From concept to completion

 

So many people have asked me "what does it take to illustrate a book?" The real question is, what doesn't it take?!  Patience and dedication are forefront (and a whole lot of caffeine is also important). Creating a book is a long process from start to finish, so you better get settled in.

As an illustrator, I usually meet the characters once the final manuscript has been handed to me. I take notes about what the author has mentioned about them: physical features, characteristics, personality, etc. And then it's my job to fill in the blanks. I have to get a sense of who the characters really are, and how to best portray them. Then I start sketching the characters in various different positions to get an idea of how they move in their environment.  After this stage I usually create story boards to figure out what will happen on each page of the book. As in the case of my current children's book, I am also the designer — so I am also responsible for choosing typefaces and layout. The fun really begins once I can start adding colour to my sketches. Right now I'm working from watercolour studies, which I then scan to create my digital illustrations. Quite a process, but the payoff is amazing. Stay tuned for a release date in 2013! *fingers crossed*