Tag: craft
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Upcycled Messy Sketchbook Project
To celebrate the cover reveal of BELA AND LILY (Published by Kokila, an imprint of Penguin). I created an upcycled DIY messy sketchbook project! 🌼 What is a messy sketchbook? It’s a no-pressure, creative space to doodle, draft, and play. There is nothing like scrap paper to say, “Don’t overthink it.” Video Tutorial Watch this…
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Free Printable: Sharpening The Pencil Guided Journal
You’d think that after illustrating a few books, I wouldn’t need a Drawing Fundamentals class. But here I am, all summer, at my local city college, a HB pencil in hand, sketching still lifes alongside a group of students ranging in age from 18 to 80. Listening to Professor BrontĂ© say, “Don’t forget to sharpen your pencil!” Why? Because part…
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From Sidekick to Spotlight: Why Every Kid Deserves to See Themselves as the Hero
My niece, Niah, holding Lulu In The Spotlight: A South Asian Wedding Story. “Look, she has brown skin and curly hair like you.” A mom whispered to her daughter while pointing out the cover of Lulu in the Spotlight. I’ve heard this sentiment from moms of different backgrounds and it gives me chills every time.…
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Meet Lulu: A Peek into My Character Design Process
When I was five years old, my idol was Punky Brewster. She was a fun, free-spirited girl who faced challenges with courage and creativity. I was a kindergartner living in a new country, and she was everything I wanted to be. So when I brainstormed my first picture book protagonist, I knew she had to be…
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Behind the Book Cover: MOON’S RAMADAN
When you go to the library or bookstore there are so many books to choose from! Sometimes you do need to judge a book by its cover, or at least it’s cover jacket. The illustrator and the Art Director work together to create something that will attract the right reader to the story. Watch my…
NATASHA KHAN KAZI 