Below is one of the first notes from my editor...
"As cute as Pirate Girl might be, she’s simply too similar to Dora, and this would be the first thing reviewers comment on. I’m sure you can understand that we want to ensure nothing detracts from the merit of the story and the book overall, and just as important, that your work as a new and not-yet well-know illustrator is seen as fresh and original rather than derivative."
Well, I didn't know what derivative was, but I certainly didn't want any part of it! Back to the drawing board!
1. I started playing with different hair colours and styles. Because I had already designed a Pirate Girl logo mark, I immediately took to the double ponytails look. The stylized skull and cross bones fit perfectly with our female protagonist's new hair style! I tried different hair colours, but in the end kept the dark brown hair (to help contrast her lighter skin tone.)
2. I originally wanted keep Pirate Girl's shirt a strong bold red. This would also allow for her to really pop on the earthy blue and green backgrounds. However my editor pushed really hard for something fancier and I agreed to try a red and white striped pirate shirt.
3. After slapping on a fancy skull belt buckle and a some cute freckles - our heroine was ready for adventure! While the white stripes does get a bit muddy in some of the wide shots, I have grown to love her new look!
Success!
