MY LATEST PICTURE BOOK
This post briefly describes the various stages involved in creating all the sketches & illustrations for my 31st illustrated picture book, Gizmos, Gadgets and Guitars -The Story of Leo Fender, written by Michael Mahin. It is slated for release in Fall 2021 by publisher Christy Ottaviano (Henry Holt & Co,/Christy Ottaviano Books, an imprint of MacMillan Publishing).
above: cropped detail view of a completed illustration for Gizmos, Gadgets and Guitars -The Story of Leo Fender. In this scene an early 1950’s Rock n Roll musician is playing an innovative FENDER Telecaster slim, solid body electric guitar.
above: a view of the cover for Gizmos, Gadgets and Guitars -written by Michael Mahin & illustrated by Steven Salerno, and is slated for release in fall 2021 by publisher Christy Ottaviano (Henry Holt & Co,/Christy Ottaviano Books, an imprint of MacMillan Publishing. Cover design by Patrick Collins.
above: in this view I am creating a dark sepia crayon drawing -depicting a long line of out-of-work people during the 1930’s Great Depression. The drawing was then scanned into Photoshop along with other drawn and painted elements all to create the final composed illustration…
above: a cropped detail view of the dark sepia crayon drawing seen directly above this one.
THE PICTURE BOOK PROJECT
Back in July of 2019 publisher Christy Ottaviano (Henry Holt & Co,/Christy Ottaviano Books, an imprint of MacMillan Publishing) offered me another wonderful picture book project -to illustrate their upcoming title, Gizmos, Gadgets and Guitars –The Story of Leo Fender, author Michael Mahin’s jaunty, insightful story of Californian Leo Fender (born in 1909), who as a kid on his parents produce farm was fascinated with all sorts of gadgets and machines. As a teenager Leo immersed himself in studying electronics –initially radios, and then as an adult in the 1930’s during the Great Depression he opened his own electronics repair shop -which included installing sound systems, and repairing electric amplifiers and electric lap steel guitars. Through trial and error Fender eventually began experimenting with designing his own electric lap slide guitars and amplifiers… and also began developing his own prototypes of slim, solid body electric guitars. By the early 1950’s his unique innovative guitar designs were well on their way to becoming the most successful mass-produced electric guitars in history, intrinsically linked to the emergence of the budding new American music genre, Rock n Roll. Musicians around the world all know the iconic names of FENDER guitars: Telecaster and Stratocaster. The story & illustrations follow Leo from a 6 year old kid, all the way through his creative design career and into old age, with Leo always still thinking and tinkering -exploring new ways to improve upon his famed guitar designs.
(note: Gizmos, Gadgets and Guitars -The Story of Leo Fender is my 31st illustrated picture book, and my 3rd nonfiction picture book for publisher Christy Ottaviano. My previous other two nonfiction picture books for Henry Holt & Co,/Christy Ottaviano Books are:
The Fantastic Ferris Wheel -The Story of Inventor George Ferris (2015) written by Betsy Harvey Kraft & illustrated by Steven Salerno. (Henry Holt & Co,/Christy Ottaviano Books, an imprint of MacMillan Publishing) see the illustrations
PASS GO And Collect $200 -The Real Story of How MONOPOLY Was Invented (2018) written by Tanya Lee Stone & illustrated by Steven Salerno. (Henry Holt & Co,/Christy Ottaviano Books, an imprint of MacMillan Publishing) see the illustrations
MY ROUGH THUMBNAILS & SMALL PRELIMINARY ROUGH SKETCHES
Once the publisher’s offered contract terms are negotiated and it is officially signed, I then commence with creating my very rough thumbnail sketches some drawn directly onto the text manuscript as a read it over and over again. They are followed by rough, small preliminary sketches (about 3”x5”). And as with all the other nonfiction picture books I’ve illustrated I’m also sorting through thousands of potential period photos to choose perhaps one hundred photos I’ll end up actually using as specific photo reference that helps me correctly reflect the time period described in the story -which starts in 1915 when Leo was only six years old, and goes up through to the mid-1950’s when Leo first released the design of his iconic FENDER Stratocaster guitar…
These initial stages of early rough sketches are for my-eyes-only and are not shown to the editor and art director. It is only after I have developed a stage of intermediary larger sketches to the point of confidently knowing my intentions with the images that I then complete my full-sized final sketches which are then formally presented to the publisher for their review and valuable feedback.
Below, are samples of some of the initial rough thumbnail sketches & rough preliminary sketches…
above: When I first receive the story manuscript, as I read it over and over and over again I simultaneously doodle tiny, thumbnail sketches directly into the margins and within the text -quick shorthand sketches to record my initial ideas and visual concepts. These extremely rough sketch-doodles are never shown to the editor or art director. They are just for my-eyes-only. Kind of shorthand jots to begin exploring how I might best illuminate the text.
above: a cropped detail view of one of the tiny thumbnail sketches doodled right into the margins of the text -a quick shorthand sketch to record my initial ideas or visual concept.
above: on the left side you can see a clipboard that contains the story manuscript that is littered with my initial sketch-doodles. And on my drawing table are scattered the next step bigger but still very rough early sketches, where I’m further working out the myriad of image possibilities I have in mind to hopefully best illuminate the text. These early rough sketches are drawn with pencil, crayon or ink…
above: another view of some of the many small rough preliminary sketches I develop enroute to eventually figuring out exactly what images I will create to best illustrate the text. I purposely make this stage of sketches very small (about 3” x 5”) so I can try out different concepts relatively quickly. Even at this very early stage you can see I am already also working out where the text blocks will be positioned. This stage of rough preliminary sketches are also not shown to the editor or art director.
above: a closer view of some of the many small rough preliminary sketches… the horizontal RED lines within these small sketches are beginning to work out where the text will be positioned relative to the art images.
above: a view of one of the many small rough preliminary sketches… a vignette of western swing band musicians -these sketches are crude but effective in helping me see what images might work better over another. Some are only about 2” x 3” in size -most are in the range of 3” x 5”. I am working out the basic dynamics of what the image content will be and the positioning of the elements in tandem with the text. These extremely rough sketches are never shown to the editor or art director. They are just for my-eyes-only. Kind of shorthand sketches to begin exploring how I might best illuminate the text.
above: a view of one of the many small rough preliminary sketches… they are crude but effective in helping me see what images might work better over another. Some are only about 2” x 3” in size -most are in the range of 3” x 5”. I am working out the basic dynamics of what the image content will be and the positioning of the elements in tandem with the text. These extremely rough sketches are never shown to the editor or art director. They are just for my-eyes-only. Kind of shorthand sketches to begin exploring how I might best illuminate the text.
above: another view of one of the many small rough preliminary sketches… this one of the young teenage Leo character at his work table. This little ink sketch is about 3” x 5” in size.
LARGER, MORE REFINED SKETCHES
After I spent 2 to 3 weeks exploring image possibilities via these many tiny thumbnail sketches and many small rough sketches I’ve slowly formulated a concrete plan for all the final illustrations. I then feel confident enough to start a series of next level larger, more detailed sketches which are about 5.5” x 8.5” in size…. and essentially are a storyboard of how the entire picture book will look, including the approximate blocking of where the text will be positioned relative to the art images.
Below, are some of these next level larger, more detailed sketches…
above: view of one of the larger stage sketches, which are about 5.5”x8.5” in size… and allow me to see fairly accurately how the picture book is going to look.
In this sketch young Leo is on his parent’s produce farm, drawn to tinkering with all things mechanical…
However, even at this stage all the intended image are still not firmly set. I still make changes and even scrap images entirely to try new approaches illustrating a particular scene. For example this sketch seen above of young Leo atop the tractor was eliminated.
above: view of one of the larger stage sketches, which are about 5.5”x8.5” in size… and allow me to see fairly accurately how the picture book is going to look.
In this sketch a teenage Leo is operating a radio repair business out of his bedroom, with his anxious parents looking on and wondering what his future holds… they want him to go to college and become an accountant.
above: view of one of the larger stage sketches, which are about 5.5”x8.5” in size… and allow me to see fairly accurately how the picture book is going to look.
In this sketch young Leo is on his parent’s produce farm, orange trees in the background, taking a break from his chores to tinker with radio parts…
However, even at this stage all the intended image are still not firmly set. I still make changes and even scrap images entirely to try new approaches illustrating a particular scene. For example this sketch seen above of young Leo tinkering with a radio part was eliminated.
above: view of one of the larger stage sketches, which are about 5.5”x8.5” in size… and allow me to see fairly accurately how the picture book is going to look.
In this sketch an young Leo is a boy working on his parent’s produce farm in California…and one day he has an accident, falling off the back of a truck and hitting a fence post… which unfortunately causes him to lose his eye.
above: view of one of the larger stage sketches, which are about 5.5”x8.5” in size… and allow me to see fairly accurately how the picture book is going to look.
In this sketch an adult Leo had lost his job as an accountant during the Great Depression of the 1930’s, and so decided to open his own small radio repair shop located behind a gas station…
above: view of one of the larger stage sketches, which are about 5.5”x8.5” in size… and allow me to see fairly accurately how the picture book is going to look.
In this sketch in the late 1930’s Leo has started to repair lap steel guitars and amplifiers -so he must study their electronics schematics…
above: this is a side sketch… of a Rock n Roll drummer character seen in the background behind a lead guitarist character in one of the scenes.
above: view of one of the larger stage sketches, which are about 5.5”x8.5” in size… and allow me to see fairly accurately how the picture book is going to look.
In this sketch because Leo has begun designing and building his own prototypes of electric guitars and amplifiers he’s studying guitarists playing their electrified acoustic guitars and asking them many questions about how they play, and what they want and need from a guitar…
above: a cropped detail view of one of the larger stage sketches… This one depicts Leo circa 1950 holding up his iconic FENDER Telecaster -a slim, solid body electric guitar…
note: when in high school young Leo wore round style eyeglasses… and although as an adult he wore different eyeglass styles, for the purposes of character continuity I depicted Leo throughout all the illustrations wearing only round style eyeglasses.
FINAL SKETCHES FOR PRESENTATION TO THE PUBLISHER
After I’ve completed all the larger sketches (seen above) which confirm exactly what my image intentions are for the final illustrations… next, I enlarge them in Photoshop to the actual full size that the illustrations will appear in the printed book and refine them even further to create my FINAL illustrations to officially present to the editor and art director.
The publisher (consisting of the editor, art director and designer) will carefully review all my final sketches and offer me their expert comments and suggestions -which are invaluable and can help me in refining some of my image concepts & scenes to make the final illustrations the very best they can be.
Below, are some of these FINAL sketches…
above: view of one of the full-sized FINAL sketches, 18” x 12” -which were officially presented to the publisher for their review…
This sketch scene is of young teenage Leo when he was operating his fledgling radio repair business out of his bedroom.
above: view of one of the full-sized FINAL sketches, 18” x 12” -which were officially presented to the publisher for their review…
This sketch scene is of a western swing band popular in the 1930’s, many of which performed in Southern California where Leo saw them. The musician on the right is trying one of Leo’s prototype lap steel guitars and his prototype amplifier, too.
These final stage sketches are created with pencil and crayon, then scanned into Photoshop -where they are further modified and refined as well as adding digital color sparingly to indicate some possible color direction. In this final sketch stage I usually do not lock myself into indicating specific colors -which allows me more flexibility when creating the actual final illustrations..
above: view of one of the full-sized FINAL sketches, 18” x 12” -which were officially presented to the publisher for their review……
This sketch scene is of Leo studying the electronics schematics of lap steel guitars and amplifiers of the late 1930’s.
above: view of one of the full-sized FINAL sketches, 18” x 12” -which were officially presented to the publisher for their review…
This sketch scene is of Leo designing and building his first slim, solid body electric guitar, which initially named a FENDER Broadcaster, but soon was renamed the Telecaster.
above: view of one of the full-sized FINAL sketches, 18” x 12” -which were officially presented to the publisher for their review…
This sketch scene is of some conventional guitar makers all laughing at Leo Fender’s electric guitar design of the FENDER Telecaster. On the right is an early 1950’s Rock n Roll musician playing and LOVING the innovative solid, slim body FENDER Telecaster electric guitar.
above: view of one of the full-sized FINAL sketches, 18” x 12” -which were officially presented to the publisher for their review…
In this sketch because Leo has begun designing and building his own prototypes of electric guitars and amplifiers he’s studying guitarists playing their electrified acoustic guitars and asking them many questions about how they play, and what they want and need from a guitar…
above: a cropped detail view of one of the full-sized FINAL sketches, 18” x 12” -which were officially presented to the publisher for their review…
This sketch depicts Leo’s FENDER Stratocaster electric guitar model which was first released to the marketplace in the early 1950’s…
PROCESS OF CREATING THE FINAL ILLUSTRATIONS
To create a final illustration for this picture book I first draw the main characters and objects with a dark sepia crayon on paper (using my final sketch as my guide). I also paint various background textures with gouache on paper -then scan all these various elements into a hierarchy of layers within Photoshop where I compose the final illustration and also paint color digitally. Typically one of the final illustrations created this way in Photoshop is comprised of about 25 independent layers. Of course all these layers which build each final illustration are then flattened before I provide the final digital file to the publisher.
Below, are views of some of these DARK SEPIA CRAYON DRAWINGS which are at the core of the completed final illustrations…
above: view of one of the final dark sepia crayon drawings, this one of young Leo’s workspace filled with miscellaneous gadget parts and tools… This drawing is scanned into Photoshop along with other drawn and painted elements -all into a hierarchy of various layers which are composed into the final illustration, including digitally painted color.
above: view of one of the final dark sepia crayon drawings, this one of a western swing band musician from the 1930’s… This drawing is scanned into Photoshop along with other drawn and painted elements -all into a hierarchy of various layers which are composed into the final illustration, including digitally painted color.
above: a detailed view of the final dark sepia crayon drawing shown directly above this one…
above: view of one of the final dark sepia crayon drawings in progress -of young Leo as a teenager operating a radio repair business out of his bedroom. My sketch is on the light box, and on top of the sketch is another sheet of paper upon which I create the final drawing using the sketch underneath as a guide. On the side are some reference photos of the real Leo Fender as a teenager. The final drawing is then scanned into Photoshop along with other drawn and painted elements including digitally painted color -all into a hierarchy of various layers which are composed into the final illustration.
above: view of one of the final dark sepia crayon drawings in progress -of Leo as a young man when he was working as an accountant. My sketch is on the light box, and on top of the sketch is another sheet of paper upon which I create the final drawing using the sketch underneath as a guide. On the side are some reference photos of the real Leo Fender as a teenager. The final drawing is then scanned into Photoshop along with other drawn and painted elements including digitally painted color -all into a hierarchy of various layers which are composed into the final illustration.
above: view of the final dark sepia crayon drawings which is for the front cover art -and conceptually is a kind of time warp -because it depicts Leo as a boy yet he’s holding his iconic FENDER Telecaster guitar which he did not actually invent until he was an adult. This final drawing is then scanned into Photoshop along with other drawn and painted elements including digitally painted color -all into a hierarchy of various layers which are composed into the final COVER illustration.
above: one of the many various painted gouache textures that are an integral background element in some of the final illustrations…
above: one of the many various painted gouache textures that are an integral background element in some of the final illustrations…
THE COMPLETED FINAL ILLUSTRATIONS
To create a final illustration for this picture book I first draw the main characters and objects with a dark sepia crayon on paper, using my final sketch as my guide. I also paint various background textures with gouache on paper -then scan all these various elements into a hierarchy of layers within Photoshop where I compose the final illustration and also paint color digitally. Typically one of the final illustrations created this way in Photoshop is comprised of about 25 independent layers. Of course all these layers which build each final illustration are then flattened before I provide the final digital file to the publisher.
Below, are cropped detail views of some of the completed FINAL illustrations created in Photoshop.
above: a cropped detail view of one of the completed FINAL illustrations… this one of a teenage Leo working on repairing a radio, a business he was operating out of his bedroom.
above: a cropped detail view of one of the completed FINAL illustrations… this one of an adult Leo who just lost his job as an accountant due to the Great Depression era.
above: a cropped detail view of one of the completed FINAL illustrations… this one of the gas station where Leo’s fledgling RADIO REPAIR shop was located in the 1930’s.
above: a cropped detail view of one of the completed FINAL illustrations… this one of Leo intently studying the electronics schematics of lap steel guitars and amplifies.
above: a cropped detail view of one of the completed FINAL illustrations… this one of western swing band musicians on stage in the 1930’s
above: a cropped detail view of one of the completed FINAL illustrations… this one of jazz guitarists in the studio, circa mid 1940’s.
above: a cropped detail view of one of the completed FINAL illustrations… this one of Leo developing his first Telecaster guitar in the workshop -his slim, solid body electric guitar, a huge design departure from the traditional hollow body acoustic guitars that were merely electrified.
above: a cropped detail view of one of the completed FINAL illustrations… this one of a Rock n Roll musician playing the innovative FENDER Telecaster -a slim, solid body electric guitar developed in the early 1950’s.
above: a cropped detail view of one of the completed FINAL illustrations… this one of a contemporary Rock guitarist on stage slinging her FENDER guitar from side to side.
PROJECT TIMELINE
So from August 2019 through November 2019 I worked exclusively on creating all the necessary SKETCHES for Gadgets, Gizmos, and Guitars, making my official presentation to editor Christy Ottaviano and art director/designer Patrick Collins at the end of November 2019.
Once all the sketches were fully approved in December 2019 I then immediately began work on creating all the final illustrations, based on the approved sketches. So, from December 2019 through March 2020 I was working diligently every day on the final illustrations for Gizmos, Gadgets and Guitars. And by the third week of March 2020 I had completed about 80% of the final illustrations…right on track with my deadline schedule. However, unfortunately I then suddenly contracted the Covid-19 virus -which stopped me from working. In fact it stopped me from doing ANYTHING for about 60 days! In brief it was hell… I got pneumonia and I literally could not do anything for about two full months and then began to slowly feel better. To put it in perspective I was very unlucky to have contracted the virus, but then I was VERY lucky being able to fight off the virus and recover at home and did not have to be hospitalized! So, by the end of May I could begin working again, slowly at first in short work sessions, then longer and longer sessions as the days went on.
By early June I had finally completed all the ‘inside of book’ final illustrations, and submitted them to the publisher. Whew! Now I just had to create the final art for the front cover and the endpapers, which traditionally I do not address until I have first completed all the inside of book illustrations.
A PEEK AT THE PROCESS OF CREATING A FINAL ILLUSTRATION IN PHOTOSHOP
As I have described earlier in this post, to create a final illustration for this picture book I first draw the main characters and objects with a dark sepia crayon on paper, using my final sketch as my guide. I also paint various background textures with gouache on paper -then scan all these various elements into a hierarchy of layers within Photoshop where I compose the final illustration and also paint color digitally. Typically one of the final illustrations created this way in Photoshop is comprised of about 25 independent layers.
Below is a step-by-step look at one of the final illustrations. This illustration actually had 24 Photoshop layers… but for purposes of brevity for this step-by-step view I condensed things to appear as if the final illustration was created in Photoshop with just 6 layers… however, this condensed peek will still give you a basic concept of how the illustration was constructed. This particular illustration depicts a scene where young Leo is working on his parent’s produce farm when one day he slipped off the back of a truck bed and hit his eye on a fence post… and the accident caused him to lose his eye! Poor Leo!
Again, the step-by-step view seen below has been condensed from the actual 24 layers in Photoshop down to just 6 layers, in order to very briefly show the basic method in which the illustrations are constructed:
above: using my sketch as my guide, I draw the main characters and objects with a dark sepia crayon, and then scan all these elements into Photoshop. Here is my drawing of a farm truck placed into a Photoshop layer…
above: Here I have added my drawing of young Leo into another Photoshop layer…
above: Here I have added my drawing of the fence post into another Photoshop layer…
above: above: Here I have added texture and also painted digital color into more Photoshop layers…
above: Here I have added painted digital color in the truck as well as adding the orange grove trees in the background into Photoshop layers…
above: Here, to compete the Leo character, I have painted digital color into more Photoshop layers…
The above illustration actually had 24 Photoshop layers… but for purposes of brevity for this step-by-step view I condensed things to appear as if it was created with just 6 layers… however, this condensed peek will still give you a basic understanding of how the illustration was constructed.
This particular illustration above depicts a scene where young Leo is working on his parent’s produce farm when one day he slipped off the back of a truck bed and hit his eye on a fence post… and the accident caused him to lose his eye! Poor Leo!
above: Poor Leo lost his eye in that accident falling off the back of the truck, but it never stopped him from still being able to work with tools and tiny electronic parts, and reading schematics!
FRONT COVER & ENDPAPERS ART
With every one of the 31 picture books I have illustrated thus far, I always fully complete the inside of book illustrations first. Usually though, at some point during the process of creating the inside of book illustrations I do also submit a flurry of tentative cover sketches, because the publisher’s marketing department needs to begin to see the possible cover concepts beforehand, so they can begin their marketing strategies for the picture book.
So, by the time I have completed all the inside of book final illustrations the publisher Christy Ottaviano and the art director/designer Patrick Collins have also sharpened their thoughts on the various cover sketches I had already submitted -and chosen one we should develop as the official cover art image…
Below is a look at the final cover sketch, and my subsequent completed final cover illustration…
above: this is one of a handful of cover sketches I had submitted to the publisher and art director -and subsequently was their selection to be developed as the final cover art illustration.
Note: The title type you see in this sketch was just inserted as mock type to see if I am allowing sufficient space for the art director/designer to then actually implement their final title design.
above: this is the final completed cover illustration. Note: The white silhouette shape in the background is the actual design shape of the FENDER Telecaster guitar body.
above: this is the final completed cover illustration with the designer’s tentative title type design in place.
The very last piece of original art I needed to create for this Gizmos, Gadgets and Guitars picture book project was the endpapers art… Note: Not all picture books have endpapers art, so it is a special feature when they do.
If you want to view other endpapers art I created for some of my previous picture books, click here.
Below is a the final endpaper art…
above: this is the final completed endpapers illustration. In this version (which will be printed in the front of the picture book) the guitars in the correct upright position are the FENDER Telecaster guitar. And the guitars in the upside down position are the FENDER Stratocaster guitar. This endpapers art will be vertically flipped when printed in the back of the book so that the Stratocaster guitars can take their turn in the correct upright position.
Now that I have successfully completed all the illustrations for the Gizmos, Gadgets and Guitars picture book project…. the publisher needs nearly another year to produce/print the completed picture books, in time for their scheduled release date for this picture book in early 2021. Look for Gizmos, Gadgets and Guitars in fall 2021!
Currently I am fully engaged in my next picture book illustration project: The Secret Code Inside You -written by Rajani LaRocca, a non-fiction picture book title for publisher Little Bee Books, scheduled for release in Fall 2021. A whimsical, fun and informative introduction for young readers on how your DNA and genes make you uniquely into you!
To view my many other fiction and nonfiction picture books, as well as my illustration work for advertising and magazines, etc… visit stevensalerno.com