EClark1894 opened this issue on Dec 27, 2012 ยท 14 posts
CaptainMARC posted Thu, 27 December 2012 at 1:46 PM
This isn't really my world, but for what it's worth, here's some feedback.
A typo jumped out at me although I wasn't really looking for them: "they're prayers" should be "their prayers".
(As an aside: nobody in my somewhat secular humanist social-cultural circle is going to find this an acceptable book for their kids because of the prayers. That is not a criticism, and I'm sure you have a target audience with kids praying as the norm, I'm just saying...)
Story and writing style seems fine for your target demographic.
To be frank, the illustrations look a bit "cheap" to me. I'm surprised because I've seen some of your work and normally it's a lot better!
In particular, the second scene in the park, where one sees the kids from behind and a see-saw and slide in the background. The photo background is very obviously hacked together and the see-saw seems to cast no shadow. while in the next pic it casts two shadows.
Kids may not care about that, but consider that an adult - either a parent or a publisher - is going to be the person paying the money.
Oh, and in this day and age, packaging is everything. Make a funky cover with a stunning picture. It sounds a bit cynical, but it makes economic sense to spend as much time on your cover as on all the other illustrations put together.
The composition of the illustrations look pretty good to me, but the backgrounds don't work for me at all. I'd spend more time on that area myself, like using a decent 3d model of a bedroom, better grass textures, a better sky, that kind of stuff. Shoot for either realism or a toon vibe, you are stuck somewhere between.
Anyway, what do I know? I'm just a rock'n'roll cliche musician kind of bloke fuelled by curry and beer. But perhaps I've given you food for thought...