Of all the images for a picture book, the jacket art gets the biggest going-over. I sent 4 rough thumbnail ideas to Kerry Martin, the senior design editor (in the olden days there was an art director and an editor; Kerry’s title reflects the melding of those 2 positions over the years). Number 2 was chosen—the silhouette of the gondola makes a nice graphic shape—and I worked up a tight sketch. You can see the painting in progress. I liked the idea of a nighttime scene, with Venice reflected in the canal. Next, the comprehensive layout—or ‘comp’—with the sketch and the type combined. Originally I was to hand-letter the title type, but the treatment Kerry came up with looks so good we all agreed not to mess with it. Finally, the finished illustration.
https://www.johnmanders.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/JohnManderslogo300w1-300x58.jpg00johnmandershttps://www.johnmanders.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/JohnManderslogo300w1-300x58.jpgjohnmanders2010-06-01 07:42:302010-06-01 07:42:30Jacket art for Famous Nini
The Famous Nini is due out June 7, but Amazon.com already has copies available.
A scene I particularly like: the Emperor of Ethiopia arrives in Venice to visit Nini the famous cat. Here’s the thumbnail sketch—
Here is the sketch, built from the thumbnail. I envisioned the Emperor and his daughter traveling from their ship up the canal via a royal gondola, like the one the Doge used. That’s Verdi top right, with some Carnivale party-goers (they look a little somber—the princess is tragically mute). I tricked out the gondola with some African style pelts, but my art director felt a tiger-skin would be out-of-place in a cat-lover’s book.
Jacket art for Famous Nini
book promotion, illustration processOf all the images for a picture book, the jacket art gets the biggest going-over. I sent 4 rough thumbnail ideas to Kerry Martin, the senior design editor (in the olden days there was an art director and an editor; Kerry’s title reflects the melding of those 2 positions over the years). Number 2 was chosen—the silhouette of the gondola makes a nice graphic shape—and I worked up a tight sketch. You can see the painting in progress. I liked the idea of a nighttime scene, with Venice reflected in the canal. Next, the comprehensive layout—or ‘comp’—with the sketch and the type combined. Originally I was to hand-letter the title type, but the treatment Kerry came up with looks so good we all agreed not to mess with it. Finally, the finished illustration.
Giuseppe Verdi & Nonna
book promotion, illustration processGiuseppe Verdi makes his entrance in The Famous Nini.
More research for Nonna’s costume can be found here.
L’Imperatore d’Etiopia
book promotion, illustration processThe Famous Nini is due out June 7, but Amazon.com already has copies available.
A scene I particularly like: the Emperor of Ethiopia arrives in Venice to visit Nini the famous cat. Here’s the thumbnail sketch—
Here is the sketch, built from the thumbnail. I envisioned the Emperor and his daughter traveling from their ship up the canal via a royal gondola, like the one the Doge used. That’s Verdi top right, with some Carnivale party-goers (they look a little somber—the princess is tragically mute). I tricked out the gondola with some African style pelts, but my art director felt a tiger-skin would be out-of-place in a cat-lover’s book.
The Doge's gondola
Emperor Menelik