How a Picture Book is Born

I was planning to write about the process of creating a picture book for a while.... I finally have a good example to illustrate all stages of this process. When I was starting out as an illustrator I desperately wanted somebody to share this information with me! Now I hope it will be useful to you!

It all starts with a test-drawing!!! If a Publisher doesn't have a suitable Illustrator for their story they usually ask an Art Agency to help. Art agency offers a few candidates from their lists and the Publisher chooses a couple to do a trial drawing. Usually the artists are asked to illustrate a page, or a spread, or some characters from the book. The Publisher wants to see how the artists "see" the story, how they interpret it and whether their approach is suitable and close to what they have in mind.

So, this time I was given the text for the story and was asked to illustrate the first spread. I loved the story! It was very hilarious!!!  Here is what I drew:

A few days later I got an e-mail saying that I got the job and I can proceed to the next stage.

The next stage is usually the work on the main characters. Although I drew them already, they were not quite right.... The Publisher asked me to develop them a bit further... I had to come up with different personalities and features for all of them.

Here is my final version of the monster family:

I had a few ideas for Pet Itch, so I drew several for the Publisher to choose their favourite:

After the main characters are finished and agreed on, I usually need to draw a couple of finished illustrations that can go in all the catalogues and advertising material. The book is put on the virtual shelf not when it is finished, but when it is started! 

In this case we decided to redraw the first spread amending the mane characters plus do one more drawing from the middle of the book which shows Pet Itch in all his glory!

So, here is the result:

Now when the marketing material is out of the way, I can concentrate on producing the sketches for the whole book. Some-times the Publisher decides where to put the text on the page, sometimes it is left to the Artist. This time it was a bit of both and I had a relative freedom to draw what I wanted and how I saw it. And that is the best way if you ask me!!! 

This book was a real pleasure to illustrate. I was laughing out loud while drawing! It was just so funny and quirky and I had a lot of fun imagining and sketching the pictures! I never even noticed when all the sketches were finished! They looked something like this:

The sketches were sent back to the Publisher to be checked and commented on. It is a usual practice to make any necessary amendments at this stage, before the illustrations go to colour. I patiently wait for the Publisher's respond and tweak  the drawings according to their comments to make sure that everyone is happy with them.

The next stage is colouring in!!!! And it is not done yet!!! I have another month to go before I have to submit the final illustrations! I will most definitely show you the drawings in colour and tell you what happens next - how the book is put together, published and advertised and how it ends up on the shelves....

That's of course if you want to know...

If you have any questions regarding the whole process - just ask! I will be happy to answer!

Illustration Friday - Storm

This is one of the little cards I have done for an overwhelmingly exciting project!!! I have helped to create an English Learning book for little children and their parents! It was a huge project and I had to draw a lot!!! And very soon I will tell you all about it and show you all the work! Believe me, there is a lot to show!!!

But, so far, I thought that this drawing was appropriate for this week's topic! So here it is!!!

Expecting!

Remember I told you about a set of drawings I am doing for my friend?

Here is another one! This is an illustration of a beautiful moment that Oksana had deeply cemented in her memory and that meant so much to her and to her family.

The girl in red coat is Oksana's older daughter . She came with her Dad to the hospital where her Mum was getting ready to give birth to the twins. She even showed me a picture of this moment!

You see, in Russia you are not allowed to visit mum's to be in hospital. You can only stand outside and peek through the window!

I was so glad to illustrate this moment... This drawing will remind the whole family of a very special and magical occasion, and when the twins are older, they can see how much they were wanted and expected!!!

Quentin Greban

Quentin Greban is another huge love of mine!!!! His watercolours are amazing!!!!! Every time when I look at his illustrations, I want to pick up a brush and try it myself! I adore this media but I am useless with it! It is so light and unforgiving! One wrong stroke and the picture is ruined!

I know that watercolour is not as easy as it looks, and this is one of the reasons why I admire Quentin's technique so much! It is perfect, beautiful, delightful! It is light and vivid at the same time. It is so clean and deep and just mesmerising!!  Just have a look!!!

Quentin Gréban was born in 1977 in Brussels (Belgium) where he still lives today. He studied illustration at Saint Luc’s institute in Brussels. Since 1999 Quentin has published more than 15 children’s books in several French‚ Belgian‚ German and Greek publishing houses. His books are translated in many countries (Germany‚ Denmark‚ Hungary‚ England‚ Canada‚ Greece‚ Korea‚ United States…)He received the Saint–Exupéry award in 2000 for «Les contes de l’Alphabet» (Editions du Jasmin). His work has been selected in 1999 and 2000 in the Annual of the Bologna. Children’s Bookfair(Italy).

Now Quentin writes and Illustrates his own books as well as the books of other famous authors. He is known all over the world and his books are loved everywhere!!! They are most definitely loved in my house, because they are kind, simple yet very sophisticated with a great deal of mastery and talent!!!!

But enough words - Just enjoy the drawings!!!