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by Rich Davis
I was stuck again. I just couldn't
quite figure out how to paint the shadows in my first spread for the book,
Tiny's Bath. Sometimes, getting an accurate shadow cast onto a subject that
has an odd shape can be a real head scratcher. I was on a hard deadline and
couldn't spend much time perfecting my technique, but it was important to
me to conquer this problem. After all, it was the first spread and there would
be 17 more paintings to follow---all with their own teasers as well. I believe
a children's book illustrator works best when he (or she) is building confidence
and has closure on each challenge.
Most of us artists tend to be
perfectionists (which drives us to new levels of excellence and beauty). Yet,
it should not completely control us. Sometimes the greatest peace of mind
is achieved when you know when to let go due to circumstances. For me, the
dilemma about the shadow cast was one of those times. I sat there looking
at my painting and tried to see that shadow one more time. Nothing. Then,
the idea came. I pushed my chair back from the drawing board, went to my supply
shelves, and grabbed a piece of cardboard. I found a roll of tape and scissors
to cut out pieces that would become the doghouse I was painting in my spread.
I merely approximated the shape of it- crude, but it would do just fine.
I taped it together quickly.
There! Only ten minutes gone! Next I grabbed my trusty little jar of kid's
white playdough. In my picture, this doghouse was sitting up on the back-side
of the main character, Tiny) a mini-van sized pooch who was in a reclining
position). I got a lump of clay and pushed it into the general shape that
would work to show me how the shadow would fall across his body from the doghouse.
Grabbing my two props, I asked my youngest son, David, to find a flashlight
and meet me in the bedroom.
Soon he came back with flashlight
in tow. In the dark bedroom, David proudly held the flashlight at just the
right angle to simulate sun shining down on Tiny and his doghouse. 'Aahh!'
I shouted. 'Now I see!' I quickly drew the shadows on my original tracing
of the painting. When my wife found out what we had been doing, she took a
picture of us, the doghouse, the clay model, and the memory of a fun exploration
tour. It was just what I needed to move into that book. I felt that if a problem
arose in the future work, there would be a way to figure it out (and have
a great time doing it)!
I gained confidence and closure
at the same time. If you don't have any playdough handy in your art stuff,
I would recommend that you get some. You might even just want to play with
it when it isn't being used to help you solve lighting problems! Rich Davis
is an illustrator from Siloam Springs, Arkansas.
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