Here I am, on my children’s picture book adventure. I’m currently working on the illustrations for my fourth karate book that helps with kids building character. I am making a lot of progress. My helpful and valued art editors have been giving me feedback. It came out that our new main character needs a cowlick. And I need help in deciding which cowlick looks best on him.
What is a cowlick? Merriam-Webster defines it as “a lock or tuft of hair growing in a different direction from the rest of the hair.” Old folklore says that if your hair sticks up in a spot usually near the crown of your head, it’s because a cow licked you there when you were a baby. Thus we have the term cowlick.
So, here you see my cowlick test, trying out 11 different cowlick styles on this main character. This kid brings disrespect and trouble with him everywhere. But he’s just a young kiddo. And his heart is in the right place. He’s Michi’s cousin and she and Makoto hope to help him with building character and doing his best.
I would love your feedback on which of the 11 cowlicks look best in this picture. Thank you in advance!
Which Cowlick for this Kid Who’s Building Character?

If you’d like to see some other times that I considered various choices in my picture book adventure, click away. There was a t-shirt design conundrum for the book launch t-shirt for my third book. Before that, I shared the quitting monster’s color tests for my third book. And the evolution of the dishonesty spider monster for my second book. And the color tests for my first book.
For me, if I don’t work on my books or writing for several days in a row, I feel that something just isn’t right. I feel off.
And even if I only work on my books for a short time each day, I feel that all is right with the world, even if it’s only for that short time. That sense of peace does carryover somewhat throughout my day as well. Those cues tell me that I am doing what I was meant to do in my life’s adventure. Do you have something that when you are doing it a sense of peace permeates you? Some people call that your bliss. Follow your bliss.
-Jenifer Tull-Gauger