A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

Finished up that cover illustration for this classic young adult novel.  And just for fun, I slapped on title and author to make it look official.

Another book cover illustration

I finally got around to reading A Tree Grows in Brooklyn last year, and I loved it! Now working on my take on a cover illustration to do Francie Nolan proud.  Most recent sketch:

My first, quick, scribbly draft:

Illustration Friday: Protest

Several years ago, I started a little personal project I called "Portraits of People Who Aren't Real," a series of posed-portrait-style pastel renderings of my favorite children's book characters.  Click on the tag below to see the rest, including Fern from Charlotte's Web, Ethan from Summerland, and Sal from Walk Two Moons.  I drew a fourth sketch to complete the set, of Margaret Rose from E.L. Konigsburg's The Outcasts of 19 Schuyler Place, but never did it up in pastels.

Today, just a few months after Konigsburg (maybe my favorite middle grade author of all time) passed away, the topic at Illustration Friday is "protest."  This novel is all about a girl's protest for art, history, self-expression, and individuality over The Man that was the bland and self-righteous local homeowners' association.  If I weren't out of town and away from my pastels, I'd do this last portrait lickety split, because all signs point to I should.  Since I can't do that, I'm re-sharing Margaret Rose's sketch as a reminder to myself to finish this one properly someday soon.  Her story deserves revisiting.

Kids!

I've been drawing an awful lot of adults lately, mostly for Every Reds Hall of Famer. Which is cool and all, but it's time to draw some kids.  So I took to Facebook to see what my youngest relatives had been up to lately and gave 'em the old pencil and paper treatment.

 

Happy summer!