Hello Guys!Anyone with kids here that can relate to my artwork? :)

Georgios Christopoulos · 29 Mar 2020, 12:15

Hello guys!

Hope you are all staying safe in your quarrantines.
I hope they won t last forever..
I think I already said it, but quarantine sure gives some nice inspiration to do art.
Is there any parent in here that has yet found him/herself in the situation below?

What do you think of the art itself?
Could you see something like this style in a childrens book?
Really exploring style for my book,and I want to stay away from the usual stuff.
Any critique on this one??

Stay safe and healthy!
G-Chris

Coley · 29 Mar 2020, 13:06

Im not an expert on inking so will leave that to the experts, but on first glance I really like it! Very likeable characters and scene. I went out for a walk the other day and came back to find my 14 year old with The Joy of Cooking book open, cracking eggs and making a Dutch baby! So this is definitely something that’s happened in my world lol. It was his first time cracking eggs on his own. It was a little interesting ha ha but he’s got it now!

Georgios Christopoulos · 29 Mar 2020, 13:31

@Coley Thanks for the feedback!!Also shoutout to your boy!!he is great!
Stay safe!

Anna Lindsay · 29 Mar 2020, 15:55

I'm not a parent but I remember doing something similar as a kid. I think you conveyed the concept really well! The characters are appealing to look at and they have really great expressions. To me it looks more like a panel from a comic book than a page from a children's picture book though. I think the speech bubble, lineart style and details like the white line around the foreground characters make it read comic book-y to me. Others might disagree though. Overall I think it's a really nice image - has a really clean and professional look to it!

Nyrryl Cadiz · 29 Mar 2020, 16:04

This post is deleted!

Nyrryl Cadiz · 29 Mar 2020, 16:10

I can totally relate!

Paint Doodles · 29 Mar 2020, 16:53

Can relate haha. My kiddo absolutely loved eating egg shells for the longest time.

Emily Engh · 29 Mar 2020, 18:29

I can completely relate to this. I have two preteens that are starting to drive each other and me up the wall.

Georgios Christopoulos · 29 Mar 2020, 19:24

@Emily-Engh wow!good luck with that!!!!I m pretty sure you get a beautiful feeling from them though!!

@Paint-Doodles Hah!!Cheers to him!!
@Nyrryl-Cadiz lol.true aint it!!?
@Annabishop Thanks a lot for the feedback!
Well my question about the style is regarding that comic book feel.
Do you think it would feel weird if a childrensbook was done with these kind of panels ,instead of classic painty illustrations? (I mean without the speech bubble..) Thanks for your time!

TessaW · 29 Mar 2020, 19:50

Yes I can relate! Personally, I think you are really onto something with the style. The color palette and textures are very pleasing and you are great at conveying nuance of expression.

I don't think it's weird to have a comic book style with panels for kid's book. It's not super common, but I have seen a similar format before. Two that come to mind are "Traction Man" by Mini Grey and "Are We There Yet?" by Dan Santat.

And this may or may not be relevant- but for an American mainstream children's market, the only obstacle I could see would be that the characters have too much of a Japanese style influence, and perhaps the background is too dominant with the darkness and strength of the line work and equal value range to that of the foreground. It might be more passable for a mid-grade American audience. I live in the US, so I can only speak for the kinds of styles and books I'm seeing around here, so it may not be an issue for you. Are you trying to pitch this to any market in particular?

Miriam · 29 Mar 2020, 19:56

@Paint-Doodles, Maybe they had a calcium deficiency?!

Jeremy Ross · 30 Mar 2020, 01:33

Definitely @Georgios-Christopoulos! I have a 9 year old, and she’s baking flan right now!

Anna Lindsay · 30 Mar 2020, 13:39

@Georgios-Christopoulos Ah sorry I misunderstood your question! I agree with @TessaW, I think this style could work well for a mid-grade children's book (approx 8-12 years) but maybe not for younger kids. Depends what market you are aiming at really. I'm absolutely no children's book expert btw but I do work with children and as a result see lots of children's books.