Welcome friends!

Thanks for stopping by. If you’re new to the CREATE A CHARACTER Activity, this is my first batch of results since 2021. I took a short break last year to work on my 2022 picture book, MY NAME IS NOT ED TUG.

It felt great to jump back in and experiment with characters this week! Did you and your child give Activity sheet #140 a try this month? Or did you create characters on your own? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

This week, I worked on all of my character designs versus breaking them up throughout the month (pencil sketches, pen sketches, draft post, etc.). And on Tuesday, I received a delightful surprise! A local artist shared his character designs with me!

Please welcome Ken Eaton! Ken is not only a freelance illustrator but also, an automotive engineer! We met at a summer sketching event hosted by our local SCBWI chapter this year. Ken shared his watercolor sketchbook with us and we were in awe of his nature studies. Every sketch was stunning and looked so effortless. Learn about Ken and his work here. Check out his completed Activity sheet below. Thank you Ken for sharing your characters on the blog this month! I hope you had fun!

Before we zoom in on results, let’s talk about inspiration!

Where did this month’s shapes come from? Here are clues I shared in my last post…

We visited a building in Detroit.
It opened for service in 1825.
This popular gathering space has a cozy section just for kids!

We collected shapes from…the Detroit Public Library!

Can you spot the shapes below?

Top left: sculpture titled “Exploration”, Top right: ornate ceiling tile, Bottom left: Mosaic for Literary and Learning artwork titled “Music” created by Burton International Academy Students, 1919 Pewabic fireplace designed by Mary Chase Perry Stratton and Horace Caulkins.

Have you been to the Detroit Public Library before? There is so much to see, especially in the children’s section. The Mosaics for Literacy and Learning Project is on display. These bold and colorful murals were created by Detroit Public School students and reflect different themes (i.e. Music, Read, STEM). Maybe you’ll find the mosaic that inspired Shape #3?

Let’s move on to character designs! Introducing Shape 1…