I do however love using new materials whenever possible, as they encourage me to play more while I work.

I do actually begin with number 2 pencils! Once things float around in my head for a bit, I dive into sketches, which are usually the kind of chicken scratch no one can make sense of but me.įinal art I typically create using a good deal of watercolor and cut paper, which I then composite and fine-tune in the computer during the later stages of the process.

Where do you begin? Does the image always start with the good old number 2 pencils and progress from there? And, if so, which medium comes next? The illustrations in They All Saw a Cat were rendered in almost everything imaginable: colored pencil, oil pastels, acrylic paint, watercolor, charcoal, Magic Marker, and number 2 pencils. Considering how personal a project They All Saw A Cat was, and how much of my own experience ended up in the book, the fact that it has been resonating with readers is meaningful in a way that is tough to properly communicate.Īll that being said, my wife and I have a mantra, “Keep it about the work.” Goal number one is always trying to stay engaged with, and appreciative of, the creative process-whether that be digging around and exploring new interests or doing my best to stay present and playful when working with materials and creating images.Īll the excitement now that the book is finished is wonderful and humbling, but it’s icing on the cake, and I’m certainly doing my best to stay focused on the cake. Wow! How does this exceptional response to your work make you feel?īrendan Wenzel: I feel incredibly fortunate and appreciative! It’s beyond humbling to hear some of the very kind things people have been saying about the book. It has been claimed by an editor that you are “the next freakin’ Eric Carle.” Influential librarian Betsy Bird declared that she believes you have created the Caldecott winner for 2017. The Children’s Book Review: They All Saw a Cat is your debut picture book as both the author and illustrator. The Children’s Book Review | AugWe All Saw a Cat! And You Should Too!

They all saw a cat by brendan wenzel