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Charles The Magnificent Pony - Illustrated Children's Book

  • No sleeping on the Job

      18 November 2014
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    We are getting really close for Charles the Magnificent Pony to be ready for printing and thought it would be a good idea to catch up with you all just days before that happens.

    Over the past eight weeks, Troy has been working extremely long hours (unlike our good friend pictured in the image provided) perfecting the final images that will eventually make up the finished illustrations for the book. In our regular catch-ups, we have discussed everything from text placement on the page to colour, contrast and light in each image to make sure the end product is to the highest possible standard.

    And so here we are…within ten days of checking over the final proofs and then the green light for printing and publishing. We considered sharing more images from Charles in this update but thought it would be better to give just a little tasty teaser of what is to come.

    Enjoy this final short update, the next time you hear from us the book will be almost ready for delivery to your doorstep.

    Cheers,

    Scott and Troy

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  • Time for another update!

      29 September 2014
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    We thought it would be a great time to share an update on Charles the Magnificent Pony’s progress as we head into spring and the last quarter of 2014.

    Over the last couple of weeks, illustrator Troy Major has been working hard on the transition from concept drawing to the completed illustrations that you will (soon) see in the finished product. If you click on the gallery page you will see a sample of the colour concept used for Charles as he continues the journey from sketch drawing to completed character. Troy and I have spent a lot of time discussing colour schemes for the farmyard world that Charles lives in and it has been a really exciting process to see the book taking shape.

    As the illustrations move into their advanced stages over the next few weeks it will be hugely important that the colour schemes match the concepts in bringing the book to life.

    We are still on track to deliver the book to you in plenty of time for Christmas – there will be more colour concept samples available soon but we don’t want to give too much away!

    Cheers,

    Scott and Troy

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  • Meet Charles (he really is quite magnificent!)

      19 August 2014
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    One of the most exciting parts of being involved of the Spark My Potential programme is having the opportunity to share the creative journey with you, our supporters.

    Every two weeks we will be giving you an insight into the collaboration between writer and illustrator as Charles comes to life on the page and his farmyard world grows rich with characters and colours. We want you to be able to see how illustrator Troy Major works through the creative process with the illustrations.

    As Troy said to me earlier in the week, from his perspective as an illustrator it is important that a range of styles can be accessed as a starting point for each character. We can then sit together and discuss the unique personality of every animal and you will see from the concept drawings provided that every detail is important in bringing the character, in this example Charles, to life.

    Some of the considerations that Troy focuses on during the illustration stage:

    - Being instinctive.

    - Communicating with the writer to ensure a smooth process from the intangible to tangible.

    - Adding lines or taking them away from a character to strengthen emotion and bring them to life.

    - The features that have been produced here with Charles (see photo) will be replicated with the other animals to produce stylistic consistency.

    We will also be adding some images to the gallery so remember to check those out when you get a chance.

    Our goal is to have the book ready for publishing in late November so your copy (or copies) will arrive right in time for Xmas!

    Cheers,

    Scott

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  • Thank you!

      9 August 2014
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    Thank you all so much for your generous pledges - I am really excited about sharing the process of getting Charles the Magnificent Pony to a finished stage over the next few months. In the next short while we will begin sending updates on the concept drawings as they move to final illustrations. Pledges are still open and incentives still available - we will now also be donating a copy of the book to a worthy cause for every additional $50 raised.

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