Catalog art: Family theme

 My illustration for my art rep, MB Artists, catalog. The theme for this latest one is "Family".

 Pencil sketch (with my daughter and 2 dogs, a westie and a golden retriever puppy,  as references).

 The painting process with with photo references.

Final art.

 You can view the full catalog of MB Artists illustrations here.

Creating a Children's Picture Book.

Every illustrator has their own unique way in making a picture book. Using my latest book "Down at the Dino Wash Deluxe" as an example, here is a short summary of my own art process.

1. Thumbnail sketches.

After reading the author's manuscript, I put together very rough thumbnail sketches of how I envision the book to look. The sketches all very loosely drawn for ideas, the kind that's not really meant to be shown to anyone.
 

2. Research.

Photo references are a very important part of my art process. For this book, I use my nephew, Tyler, as the story's main character. 

The pictures are not for me to draw exact depictions, but to get the "feel" of the character. I also collected dinosaur references for this book which was a lot of fun.

3. Sketches. 

At this stage, there is usually a bit of a back and forth between me and the art director. Ideas are exchanged and revisions are made before the final sketches are approved before I can finally paint them.

 

4. Final Art. 

Below is the book's opening spread with thumbnail and pencil sketch. I make sure to leave space for type. This way, kids can enjoy reading the book and look at the pictures easily.

 

5. Bonus: Cover Art

And here's another example with the Cover art. You can see two sketch versions on the upper left. The book designer and I also toyed with the idea of having a 1950's design for the word "Deluxe," but we later ditched the idea.

 I hope you enjoyed the tour!
"Down at the Dino Wash Deluxe" written by Tim Myers is now available online and in stores. 

Step by Step Illustration process.

Here's a look into how I finish an illustration. The artwork is for the 2013 Workbook.

Given that this artwork is for promotional purposes, I allow myself to experiment more and play with my subject. The NBA playoffs is starting soon and I just couldn't pass up the chance to do a Paul Pierce illustration. 

Go Celtics.

 1. Small thumbnail sketches to map the composition. 

Very rough, loose work. It's more of searching for ideas rather than refining details.

2. Rough sketch.

After choosing the composition I like, I then start adding details. I also make sure that I retain the flow and vibrancy of the thumbnail. Sometimes, the sketch's energy can get lost during this transfer.

3. Final sketch

Yeah, I had fun.

 

4. Final art (with bleed).

The bleed (the space outside the bordered lines around the image) will be cropped off when published, but I seem to enjoy the look of it so I am keeping it here.

And yeah, Go Celtics.

The Uninvited Guest.

Pencil sketch:

Final Art:

*Unpublished promotional artwork

photo refs

i'm still not sure if this is a good idea. no really, turn back now. rest those eyes. it's probably for the best.

here are a few examples of how i use photo references for my illustrations. a few years ago, it was a major part of my approach to painting. i have now found a happy medium & don't depend on them as much, but i still consider it an important step to illustrating.

my last picture book "bedtime at the swamp" did not have as many photo refs. but the one I am currently doing "abc baseball" has a ton of them, mostly to keep my art consistent with the sport.

so here goes. aw geez...

birthday greeting card (peaceable kingdom press)

it's hard to tell, but i was actually upset when this pic was shot. why? because the photographer couldn't stop laughing & kept ruining the shot.

nancy drew & the clue crew #12 (simon & schuster)

my mvp did some great poses here. this was a nice photo "backbone" to rest my illustration upon. i still think this is the best cover from the series so far.

i saw an ant on the railroad track (sterling)

speaking of great poses. an awesome job by a buddy posing for the whole book. all it took was payment in the form of a BLT sandwich. best investment on deli meat i've ever had. hands down.

since he did such an excellent job, why not show another one? the guy really worked hard for that sandwich.

2002(?) student work (academy of art)

and the coup de grace. told ya i used to work hard for my photo refs. my li'l bro was also stellar doing impromptu clutch work as the boxing manager.

so, there it is. obviously, there's more, but why prolong the pain?

écoute répéter

revisions, revisions, revisions. the schedule killer. many a weekends have been crushed by these demands.

exhibit A (top image): my current picture book. i submit a month's work of 26 sketches and 98% are in need of changes.

revisions are normal. in fact, they are expected. and much as I hate re-doing them, well-done art direction usually improves the book. when i look back at some of my initial sketches from previous projects, i shudder to think how unacceptable (to me) the final product would have looked without the requested changes.

exhibit B (bottom image): my sketch of a baseball pitcher in windup. loved that sketch! love the perspective. i loved how everything was bendy and fun.

i did not love the comment for the first sketch -- "make more dynamic and interesting". turns out the art director was right. the second sketch was a marked improvement.

but they sure mess up my free time.

ps: that 2nd sketch hasn't been approved yet...

UPDATE 9/2010: Here is the final art from the above sketches (w/ margins & in full bleed):

* Baseball from A to Z is now available in stores & online.

baby steps

i go through different stages before ending up with the final art.

of course, each project is different. jobs like picture books, chapter books or editorial art are more challenging and take more time. there are other types of work too, but let's stick with this one to keep things simple.

here is one example of a greeting card project for a bay area based client that i regularly work with (pkpress):

1. client samples - not mine. an art director may send sample art to give me a sense of how she wants the project to look like.
2. first sketch: i also use a lot of photo references and do different thumbnail sketches before finishing a tight sketch.

3. revised sketch w/ color sample: i don't usually do this. but if i have time to spare (not often), i like to do color samples and some problem solving -- in this case, the colors are too muted and in need of warm/cool color adjustments.

it also makes it easier for me when i finally do the finish.

4. art director's comments: an example of the client's comments. note the text placement on top. i always have to consider that.

5. final art with revisions: sometimes, there will be more revisions after final art. sometimes, not always.

6. flames spot art: this client requested flame spot art to be placed on the text -- some artists do text art too. i choose not to be one of them.

7. client's 2008 catalog: this product is advertised in the client's catalog and website. my art is on the upper right corner. note that the intitial text "take off" has now been replaced with "rev up!". good move.