Want to be featured on the PBJunkie's blog?

© copyright Alicia Padró

Hi there!

Are you a children's book writer and/or Illustrator or perhaps an editor, librarian, art director or agent and would like to be featured on the PBjunkie's blog?

We will have a special feature all the month of February and maybe if we get many wonderful entries we will extend it to March as well. Every Friday we will post about a special writer or illustrator and that could be you!

If you want to contribute to our special I work in the children's book field and I'm happy to do so posts just send us your post along with one image (only one please). In that post you can tell us a little about you, how you work? What inspires you? What are the ups and downs of working in this field? If you could change one thing is this business what could it be?

Your call. Be creative.

Anything related with children's books and always appropriate please. Of course you can include a link to your website or blog as well.

We reserve the right to choose the entries that will get posted. Please email me your ready-post. You can find my email here under "contact me".

New Series from Ladybird!

I'm happy to announce two of my latest baby books have been released! :o)

Bedtime and Playtime are the first two titles from the Ladybird Happy Babies Series, a brand new series I'll be illustrating published by Penguin/Ladybird.

These cute little books are peep-through books showing babies in their daily routines. The rhyming text describes what is happening in each picture, and the baby reading the book gets to look through the hole in the page to find out what the baby in the book is doing next.

I created a little Teddy who will appear in every book of this series. He helps hints baby what's coming next.

I'm SO happy with these books, they are extremely cute. I have so much fun working on them!! I just love baby books :o)

Watercolor Techniques

Hello there! Hope you all had a wonderful Holiday Season. :o)

So, it's a brand new year, how about that? It's always exciting and a little scary too I think. You want to accomplish new goals and start fresh but at the same time worry about really being able to meet those goals.

I get questions regarding watercolor so I wanted to share with you 3 great videos I found on youtube that teach basic watercolor techniques. The artist is Lorraine Watry. I like that she explains each technique in a simple way, very easy to understand.

I learned about the magic eraser, that is fantastic! Have to get me one of those. And I did not know about the sandpaper and watercolor pencils either, sounds awesome. :o)

Here are the links to video 2 and video 3.

Wishing you all..

Hugs,

Alicia

Zero2illo- illoZINE- December Issue

The illoZine December issue is out! Features great content for anyone interested in the Children's Book Illustration field.

An interview with me is featured in this month's issue as well as other great interviews with the very talented artists Carin Berger, Kat Chapman and Jeremy Kool. If you'd like to learn how you can purchase your copy of the digital Zine, click here.

Oh, and while you are there take the opportunity to look around the Zero2illo site, a fantastic resource for illustrators.

Thanks so much to Jonathan and Lea for having me! :o)

From the Sketchbook

My post on the PBJ's today. :o)

Warm up sketch

© copyright Alicia Padrón

This little robot is product of a twitter conversation between Jane Heinrichs and me.

I was tweeting that if there ever was a robot that could come to you, take your empty mug and bring back a new hot, rich and creamy cappuccino I would pay a million bucks for it (if I had a million bucks that is).

Jane suggested the only way was to draw it and wish very hard, this way it might come to life.

So here she is. She has two buttons one for coffee cake and another for biscotti. I forgot to sketch the emergency chocolate button but lets just say this model comes with a built in sensor that knows exactly when you need it.

I am staring at it and wishing.

I'll let you know if anything funny appears around here in the mornings..

Back to work.

It's a Christmas Book Celebration!

Just in time for Christmas!

My lovely PBJ's are throwing me a party over on the Picture Book junkies blog! Make sure to stop by all week. They will be reviewing my book Labybird First Favourite Christmas Book by Penguin/Ladybird and I will talk a little of how it was to work on this beautiful book.

Make sure to comment to participate in the giveaway of a free, shiny, BIG copy! Anyone, anywhere in the world can participate.

Did you put your tree up yet? I have all the decorations up except for the tree. Tree takes almost a day to put up he he... I'll get to that next weekend.

Oh, and did you see it's snowing in my blog?

I just love Christmas. :o)

The Making of a Postcard- Part Three

© copyright Alicia Padrón

After giving some serious thought to my penguin dilemma, I decided to go with option 2. And that is to leave penguin expressionless and looking up at his new group of friends.

Even though I liked the first one where penguin was sad and unaware of what was about to happen to him, I thought that this one said more about him. All characters can be sad at one point or another but not all characters can react the way he is reacting. This option says a lot more about his personality than the first one.

I know I am not writing a book here and this is just a postcard but in my opinion, illustrations should speak more than what is at the surface. They should say something not only about the story and what is happening, but also about the characters themselves.

I began to play a bit more with the composition. I want my postcard to be horizontal so I started thinking where my name and title would go. I still have to play with the type and see which one I like best.

I will leave this for now and start doodling a few sketches for the back of the postcard. Hopefully I will post those soon.

It's important for me to have the idea of the whole postcard nailed down first before going any further.

If you like to read the rest of the posts regarding the making of a postcard, here they are:

The Making of a Postcard part Two

The Making of a Postcard part One

Ladybird's top picks on Christmas books

As you might know Ladybird has a blog!

On today's post they feature the top picks on Christmas books chosen by the Ladybird team.

I was thrilled to see my book featured at the end along with many other beautiful titles! :o)

Happy Thanksgiving!

I do love the feeling of eating at a table filled with family members and loved ones, stuffing your heart, tummy and soul.

We don't celebrate it here but in honor of thanksgiving, here is a little story I created that celebrates the friendship between two completely different little fellows.

Watch closely and see what they exchange at end...

Have a great Holiday and save some pie for me! :o)

The Making of a Postcard- Part Two

© copyright Alicia Padron

After taking a few days to think, I finally started doodling.

I really think in pictures most of the time. I can't help it. Even when I'm writing a story I am seeing the pictures as I go along. And it's usually a picture that pops in my mind out of nowhere and then I think about the story behind it. How is it with you?

Anyway, from the several ideas that came to me, this is the one I liked the most. Please don't ask me why I thought of a girl on top of an elephant's trunk offering ice cream to a lost penguin, because I have no idea.

There is definitely a story on this. I want the postcard to first raise a question, followed by the person understanding what's going on and hopefully ending everything with a smile. :o)

I first sketched random parts of the idea on a piece of paper. I really don't think much of it. I am not trying to loose time making the perfect setting. I just try to translate the basic idea of what I had in my mind on the paper.

After I sketch some of the most important elements, I scan it and then I play with it in Photoshop. I vary the sizes. I change positions. I look and think if it's working. The sketch is not really done yet I only want to be able to set down on paper the composition.

© copyright Alicia Padron

Right now I know there will be a little boy in the boat for sure and he is going to be holding his ice cream minding his own business and the polar bear is going to be paying more attention to him than anything else and will have his tongue sticking out and paw over the edge of the boat.

The bigger boy next to him will be holding his glasses with one hand and the other will stay as is, as if he is very intrigued by what's happening.

The main girl will be leaning towards the penguin and her expression will be more of wonder, happiness and excitement.

I haven't done any of this yet, that's fine. This will come later. I really don't like to overwork a sketch until I am sure of what I am doing. I love sketches and treat them like small treasures, so I avoid going over them too much.

There are more important things to think about right now and that is what position should the run-away penguin be in?

Should I make him sad, lonely and unaware of what's going on like on this sketch?

© copyright Alicia Padron

Or should a make him standing tall with confidence, looking up with wonder at what's coming to him?

© copyright Alicia Padron

I am not sure yet. I have to think what has a better impact on the story and on the postcard.

I like the first one because I get to show sadness and loneliness. Showing emotions like these is important in storytelling and ultimately on postcards too.

I also like the second one because there is sort of humor on his pose. Somehow he seems smaller visually on this one than the other one, and I like how he looks in comparison to the big elephant. I also like his reaction of.. well nothing. Its sort of funny, don't you think?

So should I go with sad or funny? I don't know yet.

Hopefully I'll know by the next post. :o)

To read the Making of a Postcard Part One click here.

The Making of a Postcard- Part One

Its time I make a new promotional postcard and I thought I would share with you the process in several posts as I go along. :o)

First thing I do is, and this is very important ..

Think.

No writing.

No picking up a pencil.

No doodling of any kind.

Just think.

Trick is, it can't be just a pretty picture. It can't be generic. It can't look editorial. It can't look as if the characters are posing for a picture and nothing else.

It has to be special. It has to be eye-catching. It has to tell a story. It has to be age appropriate and yes, you guessed it, appealing to kids. It has to raise a question. It has to keep you wanting more. It has to make the assistant editor screening the huge pile of postcards stop and say "Whoa!" and put your postcard up on the board instead of the recycling bin.

So.. this may take a while.

Illustration Friday: Silent

© copyright Alicia Padrón

from

ABC, Baby Me!

-Random House/Corey-

written by Susan B Katz

illustrated by me :o)

Some lovely mail came in

© copyright Alicia Padrón

Just received some brand new shiny copies of a book

I contributed to and worked on last year

365 Animal stories and Rhymes published by Parragon.

© copyright Alicia Padrón

It's a very cute, sturdy and super thick book with a squishy padded cover, love those.

It's filled with tons of animal stories, one for each day of the year.

It was a labor of love between me and a group of talented artists.

I illustrated over 60 stories.

Inside among many wonderful things you'll find..

© copyright Alicia Padrón

.. a smiling koala

© copyright Alicia Padrón

.. a leaping bunny, weee...!

© copyright Alicia Padrón

.. a very sleepy lion and his not so sleepy monkey friend

© copyright Alicia Padrón

.. a curious Chameleon

© copyright Alicia Padrón

.. a couple of dancing lemurs

© copyright Alicia Padrón

.. and of course,

a Disco-dancing pig. ;o)

John Lewis Christmas Advert

Just heard about this through my friend Jon Davis on twitter (@JonDavisIllust) and I thought I would share it with you. BTW make sure to check out his work. Super talented guy!

Hope you love this as much as I did! I can't guarantee you won't cry though.. don't say I didn't warn you. ;o)

Enjoy and have a lovely weekend you guys!

A little bit of this and that..

© copyright Alicia Padrón

Hey there! Sorry for the lack of posting. I have a book deadline next week so it's pretty crazy here right now. No matter how much you plan in advance it always gets crazy in the end, why is that?

After this when things are calmer and while I have time, I want to start working on fun things that need to get done, like a postcard for example. I was thinking of maybe doing several posts showing the process I go through while making the postcard. I know thanks to the poll results you all like those. :o)

I posted the image above because is one of my favorites. Every time I see it makes me want to illustrate a book in that style. And I love it because it's got a mouse in it. Something about mice..

I remember when I was a little girl I had this book, I can't remember the name, believe me I tried because I've been wanting to get it ever since. On the cover was a mouse on top of a bird flying high in the sky. Below them you could see some clouds and a teeny tiny town. I loved that book so much. I would stare at the cover for hours.

People ask me what were my favorite books as a kid and to be honest sometimes I feel embarrassed to answer that. Mostly is because I don't know the name of them or because they are not very well known books. Thing is here there isn't that great selection of children's books and at that time (it wasn't THAT long ago, don't go on thinking .. ;o) ) it was even worse. We used to get mostly fairy tales. This book was big format, at least it felt like that in my hands. It had a beautiful shiny hardcover and the loveliest illustrations. I think from all the books I had as a kid that is the one that stuck with me all this years and is imprinted in my mind. Sadly I can't recall the name of it.

Funny thing is, the few favorite books I had where hand me downs from a friend of my mom who was from the US. At that time I didn't speak english, I learned to speak english when I was 10, so all the books I had before then I "read" visually.

I believe this has helped me understand and acknowledge the great power of illustration.

Well I hope you are not sleeping by now.. sorry for the long post.

That's it for now. :o)

Happy Halloween!

© copyright Alicia Padrón

Hmm... looks like "little lion" is scared of big Lion.

An oldie but still love it. :o)

Happy Halloween to all you kids out there.

Big or small!

Best New Illustrators Award

© copyright Alicia Padrón

I find that I like to post videos on Fridays for some reason. I guess it's because Fridays are so happy, relaxed and lead to the very important weekend. :o)

Here is a fantastic video. Sorry, I couldn't find a way to post it on my blog.

The voice you hear is the talented Anthony Browne looking through some of the winners of this year's Booktrust best new illustrators award and talking about what makes a great picturebook. Pay close attention to what he says. Those are some wise words.

Enjoy!

A good day

© copyright Alicia Padrón

My post on the PBJ's today is all about good news. Good news are awesome, don't you think? :o)

Illustration Friday: Fuel

Sometimes an empty cardboard box
is fuel enough for your imagination.


A quick sketch colored in Photoshop for this week :o)

More Oliver Jeffers love

I just love him, his books and his art.

Another fun video of Oliver.

Enjoy :o)

TED: Tim Brown on Creativity and Play

Awesome talk. Really worth watching.

It's 30 minutes long, so I suggest you come back this weekend, grab your coffee or tea, put your feet up, click play and enjoy. :o)

Poll Results

Thank you all for responding to my little poll here. :o)

Ok, so after reading the poll results I basically see you all want more process posts... LOL

Here are the results:

69% of people like to see process posts

27% would like to see posts with illustrations

and 4% would like to see fun every day posts

I'm also taking into consideration the lovely comments from my friends such as talking about how I got started, how I manage a schedule, inspiration, my time at art school, and I'll make sure to keep adding interviews and videos.

I'll do my best to keep these things in mind when posting. Process posts do require time but I will have them from time to time. I usually can't post anything related to books while I'm working on them, so I have to find the time to work on other illustrations and use those as process posts.

Thank you all for always visiting and for letting me know your thoughts, means a lot!

What would you like to read about? Take a poll

Hello there,

I have a confession to make. There are times when I want to blog and don't know about what. Sometimes I feel like I'm running out of ideas. I know I'm busy with work and life but I love this blog and I love that you guys always visit. Honesty, I don't want to neglect it.

So I thought, what a better way to know what to blog about than to ask you guys, the readers. :o)

This is your chance to speak your mind. Please let me know what it is you enjoy reading about and I'll do my best to post about those things.

Thank youuu!

** edited: You can also answer a poll I added on the sidebar to make things easier if you prefer**

My Interview

©copyright Alicia Padrón 2011

Karin Cameron from Karin won't Stop Talking was kind enough to interview me, how about that? :o)

If you like to read the interview click here.

Make sure to visit Karin's blog and look around. She's a great writer and has tons of lovely posts.

Hello there!

© copyright Alicia Padrón 2011

I'm working on a beautiful story. I'm at the painting phase right now and loving it. I decided to work on this book in a style a bit more freely than usual. I thought the story called for it. Sort of like let the sketch lines show through that type of thing. Let's see how it turns out.

When I paint I love to listen to music. Blind Pilot is what's keeping me company these mornings.

I can't say much about the project yet but I can say this book will be in Spanish. :o)

I'm also very excited about some other news... I will post about that when everything is settled.

Well, like pig, I'm grabbing my brush instead of a shovel and I'm getting back to work.

Wish you all are well.

Working hard towards your dreams I hope? :o)

You will be missed.. :o(

Steve was a great man with a vision. I am typing this post on my MacBook while twitter on my iphone has gone haywire... isn't that something?

He changed things for the better. He transformed the way we communicate today.

I leave you with his commencement speech. I watched it a few years back and thought it was heartwarming, beautiful and inspiring.

It's a very sad day today.. He will definitely be remembered and missed.

It's a Party at the PBJ's blog!

Go visit the PBJ's all this week to celebrate my friend Deb's new book Labracadabra! Remember to leave a comment on any post on the PBJ's blog during this week to enter in the giveaway of a signed copy. :o)

New blog- FAQ regarding Children's Book illustration

Hi there. :o)

Since I get many emails with questions regarding how to get started in this business as well as other question related to children's books, I decided to have a place to direct people where they can find answers to some of those questions. I'll add answers to more questions with time.

Btw, thanks to the lovely Juana for giving me the idea to do this.

If you want to visit the blog, click here.

Eric Carle's New Book

The Artist Who Painted a Blue Horse is the title of Eric's latest book. Just look at him here, working and speaking about the book. He is so adorable!!!!

:o)

A peek inside the book

Want to take a little peek at some of the inside art from 365 Animal Stories and Rhymes? Click here to visit my post on the PBJ's today. :o)

My copies arrived!

Yesterday I received this brown box from the FedEx guy. I was so happy to see him, I ran down to greet him in my jammies.. hee..!

There were copies from Ladybird First Favourite Christmas book! Yay!

I have to say they are lovely! It's hard to tell by the pictures but this is such a BIG book. The quality is amazing, really. Beautiful padded cover and so sturdy. Perfect for those little hands handling the tabs. I knew the format was big because I painted the spreads of course.. lol, but to see the finished product really is striking. The colors turned out gorgeous too.

I am very pleased with this book. I can't wait to show it to all the kids in the family and my friends' kids.

Unfortunately I can't show much but here is a tiny little peek at the inside corner of one of the spreads. ;o)

Being in Venezuela is hard to offer signed copies. Mail system here is not reliable at all. But I can offer a hand written card with a note signed by me. So if you want to give out this book as a Christmas gift, just drop me an email (you can find it on my website-sidebar) and I'll be more than happy to email it to you. You just print the card, insert it in the book and voila! A little something to make your gift even more special. :o)

New book release!

Last year I had fun working on another title, this beautiful and very thick animal book published by Parragon.

The book features many animal stories and rhymes, in fact 365 to be exact. It's filled with tons of cute art too. This book was a little different from what I've done in the past. It was a collaboration between me and several artists. Such a big book with so many stories and illustrations required a lot of work. It was fun working on so many short stories I have to say. A break from my usual work.

The cover was illustrated by another artist, isn't it adorable? I wish I knew the name though so I could credit him or her. I will add it to this post as soon as I know it.

If you'd like to get a copy here is a link to Amazon UK. I believe other Amazon sites have it as well as other bookstores.

I'll be posting a little peek at some my art from the book soon! :o)

Illustration Friday: Mesmerizing

Little Phillipe watches the sky every night.. mesmerized he wonders what it would be like to be out there in space.

When you wish something very hard it can come true.

You can see for yourself in this short story I made. :o)

Tune In to Illustration Station!

My lovely friend Kim recently launched a resourceful new blog. Illustration Station is the perfect stop for illustrators to learn what's happening out there, like events, contests, giveaways, news and more.

Tune in and help spread the word! :o)

New book is out!

It's always exciting to see a new book released! I worked on this beautiful title last year during the summer and it was released yesterday in the UK. It will be available in other countries as well, not sure about the date yet. I'll post it when I know more.

Ladybird First Favourite Christmas Book published by Penguin/Ladybird is a sturdy, padded cover board book with fun christmas content for the little ones. You'll find christmas songs, carols and the story of christmas at the very end.

It features full page color illustrations. I had to work very big for this book and I wanted the kids to enjoy all the beauty and magic of christmas so I really pumped up my color. I wanted those pages to pop.

The board book is aimed for little ones, up to 5 years old I would say. I had them on my mind every second while working on it. It's a very sweet and magical book with a few fun and funny details as well.

If you are in the UK and would like to get a copy now, be sure to let me know. I can email you a personalized card with a handwritten message for you or if it's a gift for the person receiving the book. You can print it and insert it in the book. :o)

ipad doodle

Here's a quick sketch I doodled this morning while having my morning coffee. :o)

From the sketchbook

© copyright Alicia Padrón 2011

While my kids played with the arcade machines today, I decided to sit and sketch a little.

Sorry about the blurry picture, I took it with my iphone. These sketches are very tiny. I like to sketch small at times. It instantly makes me happy. Why is that? :o)

A blog companion

adopt your own virtual pet!

I was thinking of getting a pet for my blog.

Specially now that I am on vacation, things might look a bit lonely here.

What do you think of Beatrix? She likes to be petted and eats carrots.

You can find them under "more" :o)