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I think many people in the field of children’s lit would agree that author-illustrator Dan Santat<\/a><\/strong> is one of the hardest-working people out there. In fact, Minh Le at The Huffington Post<\/em> said as much<\/a><\/strong> recently. <\/p>\n His newest picture book, just out on shelves, is called The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend<\/em><\/a><\/strong> (Little, Brown). It’s a wildly imaginative story of friendship, tender and restrained. “[W]hile his immense talent was always evident, Beekle<\/em> takes his artistry to a new level,” Le adds over at The Huffington Post<\/em> piece. Below, Dan shares artwork from this book, as well as some deleted scenes and rejected covers. <\/p>\n As you’ll also read below, Dan schools us in the way of coffee. And I, for one, am happy to be schooled. I definitely learned a thing or two from his response, all the while drooling as I read. (Big coffee fan here. This “impossible things before breakfast” bit is only a ruse. A RUSE, I tell you! The truth is that I am capable of little to no possibilities till I have my mornin’ cup of joe.) This morning, as we chat we’ll have some of his own coffee, pictured here. (You can click the image to embiggen it and see it in more detail.) <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Jules<\/font><\/strong>: Are you an illustrator or author\/illustrator?<\/font><\/p>\n Dan<\/font><\/strong>: I would consider myself an illustrator\/author, though I\u2019d like to hopefully change that to author\/illustrator — someday. Some folks still just call me an illustrator.<\/p>\n Jules<\/font><\/strong>: Can you list your books-to-date?<\/font><\/p>\n Dan<\/font><\/strong>: Picture books:<\/p>\n Middle Grade:<\/p>\n Graphic Novel:<\/p>\n Jules<\/font><\/strong>: What is your usual medium?<\/font><\/p>\n Dan<\/font><\/strong>: The majority of the time I will work on a computer, using Adobe Photoshop and a drawing tablet. However, in the last few years I\u2019ve often tried to illustrate a book using materials that I feel lend themselves to the content of the story and incorporate these various elements on a computer. For the last five years, I feel like I\u2019ve been under constant deadlines, and the computer is just the most time efficient way to do things. I\u2019ve always been open to the idea of using various mediums together to add to the look of a project, and I\u2019ve always wanted to have a more organic feel to my books without it feeling forced. The computer affords me the luxury to experiment without losing time. In [Mac Barnett’s<\/a><\/strong>] Oh No! (Or How My Science Project Destroyed the World)<\/a><\/strong><\/em>, I actually screen-grabbed scenes of white from old movies so that I could overlay that gritty texture over my artwork in order to make it feel like a still from an old film. <\/p>\n![](\"http:\/\/blaine.org\/jules\/BEEKLEcutting.jpg\")
I also happen to think he’s one of the most talented. Carolyn Juris at The New York Times<\/em> notes what I like the best about his work when she described<\/a><\/strong> his mixed-media illustrations as “wild-eyed” and looking “as though they could bound right off the page and onto the screen.” That wild energy is part and parcel of what makes his work so intriguing, and there is often a refreshing irreverence for what your typical grown-up thinks a picture book should<\/em> be. And his comic timing? I think up-and-coming illustrators could learn a lot about such pacing by studying Santat’s illustrated titles. <\/p>\n![](\"http:\/\/blaine.org\/jules\/COFFEE_BAGSsmall.JPG\")
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\nAnd I’m putting out three<\/em> coffee mugs, since his clone may show up:
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\nLet’s get right to it. I thank Dan for visiting. <\/p>\n![](\"http:\/\/blaine.org\/jules\/beeklecover1.jpg\")
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