1) How does Kim "do" her artwork?
In general, Kim likes to render images as she sees them in her mind, and taking real things and making them appear like different real things. She also likes using natural objects. For example, in AFRICA CALLING, the stick on which the chameleon is walking is real, and the tree the zebra is hiding behind is made of leaves.  In fact, many leaves on trees throughout the book are made from herbs and spices. The desert through which the snake is slithering is made from real sand, and the cliff that the lion is standing on is made from a single rock mined from our own backyard! Oh, and glue. Kim uses lots of glue.

Initially, Kim first paints a base plate in watercolor. She then applies layers of painted figures in conjunction with leaves, dried flowers, rocks and stones, herbs and spices, and twine. Some of the things she used in Rock-a-Bye Baby were pencil shavings, human hair (her daughter’s), a personally crocheted afgan (made by Kim’s mother), and various fabrics. To create the dimensionality, she places objects at different distances from the base plate. Transparencies are then created from the original art, color separated, and reproduced in four color process.

2.Do you sell the originals?
Kim would in fact sell some of original pieces of artwork used in books that she has illustrated. These pieces are not inexpensive for a variety of reasons. However, she would also be very happy to create pieces for commission based on images in her books (or other images - it’s up to you)! These, of course, are originals too–and less expensive to acquire than the actual pieces used in Kim’s books.

Another option is to purchase a giclée print of Kim’s art. To see what is available, click here.

3. What is a Giclée?
Giclée (zhee-clay): French for "to spray", The new print standard for museums, galleries, publishers, and artists, the giclée is known for its excellent color and sharp detail. Initially, the image is captured digitally after which the artist and master printer both refine it through a series of proofs, ensuring both clarity and holdout accuracy. A giclée print is the closest reproduction of an original artwork available today.

Archival quality paper onto which the image is transferred combines with specialized inks to feature close to a 90-year light-fastness and UV-resistance when stored appropriately.

4. Are you planning on making Giclée prints of other pieces?
Yes, although we’re not sure at this point which ones. If there is a piece that you are interested in from either AFRICA CALLING or ROCK-A-BYE BABY, please contact us at: info@dannyandkim.com

5. How do they get the 3-D art into the book?
This is where Danny's expertise as a production manager comes in.
Normally, two dimensional art is scanned on a scanner much like the ones you may have at home or at school, except that it is shaped like a drum:

it is round (cylindrical, actually). It gets wrapped around the glass tube as opposed to laying flat on a flatbed. Of course we can't wrap Kim's art around a drum scanner as it is inflexible (it won't bend). Therefore we take the art to a transparency house, and they make an 8 x 10 transparency of each piece. Sometimes, depending upon the technique employed by photographer, Kim and Danny will attend so that Kim can guide them as to how the lights should be positioned to ensure the shadows fall in the right places. When the transparencies are delivered and we approve them, they get sent in place of the artwork to the color separator who then wraps them around the drum scanner; in effect, they become the originals.

Then, just like with any other art, one piece of film is output for each of the four process colors: black, cyan (blue), magenta (red), and yellow.

From those films, proofs are printed, and when we have approved the proof for color, they print the final book.