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By:
Tim Bowers,
on 11/10/2016
Blog:
Tim Bowers Art Blog
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I had four new titles published this year. I'm very fortunate to have had the opportunity to illustrate these very different books. The first was the fourth in the "Memoir" books, Memoirs of a Parrot by Devin Scillian (Sleeping Bear Press).
This book was expensive. I don't mean the purchase price... but the story is about a guy who buys a parrot and plays a ukulele. So, I
needed to buy a ukulele. That was the expensive part.
Plus, I was also inspired by another ukulele strummer,
Emily Arrow. She visited a nearby school and I sat in on her excellent presentation. Great music...
with a ukulele named "Bow".
Oh well, I could have purchased an African grey parrot. That would have been even more expensive.
My second book of 2016 was
Rappy Goes to School by
Dan Gutman (HarperCollins). No, I didn't buy a dinosaur for this one. They are way too messy... and hard to house train.
The third title for 2016 was
Buddy's Bedtime Battery by
Christina Geist (Random House). A cute story of getting a child to slow down for bedtime. "Beep!"
Then, dancing to the fourth book of 2016 is
Footloose by
Kenny Loggins (Moondance Press). Kenny Loggins (with Dean Pitchford) re-wrote the iconic song to become a kid's dance tune. A story about two children who discover that zookeeper "Jack" and the zoo animals wait until the sun goes down, then
put on their dancin' shoes.
So, there you have it. With Christmas just around the corner, I can think of four really nice gifts for that special child in your life. I'll be closing out the year, wearing my dancin' shoes and strummin' my ukulele. This is November (turkey month) and I definitely have a lot to be thankful for.
That's all for now. I need to practice my ukulele.
By:
Tim Bowers,
on 10/2/2016
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Tim Bowers Art Blog
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A new book just hit the shelves, last week. Buddy's Bedtime Battery by Chirstina Geist (published by Random House) is my latest book and I want to take you behind the pages to see how the project progressed.
It's always exciting to get the first printed books in the mail. After months of a studio full of art boards in progress, wet paint and gallons of coffee (not part of the painting process but very necessary), the final product is a welcome payoff. Buddy finally arrived!
Now, let's look at how Buddy arrived. After reading the story manuscript and creating sketches for the characters, a full length book dummy was created. When the book sketches were finalized, the painting process began.
I created a production line of boards with images of each page. I taped the edges with low-tac tape to keep that area clean and white. Then, an underpainting with brown acrylic paint was washed (thin layers) onto the boards. I usually do this when the final art is created with oil paint. The acrylic and polymer layers sealed the paper board from the oils and gave me a good (light and dark) value study to follow.
At this stage, the studio was full of artwork covering every flat space to be found. I have a drying rack for storing work in progress but I like to see everything laid, side by side.
Here is the title page. The towel area on the left was used for copyright and publishing information. The title was placed on the wall, above the bathtub. Notice the pajamas are visible, just below the towel. I often use elements and story props to hint at what's coming on the following page(s).
Here is one of the illustration spreads. One of my favorite images of the book.
This was my table, somewhere under the shingles of drying illustrations. The images were at various stages of completion so Buddy's hair looks really dark on the bottom image, etc. I worked on several paintings at a time and all art started to finalize toward the end of the process....which is also called..."the deadline" (If all goes as planned). It was a fairly long process and sometimes hard to see the end when spending days painting little parts, adjusting colors and adding detail. But eventually, it all came together and a package with the final art of Buddy's Bedtime Battery traveled to Random House.
Then, months later, I get to see the book on NBC, being read to millions of TV viewers. How COOL is that? So exciting! ...So surreal! ...Yay, Buddy!
...deep breath...now, back to the drawing board. :)
By:
Tim Bowers,
on 5/3/2016
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A big box of shiny new books landed on my doorstep. Memoirs of a Parrot is the fourth "memoir" book, written by the very talented Devin Scillian and published by Sleeping Bear Press.
 |
| "Yay, new books!" |
When I read that a parrot would be the main character, I had to choose an African Grey parrot. I have fond childhood memories of my grandpa and his African Grey, named
Chico. I chose a Hyacinth Macaw as the other parrot in the story. Mostly because of the color. I live in Ohio and Devin Scillian lives in Michigan, so it just made sense to use Ohio State (scarlet and grey) and Michigan colors (maze and blue). Plus, my wife's family is from the state up north (we're a "blended" family).
 |
| A drawing that I did in High School of my grandpa and his parrot, Chico. |
Also, the main character (human) in the story plays a ukulele. I said, "hmmm, I need to get a ukulele (as reference) and begin my career as a ukulele rock star". Then I met Emily Arrow, a true ukulele rock star, so I bought one. Now I need to start practicing my ukulele
licks.
 |
| "Hey, I think that I need a ukulele." |
Anyway, you must take a look at
Memoirs of a Parrot. It's got parrots, ukulele players and a very funny story.
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| End papers from Memoirs of a Parrot. |
Thank you, Heather Hughes, Felicia Macheske and Sleeping Bear Press.
Now, back to the drawing board. -Tim
By:
Tim Bowers,
on 2/15/2016
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One of my newest projects is to illustrate a book, written by Kenny Loggins. He re-wrote the song, FOOTLOOSE, as a kids song and the book will have a CD in the back so readers can read along, follow the story with illustrations and dance to this great Kenny Loggins song.
Acrylic paint on a gessoed bristol board.
Here are two finished interior pages.
Here is the final art for the cover and end papers. The CD (FOOTLOOSE song) will be placed where the moon is positioned, inside the back cover. So, the moon will be the CD.
The new song sounds great. Kenny did a fantastic job of adding a kid spin to the original version. This is a lot of fun but I have a hard time painting, while dancing. Believe me, you'll be putting on your dancin' shoes, too!
Here is a sneak preview of my newest book, in progress. The title is
BEEP! It's Bedtime by Christina Geist, to be published by RandomHouse. Like many of my other books, I started with an underpainting in acrylic paint, followed by a couple of coats of matte medium. Then it's time to slap on the ole' oil paint.
Each book project requires about twenty pieces of art and some of them are very time consuming if there is much detail involved. A book takes several months of work and somewhere in the middle of the process, I start to feel a little overwhelmed. I usually paint in a production line sort of way, mixing a few colors and hitting several paintings with that paint.
Back and forth, from one painting to the next. Hours turn into days and days, into months. I'm lucky to know what year it is. Anyway, I'm getting close to the finish on this book and all of the paintings that seemed incomplete for so long, are now starting to come together.
I'll show more when everything is finished.
By the way, it is still 2015, right?
I just received a letter from Dolly Parton. One of my books, Not Your Typical Dragon has been selected for the 2015 edition of Dolly Parton's Imagination Library program in the US and Candada.
This is so cool! They get selected books into the hands of thousands of kids. What a great service! Dolly Parton ...thank YOU for inspiring children to "Dream More, Learn More, Care More & Be More"...SA-LUTE!
One of my childhood favorite book characters will also be in the show. Clifford the Big Red Dog by
Norman Bridwell. My painting is an illustration of me as a young boy and my dog, named
Scat.
This illustration is from the book, titled: Speak!: Children's Book Illustrators Brag About Their Dogs (compiled by Michael J. Rosen, Harcourt Children's Books,1993)
The show ends July 5th so go when you won't need the sled dogs.
...enjoy!
Have you ever tried to pitch your book using an unconventional method? Writer Dan Gutman recorded himself performing a rap song about a new project starring a musical dinosaur named “Rappy the Raptor“.
Thinking outside the box worked in Gutman’s favor; he signed a contract for a six-book deal with HarperCollins Children’s Books. The video embedded above features his “pitch” song—what do you think?
Artist Tim Bowers created the illustrations for Gutman’s picture book. The publishing house has scheduled a release date for April 21, 2015.
New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.
Here’s a peek at my newest picture book.
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| Sketch for cover design. |
 |
| Detail of cover art in progress. |
I recently finished a new book, Pirate’s Lullaby- Mutiny at Bedtime, written by Marcie Wessels (Doubleday Books for Young Readers, 2015).
Here are a few early pics of the process…sketches, etc.
 |
| Pencil sketches for pirate boy character. |
 |
| Sketches for pirate dad character. |
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| Very rough pirate heads for reference (super sculpey). |
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| Pirate head in different positions and lighting. |
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| More heads in different positions and lighting. |
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| A final illustration spread with reference sheets. |
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| Everything is started but a lot of painting ahead. Oil paint on canvas (acrylic underpainting). |
I can’t wait until next year’s Talk Like a Pirate Day.
Another school year is starting, which usually means that the classroom bully is back in business. This can put a damper on the school year for some unfortunate students. But, here are two examples of bravery that come to mind.
First, an illustration from my college days, illustrating the story of David and Goliath. Goliath was a big bully, for sure.
 |
David and Goliath (or, Dave and John)
|
This is an illustration that I painted, using my room-mates as models. They were both, excellent artists and good sports, when it came to posing for reference pictures. When an art student is pulling an all-night, last minute rush to complete something for class, class-mates become excellent reference material (many thanks to
Dave Groff and
John Jude Palencar for this one).
I'm not condoning violence or the sling shot response but it did work out pretty good for David. Nobody likes a bully.
The other example of bravery is
Knuckleball Ned, who stands up to the bullies and saves the day in one of my newest books, published by
Dial Books for Young Readers.
The story was written by
R. A. Dickey.
Overview:
Cy Young award winner R.A. Dickey creates a funny anti-bullying picture book with an adorable baseball character that kids will love
Ned the baseball is very nervous on his first day of school. Everyone else seems to know where they belong, but not Ned. He isn’t a fastball or a slider, and the Foul Ball gang makes fun of him for the way he wobbles. When they do something particularly dastardly to another student, it’s up to Ned to come to the rescue with his unique abilities. Not only does Ned realize he’s a knuckleball, but he discovers that he can be a hero, too!
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| The Foul Ball gang. |
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| Knuckleball Ned saves the day! |
So, here's to the little guy, the pushed around kid, the student who "wobbles"...
there's a brighter day, ahead. Be brave, be yourself and hang in there!
... (wobbling) back to the drawing board.
Here is the latest children’s book project. I can’t say much about it but I will say that it involves a few elfies. I’ll explain, later.
You might guess the subject by the artwork, seen in my elfies….er, I mean selfies.
Let me be the very first to wish you a Merry Christmas, 2014.
More project updates, to come...
Ho-ho-ho…from the stu-di-o!
By: Kathy Temean,
on 12/21/2012
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Writing and Illustrating
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Barbara Johanson Newman was featured on …. Click Here to View.
Sarah Dillard was featured on August 19th, 2012. Click Here to View.
Roger Roth was featured on July 7th, 2012. Click Here to View.
Kirstie Edmunds was featured on August 4th, 2012. Click Here to View.
Vin Vogel was featured on November 10th. Click Here to View.
Brian Bowes Ichabod’s Ride Home. He was featured on May 12th, 2012. Click Here to View.
Lisa Achin was featured on October 27th, 2012. Click Here to View.
This is from a new collection of black and white work that Leeza Hernandez created for a gallery show in September. It’s Oliver Twist! The title of this piece is “Please, Sir …” Leeza was featrued on June 30th 2012. Click Here to View.
Jill Dubin featured on August 25th, 2012. Click Here to View.
Nancy Armo featured on April 28th, 2012. Click Here to View.
Kathleen Kemly was featured on April 7th, 2012. Click Here to View.
Tim Bowers was featured on July 28th, 2012. Click Here to View.
Ruth Sanderson was featured on March 17th, 2012. This painting was from a two-day painting workshop Ruth taught on August 10th and 11th at the Norman Rockwell Museum. Click Here to View.
Kevin O’Malley was featured on April 21st, 2012. Click Her to View.
Kris Aro McLeod was featured on February 11, 2012. Click here to view.
Sandra Salsbury was featured on March 24th, 2012. Click Here to View.
Betsy Snyder featured on …. art from a baby collection I did for Papyrus (inspired by her book HAIKU BABY. Click Here to View.
Melissa Iwai featured on October 13th, 2012. Click Here to View.
Gabrielle Grimard was featured on October 20th, 2012. Click Here to View.
Juana Martinez-Neal was featured on December 8th, 2012. Click Here to View.
Roberta Baird was featured on January 7th, 2012. Click Here to View.
Courtney Martin featured on January 14, 2012. Click Here to view.
Nancy Cote was featured on June 2nd, 2012. Click Here to View.
Michele Noiset was featured on September 22nd, 2012 … Click Here to View.
Joanne Friar’s Christmas card for this year. She was featured on March 10th, 2012. Click Here to View.
Louis Bergeron was featured on May 26th, 2012. Click Here to View.
Josée Bisaillon was featured on September 15th, 2012. Click Here to View.
Roberta Angaramo featured on February 18th, 2012. Click Here to View.
Kelly Kennedy was featured on February 25th, 2012. Click Here to View.
Kathi Ember was featured on October 6th, 2012. Click Here to View.
Cheryl Kirk Noll was featured on September 29th, 2012. Click Here to View.
Lauren Gallegos was featured on November 3rd, 2012. Click Here to View.
Jennifer Grey Olsen was featured on November 24th, 2012. Click Here to View.
Casey Girard was featured on February 4th. Click Here to View.
Barbara DiLorenza was featured on April 14th, 2012. Click Here to View.
Hazel Mitchell featured on February 19th, 2012. Click Here to View.
Anne Belov was featured on June 23, 2012. Click Here to view.
Robbie Gilbert was featured on August 11th, 2012. Click Here to View.
Elizabeth Stanton featured on May 19th, 2012. Click Here to View.
Susan Drawbridge was featured on May 5th, 2012. Click Here to View.
Sarah Brannen was featured on July 21st, 2012. Click Here View.
Alik Arzoumanian was featured on June 16th, 2012. Click here to View.
Sara Jane Franklin was featured on November 17th, 2012. Click Here to View.
Wendy Grieb was featured on January 28th, 2012. Click Here to View. Above and below two sculpture Wendy did of two of the characters in her books.
Jon Strommel was featured on September 8th, 2012. Click Here to View.
Talk tomorrow,
Kathy
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By: Kathy Temean,
on 7/27/2012
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Tim Bowers was born in Troy, Ohio, where he began drawing at an early age. His career in illustration grew from his childhood interest in art and an active imagination. Even then, his artwork reflected an ability to tell stories, using humorous characters.
Bowers continued his art education at the Columbus College of Art & Design (Ohio), where he would pursue a career in illustration. During those years, he was introduced to the work of many great illustrators of the past, including Howard Pyle, N.C. Wyeth, Maxfield Parrish and Norman Rockwell. He was influenced by the work of popular illustrators of that time, including Mark English, Bob Peak and Bernie Fuchs. This is also when he began collecting children’s books and admiring the work of Maurice Sendak, Wallace Tripp and Etienne Delessert. Such a diverse group of artists inspired Tim to explore his interest in both decorative and realistic imagery. He graduated from C.C.A.D. with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree.
Tim worked in a Dayton, Ohio illustration studio after graduating from college and gained valuable experience creating artwork for corporations such as Procter & Gamble, Kenner (toys), Huffy (bicycles) and Wendy’s. His drawings were also used for local television commercial storyboards and his cartoon characters were used to promote various products.
Bowers left the Dayton studio and was soon recruited by Hallmark Cards in Kansas City, Missouri. There, he worked in several humor groups and helped launch the popular Shoebox Greetings card line. It was during those five years in Kansas City, that Tim also illustrated his first three children’s books.
Tim Bowers and his wife now live in central Ohio. He has illustrated over thirty children’s books, including The New York Times bestseller, Dream Big, Little Pig! written by Kristi Yamaguchi and Dinosaur Pet by Neil Sedaka and Marc Sedaka. His work has been published in children’s magazines, his illustrations have been used on a wide variety of products and his characters have appeared on hundreds of greeting cards. Each year, Tim travels to schools and libraries to promote literacy and share his artwork with students.
Here’s Tim as he walks you thru an illustration from Cat and the Fiddle:
For The Cat and the Fiddle, I photographed my daughter in bibbed overalls. I positioned her and the fiddle to closely match the cat that I had drawn in my initial idea sketch. Then, I took several photos of the arrangement. The photos gave me information that was needed to paint the clothing and fiddle with convincing detail. It’s the combination of an imaginative idea and realistic detail that captures my interest.
1. Idea sketch (pencil drawing
2. Underpainting- Monocromatic value study (sometimes painted with acrylic washes).
3. Laying in areas of local color (background).
![]()
7 Comments on Illustrator Saturday – Tim Bowes, last added: 7/29/2012
Before Michelle Kwan, before the whole Tonya Harding-Nancy Kerrigan scandal, there was a figure skater who exhibited that perfect balance of power and grace: Kristi Yamaguchi. She had the high jumps and fast spins, but she also had a style and effortless elegance no one else could match.
OK, so why am I gushing? I used to be a competitive figure skater, but no where near the level of Kristi Yamaguchi. She was a role model to me. So today I’m very pleased to share with you her new picture book, IT’S A BIG WORLD, LITTLE PIG! And yes, it’s about figure skating!
First, let me introduce the main character, Poppy. Isn’t she cute? In her first book, she had the courage to DREAM BIG and chase after her goals.
Now, in the sequel, Poppy receives an invitation to Paris to compete in the International Games. She musters up her porcine prowess to travel far from home–with encouragement from her friends and family, of course.
When Poppy arrives in Paris, she’s overwhelmed. She doesn’t know anyone and doesn’t know where to go. But Poppy is great at making friends. She bumps into Li, a panda snowboarder. And Poppy finds out that even though they are from different countries, they “both smile in the same language.”
According to John Sellers, children’s reviews editor for Publishers Weekly, “There’s certainly a need for books that portray, mirror and show the value in all kinds of families: same-sex families, mixed-race families, stepfamilies, families with grandparents as guardians.” I also believe that books should reflect the diversity in the world around children. In my own neighborhood, there are families from Brazil, India, the Czech Republic, Spain, Portugal, China, Taiwan, Denmark, and Mexico. So I was pleased to see that Yamaguchi’s book introduces readers to animal competitors from all over the world.
Tim Bowers illustrates with such adorableness (is that a word???), bright colors and a jovial quality. You can’t help but smile at the wonderful world he’s created.
IT’S A BIG WORLD, LITTLE PIG brings together many cool themes (besides ice): following your dreams, making friends, diversity, independence, and doing your best. And it’s all rolled up in a figure-skating package! What could be more perfect?
Well, I’ll tell you! One hundred percent of Kristi’s profits from IT’S A BIG WORLD, LITTLE PIG will benefit early childhood literacy programs supported by her Always Dream Foundation.
10 Comments on Perfect Picture Book Friday: It’s a Big World, Little Pig!, last added: 3/9/2012
Thanks so much for joining in on PPBF!
1 Comments on Looking for a new pet? …how about a dinosaur??, last added: 2/4/2012
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Author: 
How absolutely GLORIOUS and MAGNIFICENT was EVERY single picture! Thank you, everyone, and thank you for taking the time, Kathy
Fantastic! Breathtaking! 
Kathy, Thanks so much for posting all these illustrators with links, (including me, last go `round!) — I know this is a huge effort, and it is very much appreciated. You provide a true showcase and portfolio for all of us. Mwah!
Jeanne
Wow! What an amazing array of talented illustrators. I second all of Donna Marie’s superlatives.
Thanks for showing more of the hugely talented illustrators we have in our SCBWI chapter. I wish everyone success in 2013!
Jeanne,
Isn’t it amazing to see so many approaches to illustrating? Lots of talent out there – You included.
Merry Christmas,
Kathy
Darlene,
They all aren’t from our chapter, though with the Internet, it seems like they all belong to us. See you have been making cookies. How many did you make? I have been sick, but hoping I will be get better in time to make some, too.
Kathy
Wendy,
Thanks for stopping by to see the artwork. It is amazing to see so many illustrations displayed in one stop. Next week, I am going to pick my favorites from 2012 Illustrator Saturday.
Merry Christmas,
Kathy
Wow, Kathy, I can’t imagine being able to narrow it down, but now I’m SO curious!
Feel better soon, I hope
Kathy- I am so pleased and proud to be in the middle of such a talented bunch of illustrators! Your blog continues to amaze and delight–so thank you! PS I hope you are feeling better — (I’ll bet your cookies are amazing, too).
Merry Christmas!