Working on a new picture book that I have had in my mind for a few years now. I wrote the story in September of this year and have been experimenting with the colour layouts.

The buildings will be a bit brighter. But I do like the contrast between the bright figures and the background.

This was the very first practice piece.

I love working with cut-out figures so that I can quickly see if a layout works or not.

The cut-out figures are all in the archives here in the studio. When I do the finished artwork all new figures will be created and used for the book.

Here is the original piece of artwork.

If this was a finished piece of art the ‘ghost tree’ would be larger.

The idea started on a scrap piece of kraft paper. I liked the starkness of this composition.

Playing around with adding other figures. I would move the text block to a higher position. I wanted to see how the figures would look overlapping the text block.

I experimented with making the book more appealing for the youngest readers. As much as I like this idea I like the black background layouts better.

And, of course, the cat’s legs are completely wrong. But I like the idea.

I like the shape of the hill in this layout better than the other one.

The trim size for the book would be 9 ½” x 9 ½” or 10″ x 10″. The font is Papyrus. The medium is gouache.

As I work on the layouts I saw a pattern emerging that I will definitely use in the finished art. At first I thought the Old Woman would have a cow, then I decided she would have a large pig (Guardian), but then when I found the old cut-out of the Old Woman with here little dog pulling a wooden cart with a pumpkin in it I knew this was the right combination. The pumpkin in the cart provides the motivation as to WHY the Old Woman was out and about on All Hallows Eve.