I was going to make this a “Happy New Year” post, but it’s
already January 30, so I guess that boat has sailed.
Here are a few drawings that I did recently. I was having a hard time of getting back into
drawing everyday, so someone suggested that I do one “finished” piece of art each day. Right now, I’m doing sketches for
two picture books, and outlines and notes for new graphic novel projects, but
these daily drawings gave me the satisfaction of actually completing something. Each was done in one sitting that usually lasted
about an hour and a half. They are
either pencil and watercolor, or ink and watercolor. There is nothing digital in them.
The images are from a concept I’ve been thinking about a
while…but I often lose enthusiasm for it.
I think it’s an interesting idea, and could make a great story and a
good book, but it’s so different from everything that’s out there, I often
wonder, “why bother?”
I just can’t go through all of the work of developing it,
figuring it out, and writing it, only to have editors look at it and say they
don’t know what to do with it. Or
worse---find an editor who loves it, spend a year on it, then have a marketing
department look at it and say THEY don’t know what to do with it. I feel like I’m entering into a lose/lose
situation.
So, over the last few months I’ve become paralyzed while
developing new concepts. Believe me, I
have plenty of ideas, but they are all being shut down by doubt and
second-guessing.
Happy New Year!
