This plucky fellow is the illustration for another chapter of Jaimie Engle’s book, Clifton Chase and the Arrow of Light. You will have to read the book to understand how this all fits in (I smile).

To create these little drawings I always do some homework, and pencil sketches first. As I draw I imagine what the character sounds like and feels like. Have you ever held a chicken? Their feathers are soft, and they feel both fragile and strong at the same time.

When I was in junior high and high school my parents raised ducks and rabbits (to my dismay) for food. I, of course, made pets out of them (that may be why I was a vegetarian for 17 years of my old life). The ducks would follow me around everywhere. We had a small, spring-fed pond behind our house and I swam there in the summer. Sometimes I would float on a small air mattress and the ducks would paddle with me around the pond as I basked in the sun. If I sat on the ground with my legs crossed they would crawl up into my lap. I will never forget the softness of their feathers and how they each had their own personality. These are they types of things that float into my head when I am working on a drawing.

Yes, if I am drawing a human character, I have other thoughts that relate to that character. I may think about why he/she has a certain attitude, or what might be his/her favorite t-shirt. It seems that these silly things help me to understand my characters, and somehow, miraculously, unintentionally, those wonderful little characteristics appear in my drawings.

When you read about Clifton, you will genuinely grow to like him! You can find out more about Jaimie’s book by visiting her website. Stay tuned for more…

I love to hear from you. Enjoy.