Children's Books and Illustrations

The first thing to consider when choosing an illustrator is to look at different contracts for them to sign!  I learned this the hard way.

When I first considered writing these books, I had every intention of illustrating them myself. I chose to work with water colors because of the soft and whimsical look water colors can bring.  So I made a special trip down to our local art store and bought special pencils, paint, and water color paper.  Who'd ever thought you could pay $8.oo for a single pencil! I was informed I had to have different HB's n' such as well.  Whew! Way over my head, I just wanted a pencil. So then I told the lady that I would be needing some paper. Well she came back with, "What weight?" "Paper weighs different weights?" I asked.  "No no!" she replied, "it's the different thicknesses of the paper."  "Well I don't know?" I said looking puzzled. I wondered what I got myself into asking for help and by the end, I had a rainbow of selection of weights, HB's and a large collection of paints.

Up to the till I went carrying my cute little basket of goodies. As each item was rung through, I saw the total climbing $$$$ extremely fast! A heavy feeling in my tummy hit me hard as I thought of the different ways I could possibly hide the receipt from my husband.  It was a whopping $150.00! All of it fit into one tiny bag too!  Most women hide shoes from their husband and then there is me, hiding paints, pencils and paper. Oh brother, didn't matter.  I was on a mission! I was an illustrator waiting to be discovered!

So I went down to my local coffee shop, looking cute as can be, so I thought, and I must have had a beaming smile on my face with thoughts of my new ambition and talent. I thought how wonderful it would be to have my book fully illustrated in about a month. I carefully unpacked my "artist's" bag and laid all my equipment out in front of me...I looked at my blank canvas for quite some time not knowing where to start?