Wednesday, December 14, 2011

perfect princess day

The e-book (that's electronic book) that I did for JibJab Jr. is now available!  It's specifically designed for the iPad (which I guess technically makes it an ibook, too?), and like JibJab's most well known internet goodies, it has a special customization aspect to it: you can insert your little darling's FACE right into the picture!

Or your own face, I suppose.  

This is really only a tiny selection of the final illustrations...there are 22 pages of girly goodness in all.  
Here are a few pages from Perfect Princess Day:


This book has lots and LOTS of animation in it!  All kinds of stuff moves!  I didn't animate it though.  Some talented cats over at JibJab did.  


Because it was meant to be animated, and I knew that someone was going to rummaging through my photoshop files (which usually never ever happens in illustration), it was super important to keep all the layers organized and labeled and separated.  Which was extremely time-consuming, but also absolutely necessary.


Another thing unique to this project was the whole insert-your-face-here idea.  It took me a while to adjust my brain to the concept that there would be, and there was meant to be, a photographic face in the midst of my illustration.  I know it doesn't seem like a big deal but I was trippin', regardless.  That grey void is where your face is supposed to be.  


Considering the animation aspect was a new thing, too!  Although my background is in animation I honestly hadn't thought much about it in...well, a long time.  Setting things up and allowing room for limbs and wings and faces to move around was a (kind of) new experience.  


I had the chance to imagine my own versions of the classic princesses: Cinderella, Snow White, Rapunzel and Sleeping Beauty.  That was fun!  Because the photo head would inevitably be a child's, I wanted to keep the body proportions child like so it wouldn't be like, a baby head on a grown up lady's body.  Ick. The rest of the princesses are ageless but very young versions of themselves as well.  Also, I took every opportunity possible to make Sleeping Beauty asleep.  Lazy girl.  


Oh yeah, and I got to draw fairies, too!

What does it look like animated, you say?  Here are some clips from JibJab Jr.'s Vimeo:

Perfect Princess Day - Page 18 from JibJab Jr. on Vimeo.


There are  more clips on their channel, too!

You can get the JibJab Jr. app and this book from the iPad Book Store!  Oh yeah, and you have to have an iPad to read it.  (I don't have one either.)  



14 comments:

Anonymous said...

ahhh, congratulations, this is amazing!! and now, to buy an ipad, ahaha.

Betsy Bauer said...

Great stuff, Brigette!! Congratulations on a great book!

Mick said...

lovelly indeed. hats off to you are these wonderful designs

Kapuschati said...

Amazing! Looks so beautiful!

Nicholas Hong said...

looking really great! your art has great sensibility!

silly eagle books said...

what a beautiful book! I don't have an ipad, but my husband does--I will make him get this for our daughters--they will love it. We are huge fans of your 12 dancing princess book!

vanessa

Daron Leah Nefcy said...

AWWW!!!! This is amazing!

Kimberly Michelle said...

This is so wonderful! Your illustrations are awesome... and what a great concept for kids!

Vi said...

Love it!

Cindy Garber Iverson said...

Fantastic! Absolutely fantastic! I am such a fan.

Cindy at Rosehaven Cottage

Genevieve Kote said...

This is the cutest thing ever!

alessandro mengozzi said...

congratulations!

Hobo Divine said...

Oh wow what an enchanting world!
Great work Brigette!

Unknown said...

Hey, Brigette. I'm a big fan of the JibJab Jr app (now called Storybots)—I love all of the illustrators' work and I love reading all the books to my kids, but especially this one to my 2 yo, Sophia.

The illustrations are just beautiful, so I had to drop a line and let you know how much I dig 'em. =)

(And I recently finished illustrating a storybook app myself, so I totally understand the weirdness of handing over your PSD files, keeping all your layers organized, etc. Learning curve, indeed...)