Developing Storybook Illustrations

Martha Narey shares a bit of her process in developing illustrations for The Missing Creek, and it's great to see the artist's mind's eye at work, as well as how relatively simple drawings hold her vision intact as the book develops. Martha's comments serve as the captions for the images below.

 

 Quick blue-pencil-on-newsprint characterization of a Plains grassland landscape: mountains, forested mesa, grama grasses in foreground.

 

 Graphite sketch on sketch paper: visualizing in a very sloppy thumbnail approach

 

 

Graphite sketch working some ideas

 

Sketch for title page background landscape; 2H, Verithins, black ink on bumwad trace. Shows placement of title initial letters. Red crop marks for pencil draft; blue crop marks show shift to place large leaves in final cartoon.

Letter form and character for opening initial

There are so many facets in illustrating a book, including designing a page to present the story as well as provide a pleasing and accurate illustration. You can see the development of the images here, progressing to the more complete study of the little mouse protagonist climbing down on an illustrated initial. Natural science illustration combines with botanical illustration in this effort, to provide an exciting and educational experience for young readers.