loved seeing how he began his art career being so realistic and obsessed with getting everything right in perspective. And now his style is so childlike, that his dad got out an old painting he did from when he was 7 years old and it was so similar to what he was doing currently.
Which I relate to with my style... but maybe I will try this and hurt my head all over again.
Oh my goodness I LOVE the wild colors version!! I would absolutely read a whole book like that. But I love the revised one too?? AND the cowboy one??? The cowboy one reminds me a bit of Don Wood. (Also isn't Amy Timberlake just utterly fantastic?)
Don Wood! That's high praise, thank you. And yes, Amy is the best.
I love this. I was literally having a conversation the other day about this very topic, the difference between color contrast and light contrast, and made my own example with a red and green apple that become indistinguishable when desaturated. Your example explains it way better and way more fun.
Makes me think of The Giver! You ever read that, with the apple that's gray until Jonas sees the truth? Henry's reading it now.
For a long time, I thought I had read The Giver. Then I saw a trailer for the movie version and I was confused because it was not at all the book I remembered. Where was the senseless murder and the subsequent examination of the oppressive nature of bureaucratic systems? Then I realized I was thinking of The Stranger by Albert Camus. Turns out that’s a different book.
I love the wild colored girl!!
Good gravy this is a brilliant solution to coloring. I gotta try it.
Also, I've been doing a newsletter for a few years now and hands down the hardest part is coming up with a title for the darn thing. Just wanted to let you know I see you and you are a Good Title Boy too.
Let me know if you try it!
I think all of it is a good idea, and I love the whole vibe of the “garish” colors. Keep going!
Also: my kids and I finished Gumluck just this morning at breakfast and it deserves all of the attention and accolades it’s receiving. I’ll be recommending it far and wide (and buying the second in the series whenever it drops).
Thank you! I don't remember when book 2 drops, but it's done—I'm working on 3 now. Maybe next fall? That's too long.
What a fun exercise!! I personally LOVE the wild colors version! I find it so hard to break out of my usual palette I might try out this exercise sometime
I would love to see what happens, if you do
Mrs. Winner's Third Grade thinks:
- You rescued it! And it looks cool!
- We love your books!
- You're the GOAT
- We loved the book you wrote when you were five--it's inspirational
- We think your drawing above looks more wizardy than Gumluck himself--she's magical!
- How do you draw gumluck the wizard? Do you use the same method?
- How did you think up Gumluck?
- We really liked that story you wrote when you were five--what was your inspiration?
When I paint the Gumluck covers, I do it a bit like this. The illustrations inside are only black and white, so I draw them on my iPad with an app called Procreate that makes my drawings look like chalk and pencil.
I think I was inspired to write Gumluck because I always loved fantasy and magic stories when I was a kid. Stories like The Hobbit.
I don't know what my inspiration was for the story I wrote when I was five! That was 46 years ago, and I can't remember.
Hello! Mrs. Johansson & Mrs. Marshbank's class were impressed! Here are some of their thoughts:
- What is your favorite ice cream flavor? (I don't know what this has to do with color or being an author but it's a good question.)
- Who inspired you to become an author and illustrator?
- What is your favorite color? We think it might be rainbow because of all the colors you used.
- We think you are very creative!
I like cookies and cream!
A lot of people inspired me, but the team of Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith made me think kids' books might be for me when I discovered them as a teenager. Books like The Stinky Cheese Man. Look them up!
My favorite color is a shade of green called Eau de Nil. I also really like pink.
Thank you!
Mrs. Millard's class read your post! We have some thoughts:
- We have been drawing lots of characters, we know how hard it is and we are super impressed with your skills!
- That is a cool technique that you use for color, we want to try it!
- We like your drawings, we want to see more!
- Your layering is really good, we have been learning about that in art class.
- Your pictures are really good and we see that they are less realistic, you are doing a good job of fighting against good art boy!
Thank you all so much! I guess I'll keep drawing.
Hi Adam-- Mrs. Flessner here with another student comment section:
- We think you are a really good artist who makes smart choices like using dark and light colors to make something new
-Did you ever take an art class? We think you are amazing and want to know how we can too!
- We love how many colors you used, it makes it unique
- love the light and dark colors and the gradient they make within the final picture
- You tricked me into thinking your picture was going to be all gray!!!
Hi everyone! I took a lot of art classes over the years. Some in elementary school, some after school, and I took many art classes in college. Lately I've been thinking about taking a class again—I'd like to learn how to paint different.