Topic: what I'm up to
Well, here I am. Writing a blog! How up to date of me......
So, for those of you who don't know me, I'm Christina. I colour in for a living (very popular with the under tens set!). Really, I illustrate and write for children and my career is just starting to sit up and take notice. A nice feeling really. Just the other day a well known author (for the younger readers) said 'it takes a long time to become an overnight success!' I'd have to agree. Not that I'm an overnight success or even just a success at this point, but I'm still working hard at it.......there is hope.
So, what am I doing at the moment?
Today I'm working on finishing some roughs to send to a publisher for a book that will be published mid 2009. Seems such a long way away but in 'making books' terms, it isn't far. Roughs are the quick sketches that we do to show the publisher what we think the book will look like. It helps them to see what we are playing with in our heads as illustrators and make any suggestions and changes before we work on the main illo's. It is time consuming to have to re-do finished art work later, especially when one double page in a book can take up to a week to do.
The sketches I have for this book are already approved, the publisher saw them in the flesh a few weeks ago but I had to complete three pages and send them of for their records (helps the designers put them together) and so I can get paid. I need that to happen as much as I can to support my 'habit'! (Drawing that is.)
I wrote this book as well so it is quite a lot of fun playing and teasing out ideas and making a few of my own decisions. It is a story about our rooster (who is now in rooster heaven, that is, living with lots of hens in the country, not the 'roast' kind of heaven!). It's almost a true story with changes which often are the best kind really. Kids seem to love it when I read it to them at school visits.
Anyway, here's a sneak preview of a cute little pic (I rarely do cute I might add, but it was called for on this one page) of our little rooster when he was a few days old. Page 3 I think, enjoy..... 
