When I've made my choice, I'll take the thumbnail sketch idea and work it into a bigger sketch I usually scan the page and then crop out the particular thumbnail that I want - that way I can preserve the original energy/feel. If there is a lot more text than I can or want to write out in the top bit, I just write a few words or phrase to remind me.įor the final choice, I'll sometimes mix and match - I may like the first sketch I did in Option #3 but prefer the second sketch from Option #4, so I'll combine them.Īnyway, this template helps encourage me to explore different ways of illustrating a spread and NOT to just go for the first thing that comes to my mind. If there are two or more spot illustrations on a page, I draw very very tiny (I use a Pigma Micron 01).
For example, suppose the first page text was "The squirrel was surprised." and the second page had "He ran away." My sketch ideas could be something like this:įor illustrations that are a full spread, I draw across the gutter line.
I created the last few brainstorming templates for when I'm coming up ideas on how to illustrate a particular spread.
These early sketches are usually stick figures and only the essence of emotions and gestures I don't bother with details.įeel free to download/print any of the following for personal use: 32-Page TemplateĤ0-Page Template I used for illustrating NAKED! The squares are tiny on purpose, so I can squeeze the entire layout onto one page to make it easier for me to see overall visual flow. The first two are templates I've used to brainstorm story layout for picture books. See below for the informal templates I've created for myself I'm providing them here in case some of you find them useful in your own brainstorming process. The reason that the number of pages in picture books tend to be in increments of 8 is because of the way they're printed see resources at the end of this post for more info. If you really need the extra room, go for 40.but keep in mind that the more pages a book has, the more expensive it will be to print. If you're submitting a picture book dummy or paged out picture book mss, however, I'd suggest starting with the standard 32 pages. The number of pages varies in a picture book it depends on the publisher as well as the project. How Many Pages? Here's What I've Learned So Far. For expert explanations, see the resources I've listed at the end of this post.
WHERE SHOULD I BEGIN? My editor and art director helped guide me and even though I still get confused about terms like "self-ended" and "paste-down," I'm gradually learning.
Plus some books had the story beginning on the right-hand page while others started on the left. I knew a standard picture book had 32 pages, for example, but I discovered that these 32 pages might also include the title page and other non-story pages. When I was asked to illustrate my first picture book ( I'm Bored) and I started researching picture book formats, I was confused. *** Updated June 3, 2017: Also see my CREATING PICTURE BOOKS resource guide for writers and illustrators.
With some sketches for picture book NAKED! (Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers, author Michael Ian Black)