May 2, 2017 11:00 am
Today is the day that my second written and illustrated picture book DRAGONS RULE, PRINCESSES DROOL! will be released into the world!
It’s the story of a dragon whose land had been invaded by two adorably horrible princesses who change everything. As you have read on other posts on Tara’s awesome blog and during Storystorm, you know that characters are very important in picture books. A strong character can inspire strong emotions and getting his/her/their look is extremely important to the book.
DRAGONS RULE, PRINCESSES DROOL is comprised of three main characters; a grumpy dragon and the two princesses who have invaded his land.
Below, I’m going to share a quick, edited run through the many, many, many different versions of the Dragon and the Princesses. Just like revisions in the text, there are revisions in the art.
The story originally started out with the dragons invading the princess’ land, but in a Eureka moment (brought on by delirium from the stomach flu) I flipped it.
After I settled on this new plot, I wanted to create the cutest dragon I could. These were my first attempts; I was going for a combination of a dinosaur and a chicken.
Here it is with various emotions.
Reasonably happy with this version, I did a few color character studies to try and learn exactly who the dragon was. (You’ll see that I call him Fred.)
I wasn’t totally happy with this version, so after several sketches, I decided to try to combine two of the coolest things ever—Elvis and an alligator.
I had it! The perfect image of a snotty little dragon. Here he is on a sketch of the first page of the book. I loved him.
A color sketch:
I completed the first draft of the dummy, sent it to my art director and waited. A few weeks later, I got an email from her. It was wise. It was great advice. It was tragic. (Not really, but it might have felt so at the time)
She noted (with great wisdom) that the dragon looked a bit too snotty. Perhaps we needed to make him cuter.
So, I created 4 new sketches, cleaned them up and sent them to her.
As you can see, I really wanted to keep the Elvis hair.
Can you guess which one she picked? Yup. The only one without the pompadour. (cue tiny violin music).
I did a version in full color. And once again, I was in love.
After a few more tweaks, he started to look like this.
And then, at the very last stage of illustrating the book, he got a snout job.
The princesses did not take quite as many attempts. This is how they looked in one of the first color pieces I created for the first dummy.
They were not quite right, so I did a few more sketches.
and a few more…
and this tiny one.
She was a winner! But none of the other princesses seemed right, so back to the drawing table I went.
I knew how I wanted her face to look. We (me and the wise AD) just weren’t sold on her hair.
And then I sent this.
Finally, we had our main characters. While all of this was happening there were also settings, other dragons, creatures and princesses ball gowns considerations as well as a general color pallet.
But that is for another post.
For some more dragon-y fun, you can take a personality quiz based on DRAGONS RULE, PRINCESSES DROOL! Are you a dragon, a princess, both or something else entirely?
You can also follow me on Twitter at @pippinmathur.
Courtney Pippin-Mathur moved from Texas to a suburb outside of Washington, DC. She shares her home with a knight, a princess, and two unruly dragons, which leads to many exciting and loud adventures.
Thanks, Courtney, for showing us how art edits evolve. (And as an author-only, I will never complain about edits again! Well…we’ll see…)
Courtney is giving away a copy of DRAGONS RULE, PRINCESSES DROOL!, which releases today! Leave a comment below to enter. A winner will be randomly selected in about two weeks.
Good luck!
Posted by Tara Lazar
Categories: Author-Illustrator, Picture Books
Tags: Courtney Pippin-Mathur, dragons, DRAGONS RULE PRINCESSES DROOL
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Thanks, Tara!
I’ve always found great appeal in stories about dragons and medieval times!
My son has written a book for middle grades about a dragon and time travel, so I must have passed this live of mine on. He hasn’t found a publisher yet.
Happy May!
Sharon Haan
On May 2, 2017 9:01 AM, “Writing for Kids (While Raising Them)” wrote:
> Tara Lazar posted: “by Courtney Pippin-Mathur Today is the day that my > second written and illustrated picture book DRAGONS RULE, PRINCESSES > DROOL! will be released into the world! It’s the story of a dragon whose > land had been invaded by two adorably horrible princ” >
By Sharon Haan on May 2, 2017 at 11:06 am
Reblogged this on Michelle Eastman Books.
By Michelle R. Eastman on May 2, 2017 at 11:13 am
As a fellow writer/illustrator, I feel like I have a great handle on the process of revising writing, but not a lot of understanding of the artwork revision process. Thank you for sharing! I loved seeing your journey (both through your drawings and emotionally) through DRAGONS RULE, PRINCESSES DROOL!
By Erin Nowak on May 2, 2017 at 11:13 am
Happy, happy book birthday, Courtney! You were so wise to flip to the princesses invading the dragon’s land! So fun! Thank you for sharing your book’s journey with us.
By Gabi Snyder on May 2, 2017 at 11:14 am
My what an adorable book! Happy Book Birthday, Courtney!
By Lynne Marie on May 2, 2017 at 11:19 am
Congratulations and Happy Book Birthday! What a clever title! I can’t wait to read it!!
By Tracy Hora on May 2, 2017 at 11:24 am
I can’t wait to read your book. It’s looks adorable! Thanks for sharing your process.
By Nicole on May 2, 2017 at 11:27 am
Congratulations on your new book! It looks so fun. Thanks for sharing your experiences with art revisions. As a writer only, I didn’t realize that illustrators also do many revisions. Can’t wait to see why Dragons Rule, Princesses Drool!
By Judy Sobanski on May 2, 2017 at 11:27 am
I’m definitely a dragon. Thanks for the great peek into your process!!
By kathrynjeanhagen on May 2, 2017 at 11:29 am
Interesting how, even in the art, sometimes the creator has to kill their darlings. Goodbye, Elvis. 🙂 Congratulations, Courtney!
By Wendy on May 2, 2017 at 11:43 am
Thank you for the walk through of how your story came to be.
By Gregory E Bray on May 2, 2017 at 11:44 am
Thanks for sharing your journey. Looks like a great book.
By Dayne Sislen, Children's Book Illustrator on May 2, 2017 at 11:46 am
I keep a quote on my bulliten board that says “… it just isn’t a story worth telling if there aren’t any dragons.” (Simple Abundance). What a brilliant idea to spin the story like you did. I can’t wait to get my hands on it and share it with my own Princess and Dragons.
By magnoliasandmanuscripts on May 2, 2017 at 11:51 am
Congratulations, Courtney! This was such a great post..very interesting to see the process, and sorry about the Elvis hair! Can’t wait to grab a copy!
By shirleyngbenitez on May 2, 2017 at 11:58 am
Oh my goodness. The adorability factor of these illustrations is off the charts! Thank you for sharing your process! Can’t wait to read the book.
By Maria Oka on May 2, 2017 at 12:00 pm
I love how you flipped the plot. Very good thinking.
By Michele Helsel on May 2, 2017 at 12:08 pm
Thank you for sharing! I go through similar processes as an author and often abandon projects! You’ve helped me to see the flip side as well as provided valuable insight into how an illustrator’s mind and process evolves!
By lorisherritt on May 2, 2017 at 12:10 pm
WOW! I had no idea of all the sketch work involved. And imagine all 32 pages. Yes, I’d love to have a copy of this book so I can study it and share it with some princes and princesses I know.
By joyacey on May 2, 2017 at 12:11 pm
Happy book birthday! Love the character evolution. I looks like you landed on perfection! All the best!
By Hannah Holt on May 2, 2017 at 12:14 pm
Love the idea and your characters are charming! Such an intense editing process. Thanks for sharing.
By Laura Hancock on May 2, 2017 at 12:18 pm
Courtney, thank you for sharing the process of revising illustrations. Love your characters and look forward to reading your book. Congratulations!
By chardixon47 on May 2, 2017 at 12:20 pm
Happy book birthday Courtney!! Can’t wait to read this one!! And so fun to see the characters evolve!
By Emily Wayne (@emilywayneart) on May 2, 2017 at 12:23 pm
Congratulations on your new book! It’s looks adorable! Love all the bright colors and characters. 🙂
Rosie
By Rosie Russell on May 2, 2017 at 12:29 pm
I loved seeing your process and art revisions. Thanks for a great post, Tara and Courtney!
By katrinamoorebooks on May 2, 2017 at 12:29 pm
Yeah for Dragons! & humans 🙂
By artist and illustrator on May 2, 2017 at 12:40 pm
This was fascinating and drooling, I mean grueling. Thanks for the peek.
By Joanne Roberts on May 2, 2017 at 12:41 pm
Loved seeing and hearing about the evolution of the Dragon and his court of princesses! Congratulations on your book birthday, Courtney!
By csheer18 on May 2, 2017 at 12:45 pm
Congratulations!!! Being only an author I’m always interested and impressed by the illustration process. Thanks for sharing!
By Michelle O'Hara Levin on May 2, 2017 at 12:55 pm
I love seeing that even illustrations must revise and make changes and work on the book for a long time, too. It reminds me to just stick with writing and let someone else create the actual scenery and characters.
By Sheri Radovich on May 2, 2017 at 1:00 pm
This sounds like such a fun book! Thanks for sharing.
By Brenda Huante on May 2, 2017 at 1:00 pm
This sounds so cute, and as a writer, this was a fun peek into the illustrator process. Thank you for sharing!
By Angela K (@rahrahread) on May 2, 2017 at 1:11 pm
I love seeing your process here, Courtney!! So happy for you! Hearty congrats on a fantastic book!! 🙂 ❤
By mariagianferrari on May 2, 2017 at 1:26 pm
LOVE! I am always stalling on my illustustratiins and dummies. I keep changing things beforw anyone else is allowed to see them. I find flaws and I start all over. It looks so simple here! Just draw a bunch and one will hopefully hit the mark. 🙂 Thanks
By Marie Manley Tucker on May 2, 2017 at 1:31 pm
Oh for me it’s all about the teeth – how they mirror from dragon to princess – and thus of course the resulting drool!!!
Can’t wait to read this book!
Congrats Courtney!
By Cathy Ballou Mealey on May 2, 2017 at 1:32 pm
Congratulations, Courtney. Bummer about the Elvis hair, but good for you even including an alternative in the choices. I would’ve liked the guy either way…. Just sayin’.
By Genevieve Petrillo on May 2, 2017 at 4:21 pm
So cute! Wish I can draw. 🙂
By Sylvia Mary Grech on May 2, 2017 at 1:36 pm
Very cool to see revision from an illustrator’s perspective!
By wyszguy on May 2, 2017 at 1:39 pm
i love how you put a twist on the stereotypical dragons and princesses. Brilliant! This was a fun post as I’ve never seen illustrator revisions before.
By danielle hammelef on May 2, 2017 at 1:48 pm
Gotta love the editing process. Thanks for sharing!
By Katie Giorgio on May 2, 2017 at 1:55 pm
Congratulations! As a writer, it was really interesting and fun to see things from the illustration side. Fun to watch your characters evolve! Thanks for the post.
By curryelizabeth on May 2, 2017 at 2:26 pm
I never realized that an illustrator also goes through revisions of the art work for a book, probably since I’m a writer. It must have been fun sketching all the various princesses to determine the final one. Thank you for sharing your journey on this post.
By Rebecca Guzinski on May 2, 2017 at 2:29 pm
Love this Courtney! Both, seeing the evolution of your adorable characters, and the fact that mine are not the only ones who go through seemingly endless changes! (all for the better, of course!) Congratulations on the release! Heading over to Amazon to add it to my wishlist! And thank you, Tara, for another must-read blog entry!
By creationsbymit on May 2, 2017 at 2:45 pm
I am very excited to read this book. You had me with the title!
By Kathy Mazurowski on May 2, 2017 at 2:55 pm
Love to see the process of these cute characters! ❤️
By Erika Hitchcock on May 2, 2017 at 2:58 pm
I absolutely love illustration process posts. This one is no exception. Nice work!
By tsturgell on May 2, 2017 at 3:01 pm
Congratulations Courtney! Can’t wait to see this one!
By Lauri Fortino on May 2, 2017 at 3:10 pm
Thank you, Courtney, for sharing your story. And congratulations on publishing your second book! I’ve never really seen the illustrator’s process conveyed like this, so it makes me feel a camaraderie with illustrators that I’ve never recognized before. Loved reading and seeing your story. Thanks so much!
By literacychampionblog on May 2, 2017 at 3:25 pm
Great post, Courtney! So fun to see how you arrived at the characters. Happy book birthday!
By laurameressa on May 2, 2017 at 3:41 pm
That was fun seeing how you create pictures for a book. I also see that you have do overs too. I love the pictures. They’re so cute!
By betlw on May 2, 2017 at 3:52 pm
That was a really interesting breakdown of how the art came into being. Thank you so much for sharing! As an author-only, I found it fascinating to get a glimpse into the revision side of the process from the POV of the illustrator (and art director). And while painful, I guess it’s good to know it’s not just authors who have to get rid of things they love. Can’t wait to read your book!
By Claire Bobrow on May 2, 2017 at 4:01 pm
Among the first run of princess sketches there’s a beehive hairdo with a little crown on top: funny and adorable.
By Lucky Jo Boscarino on May 2, 2017 at 4:02 pm
Thank you! One of my favorites, I hope to use her for a different project one day. 🙂
By Courtney Pippin-Mathur on May 3, 2017 at 6:56 am
This was great. I loved seeing how the characters evolved from start to finish. Thanks for sharing!
By pathaap on May 2, 2017 at 4:08 pm
Great post! “Dragons Rule, Princesses Drool” sounds hilarious!
By storyfairy on May 2, 2017 at 4:09 pm
Thanks, Courtney! I always love seeing the evolution of great illustrations!
By Tracy Molitors on May 2, 2017 at 4:34 pm
I already love the book! Fun to see the characters evolving in the illustrations.
By Carleen M. Tjader on May 2, 2017 at 4:49 pm
Congratulations! Thank you for showing us how you perfected your characters and reversed the main problem.
By tinamcho on May 2, 2017 at 4:56 pm
It’s fascinating to see how your story progressed. Thanks for sharing and best of luck, Courtney.
By C.L. Murphy on May 2, 2017 at 4:57 pm
Thanks for sharing your creative process! Your book looks adorable. I’m so glad that you flipped your idea.
By Myrna Foster on May 2, 2017 at 5:21 pm
Thanks for sharing all the different illustrations and ideas about your characters. I’m looking forward to reading Dragons Rule Princesses Drool. I loved the Elvis hair too. Take Care and Congratulations on your book.
By Bev K. Taylor on May 2, 2017 at 5:31 pm
Very clever idea! Congrats on the release. I can’t wait to read it.
By Becky Hohensee on May 2, 2017 at 5:52 pm
Thank you so much, Courtney, for letting us in on your process. it’s always helpful to see how others work. And Congratulation on the book. I can’t wait to get a hold of it.
By David McMullin on May 2, 2017 at 6:22 pm
Thanks for giving us a peak into the illustrating process for a children’s book. Who knew there were so many options for drawing a dinosaur!
By Cathy Biggerstaff on May 2, 2017 at 6:30 pm
Courtney, thanks for sharing your illustration process. I enjoyed seeing how the different versions evolved.
By Joan Raymond on May 2, 2017 at 6:57 pm
I thought the snotty dragon looked PLENTY cute—except for the pompadour. I wish you could have kept him, with different hair (to placate the AD). Perhaps he’ll appear in another book?
By Andrea Reed on May 2, 2017 at 6:58 pm
Thanks for the terrific demonstration of art edits. That’s one cute dragon!
By Mary Warth on May 2, 2017 at 7:24 pm
Courtney, thank you for sharing your illustrating process! I’m going to share your post with my 2nd grade students tomorrow. We’re learning about the importance of process when writing and illustrating. It takes a lot of hard work and perseverance to get to the end product, as you well know! 🙂
By Stacie Martin on May 2, 2017 at 7:38 pm
Please share away! I always have a revision portion in my school visits. The kids love seeing all the different attempts.
By Courtney Pippin-Mathur on May 3, 2017 at 7:01 am
So cute and clever. Thanks for sharing your process.
By Brenda Maier on May 2, 2017 at 7:45 pm
I loved seeing all the versions you went through in capturing these delightful characters.
By Gloria Amescua on May 2, 2017 at 8:29 pm
I always wonder….what do you do with the illustrations that don’t make the cut? Please don’t tell me that they get thrown out!!!! I would love a chance to win this book! Thank you for the opportunity!
By michelle gajda on May 2, 2017 at 8:35 pm
I appreciate you sharing this part of your creative journey towards publishing your second book! My brain is full of non-fiction nature and picture story ideas that I want to begin writing, taking more photographs, and illustrating. I hope you can share more of your experiences as an author & illustrator!
By paint2create on May 2, 2017 at 8:54 pm
If I’m sending them to my AD, they’re scanned in and kept in a computer file. If I think they have merit- I keep them in a pile on my desk while I’m working on the book then transfer them to my storage cabinet. Which is getting dangerously fill. 😉
By Courtney Pippin-Mathur on May 3, 2017 at 7:00 am
Congrats! Love seeing the progression. Thanks for sharing.
By bgonsar on May 2, 2017 at 8:55 pm
Thanks for sharing! I enjoyed seeing the changing characters.
By Cindy Breedlove on May 2, 2017 at 8:58 pm
I love peeking into your process. Thanks for sharing with us. Congratulations!!! This book looks adorable!
By Angie on May 2, 2017 at 9:52 pm
Looks like a fun book! I look forward to reading it!
By Sandy on May 2, 2017 at 9:57 pm
Thanks for showing all the sketches and revisions. You just proved that characters don’t just happen. You really worked to make this one memorable and adorable. Best of luck with the book.
By Phyllis on May 2, 2017 at 10:37 pm
I loved seeing your process of character development – thanks for sharing!
By Sheryl on May 2, 2017 at 11:00 pm
Congratulations Courtney! Thank you for sharing the many phases of the illustration process! I have to admit I was lovin’ the Elvis version lol I wish you the best and continued success!!
By Kelly Vavala on May 3, 2017 at 6:29 am
I love watching art evolve! This book looks so adorable … But as a princess advocate, I have to insist that drooling is not necessarily a bad thing. 😉
By Veronica Bartles (@vbartles) on May 3, 2017 at 7:40 am
Courtney, thank you for sharing the creative process and timeline of your new picture book. It looks like a lot of fun. It looks like a book worthy of drooling over. (LOL)
By Sharon on May 3, 2017 at 10:15 am
This book sounds hilarious. I mean, drooling princesses! What kid won’t laugh about that. And the dragon is super cute.
Congrats on your new book.
By Linda Hofke on May 3, 2017 at 10:31 am
So much fun seeing your thought process as you created and re-created your characters. I love your final dragon!!! Thanks for sharing your art with us!
By Marcia Berneger on May 3, 2017 at 11:56 am
Congratulations. I like the Elvis hair. Maybe in another book?
By Rachelle on May 3, 2017 at 12:28 pm
Its wonderful seeing the art process. The illustrations are adorable. I can’t wait to tread Dragons Rule. Congrats on it’s release!
By julielacombeauthor on May 3, 2017 at 12:43 pm
I just love the title!
By kari on May 3, 2017 at 1:42 pm
This was a great post! I’m always envious of people who can write and illustrate. Such a talent. 🙂 Your book looks precious.
By melissamiles1 on May 3, 2017 at 5:00 pm
I loved having a behind the scenes look at your process. DRAGONS RULE, PRINCESSES DROOL! seems like a lot of fun. Happy Book Birthday!
By Joana Pastro on May 3, 2017 at 5:13 pm
It’s so fun to see the progression of the characters! Thank you for this post!
By megcason1 on May 3, 2017 at 7:29 pm
I love seeing how characters evolve. Thanks for sharing,Courtney. Will be watching for this one.
By LeeAnn Rizzuti on May 3, 2017 at 8:14 pm
wow! loved the behind the scenes look! 🙂
By seschipper on May 3, 2017 at 10:16 pm
I loved seeing the evolution of your art! This book looks adorable!
By LaurenKerstein on May 3, 2017 at 11:47 pm
Okay… Those process pictures were just…so…fun. There’s a whole lot of joy coming through Courtney’s artwork. Thanks for sharing!
By Heather Kinser on May 4, 2017 at 1:04 am
I love seeing your character design process. Thanks for sharing.
By Megan Higginson on May 4, 2017 at 3:34 am
Thanks for taking us on a dragon and princess journey! I applaud your many artistic talents and getting your characters just right for what is sure to be a fun story. Can’t wait to read this new book!
By Anne Iverson on May 4, 2017 at 8:29 am
Thanks for sharing your sketches. I guess I knew that the art went through revisions, but I didn’t appreciate the how the little tweaks would affect the rest of it. Now, I know. 🙂
By Mary Worley on May 4, 2017 at 8:51 am
Courtney, this is awesome and should be required for any author. Thanks for sharing your process.
By Jane Hawkins on May 4, 2017 at 10:15 am
Congratulations, beautiful illustrations.
By Mark Bentz on May 4, 2017 at 1:30 pm
Sounds fun….books make great gifts for kids!
By Kristen on May 4, 2017 at 8:38 pm
omgosh, that was so FUN to read and see all the stages and transitions, can’t wait to see the book. Thank you!!!
By lillyarts on May 5, 2017 at 1:00 am
Fascinating! Thanks for taking us through your process!
By Brianna Zamborsky on May 5, 2017 at 9:21 am
Loved seeing the revision process for art. Congrats!
By laura516 on May 5, 2017 at 10:15 am
I can’t wait to read this book (another dragon lover here!), thank you Courtney for giving us a peek at your process! Fantastic characters! 🙂
By Dana Atnip on May 5, 2017 at 12:41 pm
This was SO interesting. Like Tara, I have total respect for the difficulty of illustrating a picture book, where the pictures have the chance to carry the story to a higher plane.
By Sherry Howard on May 5, 2017 at 1:41 pm
I love seeing how books progress from their initial forms into final published works! it reminds me how much revision is a part of this business, and how it always makes things stronger. Thanks for sharing, Courtney!
By Sandy Perlic on May 6, 2017 at 12:56 pm
I loved seeing you illustration process! And the book sounds amazing. Can’t wait to read it!
By Lindsay Robinson on May 6, 2017 at 4:30 pm
Love to see how the illustrations, and your interpretations of the characters, evolved. Congrats on the book birthday!
By ptnozell on May 7, 2017 at 10:07 am
I love seeing the series of drawings and changes that took place before arriving at your final product!! Congrats on your new release!!
By Linda Chavez on May 8, 2017 at 10:18 am
Thank you for the inside look on how your characters “came to be.” Can’t wait to read your book!
By Susan Schade on May 10, 2017 at 7:25 pm
COURTNEY: I LOVE how you formatted this post! Getting inside the illustrator’s mind was TRULY eye-opening! THANK YOU! And I especially LOVE the quiz on your website! I had to take it IMMEDIATELY, OF COURSE! Looks like I’m a mix of both worlds! FUN! THANK YOU for the inspiration!
By Natalie Lynn Tanner on May 10, 2017 at 8:54 pm
Looks great! Can’t wait to read it!
By Andrew lefebvre on May 13, 2017 at 12:18 am
Thank you for the wonderful post. So interesting to see the progression of illustrations!
By littleredstoryshed on May 13, 2017 at 1:14 am
Congrats! Can’t wait to read your book. 🙂
By rgstones on May 14, 2017 at 2:28 am
What a fun idea for a book and what an awesome post showing the illustration process. Congratulations on your book and thanks for sharing!!!
By Sharon Mayhew on May 25, 2017 at 7:55 am