Sales & Downloads

Just a quick update - according to Lulu.com, "LOLITA: The Artwork" has been downloaded 431 times & 16 physical copies have been purchased!

Don't forget to take your copy with you and spread the word if you're attending an event for International Lolita Day. (photos are awesome, too!)

Links and Blog Posts

In this post I'll be collecting other links people send me that they've written or posted about the book:
EGL post is located here.

Josiephone
Art Full of Frills and Lace
Scream of Existence
the mustache lady
Lolita Tips
RainyIsle Sketch
Lemon Tree
Laiferr
wiiv (thank you Laiferr!)

Thank You!!

I want to thank all the contributing illustrators for your artwork and help throughout this process-this would not have happened without such a supportive community!

I know a lot of lolita events are scheduled for June 2nd (International Lolita Day) so it would be awesome if people are able to purchase copies to show off and talk about if you're attending an event. I know I'll have my copy with me at the Oregon meet-up.

I said at the very beginning of this project that I'd be sending out signed thank you art cards to all the artists who contributed-so if you'd like a thank you post card please email me your mailing address by May 31st. You'll receive a signed post card with one of my own drawings on it.
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Please help me to keep speading the word about the book, this is not necessarily the end of this project! If you have photos you'd like to share of events/meet-ups concerning the artbook send them my way and I'll compile a blog post with them. If you buy a copy, I think it would be really fun if people took a photo with their copy of the book.

Also, feel free to snag any photos off this blog to post on your own facebook/tumblr/blog etc. They're open to anyone who would like to use them.

And again, a HUGE thank you to everyone!

"LOLITA: The Artwork" Available Now

I am so excited to announce that "LOLITA: The Artwork" is finished and available for purchase now!

The book is set at cost (meaning no profit is being made, all money goes towards Lulu for the printing process) and is $28.50; I would liken the quality of it to a mook, rather like the Gothic Lolita Bible or AliceDeco. What you will be getting is a large, 8.5x11 glossy paperback book with 115 pages of full-color artwork from lolita artists across the world.

Purchase a copy!

Download the free .PDF

The following is the list of artists and illustrators you'll find inside the book:

00Lotus

Alfynith

Amanda Garcia

Ashandan

Becky K.

Cantarella-chan

Chibo

Chrystina Chan

Donni Smith

Emyria

Ewa Z.

Francisco J. Corona N.

Jeannette Krause

Jenny McClure

Jessica Unda

Judy Chung

Karina

Kat Herbert

Kitty Berry

Linda T.

lin-ko

Livija Dale

Louisa Eleftheriou

Lucretia Hoagland

Lulu Wu

Luna

Maike Gerstenkorn

Maria Trofimova

Maruka

Meri

Molly B.

Natalie Sketcher

Nora K.

Oli

Panda Princess Alamode

PinkGunDollhouse

Rachael Herb-Neterer

Rebecca Lusher

Sarah Makdad

Shauna L.

Skinniwini Hung

Sylwia Slowikowska

Trirose

Valina Eckley

vintageloli

Yoshi Marshmallow

the Zen Thing

Proof Copy Photos

The proof copy arrived much earlier than I expected, (yay!) so I took some quick photos with my phone to give everyone a sneak peak. There were some minor edits that needed to be made, but I definitely think the book should be ready in time for International Lolita Day.

Proof Copy

Just wanted to let everybody know, the book has been uploaded to Lulu (it's not viewable on the website yet, still set to private) and the 1st, and hopefully only, proof copy has been ordered! It should be here by sometime late next week.

Page #s

There has been some confusion about illustrations and their respective page #s. Do NOT go by the page # that Google Docs puts on the left-hand side of the document in the scroll bar area. To get your correct artwork page # you need to look at the artwork itself, where the # is on the bottom right-hand corner in pink, in a white circle.

I didn't realize when I uploaded this that Google Docs would append it's own page #s to the document; again please look for the # in pink on the page itself like in the screenshot below:

(click for larger view)

Review - due May 6th!

Happy weekend everyone! I am very close to ordering the first proof copy from Lulu, I just need a little help from all the artists before I do so.

I have uploaded a very low-res version of the book to Google Docs here. This is not the entire book, it only contains the artwork and artist information. What I need from everyone is another set of eyes to look over your information. The artwork is first, separated into different categories such as sweet, gothic, etc.  You will find the artist information starting on page 99, it is alphabetized by first name.

Please check for:
spelling accuracy (your name/email/website/etc)
page #'s match your artwork

If there is anything wrong with your information/artwork let me know in the comments section below or email me directly.


The deadline for this is May 6th!

I am ordering the 1st proof copy from Lulu on May 7th! I realize this doesn't give people much time but I want to get it ordered ASAP in case I have to purchase a 2nd copy because of unexpected errors.

Here is the link once again. Please let me know if you have trouble viewing it, this file is small enough I should be able to email it out as well, if you prefer. (it's about 12mb)
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(I just realized as I was uploading this, it's the first time everyone will be able to see each other's illustrations! I've been looking at them for so long now it didn't click in my head-please enjoy, there is some amazing work in here!)

New Cover Design

Thank you all for your input, with the help of a few other artists, please take a look at the revised art book cover:

(again, ignore the black bar around the edges, that's something Blogger does) I really hope people will be happier with this!

Cover Edits

Thank you guys for your honest critique on the front cover - it's never fun to get a bunch of negative reactions first thing but I'd much rather hear it before the book goes to print. I'll be keeping the same basic layout but am reworking it this weekend with another artist's help and am taking in everyone's feedback.

Hopefully by Monday or Tuesday next week I'll have something to show everyone!

Checklist

Wondering what step the book is at? I'll be updating this post along the way with my progress, so please check back here at any point to see where I'm at. My goal is to have the entire book finished by summer International Lolita Day, which is June 2nd. 


COMPLETED:
create blog & advertise
call to artists
all artwork submitted
post cover
receive cover feedback & revise
assemble all interior pages
edit back blurb & interior text
post low-res pdf so each artist can check bio information for accuracy
make any necessary edits
upload book to Lulu
order proof copy from Lulu
review proof copy
review final (2nd) proof copy


CURRENTLY IN PROGRESS:
post announcement on where to purchase finished book
spread the word! 

UPCOMING:
send out thank-you cards to artists
have party & celebrate, yaaaayyy!

Front Cover

I am so excited to be able to show everyone the front cover for LOLITA: the artwork!

(click to enlarge)

Please let me know your thoughts in the comments section, I'd love to hear what people think! (it will not have that black bar around the edges that the preview shows, that's just something blogspot does)

I AM open to suggestions as far as minor edits go, but I will NOT be doing another cover design from scratch. I am trying extremely hard to stick to the deadline. (Summer International Lolita Day 6/02)

The cover artwork is by PinkGunDollhouse (www.pinkgundollhouse.net), Ewa Z. (www.antygea.net and Zen Thing, (www.thezenthing.blogspot.com) from top to bottom. These 3 pieces worked well behind the font and I thought they personified the different styles (sweet, gothic, classic) quite well. If any of you would prefer your art to NOT be used for the cover, please let me know and I can replace it with someone else's.

Hope you guys like it!

(EDIT: I didn't see this at all while designing, but a couple people have pointed out the cropped versions of the images can look rather sexual if you don't know what lolita is. This is the exact thing I want to avoid, so I'll be moving the illustrations around to focus more on their faces, less on legs).

Illustration

The best part of doing this book project is being able to see everyone's illustrations as they're submitted. Since I get to take a peek at your guys' work before anyone else, I figured it was only fair for  me to post my own!

I call her "Lolita Mori Elf Moose Girl." (it's a working title, lol...) The lines are done with copic multiliner pens and colors are with Tria and Copic markers. If anyone is interested, you can check out the pencil and ink steps over on my art blog. Yes, a little shameless self-promotion thrown in here  :)

Next Step

Thank you to everyone who has sent in their artwork!

I still have not heard from the majority of the people on the list in the previous post - if you have not contacted me by now I cannot garauntee your illustrations will make it into the book.

I wanted to let everybody know what the next step will be for me, as a contributor and project coordinator. Currently I am finishing up the cover design, which I will post in the coming weeks so everyone has a chance to check it out. Then I will be compiling all the artwork I've received into Adobe InDesign where the book will be assembled. This entails creating the intro, cover page, copyright info, artist bibliography with everyone's name and contact information, and - last but not least - the artwork pages.

I seriously underestimated how long this would take in the last book project I did ("Midnight Phantasmagory") so my goal here is to have the book completed by JUNE for International Lolita Day. I know that sounds far off - here is a breakdown of what will happen inbetween now and then:

Post finished cover on blog
Assemble book in InDesign
Post low-res pdf so each artist can check their bio information for accuracy
Make any necessary edits
Upload to Lulu
Order proof copy from Lulu
Review proof copy
     (if proof copy needs edits, edit & then order 2nd proof)
Post announcement on where to purchase finished book

Whew! Ok, I think that's everything! If you have any questions on the process, please feel free to post them below.

(and as a side note, I'll be attending SakuraCon this weekend and have some pieces in the artshow. if you'd like to say hi, send me a message! i'll be attending the majority of the lolita-themed events)

Missing Artwork

A big thank you to everyone who sent me their work - this book is going to be...wait for it...LEGEN...

...DARY!

But I am still missing illustrations from MANY people. If your name is on this list, please send me your work ASAP. If I don't hear from you in 1 week, by 4/03, I will be moving ahead and compiling the book without your work. If your name is on this list and you DID send me your work, I am so sorry - please shoot me an email with it again. I've tried my best to keep everyone's work straight, but I may have missed some.

Missing illustrations:

Hannah W.

Kitty B.

YawN Ichigo Poe

gurliebot

Kittykaya

princess yi

Jodi L.

Jaimie B.

Noir

Aften x Zay

Mary C.

Kee S.

Brianna G.

Kasha K.

Jennifer

Fiammetta R.

Sweet Suzette

Oli

Alyssa M. B.

Angelica

Shannon S.

Blackcurrant

Emma S.

Karlovy

Susan B.

Bellicife

Bluerose

Vikkichan

Kitty Di Di

Amy B.

Shouri

Rachel C.

Mochi

Judy C.

Art Deadline

Deadline is today, please send your art in!

Early next week I will be posting a list of people I still need work from as well as a confirmation list of those I have received.

Deadline Upcoming

Just another reminder everybody - artwork is due in 3 days, on the 23rd.

Reminder

Just a quick reminder everybody - you have about 2 more weeks to send in your artwork! Deadline is March 23rd.

Advertising

When spreading the word about the art book, please use the tag, "lolitartbook" on blogs, Twitter, etc! (yes, that's "lolitartbook" spelled with 1 "a")

Deadline Update - 3/23

I'm getting a lot of comments and emails from people saying they need more time, so no worries everyone, the deadline will be extended by another month.

The new deadline for artwork will be 3/23/2012.

There was also some confusion as to whether people got accepted or not. If you signed up on the call to artists post, you were automatically accepted into the book. Like it says in the FAQ, there is no juried process for the art book, I would like to be able to accept everyone who applied.

And please, please, please follow the blog! I will try to remember to send out a group email each time I make a new post, but this is where you'll find all the updates/deadlines/information.

Thanks guys, let me know if you have more questions/concerns!  :)

Artwork Deadline 2/23

There is exactly one week left to submit artwork for the book! Illustrations are due next Thursday, 2/23.

If the majority of people are scrambling to finish their pieces, please let me know in the comments section below. I would much rather extend the deadline and have great work than everyone have to rush at the last minute.

Update

Hi everyone - so the blog is going to be a little quiet until the deadline. I'm busy designing the book layout, compiling the artwork and working on my own pieces. If you've already finished your work, no need to wait til the deadline to send it in; you can do that anytime. Remember your bio photo too, please!

Artwork Submission Details

If you are a contributing artist, please read this post first and then the FAQ. If you still have questions feel free to email me directly at rneterer@gmail.com or comment on the FAQ post.


APPLICATION DETAILS:

The theme for the book probably goes without saying, it is lolita fashion I am looking for new, not previously posted artwork, please do not recycle old work for this project!

I WILL accept: traditional drawings, paintings, digital illustrations, etc (any completed 2D artwork)

I will NOT accept: 3D renders, photos, fiber art, unfinished sketches, sculptures, etc.

The book will be split up into chapters, each chapter being a different main lolita substyle. Therefore your drawings will need to fall into one of these categories:

gothic

sweet

classic

punk

boystyle

These categories will be fairly wide ranging, for example if you have an guro-lolita character she/he would be grouped under punk. The purpose of this is so we don't have many different categories with only 1 drawing in each.

If you are drawing a specific brand print, please note the name of it and the brand name when you email me. I want to be sure to give credit where credit is due for those designs.

Send your final work to: rneterer@gmail.com with "LOLITA: the artwork" as the subject. In the email include your name, email & website again. Your art needs to be a 300dpi JPG in CMYK. Title them in the style they fall under. Here's an example:

Name: Rachael H-N.
Email: rneterer@gmail.com
Website: rainyisle.com
1. Gothic 2. Sweet

Also attach a photo you would like to represent yourself, this will be used for the visual table of contents crediting you and your work. This can really be anything, if you are not comfortable using a photo of yourself, send a small drawing, a photo of your pet, etc. Keep in mind it's going to be quite small, about 150x200 px.

IMPORTANT: Please only send me ONE email containing all this. For organization's sake (and my sanity!) it will make it much easier to just get one email from each artist.

TECHNICAL SPECS:
"LOLITA: the artwork" will be printed through Lulu.com and will be hardcover casewrap in US letter size, 8.5x11in. Go here to download the page template, it's the 2nd to last option in their table of different sizes. Artwork needs to be submitted as a 300dpi .JPG and if you're drawing a background, make sure it is full bleed. This means it needs to go to the very edge of the paper. Please use the file called "FRONT" not "BACK" to layout your artwork.

The maximum # of pieces you can submit is 5. When you have completed your art, please email it to: rneterer@gmail.com with "LOLITA: the artwork" in the subject line.

FINANCIAL DETAILS:

As the project coordinator and for personal reasons, I have decided NOT to start a KickStarter campaign for this project. I do realize this may upset some people and I apologize in advance but I have chosen to make the book completely non-profit. Here's what this means to you as a contributing artist:

Unfortunately you will not be compensated for your work and you will also have to purchase a physical copy of the book if you'd like one. Lulu does not provide free copies to writers or contributers, I myself will have to purchase a proof copy and a final copy when the time comes. Books will be sold through Lulu's website AT COST (this means no markup) to keep them as affordable as possible.

The positive thing is, with no money involved, you are under no legal or contractual obligation to provide artwork even if you sign up as an artist. If something comes up and you cannot finish your piece, that's ok since this is completely on a volunteer basis. This book will be a great addition to any artist's portfolio; contributors WILL receive a free, high-resolution PDF version and a professionally printed mini-print from me with a hand written thank you note on it.


DEADLINE:

The deadline for submitting your artwork is 2/23/2012.

Thanks everybody and happy arting!

CTA Closed

Good morning everyone!

The call to artists is CLOSED, I am no longer accepting new artists; Kara will be the last accepted applicant.

CTA CLOSING EARLY!!

Due to the overwhelming response I've gotten in favor of the book I've decided to close the call to artists early. We have MORE than enough contributors for the book, and I don't want to end up taking on too many pages/artists and not being able to finish compiling everything.

The call to artists will now close 1/23/2012.

I realize it's very sudden, so if there's anyone thinking of applying who hasn't, be sure to do it this weekend! Again, call to artists now closes NEXT MONDAY, 1/23 instead of in February.

We are a GO!

I just wanted to say I am FLOORED by the response this project has gotten, in one day 17 people signed up and when I logged in this morning 32 are signed up! This means the book is a definite go! Soon I'll make another post with the artwork deadline.

Thank you everyone for your enthusiasm!

FAQ

Comment with any questions you have on this post, I will be adding them to the FAQ as the project moves along.

_______________________________________________________
1. Do the artists have to be members on EGL?
I am not requiring the artists be members of EGL. I just assumed most of them would be since this was my inspiration for the book.

2. How will the book be paid for?
Lulu is a print on demand service, which means you only pay for the copies you order. For more information regarding finances, see the call to artists post.


3. Will my artwork be judged and reviewed?
There is no juried process for this book, I would like to include everybody who applies. That being said, I do reserve the right to exclude artwork that is unfinished, such as pencil doodles on lined paper.


4. What medium are you accepting?
2D only - this is intended as an illustration project. Paintings, drawings, screenprints, etc are all ok. Please ask if you're not sure about your piece before starting.


5. Is only artwork featuring a human person dressed in lolita acceptable?
Although that was my original intent, your piece does not have to have a human in it. It should, though, have some sort of character in it. Landscapes can be beautiful, but the point of this book is to demonstrate the fashion, which needs to be worn by some sort of character. If your piece does not have a human in it, (a skeleton dressed in gothic, perhaps?) please make sure it falls CLEARLY into one of the categories mentioned on the cta post.


6. Do I have to use a certain program to develop my artwork?
No, you can use whatever program or 2D media you choose. The final image that you send to me must be a 300 dpi JPG, though.


7. If my piece has no background does it need a border?
No, please do not add a border to your artwork if it is character only, like this example.


8. How will my work be labeled/credited?
The back of the book will have a visual table of contents listing the page #'s and the corresponding artist's name, email, website and if desired, photo. I prefer not to put any text over the top of work for I feel it detracts from the piece as a whole.


9. Should I label my own artwork?
No, do not put any text over the top of your work that is not part of the piece itself. You will send this information in an email to me along with your work.


10. Should I send the template along with my artwork?
No, just send me the flat JPG of your final piece(s).


11. Which template should I be using?
2nd from bottom, 8.5x11 US Letter template





12. Trim? Live area? What does all this mean?
If you've never used a print layout template before, it can appear a little confusing at first. "Live area" is the absolute minimum space your artwork needs to cover. "Trim area" is where the pages will be physically cut by the printer. Due to slight variances in printing machines, the trim area will vary small amounts, so that's why there is some padding along the edges of the template. (called the "safety margin")


"Document size" is the full book size, before it is cut by the printer, so after it is trimmed the book should be exactly 8.5x11. When I say make your artwork "full bleed" if it has a background, that means it should go to the very edge of the template, so your piece will actually measure 8.625x11.25. But keep in mind that "trim area" will be cut away in the final printing so be sure not to place anything critical on the edges.


13.Can we use prints or dress styles that brands have come out with in our work? (eg, Alice and the Pirate's "Black Cat, Witch, Apple Tree" pattern)
There is no problem with you redrawing a pattern on your own, but if I see artwork with copied and pasted brand prints in it, it will not be printed in the book. (what I mean is, don't go to Google, take an image like this, and then paste it into your art) There will be a disclaimer in the book so credit will be given to all brand designs used.


14. Is there a maximum # of pieces I can submit?

Yes-the maximum # of pieces per artist is 5.


15. Can I draw a comic for the book?
While I realize it's still 2D art, the focus of this book is pinup illustrations so please stick to that theme.


16. Can I submit a 2 page spread?
Absolutely! Again, make sure it can fall under one of the themes. (sweet, classic, etc)


17. Is fanart allowed?
Yes-as long as it's obviously lolita fanart is no problem.


18. Can we draw a group piece with mixed styles?
Yes


19. Are monochrome (or semi-monochrome) pictures allowed?

Yes!

Call to Artists is Open

Artists' call is now open!

TO APPLY POST YOUR:

Name: (or nickname-this will be printed in the book)

Email:

Website: (or blog/tumblr/etc)

# of pieces you intend to submit & which category they fall into: (this can be changed later on, I am just trying to get an initial idea of how many pieces we'll have in each category)

PLEASE ONLY COMMENT ON THIS BLOG POST WITH THE ABOVE APPLICATION FORM. This post is meant exclusively for keeping track of contributing artists. If you have questions/other comments post them on the FAQ or email them directly to me: rneterer@gmail.com with "LOLITA: the artwork" in the subject line.

Welcome to "LOLITA: the artwork!"

Hello & welcome to the home of "LOLITA: the artwork."

What it is: "LOLITA: the artwork" is intended to be a full color art book showcasing EGL's worldwide artistic talent.

Why: I've seen multiple incredibly talented illustrators on EGL and have been wanting to make this book a reality for several months now. It is meant to give EGL artists a chance to showcase their art in a professionally printed medium and at the same time have a solid piece to add to their portfolio.

Where: The book will be printed using Lulu and when completed will be available for sale through their website.

When: Please look for the call to artists post within the next couple of days, all the submissions details will be available then.

Who: A little bit about me, your publisher/project coordinator! I live in Oregon and make my living as an illustrator/designer for a children's education company, but animation and worldwide fashion are what I love. I've headed up a horror-themed art book before, titled "Midnight Phantasmagory," so I  have previous experience in compiling and designing books like this. I've been a member of EGL for years, and Juliette et Justine is by far my favorite brand. If you'd like to know more about me, my personal art blog is here: RainyIsle

If you have any questions please feel free to post them below, and spread the word!