Rough 'Rejects'

I'm working on illustrations for a kid's book. During the COVID shutdown I answered a call out for creative collaborators from an emerging author in my small town. The writer is unpublished and I am 'unpublished' as an illustrator (in relation to books anyway). There won't be any money in it unless or until the book gets published and people buy it. I can't say too much about it but I have been developing some of the drawings. It's an interesting process - people have different ideas in their heads and they 'see' things differently in their imaginations. 

We have pretty much established what the main character will look like so I have been doing some mockup drawings for a plane. Here are the rejects - from above to below, in chronological order.

After this I went back to a more 'traditional' look (below), but that didn't work either.

There is now a final rough version (not included here) which is brightly coloured and more suitable for kids.

It's only a short story but it will be a lot of work. Which is OK at this point in my life because I am not doing anything much in my own creative space. I feel as though I've done and said everything I want to, at this stage anyway. Collaboration is a new challenge. It's also a sign that I have 'matured', because as a younger artist, I wouldn't have been able to compromise.

Images: Author, digital 'roughs'.