Learn from the best
Bestselling author and illustrator, Tony Diterlizzi shares his knowledge on how he creates a fantastic world within the pages of a book
Bestselling author and illustrator Tony Diterlizzi breaks down how he does what he does, and how you can too.
Think back to your favourite book from childhood. Perhaps it was a board book you loved so much that you chewed its corners, or the picture book you asked your parents to read to you over and over again as you cuddled close. Maybe it was that dog-eared chapter book you reread until the spine was tattered and cracked. All of these examples served as your introduction to art.
Art plays a critical role in books published for young readers. Illustrations aid in the reader’s comprehension of the text, expand the world of the story or illuminate complicated concepts and ideas. Illustration can capture the attention of a potential reader, which is no small feat when you consider the myriad of other distractions that occupy a child’s world: toys, games, television and devices that use appealing imagery to excite little minds. Creating artwork that entices a child to put down a device and pick up a book is the ultimate challenge of this 21st century illustrator.
I’d like to share some tips on my approach to storytelling and bookmaking. Whether I’m illustrating my own story, or another author’s manuscript, my goal is always to entertain and delight the reader… and maybe if I am lucky, keep them thinking about the story long after they’ve closed the book.
1 KNOW YOUR MARKET
Immerse yourself in the world of kid’s lit. This is the first step to understanding children’s publishing and where your style of art may fit. Board books (for infants and toddlers) usually utilise strong graphic images, rendered in bright colours. Picture books (for young children) run the gamut from simple, stylised art to elaborate, sophisticated paintings. Chapter books and middle-grade novels (for ages seven to 12) are often illustrated with black and white, or greyscale, images. Graphic novels are aimed at most age ranges and rendered in just about every style imaginable. For me, picture books is where I made my start.
2 FIRST IMPRESSIONS
Were you the kid who doodled in the margins of your school homework while your imagination roamed freely? Like many aspiring artists, I was reprimanded for my classroom doodles – now I do that very thing when I first read an author’s manuscript (even if it’s one I’ve penned). Those first sparks of inspiration, the flashes of imagery, are exactly what I want to capture before I begin analysing the story on a deeper level. As I read, I also note any descriptive text in the manuscript so that my illustrations will be consistent with the author’s narrative.
3 SETTING THE MOOD
What’s the overall tone of the story and how does it make me feel? The editor and art director have hired me because they feel my art pairs well with the text. This decision is based on the overall tone they want to convey in the finished book. But how I render, and what medium I choose, play a part in that final presentation. I use colour, tone and shapes to support the mood of the story before I plan the details of each illustration.
4 HUNTING AND GATHERING
Even the most seemingly simplistic illustrations require an understanding of the subject. I gather reference for every aspect of the story: characters, costume, artefacts and setting. I do many sketches, to learn how to draw various components of the image, then I often discard the reference and work from memory. This process keeps my art animated and lively. Understanding all the visual elements that go into a single illustration will help create a plausible window to the World Within the Book.
5 DRAW WHAT YOU LOVE AND LEARN WHAT YOU DON’T
There may be aspects of the illustrations that are difficult to render successfully. Take time to brush up on the basics of drawing such as perspective, anatomy and shading. For me, rendering naturalistic subjects come easy, but mechanical and architectural objects are a challenge.
6 ILLUSTRATE BETWEEN THE LINES
Planning precisely what to draw is essential, especially when illustrating a 32-page picture book. What is inferred by the text? What can I add to the story to make it unique and original? This is an opportunity to expand the world beyond what’s written in the manuscript. Think of the classic line, “‘Will you walk into my parlour?’ said a spider to a fly.” There’s a lot of room for an illustrator to interpret the author’s words through art.
7 IT ALL STARTS WITH THE PROTAGONIST
Most books follow the main character or group of primary characters through the story. Designing a visually appealing and iconic character is key for enticing readers. I start with simple silhouette shapes that represent the personality of the character. Round forms are generally considered benign, while sharp, pointed shapes are viewed as more aggressive. The protagonist is likely a combination of many character traits so it’s up to me to determine the right design. I focus on aspects of their personality and portray that in shape and form. Once the character’s design is established, I create a model sheet that combines sketches of the character drawn at different angles and showing a variety of expressions to aid in consistency.
8 SKETCH BEYOND YOUR LIMITS
I may think I’ve captured the right image or design in the first few thumbnail sketches, but I don’t stop exploring with pencil and paper. More than likely, these initial sketches are regurgitated designs or images that I’ve seen before, which is why they may feel right to me. Whether it’s a character’s design, establishing a scene or simply moving the pointof-view of the reader, I push myself to sketch more ideas. My favourite time for doing this is late at night when I’m drowsy. The subconscious takes over, which can conjure interesting, sometimes surreal, results.
9 STEP BACKWARDS TO GO FORWARD
I grew up studying masters of illustration. I like to evoke a classic style in my work – my goal is that the art feels timeless. This hearkening back can be accomplished through medium, composition or even production of the book itself. I’m also fascinated with current technology and methods, so I often combine the analogue and the digital to create something unique and original.
10 GROW THE WORLD VIA YOUR MAIN CHARACTER
I’ve finalised the design for my main character and begin thinking about the additional characters, props and setting for the story. I use the art style, shape language and colour palette of the protagonist as a starting point. Every aspect of the character’s world should support the story. What does their costume say about them? What items in the background add to the backstory or support the book’s theme? How will these elements change as the plot progresses? Think of the book as a play and you’re the director, in charge of set design, lighting, props, costumes, special effects and more.
11 ACOUSTIC OR ELECTRIC?
When it comes to creating the final art, what medium I chose – pencil, inks, paint, collage or digital – further defines the look and feel of the story. Each rendering style creates a different portal to view the World Within the Book. I often relate it to playing a guitar for a song. What sound best serves the lyric: acoustic or electric? I usually explore the same image in different mediums to determine which works best.
Think of the book as a play and you’re the director, in charge of set design, lighting, props and more
12 SEE THE BIG PICTURE
The rhythm of the illustrations is also important. More often than not, a cluster of climactic events can happen within a couple of pages, so I have to be selective in what moment I choose to illustrate. Quiet scenes are just as important as exciting scenes and, when combined in a single book, create a visually dynamic story. Illustrating a picture book has its own challenges, where the page spread and page turns are key in comprehension, so creating a book dummy is essential. This stage of planning is done by creating a series of layout sketches. I post all of the sketches on a bulletin board so that I’m able to look at the entire book at once. Then sketches are moved around, revised and swapped out.
13 DON’T JUST STAND THERE, ACT!
Characters in children’s book must convey their actions and emotions to the reader through facial expression and body language. Unlike an animator, who uses thousands of drawings to create the illusion of movement and acting, the illustrator has a handful of single images – snapshots, scattered throughout the plot – to express the character. This is one of the toughest aspects of illustration to master, but also one of the most rewarding. I often sketch a series of mood poses of the main character from various scenes in the story. I also utilise a mirror and snapshots of models to capture the pose I want. Books on animation and cartooning are a helpful reference for me, as is studying masters of the field.
I often sketch mood poses of the main character from various scenes in the story
14 BE OPEN TO FEEDBACK
It may be the author and illustrator’s name on the cover, but in reality there’s an entire team working to create and sell a book. Illustration is commercial art. That means I must be open to feedback from a variety of channels. Friends and fellow artists offer thoughts and critiques. Once sketches are submitted to the publisher, the editor, art director and designer will have notes on the images and their placement on the page. The copy editor will often catch inconsistencies with my art and the author’s text. The marketing and sales department are also part of the team. They help determine the most successful cover image and how best to represent and sell the book. Although feedback can be tough to hear, I understand it comes from a place of wanting what’s best for the book.
15 NEVER ABANDON IMAGINATION
The most important tip I can relay to you is to cultivate your imagination. Even though I’m someone who makes a career in fantasy I can, at times, be overwhelmed by reality. I sometimes question whether my daily venture into a realm of dragons, fairies and spaceships is an occupational perk or coping mechanism. I think it’s a bit of both, but I’ve always felt that the best imaginative stories comment on real-world experiences. As artists, I believe we should cultivate and share our gift to brighten the lives of others. I’ve chosen children’s books to foster the importance of creativity for the next generation of thinkers, builders and doers. My hope is that they’ll embrace their imagination, nurture it and never abandon it.