01/16 - How is coloring the book this hard???

Been working on colors for the map of Scootertown for a few days and every time I think I've got it an dam happy I step back, look and hate it in all new ways. It's so GREEN. GREEN, GREEN, GREEN. The biggest problem I may be creating for myself is that I'm coloring the vegetation in the map green - it really doesn't have to be GREEN. The map is a map. I keep forgetting that I color it in sepia tone washes s if I like. instead of modern day, sugary greens and pinks. Blech. When my son was little, I used to make maps for him and they were always in black, brown and sepia...how did I forget how nice those were and how much they sparked our imaginations.

I originally wanted to do the entire book with a flat, solid, silk screen look but I've switched gears - so many books today are done on Photoshop and end up with flat colors - I want to try to find a way to express the humanity not only of the characters and story(s) but of the illustrations. I don't want this to be just another piece of crap book that'll end up on a dollar rack. I want to produce a book that give kids a warm, special, feeling. A feeling that only comes about when they see Scootertown illustrations.

The black and white version of Scootertown: Run Rabbit Run has gone  to some pretty surprising places and passed thru some pretty incredible hands but people are actually getting what it can be used for: both child and adult classes and programs in child development, writing, therapy, play and fun; lessons on bullying, meditation; the treatment of foster children, abused children; child psychology and writing courses - people are finding uses for it I never thought of. And when kids, sometimes they see a story I didn't know was in there and because it's a structured story but almost completely wordless they can put their own story into it. I'm psyched to see so many people understand the intent behind the book(s).

But now I gotta get some color pages together. Although kids (and adults) like the coloring book version publishers need to see color to get a fuller understanding or something so that's what I'm trying to do. I'd like to have both color and a black and white version available for kids, teachers, therapists but have a color version available for bookstore people.

Anyway, gotta go do the map......again. Less green - try sepia this time

• You can buy a limited edition black and white, coloring book version of  "Stories from Scootertown:  Run Rabbit Run" thru Etsy: www.etsy.com/listing/82504890/stories-from-scootertown-run-rabbit-run
• You can also view the first 1/2 of "Run Rabbit Run" on my website: :http://becklane.com/scootertown.php