How I Start Every Book Project

With sloppy marks made outside the lines

My picture book ‘A Cozy Summer Day’ releases in a couple weeks, and I’ve been reflecting on its journey and revisiting the book-making process. When it comes to art and books we usually only see the tidy finished product, but there’s so much slop behind that beautiful object. I love the slop so much!
It’s where all the magic/work happens.

I can’t emphasize enough how rough my words and pictures are to begin—just as little incoherent notes and scribbles.

I try to ignore the format for awhile and just get some marks down to capture the whirling ideas and generate some new ones. This makes it so much easier to begin, avoiding that ‘starting with a blank page’ moment of terror.

I ideate both on paper and digitally — any tool works. Much of the writing is mostly jotted notes and questions that I need to explore further. Eventually I type out scene bullet points to cut out and arrange on a 32 or 40-page layout.

I snap pictures of all those messy marks and begin organizing them as layouts. I start refining the sketch layout digitally on the iPad in Procreate.

I bounce between sketch drafts and writing drafts. Most of the writing happens outside on walks, and I bring my notes home to type up in a word doc.

This is the quality of the first thumbnail layouts that I share with my team at the publisher:

We went through many rounds; changed the setting of the book, and the scene orders again and again, tapping things gradually into place until it felt right.

Once the layout is (mostly) finalized, I can zoom in and work page by page. Next Friday, I’ll share a visual walk-through of one interior art spread from roughest rough to final art on the printed page.

Thanks for letting me share the process with you.
‘Til next time!

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☀️ A COZY SUMMER DAY: Great for cozy people of all ages,
but extra great for your favorite 3-5 year old ☀️