ABC: Keep An Eye Out

Finally got round to posting up my artwork (which was created solely using Adobe Photoshop ;P)
View full size.
Please comment/criticise.
(A/N: I'm sorry for the lack of updates. Real life gets in the way sometimes, y'know? C'est la vie.
(Anyways, my sincere apologies.)
Gurney's ABC post is finally up and displaying everybody's individual interpretation of the excerpt and...
...IT'S SO COOL!! *loves it* 

Man, there are some fantastic artists out there. Hell yeah XD I especially loved the pic from Mei-Yi Chun. It took the exerpt's meaning to a whole 'nother level: the level of cool.
Well... *ahem* that's my own little opinion >_>... Anyone is free to dispute otherwise on this point.
(A/N: Who dares to disagree with me?? *DIE DIE DIE*
(A/N #2: Kidding ;)
Anyways...I discovered her website :) Right here.
 Nice stuff there. *can't wait to explore! ^_^*

Yep. ABC rocks pure awesomeness *nods assent* Wouldn't mind joining the next round :) Here's the quote for next month:

Quintessence of weirdness.
But I'll take a whack at it ^_^
(A/N: Except for one major problem: these days  my schedule is replete with busyness. So, no promises for doing this one. Well, okay... I might be able to fit in time to do this... if I cut out the non-essential stuff in my daily regime. Y'know, stuff like: eating, breathing, and sleeping. Yeah, that would work ;)

The Invention of Hugo Cabret

Written by Brian Selznick, this magnificent book contains exactly one hundred and fifty-eight different pictures and twenty-six thousand one hundred and fifty-nine words.

It won the 2008 Caldecott Medal, the first considered novel to do so.

I use the word "considered" as it is (described in the author's own words): "not exactly a novel, not quite a picture book, not really a graphic novel, or a flip book or a movie, but a combination of all these things."

A novel idea.

In this book, pictures and text perform in turn to enact the story, which takes place in Paris, 1931. Selznick's illustrations are a feast to the eye: elegant pencil strokes combine with meticulous cross-hatching to render the setting in mysterious and hauntingly beautiful sketches. They are gorgeous.

But of the story... oh, what shall I say? I do not want to spoil the book for anyone. Well, let me say this: the plot's subject matter has as much to do with the illustrations as the illustrations have to do with the story. Despite the seeming arbitrariness of the images produced amidst the text, the whole piece reads seamlessly. And in the end, everything in the story ties together firmly into a coherent and perfect whole.

As a children's book, as a work of art: it has no precedent.

Art By Comittee (Season 2)

Hooray! hooray! James Gurney (of Gurney Journey) has brought back his group-sketch game of Art By Comittee! Yeah, you heard me: ABC is back! XD

(Note for Newbies: ABC was a weekly game where participants each illustrated an actual excerpt from a science fiction manuscript.)
This time round, Gurney has made a major modification: ABC is now held monthly instead of weekly. Heh... this sure will give more time for folks to come up with something really inspiring!

I'm pretty excited about this ^_^" The last (and only ;P) time I entered was in May 2008. No real excuse for the lack of participation... just my own troublesome procrastination coupled with an overpacked agenda.
Anyways, this was the excerpt that I illustrated:

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Pretty graphic account. Cliche, I know - but it still held my interest. The name "Chukumbu" was culturally vague... it could've passed as anyone's name - the possibilities ranged from an alien invader to an American Indian (okaayy...I'm stretching it here ;P)
I liked it ^_^" So I took the plunge and submitted a sketch:

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Prophet S thinks it's funny. Well, I think it's funny too. (A macabre sense of humor is wont to afflict me at times ;P)... But to tell you the truth, I'm not too happy with it. It was somewhat of an eleventh-hour job [done with the help of Adobe Photoshop], so my options were limited. The artwork style was due to my recent anime craze that had left me permanently afflicted with perpetual anime emoticon usage (^_^" Yeah, that's a good example :)  

Gurney probably thought I was an obsessed 4channer (I'm not ;) But cool guy that he is, he posts up all submissions on his blog :D The Chukumbu round garnered quite a number of strikingly artistic endeavors. (Made me wish I'd spent more time on my Chukumbu -_-") Dave Harshberger's was my fave: Click here to see his take on Chukumbu :)

Anyways, the first excerpt in ABC Season 2 is shown right here:

Heh. I fully intend to participate in the Keep an Eye Out round. The excerpt may be cliche (as usual ;P), but I've got some quirky ideas residing in my noggin - wouldn't like to waste 'em, y'know *grin* I've got till the 12th of Feb to send 'em to Gurney Journey.

Now: To work! 

David Wiesner

An American author and illustrator of numerous children's books, Wiesner has received three Caldecott Medals and two Caldecott Honors for his works. I've been lucky enough to experience the pleasure of enjoying his three Caldecott winners. Despite the fact that the books are meant for the pure entertainment of children, I doubt that few adults can resist them as well. The artwork is gorgeous - lovingly rendered in finely-worked detail. They furnish esprit to an already intrinsically fascinating story. Fantastic and full of verve, these books will entrall both children and art-lovers alike.

Tuesday (1991) 

The Three Pigs (2001)

Flotsam (2006)