The Journey to Becoming Jade and Wolf
From sketch to final book
Illustrating a picture book is such a fun journey—one filled with creativity, problem-solving, and a lot of trial and error. From the first rough sketches to the final printed pages, every illustration goes through an evolution. Today, I’m taking you behind the scenes of my process, showing you how an idea transforms into a fully illustrated book.
Step 1: The Concept & Rough Sketches
Picture books rely heavily on visual storytelling, so my goal is to bring an extra layer of depth to the words through my illustrations and I do this by ensuring that I fully understand the characters, setting and mood of the story as a whole.
At this stage, I create small, loose thumbnail sketches—tiny rough drawings that map out the composition of each page. These sketches help determine pacing, page turns, and how the story visually flows. Some things I consider in this stage are:
Where should the focal points be?
How can I guide the reader’s eye across the page?
Does the layout enhance the emotional impact of the story?
Step 2: Character Development
Every picture book needs the characters that help tell the story. I start with basic shapes and expressions, exploring different styles and personalities before settling on a final look.
Sometimes, I can really refine the character quickly. Other times, I go through dozens of iterations before finding the right one. And that’s okay—this stage is all about discovery and finding the PERFECT character for the story.
Step 3: Refining the Sketches
Once the character designs are locked in, I create a full storyboard, sketching out each spread of the book in more detail. This is where the book really begins to come to life. I refine the poses, background elements, rough text placement and interactions between characters to enhance the storytelling.
At this stage, I also think about:
The balance between text and illustration
How colours will play a role in setting the mood
Step 4: The Final Art Stage
Once the storyboard is approved, it’s time for full-color illustrations! This often includes determining a rough colour palette and general details and textures. Ensuring that the imagery has a nice hierarchy and vibrancy.
Sometimes, a spread that looked great in sketches doesn’t translate well in colour or it’s missing something. I’ve had to completely redo illustrations because they didn’t fit the book’s overall tone.
But, seeing a character come to life on the page, full of expression and personality, is always the best part of the process!
Step 5: Preparing for Print
Once all the illustrations are finalized, I format them for print, making sure the colours, margins, and layouts are perfect. This is where I double-check everything and ensure everything is print ready!
And then it’s time for in-person proofing! Seeing the final book in my hands after months of work is always surreal. It is so exciting to be able to hold the book for the first time and flip through the pages, see how the illustrations come to life - is always my favourite part.
Illustrating a picture book is a true labour of love, requiring patience, creativity, and a willingness to revise and refine. But holding the finished book and knowing that children will enjoy it makes every step and challenge so worth it.
If you’re an aspiring illustrator/author or just curious about the process, I’d love to hear your thoughts! What part of this journey fascinates you the most? Drop a comment below!
The Adventures of Jade & Wolf is now available for pre-order wherever you buy books!