Inspired Project: The Little Mermaid Cover Art

I am an artist.

I still can't say (or write) that phrase without cringing inside, waiting for someone to laugh at me and call me a delusional poser. I suppose it's because I think in terms of title capped, mythical gods of creativity: Artist, Writer, Actor, Musician. However (and I think I read this in The Artist's Way, but I can't find it now), I am a writer because I write. Whether or not anyone ever reads--or judges--what I write is not the point. The point is that the act of writing makes a writer, just as the act of creating art makes an artist. Basically, practicing the craft makes me a doer of said craft by pure default.

So I've created some bad art and some very cerebral, stilted writing. But I've also produced a few pieces that made me pause and think, "Hey, I'm not that bad. Some parts of this actually look (or sound) kinda cool." I am no Da Vinci or Shakespeare by any stretch of the imagination, but I am comforted by the thought that the most brilliant artists create a lot of stuff they discard before getting to the pieces that really connect with people. And it is this logic that gives me the courage to put pencil to paper and attempt to express what I see. I know that I'll make tons of what I consider to be terrible art and trite writing, but I have to start somewhere. If it's what makes me come alive, then I simply must do it. I must exercise my verbal and visual muscles until it becomes second nature to shape sentences and direct brush strokes, until it feels natural to say, "I am a writer and an artist."

Recently, my dear friend (and a constant source of inspiration) launched Uncovered Cover Art, a site to connect children's book illustrators with art directors, agents, and children's book lovers. She put out a call for submissions of re-imagined children's book cover art. People can vote for their favorite covers and the top three artists win a copy of Show & Tell: Exploring the Fine Art of Children's Book Illustration. This was the perfect push for me to take on an illustration project that has a real deadline (voting closes August 30th, 2011 for the contest, but artists may continue submitting illustrations afterwards to show off their work). I realized that if I committed to doing this, then I couldn't cop out when I thought it was too difficult or convinced myself it was outside the realm of my experience and ability.

So here is the process I went through for this Inspired Project:

Step 1: I decided to submit an illustration. Then I set deadlines for myself, which I shared with my friend and accountability coach Pam during our weekly Artist's Way meetings.

Step 2: I went to the library and bookstore to recall children's books I might want to re-imagine. In the end, I chose The Little Mermaid by Hans Christian Andersen. Sure, I loved the Disney version and enthusiastically sang "Under the Sea" for months after seeing the film, even though I only remembered the chorus. However, I recalled reading a much more poignant version of the tale, in which the poor mermaid, unable to let the prince know that it was she who had saved his life, watched him marry another woman. Then she turned into sea foam. First of all, didn't people read and write in the story? Seriously! Just because she couldn't speak, doesn't mean she couldn't communicate with the guy. And how could she sacrifice everything for a guy? Had she no sense of self-worth? Anyhow, I was both traumatized and enchanted as a kid when I read this story.

Step 3: The initial sketch.

Step 4: A refined sketch.

Step 5: Tracing and transferring the drawing.

Step 6: Final illustration using a black pen and watercolor pencils.

Looking back, I actually prefer the looseness of the earlier steps in the mermaid's face. Also, I didn't quite express the sense of yearning I'd intended to capture. However, I'm quite please with how the lettering turned out. I believe that whatever style of art I choose to explore, it will involve words. If you want to comment or vote on my illustration, click here. Be sure check out all of the other re-imagined book covers as well. There are so many talented artists represented there! I am so honored that my work is posted with the other amazing artists' pieces, and I will strive to work at my craft to develop my skills and own my experience as an artist.