Exploring Tide Pools

A watercolor sketch from my recent vacation.

TLA Recap (plus Around the World Cover!!)

The cover for Around the World was unveiled at the Texas Library Association conference a few weeks ago. Candlewick was handing out free advanced reading copies which had the color cover, but unfortunately only lowish resolution black and white scans of the color interiors. It's a necessity at this stage, but I can't wait for people to see the full color version.

At any rate, I had an absolute blast in Austin. The Maverick graphic novel panel went very well (with a pretty large crowd in a gargantuan conference room). It was great to chat with Dave Roman, Raina Telgemeier, and Hope Larson and learn about their process.

I signed boxes of Around the World, Storm in the Barn, Flora's Very Windy Day and more. Conferences are always a whirlwind, but everyone there couldn't have been nicer and it was truly fun. I particularly lucked out at the Bluebonnet luncheon, where Elizabeth Bluemle and I got to sit with a table of students who had entered an essay contest to attend. Keep writing, all of you!

Below are some moleskine sketches from the plane ride home. Now that I look at them again, I think my subconscious was summing up the trip for me.

Bryant Park sketches

Moleskine Ape

And this just in... Storm in the Barn is in the Top Ten of Graphic Novel Reporter's Core List of Graphic Novels for Teens. That's pretty darn cool.

Half-Full Sacks of Sugar

One of my favorite sketching exercises, courtesy of the great Disney animators and The Illusion of Life by Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston.

Guy at Podium

Some guy talking about something somewhere. I honestly can't remember a thing about this, but I did sketch him. Note to self: leave more notes to self.

Punk Rock Girl

End of Year Post-a-Palooza

Each year I shoot for a nice even 100 posts for the ol' sketch blog. This usually means that at this time of the year, I'm scrambling through sketch books to find things to post post-haste. So here comes a rare blitz of posting... at least for me.

Graphic Classroom Review!

There's a new review of Storm in the Barn up at the Graphic Classroom blog. This is a really cool site that reviews graphic novels and comics specifically with an eye for use in schools. There's also lots of interesting articles in the archives and links to other sites of interest to teachers (and comics fans).

The above moleskine sketch has nothing to do with either Storm or Graphic Classroom...

Facial Hair Can Make a Difference

Adam Rex is growing a mustache to raise money for underfunded schools. I've seen the mustache and it is indeed real... although he prefers that you don't a) tug on it or b) call him Ol' Caterpillar Lip Rex.

Every bit helps. Read about the cool funding projects and donate here.

Happy Thanksgiving

Silas

I recently finished reading Neil Gaiman's The Graveyard Book. It is absolutely wonderful and I enjoyed every moment of it. Go read it. About halfway through, I felt compelled to pick up the ol' moleskine and do a sketch of Nobody Owens' guardian. Mind you, I love Dave McKean's illustrations... I just felt inspired to have a crack at it, too. Pure fan art.

Fresh Moleskine

More Sea Sketches

From the other moleskine: A memorial on Monhegan; lines, fancy work and a pulley; even more lines; and Micah taking the rowboat out for a spin.

A Landlubber Once More

Ahoy. Sorry for the lack of posting, but I've just returned from a top secret research trip to Maine. Here are a couple of sketches from my trusty watercolor moleskine. First, the fish market on Monhegan Island (try the fish chowder). Also, if you ever visit Monhegan, be sure to stop by what just might be the coziest library in the world. Next is an odd view of an aloft rowboat aboard the magnificent Lewis R. French. If you yearn to set sail on traditional tallship (and National Historic Landmark), you cannot do better than the French. Best crew in Maine.

The Convenience of "Living History"

If you're working on a book about George Washington, residing in Philadelphia can be pretty handy. Just stroll down to the area around Independence Hall on a Saturday and presto: More costumed models than you can shake a souvenir Liberty Bell at. They do a good job staying in character, too.

One of 6000

Another Ireland sketch. So many walls, so little time.

More from the Ireland Sketchbook

Na Seacht d'Teampall (Seven Churches), Inishmore.

Ireland Sketchbook

Sheep in Connemara.

Pub regular, Inishmore, Aran Islands.

Moleskine a la Le Pen