Aki And The Yokai

 

Is a Japanese Children's book I wrote and illustrated as part of my Children's Book Illustration class at the Savannah College of Art and Design. This is my favorite illustration from the book. The technique is a blend of digital and traditional media. The textures are acrylic paint and tissue paper collage influenced by Eric Carle's famous works done in a similar technique. My technique here uses many more layers to build up interesting textures and colors.

 

After collaging many different combinations I scan them and apply them in photoshop to fit in the illustration where I want them based on my rough sketch. I use custom photoshop brushes to add some more detail and refine certain parts of the illustrations. All the linework is done digitally. 

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I think it is very important to keep touch with traditional art, even when more and more work becomes digital. It is easy to be too digital or too traditional/conservative and get left behind. I think it is important to still do as much by hand as possible even as digital media becomes more and more necessary.

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The book was printed and bound by hand in the style of traditional Japanese binding. I also have printed some as traditional fabric scrolls. I will be posting the rest of the illustrations from the book, process and final product photos as soon as I can so please check back again!

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