So, what do you do if you’ve written a children’s book and, in your mind’s eye, you can see exactly what you want your artwork to look like? You can see your characters, what they’re wearing, their expressions, and where the story takes place. It’s perfect! It’s just what you want.
But if you can’t draw or even scribble very well, how do you communicate to your illustrator what exists only in your imagination?
Well, I’ve got some examples that were very successful for writers when they worked with me on their books. Maybe some of these will work for you with your illustrator. Perhaps they will even trigger ideas for some techniques of your own that you can use.
1. REVISIT YOUR YOUNGER DAYS OF DRAWING
I was drawing a coloring book cover with a big dinosaur on it. The art director wanted him posed very specifically. I sent him 4 to 5 different sketches, each time re-doing the pose to meet his very specific revisions. But nothing was working. I just couldn’t pose the dinosaur in the way he described it.
Finally, the art director scribbled a stick figure of the dinosaur and sent it to me. It was drawn in a very wobble-y line and was rudimentary, to say the least. But, as soon as I saw it, I had the classic “Ah-Haa!” moment. I instantly understood what he was after. I sent off my new sketch, and he approved it immediately.
Sometimes, a scribble from a non-artist is all it takes to create perfect communication.
2. HEY, HAVE YOU SEEN THAT MOVIE?
I was speaking by phone to a self-publishing Indie author about illustrating her book. We had never talked before, and she was telling me what style she wanted to use for her main character, which was a 6-year-old girl.
“Well, I don’t want it too cartoon-y, but I don’t want a realistic style either. I want it sort of detailed but not too much. Something that kids can relate to but not too juvenile.” She went on like this for a minute or two, and I got more and more confused. Finally, I took a guess: “You mean something in the style of Ariel in The Little Mermaid?” “YES!! That would be perfect !!” she yelled. No visual examples were exchanged between us, but a very familiar image was verbally communicated and… success!
The moral of the story is that it doesn’t hurt to use a suggestion of an existing image even if it’s just a “kinda, sorta, not exactly but along those lines” type of description. Illustrators are visual people, and pictures work better for us than words sometimes. If you can find a visual example to use, you should have success getting across your idea. Use any and all sources you can think of. You never know what will help us understand your vision.
3. “ROGER, COPY THAT!”
One author sent me some screenshots she made from a 1940s movie she found on YouTube that had the exact kind of shadowy environment she was looking for. It worked perfectly! I immediately understood her request when she emailed it to me.
Another writer sent me some photos from his vacation in the mountains. It showed a tiny cabin surrounded by tall pine trees. It was just what he wanted and was exactly what I drew!
4. CUT AND PASTE
Now, you don’t have to go to this extent, but I once worked with an author who found clip art pictures online and created cut-and-paste mockups of a few of her key story pages to show me what she was after. The clip art was an interesting method because it showed me a lot of info: character poses, background, camera angles, etc.
Of course, you don’t ever need to go anywhere close to this effort, and please, don’t think you need to do the illustrator’s job for her. It’s just another example available to you if want to get super detailed.
5. NOW, DON’T CALL THE POLICE, OK?
Please understand that I’m not advocating stealing photos or art from anyone. Plagiarism is a crime, and I’ve always made it a goal of mine to avoid jail time. :)
My only point has been to show you all the different ways you can communicate with an Illustrator. If you want to have some input with the artwork, many illustrators will welcome whatever examples you have in order to help them understand what direction you want to go in.
6. A PICTURE IS WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS
Everybody knows this saying is true. But I’m here to tell you that you won’t believe just how true it is until you see it in action. It’s happened to me book after book.
Each time, the writer and I would discover a way for her to take the vision for her story, which exists solely in her mind, and allow her to communicate these images to me in a way that was so clear I was able to produce sketches that exactly matched her vision. Fantastic!
AND SO…
Bringing your story to life is a collaborative effort where the writer and illustrator share the same goal. I hope showing you these techniques will allow you to have a more successful process in helping your vision come to life in the pages of your new book!
If you'd like to talk to me to see if I can help with your book, I’d love to hear from you. I wish you great success with all your writing!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Stan Jaskiel is a children’s book illustrator. You can learn more about him and get in touch:
Reach him at: Stanscartoons@comcast.net Check out his work at: Stanscartoons.com To chat with Stan, call: 978-745-6235
I’m a working children’s ghostwriter, rewriter, and coach. I can help turn your story into a book you’ll be proud to be author of, one that’s publishable and marketable.
You can contact me at: kcioffiventrice@gmail.com. Or, you can give me a call at 834---347---6700. (Please leave a message - I'll get back to you as soon as I can.)
