Artist Biography
Thesis Abstract
Because I Said So
I wrote and illustrated Because I Said So for curious children and parents who don’t always have the answers. It is about a girl named Little Jay who lives in a garden and always asks “Why?”. Her mother repeatedly answers “Because I said so”. As the story unfolds Little Jay gets into a series of trouble, each event being more dramatic than the last. In the end, Little Jay discovers her mother does not know everything, but wants what’s best for her. Little Jay’s mother learns about the importance of entertaining her child’s curiosity.
Because I Said So will help the parent child relationship. Children ask many questions and parents often have a difficult time understanding how to respond. This book shows parents that children are not only curious, but they are tactical in how they go about seeking information. They can understand complex explanations and pick up on patterns in a parents behavior. At the same time, in an entertaining and whimsical style this book teaches children that their parents are only human. They want what is best for them, but they make mistakes too.
My illustrations are process-based, as I worked through the stages of character development, storyboarding and value studies before I begin the final paintings. In imagining the character’s, I was inspired by Walt Disney’s contemporary stylization of the facial features. I also took inspiration from Salvador Dali when rendering the dreamy landscapes. To start, I drew 32 preliminary images in a storyboard format. This allowed me to navigate the visual transition from one page to the next, as well as plan the placement of the text. Later, in black and white value studies, I enlarged these drawings to construct the light sources for each illustration. Then, when beginning the water color paintings, I worked in layers, to create the light airy appearance of the colors. I did this by using the lightest values on my pallet and later applied richer and deeper tones. I then used colored pencils to add more contrast, texture and style to my work. After photographing my illustrations I did some final touches with digital painting in photoshop. I chose to add digital painting as a medium in my works, because I felt the combination of traditional water color and color pencil with new mediums like digital painting created a unique end result.
The literature in Because I Said So is minimal; so children can interpret the artwork freely. Since the book is about a curious girl making discoveries for herself, it is important to me that the writing is not overly direct. Much like Little Jay, I hope that when children read my book, they are curious and use their imagination.