Illuminate my words (Illustrators Paint A Horror – Part 2)

Illuminate my words (Illustrators Paint A Horror – Part 2)

Do you know that the word illustration is derived from the Latin word illustrate meaning to make clear or to illuminate?

Out of desperation I designed and created Bunica’s Tomatoes’s cover and illustrations. I’m glad I took control and fixed the situation.

A good illustrator knows that great illustrations compliment and radiate an excellent story. Pictures alone may be left to the reader’s interpretation but text with pictures will leave the reader ruminating upon the author’s interpretation of the story.

As a children’s book self-publisher I have to pay extreme attention to detail. There is a stigma attached to self-published books out there, you know. The Canadian Children’s Book Centre doesn’t accept self-published books for any of their awards but they will send your book out for review and they don’t publish bad reviews. I was told, ”We only accept books from publishers, not self-publishers.”

My hometown newspaper The Oakville Beaver doesn’t do features on self-published authors because they have a policy to adhere to. To quote the exact words of a certain editor at the newspaper, “There are too many of you out there.”

A good friend of mine once said, “If they don’t let you in, start your own organization.” Well, I don’t want to start a new organization, I want to be a part of the existing ones so, please let me in.

Now, let me take you into my illustrative process.

Firstly, I write the story. During the writing process I can usually imagine how the pictures are going to be. The story, the setting and the characters will be running in my head during the entire writing process. It’s like watching a story on television; the only difference is it’s my production.

Secondly, I make the thumbnail dummy, which can be drawn on a single 8.5 by 11 inch white printing paper. The thumbnail dummy is excellent for an overview of the whole book and the pictures. It brings the entire illustrative process together at a single glance.

Thumbnail sketch template

 

Thirdly, for the storyboard I like to use a bulletin board, q cards – 32 plus 4 cards for the covers, and push pins. (For the double page spreads, you can use 2 q cards) The q cards are numbered, the text is written on the cards and the pictures rough sketched.

Q cards

The mock book comes next – take 9 printing papers and fold them in half. Voila, you have your mock or dummy book.

Fourthly, for a more realistic look at the finished book I use a three-hole punch binder and clear folders. Cut the pages to the actual size of the book. Type and cut out the text for each page. Each clear folder holds 2 pages making it a sheet of paper. This is useful if there is a need for the text to be altered to accommodate the flow of the pictures and the story. I like 32 or 48 pages as the book’s signature.

Binder and cut out text strips.

I do my research thoroughly on the theme I’ll be using on the story and go back and forth between the storyboard, thumbnail and the mock book until I get the pictures and text perfect. I will be in my zone with my story to get the illustrations perfect. I lay out the pictures and text so the story flows and a rhythm is achieved. I get into the story and give my characters in the story character.

The heirloom tomatoes from my garden I used for the dedication page.

For instance, Bunica, the grandmother in Bunica’s Tomatoes is 56 years old. Her name is Maria. She loves to garden, read and knit. She loves the outdoors and keeps her grandchildren busy. She takes great care in their well-being yet she is strict in their upbringing. In one of the scenes she lets her granddaughter jump in the puddles and her grandson pick worms in their pristine white outfits. This grandmother… has a secret.

I have to be connected to the manuscript, feel the story and be part of the story. If I can see it in my mind, it will materialize on paper. I do take some feedback from my husband and children. I don’t ever show my pictures to anyone else or ask for their opinions.

Giving the characters, character helps me visualize and bring out the story they way I want the reader to see and read the book. I can clearly see the printed book in my head, which makes the illustrative and writing process that much easier. I decide the page-by-page view of how I think the book should look. I visualize my own idea of the story.

I alone handle the entire creative process.

Fifthly, I choose the layout, the fonts, font size and finalize everything. This would be the editorial and proofreading stage.

I also like to work on the design of the cover last. Usually, after working through 30 odd pages of illustrations, new and different ideas come to my mind to complete and sum up the story on the cover

Cover page progression

No.1 – initial sketch                                                                        No 2 – pencil sketch

           

No. 3 – digital drawing                                                                  No. 4  the frame

           

Lastly, I engage the help of a graphic’s company i.e. my team to speed up the process professionally in Photoshop. At this stage, I pay attention to the color, shading and texture. Some detail and effects will have to be changed when taking the sketches into color. Sometimes, a beautiful pencil sketch will look less appealing going into color.

I have total control over the illustrations and the graphics team does exactly as I want. They are the professionals and they can Photoshop the illustrations, faster and in a very professional way. I was lucky to have found a team that specializes in this kind of work. Never did they question me once as to my changes or comments. The pictures were done to perfection.

Page 4 pencil sketch                                                                         Page 15 pencil sketch

             

If you ask 100 people for their opinion, you will get 100 different opinions and views. Your book will not be your original creation anymore. You can’t ask someone who doesn’t read children’s books to comment on a children’s story. If you must, be precise as to whom you ask for input.

This reminds me of a situation where I showed my book to a local librarian who was in charge of the adult novels section. She took one look at my book and said, “Oh, it’s a book about tomatoes.” I said, “No, it’s not.” And gave her the 15 word sum up of my story.

While she was flipping the pages she found out I was Malaysian and without hesitation pointed out that she could see the Malaysian architecture in the drawings.

I could only hold my comments back at her ignorance. I had to tell her that the architecture was Romanian; carved wooden gates, which are preserved in a region of Romania called Maramures. Immediately, to my dismay I noticed the librarian’s defenses go up. She said, “Did you know Transylvania belonged to Hungary?”

Well I do know the history but I am a children’s book author. I chose an interesting theme for my fun book. The last thing I want to do is get into an archaic argument; whose land is it anyway? I don’t think I would have valued her input anyway, had she given one. This librarian was not a person who could help anyone in terms of children’s books.

However the children’s book manager at my local library purchased two of my books for the library’s collection as soon as my book was published. She was indeed very helpful with her suggestions.

 

Title page progression

          

The unfinished watercolor.                                                     Final digital art used for the title page.

      

 

Drawing inspiration from nature…my garden.

     

I love writing and illustrating children’s books and I am proud of Bunica’s Tomatoes.

Pictures of family and friend’s children were used for the facial expression of the boy and the girl. As for Bunica, she is indeed someone’s grandmother.

If you are planning on writing, illustrating and self-publishing your own children’s books, there is a really good book that you should read. It takes time, effort and detailed planning in putting together a professionally published children’s book.

Writing With Pictures (How to write and illustrate children’s books) by Uri Shulevitz one of my favorite illustrators.

Then again, if your artistic talent is a little bit rusty, get some practice by reading Drawing On the Right Side of the Brain by Betty Edwards.

Trust me, you will be surprised

Do judge my self-published children’s book by its’ cover.

 

I’m proud of it. I bought the first book.

 

Bunica’s Tomatoes

 

Ask me how I can illustrate for you and keep writing.