Art, Books

Inktail & Friends

I have alluded to it, but now I’m going to get into details. I am working on a coloring book.

No, not coloring it myself (although I need to do that for the cover I think) but creating one for other people to color in. I’ve been asked many times over the last couple of years if I will use my art to create a children’s book, and I thought it was a good idea, but…

Dragon
The fun thing is, people can name them, and make up their own stories.

But the story wasn’t coming. Then, a few months ago, I drew a little dragon for a friend. A tiny, cute dragon. I started working on dragon anatomy and sketching and painting dragons and it got rather intense for a while with my focus on dragons (if you noticed). I was asked if I would be making a coloring book, and the lightbulb went off.

That, I can do. My minimalist lineart style is well-suited to becoming a guideline for those who want to bring the little dragons, flowers, and various bugs to life. It’s a very popular pasttime right now, coloring books for adults, and it’s a project that won’t take as much of my time as writing a novel.

Hand dragon
This sketch came into being mostly to give scale to the denizens of this book. I used my own hand as a model – the dragon is purely imaginary, I’m afraid!

And that’s how Inktail & Friends was born. I’m still sketching dragons, but now I am inking and scanning them, preparing to put them on paper and release them into the wild. I’m not sure what the final page count will be – some of that depends if I include not-dragons in the book, like the bunnies I did a while back. Each page will have a little caption, and I may – not sure yet – include a little tutorial in the back on how I draw dragons.

If you’d like to suggest something to add, whether an idea for a dragon posing with your favorite flower, or telling me that tutorial is a bad idea (it probably is), whether I ought to add bunnies, or.. something, please chime in in the comments. I’m breaking new ground, any help is appreciated!

Inktail dragon
Inktail himself! A preliminary pencil sketch, you can see the underlying marks I was using to keep the bones and perspectives straight.

5 thoughts on “Inktail & Friends

  1. If my vote counts – do not skip the tutorial (at least some, please).

    Is it reasonable of me to hope it will be available by early May? At least three copies will come here – two for the artistic-type daughter birthdays, and one for me to carefully seal away for myself…

          1. De nada. It would probably just confuse me, anyway.

            Besides – it would attract those fanatic cryptics over from Sarah’s place. I still haven’t figured out some of those…

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