Creating a paper bag book! The video

Here are 3 great videos showing you how to create a paper bag book. Sounds a bit odd but the results are wonderful.

Take a look and I hope you get inspired!

http://www.ilovescrapbooking.org/?p=2290


http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=352192129036680749&postID=7842475864171419141

http://www.ilovescrapbooking.org/?p=2247

Hugs,
Nina

Illustration warm up for everyone!

The two paintings below were created using an exercise that works as a great creative warm up or as just a bit of fun and relaxation. Today I am going to share this exercise with you (this exercise was one 'Tam Veilleux explained during our Inviting Creativity interview.)

The first painting above was created by me and the second was created by my 5 year old daughter. So you can see this exercise works whatever your age!

(I created the top painting one evening when the children were asleep. When my little girl woke up in the morning she quickly found it and wanted me to show her how to create a painting like that too. And so I did.)

The reason I suggest you use this a 'warm up' exercise as is because it is a gentle and fun way to play with colors and shapes without feeling any kind of 'presentation' pressure.

Before you get started you need a few simple tools: paper (preferably paper that doesn't wrinkle when you use watercolor paints on it), a pencil, a crayon or a color pen, watercolor paints (as cheap or expensive as you like) and a paint brush.

Step 1: Using a pencil draw whatever you see in front of you without looking at your paper or taking the pencil off the paper.

Step 2: Go over the pencil lines on your paper using a crayon or color pen.

Step 3: Paint whatever colors you choose onto the shapes on your paper.

Step 4: Enjoy your creation!

Intviting Creativity! A creative interview series with talented artists and authors.

Inviting Creativity!

I recently began conducting an interview series with wonderful artists and authors, designed to inspire you at home, provide practical tips and tools plus get your creative juices flowing!


Have you ever wondered how professional artists work?


Have you ever wondered how professional artists access their creativity?



In this, the first interview of the series the talented artist Pia Walker from www.piafwalker.com shares:


Her sources of inspiration.

Her creative processes.

Why she thinks everyone can create great art!

How we can all invite creativity in!

How she unblocks her creative blocks.

The role children play in her creative processes.

and much more....

To listen to this inspired, creative interview simply
click here!

Have a great time!

Love,
Nina

A quick, fun, easy way everyone can create a book- in a back to front kind of a way.

I've discovered a really fun, stress free and fast way to write and illustrate a storybook. The secrets are creating it in a back to front kind of way and splashing watercolours haphazardly on a page.

Before I explain the 'back to front' book creation process here is a photo of a 'back to front' illustraion.



I'll explain...

I love water colours and decided to play around just putting them on the page, creating miscellaneous shapes and colours with no thought to creating a 'real' picture. This was really fun and quick to do. It took me less than 10 minutes to create 5 images. The hardest part of doing this was avoiding painting familiar concrete objects. This exercise is great antidote for someone like me who has a habit of wanting to 'get things right'.

My next step was to (a day or two later) ask myself 'what do I see?' when looking at the images and then to draw a sketch onto the picture outlining what I saw. I knew I wanted to make a children's picture book out of the images so when I looked at the second image I started to wonder a little bit about what kind of story could evolve and once again asked myself 'what do I see?'. I tried to keep a story idea very loose, but wanted something to guide me, and something my children could relate to and enjoy. So, I simply decided this story would be about a monster (both my children love monster stories) and then let whatever happen happen.

Looking at my interpretation of the images now, it is clear to me the pictures that came to mind are a reflection of what is in my life right now. The green circle in blue became a swimming ring in a lake, which makes sense to me as it is summer in Sweden and much of our time is spent swimming in lakes with swimming rings. Fish also feature in this story, which is not surprising considering we recently gave my daughter an aquarium with three fish for her 4th birthday. So, you are probably starting to get an impression of how this works. The great thing about this is that the images that naturally came to mind are everyday things my children can relate to and enjoy.

Once I'd finished sketching the things I imagined over the watercolour images, I scribbled down a story. As the pictures are kind of nonsensical I thought a silly kind of story would fit perfectly. I know the story and the images could do with some work to make a storybook with a clear totality etc... but for now I am very happy with the results.

If creating a book like this appeals to you why not have a go and share your work with us at Create A Book For A Child's free membership site?

Find more photos like this on Piggy Publishing Adventures

“But I'm not a trained artist!” (How intuition can come to the rescue!)

I have come across quite a few people who would love to create an original book for a child but are afraid they won't be able to because they are not trained artists.

I understand this fear but I am very happy to say it is unfounded. There are a few reasons for this but today I am going to focus on one reason, our intuition. What we often do not realize is that we can draw upon our intuition to create beautiful books, and one doesn't need to have attended a single art class to do this.

So, how do intuition, creativity and creating books for children link up?

And what is intuition anyway?

I often tell my students to allow themselves to follow their intuition when creating their storybooks, to let go of the need to analyze everything and to 'go with the flow' (at least in the early stages of the book creation process). But what is intuition really? And in concrete terms how does it help us to create entertaining and beautiful books for children we love?

Recently I was surprised and delighted when a particular student of mine presented the class with her finished storybook. Each page was fun, original, colorful, clear and simple, yet I knew she had no formal art or design training. How did she do this? What was her creative process?

This student had used, without knowing it, colors to emote certain feelings in the reader, she had used invisible lines on the page to direct the eye and tell the story she wanted to tell. She had done so much 'right', almost as if she had spent time studying picture composition and how to effectively use colors. But when I asked her how she had come to the design of each page she said she had simply started and then just done what felt right (i.e. she had followed her intuition).

So, why had following her intuition (or her hunch, or her feelings) worked? What had happened? Well, the artist Pia Walker described to me what had happened. My student had drawn from her own 'internal library' of of images. This 'library' she had gathered (just as we all have) as a result of all she had seen and sees around her in everyday life, in books, magazines and in films. Without knowing it she had applied the principles of color and form that she found in her 'internal library' to her illustrations.

And so when I think of this wonderful student of mine and her beautiful book I now understand a little more clearly why following your intuition when creating your book can be so effective, and why you don't need to be a trained artist to create a beautiful book a child will love.

My recommendation to you is to allow yourself to trust your intuition when creating your book, and remember you can always analyze and revise once you have completed your first draft. But at least start by relaxing and allowing yourself to follow your intuition. I think you will be pleasantly surprised by the results.

NB: Edward De Bono, an expert on creativity describes intuition as “a gradual build-up of background patterns which often cannot be verbalized or even made conscious”.

If you would like to hear more about creativity and intuition the artist Pia Walker (www.piafwalker.com) and I discuss intuition and creativity in the very first interview from Create A Book For A Child's brand new 'Inviting Creativity' series. To listen to the interview simply click here!

How to clear a creative block!

Do you ever experience creative blocks? If so I have a great little tip from you.

Watch this short video to find out what it is! :)

How to draw people you know- a creative cafe tip!