Jacket art for Famous Nini

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.

0 replies
  1. jhsketch
    jhsketch says:

    Hi John,
    I love your art!!
    My daughter’s name is Haneleen but since she was born she got the name Nini and she is 32 now.
    Last year she and her husband and daughter was on holiday in Venice, etc.
    So I am e-mailing your sketches to her – they are living in Dubai at the moment. She is going to enjoy this.
    Thanks!
    Jan
    ( Strand, South Africa )

    Reply
    • johnmanders
      johnmanders says:

      Thanks, Jan! Here’s the link for the book, if she’d like to read the story—http://www.amazon.com/Famous-Nini-Mostly-Story-Became/dp/0618977694/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1272376236&sr=1-1

      Reply

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