Between 2 books

 

2 years ago I was asked to illustrate a book. The book was about an awkward kid – who lives in complete chaos – but that’s what she is about, and she likes it. Original, audacious, messy, unruly, rebellious, smug – these are things people often say when they describe me. I identified with the little girl in the book more than ever before. It didn’t say so specifically – but I thought the girl should be the complete opposite of typical girly characters in picture books. I wanted her to be fat.. I wanted her to be a bit “ugly”.  Here is my first try. 

Being the very first run – my editor and the author wanted another option. At that point, Iris and Ed came for a visit. Iris is one of my oldest friends, and she lives in London, so I miss her. She is also a funny, messy, witty girl, with red hair and an attitude to match. I wondered if I could reflect her intelligence and anarchistic character, by simply creating a picture-book character, based on her.

Since “Iris” is a stylish kind of brat, I had to change her world accordingly. the new world is to be stylish and organized. A world that doesn’t enable the strange and excentric. 

While my editor thought this version was really nice, the author wanted a complete change of the main character. As painful as it was,  I felt it was a lose-lose situation: I would have to compromise on my vision and the author wouldn’t get the book she wanted. We mutually decided to go our separate ways. I posted the character on Facebook, just to say “Goodbye”.

The next morning I got a message from Jonathan. Jonathan Yavin is a prolific writer, and columnist. We’ve been talking for years about working together, but somehow we never did. “I know it’s crazy” said Jonathan’s message “but the cutie with the birds in her head really inspired me. I’ve written something. Check it out”.

Jonathan’s story starts like this (Jonathan translated only the first lines of it, as its official translation will not be in rhymes): “It’s partly a fairytale, yet some of it’s – true; There once was a mane under which – a girl grew”… Unlike the original story that was about a girls perception of herself – Jonathan’s story is about 2 entities:  One is a little girl (Her name in Hebrew means “Mane”) – and the other is her hair. the girl wants to do as she’s told, and be what is perceived as “a good girl” – but her alter ego – that hair – does whatever it pleases. One day, the girl wakes up and discovers 2 cockatoo chicks in her hair. She embarks on a journey to retrieve the chicks to their mother. Since the mane is such a main character in the story, the character needed to be altered.

This was great as a concept drawing, but we really couldn’t have a whole book with the entire city in the girl’s hair. I mean – we could, but it wouldn’t work with the text. then I came up with this. I thought it would make a great first page.

This was well accepted by both Jonathan and Dalit Lev – our editor. I  made a few concept drawings for a scene where the girl rushes down the stairs to save the terrified chicks. I did those just to establish a visual language for this book. The first one was based on the visual language I created for the other book. My editor loved it – Jonathan – not so much.

Then I tried a different style (mainly because a friend told me the previous day, that my style was no longer innovative. however, being someone else wasn’t really working for me).

Then I thought it would be fun to try an Esher inspired stair-case. Jonathan thought it was great but our editor didn’t. That, I think, Is a good point to stop, and explain: Working on a book in The states, or in Europe is very different from working on a book in Israel. In Europe and The States – the writer is never involved in the visual aspect of the book. An illustrator works along-side a graphic-designer, an art-director, and an editor. In Israel, the author has an equal say in everything. It’s sometimes frustrating, but after all – the author and illustrator are equal partners, and I think that’s the way it should be.

Our editor didn’t like the color scheme. She asked if I could try something else. By this point, I was working on the book for so long, I couldn’t tell one color from another. I did the reasonable thing: I made 3 versions, and asked my Facebook friends,  to vote by “liking” one of them. here is the Tally of the votes: The art director and the editor liked this version, but not the majority of the public. Dalit Lev, the editor said this version was the most easy on the eye, in terms of seeing all the details. I felt that it wasn’t the right choice, since I’ve used this color scheme in a previous book, and it felt like going backwards.

this version was actually the most popular amongst my Facebook friends – including Jonathan.

And this version was almost equally popular by the crowds, with one major difference: all of my colleagues – artists I respect, and am inspired by – loved it. I decided I’ll trust them. I remembered my editor’s note on seeing the details. I set for a long time in front of the first version, until I “deciphered” it.

At some point in the book, I did change my technique in a “dream” scene, when the girl wakes up to the chirping of the chicks, but is not sure she is quite awake yet. I figured I don’t need to apply a new technic. that would be too weird. I just used the colored markers I normally work with as an undertone – without applying colored pencils above them.

Jonathan wanted the various shop names to be a bit funny. In this illustration – the clock-shop owner looks a bit like Dali, and of course, there is a Dali clock in the window. using Dali was, actually, Jonathan’s idea. I really resented the fact that he was the one to come up with it, but had to admit it was brilliant. I added the melting clock. If you can’t beat them – join them, right?

Here is why I love this story so much: It is not vain. It’s not about loving yourself but rather about caring for others. While everybody around are occupied with their looks, and make nasty comments about  little girl’s hair – she is focussing on aiding nature. She strives to reunite the helpless, vulnerable chicks with their mother. That makes it a story about compassion, and in the cynical reality of our world – That’s a story I’m proud to be telling with my art.