When I showed my wife the final version of “The Magic Wand” she asked, “How come it’s not in color?”
“This is a story about a pencil,” I said. “The drawings and the text all have to be done in pencil.”
“Well, they were,” she said. “But isn’t the pencil a kind of metaphor? I thought the story was about drawing and writing and the other creative activities one can do with a pencil, not the pencil itself.”
“Hmm,” was my witty response.
“I like your colorized drawings,” she said. “Why don’t you try it with color?”
So I did.
What do you think? Do you like the pencil version for a story about a pencil or do you like the colorized version?
Trent's World (the Blog) 
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I did the drawings for this almost exactly 2 years ago. Still a favorite. Oh, and the black and white/ pencil sketch version is here: https://trentsworldblog.wordpress.com/2014/05/02/the-magic-wand/
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Hi Trent, Love your story! I get the pencil theory, but young children relate better to bright colors. How about colored pencils?
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Thanks! Someday I may give it a go with colored pencils, I just don’t know if I have the patience ;)
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I like the pencil one better – it kinda feels more raw and works better with the writing at the bottom as a whole. Just…
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Just.. yeah, I know;) I go back and forth – the pencil one does hit the meaning of the story better. It fits, and it’s up to us to make the magic. As drawings I like the color ones. Well, usually.
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I do like both versions as well, but I prefer the color. The illustrations pop more, and I can see how a younger reader would be drawn in by the large pops of color. Alternatively, I can imagine a combination of the two, with some illustrations colorized and the other in the simpler pencil style.
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Hi Diana. I know what you mean. The color pictures definitely jump out more and I’m sure would be more appealing to a small child. If I were to self-publish this in hard copy I might have each page doubled, like the left side of the open page being a pencil drawing and the right side the colorized version. Maybe not all of them, but at least the first and last, or maybe the first two and last two and have the middle two just color.
Thanks for your comment!
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That’s a tough question, Trent. I like both versions. Personally, I actually prefer the pencil version. It depends on your visitor’s minds.
If the 5-year-old and the world he creates is focussed – especially for kids – the colourised version is appropriate; as it is for readers who want to see ‘everything’ without using their own imagination.
I like the pencil version as it is about a pencil. My mind creates the colours if I really want them.
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Hi Karen. I know what you’re saying, both versions have their own appeal. I guess if I were to publish it as part of a picture book I would use the color version, but as story about creativity and a pencil, well, perhaps the original is better. Of course if I were to do anything beyond the blog with the original I would have to get better pictures. Thanks for your comment!
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I prefer the colorized version :)
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I get it. It is definitely more attention grabbing. But then… I like them both in different ways. Thanks for your comment!
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