This is my entry for the 2013 Tomie de Paola contest. Though I hadn't yet read it, I thought that of the three book options, I could relate best to "Little Women." And I did enjoy the book, after I got over the conventions toward women of that period. Thank goodness for Jo, who was the rebel of the family!
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| Art in full spread layout |
After many versions, I did mine in pencil with digital alteration in Photoshop. It was fun to add pattern to the piece and (hopefully) not go overboard!
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| Art before layout |
Overall, it was a learning experience working in just black and white. As an artist, I'm still working on balancing detail vs. overall composition and creating strong values that read from a distance.
As always, I enjoy seeing the variety of pieces that come out of the Tomie de Paola contest. There are so many wonderful illustrations that I can't imagine how he picks the winner!
