Scenes from my Sketchbook #5: Inspired by Nobody

Day 190:  Well I decided on what book to use for the Covered in Stitches contest (link on the right there)....

Neil Gaiman's The Graveyard Book....

in which a boy's family is murdered and he escapes to an old graveyard to be raised and protected by ghosts of all ages.  The boy is given the name 'Nobody'.  It really is a good read but I won't spoil it any more so go read it yourself.

But in case you are interested, here were the other contenders my family came up with: 

Coraline

StarDust

Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH

Go Dog Go

Macbeth

Robert the Rose Horse

The Wolves in the Walls

Spirited Away

Howl's Moving Castle

Bunnicula

Lots of variety but a lot of the macabre so in the end the vote went to this book.  The Graveyard Book, Coraline, The Wolves in the Walls and Stardust (with one part edited out for younger ears) are great read alouds and the first two are particularly spooky this time of year~but a good spooky where it totally creeps the girls out but they are clamoring for more.  Halloween is our favorite holiday and we have our annual books to read aloud...we do Christmas ones too we're not all about the dark....its just so much fun though!

Preliminary sketch without many details for the book cover.  Not sure about the background, plants or statue yet.  On Thursday I will show you the start of the embroidery.

Great cover but not the one you normally see...the blue  one with a headstone is more common.  Credit for this and all images below.

Aren't these amazing sketches and art by Dave McKean??  I just love how they really grab you into the story.

Might use some ghosts and a better headstone/cross in the illustration instead of my initial sketch.

Between this one and the one below you can see my inspiration.

I always love to see my initial ideas come into being.....this is all such an organic process for me and I just go with my feelings as I am sketching/stitching/creating so I am sure to see things change as they take on a life of their own.

What will you create today?