The evolution of Elvie

This is a fun one!

While we're getting ready for the official book launch, I've taped up a story board to show you the evolution of our main character, Elvie.

I began with a series of sketches to show my illustrator, Nino, the vibe I was going for. Nothing recognizable... no dogs, turtles, people, etc. Just creative, whimsical monster/aliens (but nothing scary!).

Nino sent me nine wonderful sketches setting the style and tone for the illustrations with the very first draft. I took those sketches and modified them a bit then sent them back to Nino. He retuned some beautiful line art sketches of each character and with a couple of finishing touches, we were ready to color them.

Nino records time lapses of his illustrations, too, so I'll continue sharing those.