THE WOLF KEEPERS: Book Release

September 29, 2016By Alice Ratterree

My latest illustration project by author Elise Broach with Henry Holt and Co. will be hitting the shelves on October 11! THE WOLF KEEPERS follows the adventures of Lizzie Durango and her new friend Tyler as they uncover a mysterious illness plaguing the wolves at her father’s zoo. In keeping with the tradition of many of her novels, … Read More

Book Release: LILLIPUT

July 30, 2015By Alice Ratterree

This weekend marks the birthday of LILLIPUT written by Sam Gayton, published by Peachtree Publishers! A thrilling sequel to Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels, this mid-grade novel is certain to capture young readers, introducing them to the fantasy genre while paying homage to a beloved classic. It was so much fun creating the cover and interior illustrations. I immediately fell in love with main … Read More

News: Let’s blog hop around the world…

December 19, 2014By Alice Ratterree

This week, I am joining an international blog hop. So what ever is a blog hop anyway? you might ask….It’s is a way of blogging in which one blogger introduces a topic of conversation and then invites another to continue the conversation the following week on their own blog, who then in turn invites someone … Read More

Illustrating Mother Goose

August 10, 2014By Alice Ratterree

One of my favorite annual events is Metropolitan Arts Council‘s “Flat Out Under Pressure” (FOUP) contest. In its fifth year, this program intertwines visual arts and sound environmental practices in downtown Greenville.  FOUP provides eight recycling bins for paper, plastic and glass in various locations along Main Street, encouraging recycling among pedestrians while creating a different exhibiting opportunity for visual artists. The … Read More

What size should I illustrate my children’s book?

June 6, 2014By Alice Ratterree

So you’re going to illustrate a children’s book. Congratulations! Before you grab a brush and start on a piece of finished art, a few decisions must be made. To name a handful : how many pages/spreads there are, where the type needs to be placed (this may be flexible), color or black and white, spot illustrations (small drawings that stand … Read More

Re-illustrating a classic

April 11, 2014By Alice Ratterree

One treads on sacred ground when it comes to re-illustrating a classic. The classic has already reached the status of, well…a classic. So, is there a reason to “fix what ain’t broke”? Here’s a nice presentation by Lexington Public Library Children’s Librarian Meggan Conway on the subject.  Meggan has also set up a website devoted to … Read More

How to illustrate a map in a hand-drawn style

March 28, 2014By Alice Ratterree

Recent editorial work for Town Magazine involved an illustrated map of the Swamp Rabbit Trail. The process, while brand new to me, proved to be very rewarding. It began with a conversation with the editor, in which she provided the key places along the trail that would be highlighted. Initial (messy) notes: To start, a soft-green … Read More