For a while, I’ve wanted to hire some illustrators to help me populate this site with more imagery. Until the book was finalized, however, I knew it would be a distraction to help me procrastinate. Believe me, writers have an endless variety of options to help with that. Just look at our search history.

Now that I’m working on publishing the book, I have time. I recently hired Danny Givens, who was recommended by another creator I admire. Danny was looking for work and I was looking to hire. Sometimes, it’s as simple as that.

I’ve worked with enough illustrators, designers, and writers to know when to provide direction and when to butt out so they can follow their creative impulses. I’m not going to dictate lines and shading any more than I’m going to dictate seasonings to a chef. It’s the same kind of freedom I appreciate when I’ve taken on a writing job. In my experience, it results in a frictionless relationship. And that’s certainly what I experienced here.

In a recent conversation with another illustrator, I described my philosophy for my art.

I want to give readers enough detail for a scene that allows them to complete the picture in their own minds. It’s a kind of hand-off. In this way, however, I relinquish some control of the story and ownership of it. And that’s perfectly fine. If an artist wants to maintain iron-fisted control over the interpretation of their work, they probably have to keep it hidden from the world. And unshared art is a shame, IMO.

So, I provided some basics about the character and suggested four types of scenes that might make a good visual:

• Solitude: Tildy perched impossibly upon a branch
• Action: fighting some of the monsters in the book
• Friendship: saving her friend Marklin
• Family: time with her adoptive mother

I let him choose what spoke to him, and then I provided some specifics. Here’s the first sketch, which captured the essence of the scene I provided.

After I answered some probing questions about finer details, Danny made some updates and shared his progress, which I appreciated. After not too much time, we had a final version. I have to confess, it’s a thrill to see Tildy come to life after living in my head for nine years. It’s also rewarding to realize that I can provide just enough description so another person is able to fill in the blanks and deliver this:

I loved Danny’s communication and customer service. From the start, he conveyed a strong desire to deliver an illustration that matched my vision, and he also made it clear that my satisfaction was very important. Upon completion of this project, I immediately told him we would be working together again. I would highly recommend him to others, as well. Five well-earned stars. Here’s another link to his Insta.

If you’re a creator of any kind, I hope you’re able to make worthwhile connections with other artists. If you’re an illustrator looking for work, message me on Facebook or Instagram so we can discuss what magic we can bring to life!

Mike

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