Chronicles of the Black Gate Fan Art

Friday Fan Art

June 24, 2011

Recently I received a nice note from Anish Mohan, a 3d computer artist working in India. Anish said, "I have been a BIG fan of your work from the time I got one of those Spiderwick Field guide books. Your concept creatures are full of great imagination and detail. Loved the way the entire book was made with so much imagination too." (more…)

New Scans of Old Art

June 16, 2011

We've returned to our home in Amherst this week and I am happy to be back in New England. I've handed in the first draft of the second WondLa book and will be starting the jacket art very soon. Yay! (more…)

Friday Fan Art

June 10, 2011

Fellow artist, Michael Voogd, sent us a great gaggle of Spiderwick creatures rendered by his nine-year old daughter, Amie. (more…)

New Interview for Scholastic News

June 4, 2011

Back in March, Cecilia Gault of Scholastic News Press Kids Corps interviewed yours truly right after my Today show appearance. (more…)

Welcome to the NEW DiTerlizzi.com

May 30, 2011

I am happy to share with you all the relaunch of my site, DiTerlizzi.com! I hope you stay for a bit and have a look around… (more…)

Microvisions Auction Now Active

May 17, 2011

A couple of weeks ago, I mentioned creating an original Spiderwick piece to be auctioned off with all proceeds to benefit the Society of Illustrators' student scholarship fund. I am happy to report that all images from the Microvisions show are currently available for active bidding on eBay.

Here is a direct link to my piece, a study of a "Moth-Winged Orchid Sprite". Happy bidding!

CA Illustration Annual 52

May 16, 2011

Communication Arts magazine just released their illustration annual with an feature by Lisa Cyr titled "Building Fantastical Worlds". Yours truly was interviewed along with James Gurney (of Dinotopia fame) and Philip Straub.

Be sure to check it out at your local bookstore.

Update 6/16/11 – this article is now available online at the CA website. Enjoy!

FFA: A Glazed Goblin

May 6, 2011

Gabby sent us some cool pics of a Spiderwick goblin that she created in her sculpting and ceramics class. Check it out:

She says: I made him have a gnawed off hand to show him in battle and scary eyeballs. The back was the funnest part to do (if funnest is a word…) and he was colored with watercolors.

I think this goblin is one of the funnest renditions we've seen, Gabby. Keep dreaming. Keep creating.

Preparing a Paperback WondLa

May 3, 2011

Although it is not out until early next year, DiTerlizziland has been in a twitter for The Search for WondLa as a paperback edition.

We decided to redesign the jacket for the paperback, a process similar to one that I've gone through before with Spiderwick. For WondLa, it was a chance to capture the mood of the story more concisely in an image that could reach a broad audience of readers.

"But wait," you say. "Didn't you sort all of this out when you did the first jacket?"

Yes and no.

Yes, I tried to introduce these new characters in an inviting way, but no, I did not have a full understanding of them or the material when I created the artwork for the jacket. It was rendered prior to the completion of the writing so that the publisher had something to use to sell the book.

You see, the jacket image for a novel (whether it be for an adult or middle-grade title) is usually the only visual attached to the story. Therefore it is a great selling tool for the booksellers and an invitation to be picked up by book buyers. I would even argue that an iconic jacket can help pave the way for a title's success. Don't believe me? Check out the original cover to Rick Riordan's The Lightning Thief as it was released in 2005.

I am not adverse to the direction of the first cover. In fact, the 10-year old in me rather likes the comic-book renditions of Medusa, Cerberus and the minotaur. What (or rather who) is noticeably absent, however; is the hero, Percy…and this may have led to the thinking on redesigning the jacket. The monsters are cool, but as reader who do I connect with?

The second cover, designed for the paperback, is a different approach altogether. In fact, there are now no monsters present at all, or the slightest shadow of Mt. Olympus – facets that make this title unique. And yet, this cover (wonderfully rendered by John Rocco) is more successful. Why?

My feeling is that this works better as an invite to the reader because of what is is showing: A lone teen in a sea of change. Certainly this could symbolize what one feels as they go through adolescence, especially with a Great Big World off in the distance. The centralized single figure with weapon in hand is also immediate – we now know who our hero is and are intrigued by his dramatic situation of seemingly epic proportions. This sort of composition was used often in the ubiquitous Harry Potter books illustrated by Mary GranPré.

Quite simply: The second Lightning Thief cover works more successfully because there is an understanding of what is intrinsic to the story and that was conveyed in a manner approachable to many.

I used this sort of thinking when I returned to WondLa, now armed with a deeper understanding of the characters and the world that I had created for them. This image hopefully gives a better sense of who the central characters are, especially the heroine, and the danger-filled mysterious world that they are exploring. Themes, I feel, we all can relate to.

What do you think?

PS – For your viewing pleasure, I've included a gallery of cover ideas and explorations that didn't make the cut. I thought you may enjoy the glimpse into my process.

Microvisions

April 27, 2011

Each year, the Society of Illustrators holds an exhibition, called Microvisions, to raise funds for their Student Scholarship. To date, they've raised $15K by asking noted illustrators to create an original piece to be auctioned off for the fundraiser. The fun part? As per the title of the show, all originals are 5×7 inches.

Yours truly took a break last week from writing to complete a small color study of a Spiderwick sprite for this event. As I leafed through The Care & Feeding of Sprites, I did a few sketches and finally settled on one of the orchid sprites (my favs).

The auction will be held via eBay in the near future. I'll post news once it goes live. In the meantime, if you are in New York City, drop by the Society of Illustrators and check out the show.

A Realistic Friday Fan Art

April 22, 2011

Thirteen-year old Tobias from Argentina sent us a new batch of art a couple of weeks ago. Amongst his drawings of carnivorous plants and alien designs were several photos integrating creatures of his own imagination.

Tobias tells me he used Photoshop to merge in his drawings with a realistic background. I LOVE THIS.

Not only is he using major planning skills at the photographic stage of these images, he is designing creatures (like the Pomegranate Apple Gnome above) and posing them to fit properly in their appropriate setting. At 13!? That's AWESOME!

This is good stuff, Tobias. You've inspired me. Keep dreaming, keep drawing.

Thank You Switzerland!

April 20, 2011

On Monday in Lucerne, Switzerland, yours truly received the Prix Chronos book award for Kenny & The Dragon.

The Prix Chronos is an inter-generational book award with the ambition to encourage people to read and to bring together generations: children at the age of 10 to 12 and elderly people together read and review five nominated books. All readers, both young and old, can cast their votes.

One of the nomination criteria is: the relation between these two generations must be a main topic of the book. Or, in this case, the relationship between a dragon and a rabbit.

Since I could not be present, (I have to finish WondLa 2 at some point), I wrote up a thank you letter that I thought you might enjoy:

Hello Dear Readers,

First off, let me apologize for not being here in person to receive this honor. I tried, I truly did. But apparently you can't bring a full-grown dragon on the plane, even if said dragon purchased their own first class round-trip ticket.

A rabbit? Perhaps. But a dragon? Not gonna happen.

If I were present, I would likely have let this dragon, Grahame, give the acceptance speech. He's much more eloquent and articulate than I. Oh, he would have begun with kind words about your beautiful country and awe-inspiring landscape, but honestly he would have been present only for the food. You know how dragons are.

He would have then continued on about how this award would not have been possible if it were not for him and his endless wisdom and wit. If there were no dragon in this book, then it would have simply been a story about a bunch of angry bunnies, and who wants to read about that?

Finally I would come up and join Grahame and remind him that his story would not exist were it not for Kenneth Grahame's beloved tale, "The Reluctant Dragon" originally published in the book, "Dream Days". I would wax on about how much I adored this old classic and wondered if I could create a new take on it. I would recount how worried I was that children and adults would not like my new version however earnest it may have been. Grahame would chuckle and say, "of course people will like it. It has a dragon in it. And a classy one at that."

"Yes," I would agree. "Everyone enjoys a story with dragons, no matter what age they are."

I know this because there were certain books that I loved as a child that my mom enjoyed reading as well. As a parent I now realize a good book can bridge a generational gap with the flip of a page.

When I was young, sharing a book with my mom and then discussing it afterward was one of my favorite things to do. These conversations often led to what else was going on our lives and it still continues to this day.

In our age of communication chatter, its comforting to know that a simple book can open up real dialogue between the young and the old. I continually strive to craft stories for children of all ages and this award acknowledges my mission and inspires me to continue on my creative journey.

Thank you readers of Switzerland and Prix Chronos for this fantastic award. I share this honor with my translator, Anne Brauner. Thank you to my German publisher, Random House, and my US publisher, Simon & Schuster, for making my stories available the world over. I promise I'll visit Lucerne soon and I'll be sure to bring my dragon.

Friday Fan Art: Capturing a Unicorn

April 15, 2011

Earlier this year, I posted some stupendous Spiderwick soft sculptures by artist, Manuela Schulz. Manuela's craftsmanship and ability to capture the natural form of an animal in mohair and fur reminded me of the great German toymaker, Steiff.  My daughter, Sophia, was so taken by Manuela's rendition of the Spiderwick unicorn that I commissioned one for her upcoming birthday (and thankfully Soph can't read my blog:)

Manuela's creation reverberates the same essence of the unicorn that I was after in my illustrations.

In fact, the unicorn scene in book three of Spiderwick was one of my favorites. I liked the interaction of old mythology confronting modern-day kids. Holly's words expressed the feeling of awe mixed with anxiety that you would imagine experiencing were you in the Grace kid's shoes. I remember explaining to Holly that this scene was like the meeting with the kirin in Miyazaki's Princess Mononoke. You knew there was a ancient power confronting the hero, cloaked in majestic wonder. I loved that moment in that film and I love our moment in the books.

Like many of the creatures in Spiderwick, I attempted a return to the less glamorized, more natural form for the unicorn. I examined the old tapestries depicting the unicorn hunt for my initial inspiration. However, I also studied early horses, especially Eohippus, where the multiple toes had yet to evolve into the single hoof (early horses were quite small compared to their modern descendants as well).

My hope was that this direction would project a sense of antiquity (and accuracy) to this fabulous beast.

Manuela's interpretation holds that quality of wonder and wildness that I really like…hmmm…maybe Soph wants a Barbie instead for her birthday…

Michigan Event with Brian Froud and Charles Vess

April 6, 2011

Dr. Ari Berk, author extraordinaire, professor of mythology and folklore at Central Michigan University (and all around funny guy), has organized a conference at the university campus which is open to both students and the general public.

Imagining the Fantastic will take place on April 15th & 16th and will include presentations, conversations and book-signings by all guests including Brian & Wendy Froud, Charles Vess and yours truly (among others great talents).

The event is FREE to attend. You can check out the schedule on the University's site. I'll be presenting the origins and creation process that went into The Search for WondLa as well as participating in a panel discussing breaking into children's book publishing. Afterwards I'll be signing any and everything you bring. I'll seeya next week!

Writer Hired to World of WondLa

April 1, 2011

Daily Variety revealed today the announcement of Chase Palmer to adapt The Search for WondLa for Paramount Pictures and I couldn't be happier. I am thrilled with Chase's vision of the world that I created in WondLa. His enthusiasm, passion and understanding of the material in the book will undoubtedly create the blueprint to bring this project from page to screen. Of course, I am excited to be working with Paramount Pictures again as well. There are only a few studios that can create a film as big as WondLa and they are the best.

You can read the full article here.

(A lot of) Friday Fan Art!

April 1, 2011

If I haven't said so before, I absolutely LOVE getting all the art that fans and friends have sent to me over the years to share here on the site. Whether it is a reinterpretation of one of my own designs, or an original piece inspired by a young imagination, I am always thrilled to see creativity alive and well.

Sometimes, though, I get bowled over. Blown away. Blasted by volumes of sheer awesomeness.

And this happened when I received and ENTIRE disc of artwork from the fifth grade class at Meroby Elementary School in Mexico (yes, Mexico), Maine.

As part of my book touring, I have the privilege of visiting many elementary schools all over the country. I have seen art classrooms that would make college professors jealous, and I have seen teachers reduced to pushing around an "art cart" full of nothing more than dried-up markers and old construction paper from class to class. I was fortunate in that I had amazing art teachers all through my life that encouraged creativity regardless of whether I had oil paints and canvas at my disposal or simply a #2 pencil and paper.

Because really its all just a matter of encouraging imagination and expanding out-of-the-box thinking. And whether you're a wiz with watercolors or can barely draw a stick man, its good to let your mind wander and explore. And we need to encourage and cultivate children to do this all throughout their childhood – not just in elementary school.

Thank you Meroby Elementary, your amazing instructors and talented students have inspired me. Keep drawing. Keep dreaming.

The HOBBIT That Never Was

March 25, 2011

For those following this blog, you'll remember my endless waxing about the many incarnations of Tolkien's masterpiece, The Hobbit, a couple of months back. Subsequently, I was asked to write up a proper essay for the LA Times about the Maurice Sendak illustrated edition of The Hobbit that never came to be. Read on and see what I discovered…

PRESS RELEASE: Starlight Names Tony DiTerlizzi a Global Ambassador

March 22, 2011

Los Angeles, Calif. – Starlight Children's Foundation is pleased to name New York Times best-selling author and illustrator Tony DiTerlizzi a Global Ambassador for the organization. A supporter of Starlight's for a decade, Tony is dedicated to Starlight's cause to help seriously ill children and their families cope with their pain, fear and isolation through entertainment, education and family activities.

"It has been my mission to share the joys of reading, art and imagination with not only the healthy children in bookstores and schools across the world, but with other children who are not as fortunate," he said.

This quest began for Tony when his young daughter, Sophia, suffered from seizures at an early age, giving his family a first-hand experience of the overwhelming and often times frightening reality of life in the hospital.

"Being storytellers, my wife and I passed the time between medical procedures and discussions with doctors by creating our own fairy tales and playing make-believe with our daughter within the walls of our quiet hospital room," said DiTerlizzi. "It was there I began to truly understand the power of what a fantastic story can do and how it can transport one to another time, place or world."

Dragons, space monsters, goblins and insects: the characters that inhabit storyteller Tony DiTerlizzi's world haven't changed since he was a kid growing up in South Florida. This year Tony celebrates ten years of creating children's books by returning to aliens and spaceships with his futuristic fairy tale, "The Search for WondLa" (Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing). It was also ten years ago, when he first got involved with Starlight and contributed beautiful illustrations for Starlight's book, "Once Upon a Fairy Tale," a unique collection of classic fairy tales with 100 percent of the proceeds benefiting Starlight.

"The work Starlight does to restore a family's spirit is as powerful as any fairy tale," Tony said. "I feel incredibly fortunate to have the opportunity to represent Starlight as a Global Ambassador and I am thrilled and honored to share in their mission of brightening the lives of seriously ill children and their families."

About Starlight Children's Foundation

When a child or teenager has a serious medical condition, everyone in the family is affected. For more than 25 years, Starlight Children's Foundation has been dedicated to helping seriously ill children and their families cope with their pain, fear and isolation through entertainment, education and family activities. Starlight's programs have been proven to distract children from their pain, help them better understand and manage their illnesses, and connect families facing similar challenges so that no one feels alone. Through a network of chapters and offices, Starlight provides ongoing support to children, parents and siblings in all U.S. states and Canadian provinces with an array of outpatient, hospital-based and Web offerings. Programs are also delivered internationally through affiliates in Australia, Japan and the United Kingdom. To learn more visit www.starlight.org.

A TODAY Show Fairy Tale

March 20, 2011

Friday, May the 18th, was awesome. A circle-in-the-universe moment for Angela and I.

When we moved from NYC in the fall of 2002, Ang was a make-up artist for several NBC shows including Saturday Night Live, Late Night with Conan O'Brien, and the Today Show. Having powdered and poofed many celebrities, including authors like Stephen King, both she and I dreamed of one day reaching a point when yours truly was the one in the make-up chair waiting to go on air.

I was happy to hear my segment was in the 9:30-10 AM slot allowing me to try to get a little sleep the night prior. I say try, because I could not. I was so excited. Not nervous. Just excited.

We arrived at the studio about an hour beforehand. Heading to the greenroom to see if our segment producer or publicist were present, we passed Bette Midler and her entourage on the way. In the greenroom I introduced myself to the three children who were part of my segment as Al's Readers. All were there with their parents and were friendly and enthusiastic. These were real kids, not actors, and I was energized by their genuine excitement. (By the way, they could not discuss their questions for me beforehand. Those were saved for the live segment so that there were spontaneous, less-rehearsed answers).

In hair and makeup, Ang and I stopped by Al's office to thank him for having me on. As a token of gratitude, we tracked down and purchased a 1950's tin NBC truck, which he loved. Afterward, we bumped into Matt Lauer who is just as warm in person as he is on air. Like Al, Matt's kids are big readers and especially enjoyed The Spider & The Fly. That's rad.

Off we went to do our segment. I took a deep breath before Al sat next to me and really tried to burn the moment in my memory. I honestly didn't even think of the 5 gazillion people watching. I just focused on Al and the kids.

After waiting and hoping and dreaming all these years, I had finally made it on as a guest. It was awesome – a highlight for DiTerlizziland – and, as you would guess, over in a blink of an eye.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

As an end note, despite the fact that the TODAY Show was criticized when they did not invite the Newbery and Caldecott winners on earlier this year, the producers have said that they will focus instead on airing more segments of Al Roker's Book Club. I know they've run the award-winners for many years now (and perhaps I'd feel different had I won and not made it on), but it must be pointed out that they are the only big morning show that is doing an actual kid's book club (highlighting all sorts of subjects and genres) on a regular basis. And that's a good thing.

Friday Fan Art!

March 18, 2011

Beth Hanlon, a fifth grade teacher at Tropic Isles Elementary in Fort Meyers, Florida, sent us some pics of this awesome sculpt of Grahame from Kenny and the Dragon.

The sculpture was created by one of her gifted students, Ashley, and was done as a visual for her Book Share project.

"…Ashley's Dragon has inspired others in our class to read "Kenny and the Dragon". Ashley's Dragon is currently on display in our Media Center."

How cool is that?

I've been fortunate enough to have Kenny nominated for several state book awards including Florida's Sunshine State Young Readers Award. What I like about state book awards is that students are encouraged to read independently based on individual interests rather than for assignments. Discovering a favorite story genre at a young age is big step in evolving into a passionate reader.

Thanks for sharing this with me, Beth, and please tell Ashley that Grahame said, "Nice sculpting young bantling."

Friday Art of Fan!

March 11, 2011

Our Florida neighbors dropped off a lovely sketch of my favorite space elf, done by a friend of their daughter's.

I showed it to Meno and this was his response:

"I love color picture of Meno!

Thank you Earthling of name Diana.

I also work on pretty picture.

Please to enjoy Betty White!

Was to be in book the 2. But editor want The Hoff.

(Oh well. Win some and lose.)

Now Betty White everywhere. Who laugh now?"

I'm Goin' to Kansas City…

March 8, 2011

I've got a bit of travel throughout the remainder of the month that I thought was worth sharing. Of course, I've mentioned the TODAY show appearance that is scheduled to air next Friday the 18th already...I mentioned that, right? 18th? Friday…March…

Also happening early next week is a quick trip to lovely Denver, Colorado for some delicious business that I must tend to. I'll be swinging by the Tattered Cover Bookstore for a stock signing on Tuesday, so if you want some personalized signed books, you may want to contact them sooner than later.

Later this month, on Friday the 25th to be exact, I will be participating in the Reading Reptile's DNA Lit Fest in Kansas City, Missouri. I'll be joining a tremendous group of talented authors and illustrators such as Barbara McClintock, Jennie Holm and Jon Agee, among other greats for a Friday night signing at the store. If you have yet to visit the Reading Reptile, I highly encourage you to stop by. The shop has a magic spirit that is rarely seen in bookstores. You won't be disappointed.

I'll seeya soon!

TODAY Show Airdate: March 18th

March 7, 2011

I'm still over the moon (and still trying to lose weight) in preparation for my TODAY Show debut scheduled to air this month. As I had posted earlier in the year, The Search for WondLa is the featured title for Al Roker's Book Club for Kids.

The live interview with yours truly is scheduled to air on Friday, March 18th. Of course, my segment can slip based on breaking news or other unforeseen scheduling conflicts. Should the date slip, I'll be sure to post it here ASAP. Okay, back to dieting and WondLa 2…

iSpeak some iThoughts on an iPad Friday Fan Art

March 4, 2011

A couple of weeks ago, I posted a couple of wonderful watercolor renditions of a Spiderwick nixie and mermaid from Mason. Shortly thereafter, we received a follow up piece from him that, I think, is much stronger. The difference: he created this on his iPad.

Wow.

Normally I would move onto another submission of fan art for FFA, and fortunately, there is much here for me to choose from. And, though I've had computer-generated fan artwork here before, based on the simple fact that this was created on an iPad, I felt it needed to be shared. Its a nice segue to post my thoughts about digital artwork, something that can be quite a heated topic among illustrators.

I have a love-and-hate relationship with artwork created on a computer despite the fact that I use it regularly for many aspects of bookmaking. In fact, the majority of the Meno books were created entirely in Photoshop. Though, in truth, they started out like all of my illustrations – as pencil drawings, just like this sketch for the cover of The Wyrm King.

I love the freedom to explore a variety of compositions and palettes with the swipe of a mouse or click of a button. However, I am oft-times left with a longing for the original artwork that was touched, smudged, smeared and crafted by my hand. You know, something to cherish and share after a project is completed. (Or, if I am lucky enough, to exist in a gallery long after I perish).

The presence one feels when viewing an original piece of artwork does not exist in the virtual world of a computer. One needs only to visit a local art museum and stand before a painting done by Vincent Van Gogh, John Waterhouse or Norman Rockwell to know this to be true. But, as seen by Mason's iPad artwork, it is becoming increasingly more enticing (and dare I say convenient?) to create art digitally.

I suppose at the end of the day, creativity is creativity no matter what medium an artist chooses. Like music and film, books have reflected our love and curiosity for the digital world. There are trends to be sure, but if the artist's imprint is successfully relayed to the viewer, I suppose it doesn't matter if it was done in hand-ground pigments or in pixels.

For me, the computer is no different than a pencil or a brush. Its what you create with it that speaks your truth. As to whether it will hold its allure, like an original watercolor wash by Arthur Rackham or a graphic gouache painting by Mary Blair, I suppose only time will tell.

TD does DAT

February 21, 2011

About a month ago I posted a bunch of old Dungeons & Dragons art from the early part of my career on my facebook page, (which were well received to my utter delight). As I scanned the dingy drawings, I realized that some were pushing 20 years old already…yikes!

This was on the heels of my reminisce of breaking into the RPG industry for Wizards of the Coast's creative director, Jon Schindehette. On top of that was a revisit to Planescape (sort of) for Black Gate magazine's series on the history of gaming illustration.

The editor for Black Gate had asked me to create a new piece using the same mediums and tools I had used in my 90's heyday. However, I was down in Florida at the time working away on the final art for WondLa and had very limited time and art supplies. Instead, I opted to create a piece that was a more modern approach. The result was a hybrid of both art styles found in WondLa and Planescape.

Despite the fact that the drawing style for WondLa was cleaner and tighter than Spiderwick, the inking process for the illustrations involved the usual warm-up exercises. Leading up to the Black Gate piece were a handful of old D&D and Planescape warm-up drawings (something I've done before).

Most of the warm-ups I do are a hodgepodge of doodles, usually focused on an aspect of the piece I am preparing to ink (like hair, buildings or plants). Sometimes, I will stick with the warm-up and complete an entire image. However, the drawing is then discarded as I slide right into inking the final art. Its sort of like stretching and jogging in place before beginning a morning run.

Many times these doodles are inconsequential to what I am working on. They can be favorite scenes from books, explorations for possible new characters for a story, life drawing and studies. So here's an ink warm-up done last summer during the WondLa art session of a D&D goblin.

Recognize the pose? You old timers will, it's after David Trampier's goblin done for the AD&D Monster Manual back when boomboxes and Rubik's cubes ruled. And as many remember, the enigmatic Trampier simply signed his work DAT.

As you can see, I've been a fan of this piece for many years.

…and wanted to do a new version 29 years later(!) I hope you like'em. (Click for a larger image)

As I came off of the Black Gate piece and returned to my work on WondLa I thought of the journey I had taken thusfar. Its a journey that I am happy to say I am still traveling on and sharing with my longtime fans.

Chronicles of the Black Gate Fan Art

Source: https://diterlizzi.com/news/page/6/?ertthndxbcvs=yes

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