1. Manuscript and Layout

- Story Manuscript: Ensure the manuscript is fully edited and finalized.
- Determine Book Size: Decide on the dimensions of the book (e.g., 8.5” x 11”).
- Page Count: Confirming the total number of pages, including front and back covers, end pages, copyright and title pages.
- Pagination And Sluglines: Breaking the manuscript into page-by-page segments (spreads), establishing where text will appear throughout the book and providing a framework for illustration planning and narrative flow.
- Illustration and Character Briefs: Preliminary draft of key scenes, character briefs, and visual/literary references drawn from relevant books, films, and animation for inspiration. The number and types of illustrations start evolving from here and can change multiple times during the project development.

Storyboard

- Storyboard Thumbnails: Sketching small, rough thumbnails of each spread to plan the flow of text and illustrations.

- Further Layout Development: The basic layout for each page, placing text boxes and placeholders for illustrations.

Character Design

Character design: The manuscript offers basic character details, while additional bios, created specifically for the illustrator, help ensure unique designs that reflect personality. I pay extra attention to character development, using my analitical and teoretical knowladge from my background in costume deisng for film and theater, and character design for animation and video games. 

Color Keys

Color Keys:
Small, loose color studies used to establish the color palette, lighting, and mood of each scene or spread.

Final illustration - father and a son on a hiking trip in nature

With sketches and color keys approved, we move into the final illustration phase, where all interior artwork is rendered at full resolution. The cover may feature a newly created illustration or an adapted interior image. Cover design is typically the final creative stage, completed once the book’s tone and visual style are fully established.

Hiking trip in the golden hour

Final illustration in painterly style, with expressive and dynamic expressive poses

Final double spread illustration with space for text

Bright sunny day, a father heads to pick up his child. Another example of text integration on the illustration. 

Final illustration - single page illustration

A single page illustration with space for text.