B is for Bigfoot: Behind the Scenes

"B" is for Bigfoot, An ABC Book of Wonderful Creatures
by Suzanne Nikolaisen and Matthew Smith

Behind the Scenes...
When I started on the cover art for "B" is for Bigfoot I was trying to be logical about it. "It's a cover. Reach for InDesign." But then as I was struggling to make it what I really wanted, I realized ... "I really should be hand drawing this." So I pulled out my drawing paper and drawing board, sharpened up my #2 pencil and went to work. The initial drawing was in 2B pencil, then black ink, and last of all I applied color and shading with Prismacolor colored pencils.

This fall has been a blur of "plein-air" (outdoor) painting, color theory and other classes as we continue on our way through our college art courses. Matt's rolling up his sleeves to help me finish color application then we'll be moving the book through the final stages of editing. We can't wait to share "B" is for Bigfoot with other fantasy and cryptozoology fans and their kids! There were no books like this when my daughter was little and now that fans of cryptozoology, fantasy, creatures, and the supernatural are coming "out of the forest" so to speak we think it's the perfect time to share our book about these wonderful creatures for the littl-er fans.

"A" is for Abominable Snowman, "B" is for Bigfoot & "C" is for Centaur...
"B" is for Bigfoot is more than another ABC book as the subject matter by default makes it a great story-telling companion and conversation starter whether at bedtime or on-the-go. Perfect to have on your iPad or mobile device for a bedtime read or when you're camping for fun storytelling. For example "B" is for Bigfoot depicts the redwood forest. With each letter of the alphabet you can delve into what the picture has to do with the mythos of the creature. For Bigfoot you can talk about the huge trees (show them the Nat Geo Redwood Portrait that features climbers in the trees), about the "Patterson-Gilmin" film taken at Bluff Creek in California, native American myths, Jane Goodall's study of primates and if you watch any of the Bigfoot reality shows--? "B" is for Bigfoot, the creature they're looking for.

"B" is for Bigfoot, 2 is on the publication schedule, but we haven't released a publication date yet. It will include more illustrations about the creatures and myths, legends and research about each creature. This book will be for older kids and adults.

Now that the physical cover art has been completed we'll be taking it digital for final processing, as we're preparing to release the book for preorders on the Kindle and Nook. Watch for links coming soon!

Watch for Updates on the Blog, Twitter, Facebook & Pinterest

You can follow SuzChirp on Twitter if you want realtime updates (like the link to the blog post "B" is for Banana Bread (and Bigfoot) and the pic of the cover nearly completed). We also have a Fabled Garden Press Facebook page and are on Pinterest too. For super easy updates, sign up to be automatically emailed each time we post to the blog (look for the form field on the right side of the blog to sign up and be sure to click to verify your subscription when you get the verification email).

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We're looking forward to sharing "B is for Bigfoot!" It's been so much fun to work on!

Suzanne

Copyright 2014, Fabled Garden Press (A digital press by Suzanne Nikolaisen and Matthew Smith)