To color or not?

I appreciate everyone’s comments, support and help. Thank you very much. Spinneretta asked if I would be adding color to my last post or keeping it black and white. I wish I could make up my mind. I love the detail of pen and ink, but I tend to carry it to the point of a pointillism representation which is very time consuming. If I were to color it it would be by colored pencil. My cat, Maverick, here is an example of a prismacolor drawing I did for another book of mine (not yet finished as well, but I am finally working on it). I love prismacolors but they also can be time consuming. I've tried watercolor, but haven't cared for my results. Gouache could be an option.

So far I have written three picture books. One has several completed illustrations done but I'm no longer happy with the text. For a picture book, it is just too wordy. To rectify that I've cut the manuscript up into paragraphs (sometimes down to sentences) and am deleting the words I think the illustrations can and should tell. I'm fairly happy with the text of the other two, short and snappy, but am behind with the illustrations. Maverick is the only illustration I have for that story and that was intended as part of the cover.

My goal is edit the manuscripts to where I am at peace with them and then complete at least three illustrations per book, along with a dummy of each book. And then . . .well, I need to get there first.

In between, I plan on getting outside more and sketching. I am so amazed at the blogs I've looked at that I actually thought of deleting my own. I felt so inferior, but then-- thankfully, I got inspired. I appreciate everyone's blog and the work they showcase. Fantastic stuff!

Have a great day!