Illustrations wanted, for our MMHC chapbook Options

[Guest__*]

Dear Jox,

Ha, made you sweat, did I !

As it happens, I was very flattened by your chosing my poem to illustrate !

I do think yho that the reversed text simply does not indicate what you want it too, having read your illus AND explans in detail before my last post !

I like the more solid flakes nearer the bottom, but think there should be some (a few) further up as well, and "Street lights struggle to shine" should be cone-shaped, with the last words yellow-pooled, you can adjust the letter sizes to make the cone good.

Perhaps the grey square could be a window, rather than a house.

All these are just ideas, as I think the poem is mine, so I think the illus should be yours ....

As you say , the text is integral.

Love
Alan

[Guest_Cathy_*]

That's great!  I never thought about it being looked at through a window. :pharoah2


 :snowflake:  :holly:

                 

[Charon]

I'm curious where will you find black printing paper?  If not you will use a tremendous amount of ink printing that cover.  It is awesome, however the ink issue could squelch it.

Charon

[Guest_Jox_*]

Alan - thank you very much; I'll reply to you a bit later, if I may

Cathy - Thanks!

Butch, hi...

I hadn't assumed this was going to be printed at home; thought it was screen or litho - digital. If one attempted to print it on an ink jet it would, as you indicate, be a disaster.

Sorry, I'm used to sending my stuff away to a printing firm... I assumed Lori did that; don't know. Lori?

I also thought it was an inside illustration to one poem - much smaller than the original. I have left no bleed area (which would be necessary for a full page).

Moreover, it was only a suggestion - showing the style.

Thanks for liking it, though.

James.

[Aphrodite]

Hey Lori~

Of course if you need my help or artistic flair, I am more than willing!

Let me know. Pen and ink, pencil, charcoal, etc.....your call!

Happy holidays.

Lindi

[Cleo_Serapis]

Butch, hi...

I hadn't assumed this was going to be printed at home; thought it was screen or litho - digital. If one attempted to print it on an ink jet it would, as you indicate, be a disaster.

Sorry, I'm used to sending my stuff away to a printing firm... I assumed Lori did that; don't know. Lori?

I also thought it was an inside illustration to one poem - much smaller than the original. I have left no bleed area (which would be necessary for a full page).

Moreover, it was only a suggestion - showing the style.

Thanks for liking it, though.

James.

Hi all.

James - I do all the design and printing of our chapbooks here at home on a commercial laserjet printer.

I Do try and stay away from dark backgrounds if possible and YES -these artwork ideas and submissions will go on the inside of our chapbook.

Hey Butch - do you have any ideas for the cover design?

Of course the title will be something like:

MOSAIC MUSINGS LLC
Holiday Classic 2004

[Cleo_Serapis]

Hey Lori~

Of course if you need my help or artistic flair, I am more than willing!

Let me know. Pen and ink, pencil, charcoal, etc.....your call!

Happy holidays.

Lindi

Of course Miss Lindi!  :lovie:

If you see a particular submission that you'd like to draw something for, please mention it here....

James has started a design for Alan's poem, "Silent Night, Vienna"....

HUGS!
Lori  :xmas:  :dance:

[Guest_Jox_*]

OK, I think I know what I need to now. Thanks all.

Thanks Alan for your suggestions...

Next week I'll try to produce something based on my original, now I know more parameters and suggestions.

I am very envious, though, that Lori has a commercial colour laser printer. My Crimble stocking is not big enough, obviously... must obtain a larger size!

From the info given it seems bleed areas are irrelevant.

One final q to Lori - what size would you expect a poetry illustration to be (as printed in the book, that is)?

Thanks, James.

[Cleo_Serapis]

One final q to Lori - what size would you expect a poetry illustration to be (as printed in the book, that is)?

Thanks, James.

Hi James.

I generally make them around 300 x 200 or 400 x 600 (OR I take a larger image and shrink it down).....

About that stocking..... remember what we discussed recently? Expenses - printer and ink cartridges included....

[Charon]

James and Lori,

You are right with the commerical color laserjet.  The printer is cheap the ink requires a mortgage.  This fall I created a 400 page story of my family history called Cousins.  Printed 20 of them and broke the bank.  The cartridges are such small things.  I found myself printing in sections, so I could do the illustrations on one and use by laser for the text.  

Lori,

Unfortunately I am not an artist, just a good layout man.  I can take others drawings and be creative.  I have Corel Draw, Jasc Paintshop, plus others.  I'll see what I can do.  My wife is the one with the talent as you can see with her illustrations in Jingle Bells.  By the way sold or given away almost one hundred books so far.  Nearly completed next years story.

Happy Holidays

Charon  

[Guest_Jox_*]

Hi Lori / Butch,

Thanks...

I assumed you shrank larger images for quality.

Yes the costs are not cheap, I know. (I've been round various dealers of late looking a colour lasers).

I use an Epson colour photo inkjet and an Hewlett-Packard monochrome laser for proofing - and direct printing if I ever need that facility. (As well as general work for myself). No printer is perfect for proofing really because the CMYK never seems to match that of printers. I seem to end-up hitting myself over the head with Pantone swatches!

I would like a colour laser to take small jobs in-house. Some people want notices and posters yesterday and it would be great for that. Your idea of publishing also has appeal but it would take the equipment which you have.

Colour lasers are now "cheap" (£250-£500 here - were £5,000 last time I seriously looked at them) but the sting is in that consumables tail - beware anyone!

There is a great deal of labour involved too and, for production, it is easier for me to just hit a button and send the material to the printer in Nottingham (150 miles from here) than struggle with paper, toner cartridges and so on. In the old days when everything had to be pasted-up on paper and posted it was a real pain but that "send" button is really attractive.

For interest, maybe: "My" Nottingham Printers

Nevertheless, for small jobs and in-house inaccurate proofing, a colour laser would be just the thing. As I said, though, I start to be tempted to use it for much more and that would be the sting.

Thanks for the info, cheers.

James.

[Cleo_Serapis]

James and Lori,

You are right with the commerical color laserjet.  The printer is cheap the ink requires a mortgage.  This fall I created a 400 page story of my family history called Cousins.  Printed 20 of them and broke the bank.  The cartridges are such small things.  I found myself printing in sections, so I could do the illustrations on one and use by laser for the text.  

Lori,

Unfortunately I am not an artist, just a good layout man.  I can take others drawings and be creative.  I have Corel Draw, Jasc Paintshop, plus others.  I'll see what I can do.  My wife is the one with the talent as you can see with her illustrations in Jingle Bells.  By the way sold or given away almost one hundred books so far.  Nearly completed next years story.

Happy Holidays

Charon  

Hahahahahhaha - you are so right Butch!

Well the printer wasn't that cheap but the ink cartridges are a fortune! And one needs FOUR to get all colors right!  :wall:  Soon we'll probably need to stock up but so far, still on the originals....

I seem to have created a certain pattern to designing our chapbooks.  :detective:  I copy the content in from Word to Publisher first, placing the tiles as best that I can use the space provided and choose the font next. Once that's complete, I then go searching for images (yes James, larger at first, then I shrink them down using Jasc Paintshop Pro) to fill in any white space that may be left to work with. The problem for me is when the image is small to begin with, I can't really enlarge them much as it distorts and ends up looking pretty crappy, so I will then look for a substitute...  :speechless:

For our "Spectacle" short story Butch, I took real images and turned them into chalk art of the Colleseum & Gladiators which was fun! We'll have to get back to that one soon.....  :vic:

Yes, Lou did a great job in "Jingle Bells" as the illustrator and you as the writer. Thanks again for the copy, I've read it twice now!  :present:

WOWOWOWOW! Congrats on your book success thus far!

Cheers!
Cleo  :cloud9: