Daydream Charlie Kids' Book
Digital Painting, Fractal Design Painter (now Canvas), Strata 3D, and photoshop.
The story
Daydream Charlie is a Kids’ Book I wrote and began illustrating in 1995. It came close to publication by Little, Brown but ultimately the antagonist (Charlie’s Wld Imagination – the chubby stripey guy with the bulgy eyes and curly hat) was seen as too scary.
The concept of the book is that Charlie runs from his wild imagination who has whisked him off through the closet to a diverse world of jungles, deserts, seashores, the deep ocean, a prehistoric island and some snowy mountains until eventually they reach a medieval castle.
One spread features Charlie hiding, and readers are encouraged to find Charlie, who is hidden in the background. The alternative spread shows him running through a new environemnt, populated by slightly anthropomorphic, costimed animals and bubble-headed people.
As a bonus one can also try and search for a gecko, a bug, a musical instrument, a game, his wild imagination and his grandmother, dressed as a witch, as well as his grandmonther’s ginger cat on each double spread page. The alternate spreads feature Charlie running through a new environment.