Freelance Illustrator: Illustration Process — Part 2

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What am I supposed to draw?

Unless you are working with a self-publishing author, the odds are that as an illustrator you will be working with an Art Director. The Art Director decides on the overall style of the publication. The Art Director is in charge of layout, graphic design, and illustrations. The Art Director tells the illustrators what to draw. Sometimes, this information is detailed and sometimes the Art Director wants to see what an illustrator can create with little to no direction.

My goal as an illustrator is not just to create a pretty image, but to connect emotionally with my audience, while giving them something familiar yet fresh. The audience always expects something from the illustrator, it is my job to give them what they expect in an unexpected way. That is the challenge.

Before I even begin thinking about drawing I try to get as much information about the project as possible. Tip: When you can, include this information in the agreement/contract under Project Details.

The following are some questions I keep in mind:

• What am I supposed to draw?
• What is my deadline?
• Should I illustrate a particular scene?
• Should I combine elements of the story from different scenes to create an image? (Like Drew Struzan’s movie posters).
• Should I leave space for text?
• Who is my audience?
• What age group is this poster for?
• Am I working within a set style or am I creating something new?
• Where will this poster be used?
• How big is the final size? Will the artwork be cropped into different ratios to be used on multiple products?
• My image will compete with dozens if not hundreds of images for someone’s attention. What would make it stand out, yet leave it familiar enough to connect with the demographic I’m trying to reach?
• …

I always like to read the books I’m illustrating.

Sometimes, there is not enough time for me to read the book. Then, I need to get as much information about the story as possible from the Art Director.

For the purpose of these articles, let’s say that the Art Director gives me enough time to read the book and asks me to come up with an idea for the poster. The Art Director wants something fresh; something that will not compete with the work of the existing illustrator.

I read Elatsoe.

As I read, I take notes about the characters and what I think may be the most interesting scenes to intrigue the audience.

Before reading the book I thought it was a Young Adult (YA) fantasy, because the main character is seventeen. While reading it, I realize this book is Middle Grade (MG) . There is a different way to illustrate YA and MG books. Did you know that?

If you visit my main page artofmili.ca, you will see a section labeled Young Adult and one labeled Middle Grade. Compare the styles? Can you see the difference? I also suggest you visit the book store (you can also visit them online) and look at the different cover artwork for YA and MG books.

When I create YA covers I tend to work in a style that imitates oil or acrylic paintings. The characters are always three dimensional and more realistic. The mood is dramatic — chiaroscuro, strong contrast between light and dark.

When I think of MG, I tend to make my illustrations more cartoony, more graphic. I also work in watercolor and ink. They tend to be brighter and more colourful.

Since the illustration I’m suppose to be working on is for a MG audience, my mind automatically goes through possible style choices.

I love the work of the original illustrator, Rovina Cai. The Art Director specifically told me not to copy the style. However, I feel that there should be something to connect the illustration and the book. Her style looks like pencil drawings with gouache. To keep it to the natural mediums, I think I will go with my usual — watercolor and ink.

After reading the book, I look through my notes and decide what to draw. There is one scene that stood out to me more than any other. I named this scene The Ancient Ocean Scene. At one point Elatsoe’s power draws her into an ancient ghost ocean. She is in a park contemplating a trilobite fossil and suddenly she is surrounded by sea creatures and plants from every era.

At this point, I contact the Art Director to discuss my idea. I have this amazing idea of creating this really long poster, white background with all the fish creating a V towards Elatsoe at the bottom…

The Art Director nips that idea in the bud. They need a standard size poster, so that when they give them away or when the author signs them at Book Expo, the fans could easily frame them. This poster will also be made into promotional postcards. The ratio I’m working with is 3:4, portrait.

Otherwise, the Art Director loves the scene I chose and wants to see some sketches.