Memuco is, to put it mildly, awesome. He agreed to illustrate the cover of my book a while ago, and yesterday he sent me the finished products. He didn’t just do one, he did four. All four are the greatest Vaquita paintings I have ever seen. It was so hard to pick one for the cover, but I finally chose a beautiful painting of a mother and calf. But I will definitely use all of them for various purposes in the future. I don’t want to post them yet due to copyright reasons, but take my word for it that they are unbelievable. The book should be published by the end of the summer.
Tag Archives: book
Book illustration
I am going to give a sneak peek of the illustrations that are going to be in my book. The picture below is going to be for the “Taxonomy” chapter of the book. Also, William Whittenbury from the Muskwa Club has asked to use this picture for the introduction of one of their movies! I will post the movie series when it is completed. It promises to be awesome. Also, I will post some of the many drawings, posters, and projects my siblings and I have done in the past few years when I can.
My scientific sketch.
Muskwa Club
Recently, I was contacted by William Whittenbury, a member of the Muskwa Club (see Blogroll), a group that is currently working on saving the Vaquita. They are doing an amazing job, from presentations to videos to books to floats, they are really taking an immense step for public awareness. You can read more about what they are or plan on doing in William’s comment on About V-log. William has been very kind to me, inviting me to join the club, help write their video series’ screenplay, and is even willing to sell and display my informational Vaquita book at their presentations. William’s mom actually gave me a website that I can use to self-publish it! Dr. Tom Jefferson has already generously proofread it for fact authenticity and given permission to use one of his photos for the book. My brother and I are finishing up our illustrations for the book, and the whole thing is really starting to look like it could be a real success! I will give you further updates as they come.
My paintings
Recently I began playing around with the very basic computer art program, Microsoft Paint. Last week I did this 20-minute doodle:
Yesterday I did a much better painting (though it literally took 17 times longer to do) of a Vaquita’s face:
My brother and I have done a lot of hand-drawn illustrations for my book lately, but I won’t show those just yet. My brother is working on an Orca painting on the same computer program, and I promised him I would post it when he finished, so look out for that soon.
Marine Mammals of the World: A Comprehensive Guide to Their Indentification
A while ago I purchased Marine Mammals of the World: A Comprehensive Guide to Their Identification by Thomas A. Jefferson, Marc A. Webber, and Robert Pitman. It is an outstanding book, probably the best on Earth for Marine Mammals. It even has manatees and Polar Bears! Really the only reason I bought it (yes, I bought it, not my parents) was because of the Vaquita entry. It has great pictures and reliable information, and the best Vaquita illustration I’ve ever seen in a book. I’m not really asking you to buy it, but if you’re into marine mammals, it’s certainly worth every penny. It would also make a great holiday gift.
4th report
When I suggested reading the 4th Report of CIRVA, I myself didn’t even read it. However, a few days ago, I thought, I might as well read it. I mean, what’s the worst that can happen? Boy am I glad I forced down all 48 grueling pages. Not only was it the most detailed Vaquita paper I have ever read, it was the most optimistic. There is too much information in there for me to fully recap, but basically it states the Vaquita has a chance if the conservation process is accelerated. I strongly recommend reading it: http://www.vivavaquita.org/PDF/CIRVA2012.pdf. It actually is more fun than reading a novel.
First copy done
I just finished my first copy of my children’s book, “Vaquita.” Look for more updates soon. Also, my brother is doing a report on the Vaquita from my book. His teacher is the same one to whom I introduced the idea of a school fundraiser two years ago. Hopefully his report will refresh her interest and maybe the fundraiser idea. An idea is forming in my head about a Vaquita fundraiser (not the school one), and it might include chocolate bars. 🙂 Stay tuned.
Nets
Recently I have started another Vaquita book, this time a fictional adult novel. It is called Nets, and is about both a pod of Vaquita and a local fisherman. I am also still working on my informational children’s book, Vaquita. My brother and I are both painting Vaquita pictures to either sell or use for publicity. I will start to post some more artwork that my siblings or I have made in the past. I will post some progress reports in the future.
Coloring book
Check out ¡Viva Vaquita! and the Oceanographic Environmental Research Society’s new coloring/activity book, Anita the Vaquita! It is obviously not directed towards the older audience, but it is great for little kids! It mixes fun activities and coloring with accurate yet simple information. Even though you’re probably an adult, I recommend at least looking at it and giving it to a kid you know. If you are serious about getting an actual copy, comment with your email address and we’ll work from there. Thanks!
Online book
I was very pleased when I heard about an online Vaquita book! Check it out here: http://bibliotecadigital.ilce.edu.mx/sites/educa/libros/vaquita/htm/sec_3.htm. It was very detailed, and I was intrigued by the Native American legend.
V-log 