coffee on the moon: a collaborative journey through grief and imagination
written by Shelby Mymko [February 2024]
#illustration #projectmanagement #collaboration #amazonpublishing #childrensbook
Inspired Conversations
In the realm of children’s literature, stories often serve as powerful tools for imparting wisdom, navigating emotions, and instilling a sense of resilience. The creation of Coffee on the Moon was an artistic journey that sought to bring hope, imagination, and comfort to young readers navigating the complexities of grief. As the illustrator behind this heartfelt project, my role was to visualize and breath life into the whimsical characters and enchanting environments that grace the pages of this touching children’s book.
Illustrating Characters with Purpose
The illustration process began with pencil sketches, where I explored different characters, their expressions, and how they would interact within the story. Each stroke aimed to convey not only the essence of the characters but also the emotions and nuances of their journey through grief. The characters, representing beloved parents from two separate families, Tyler and Taylor, took shape with careful consideration, ensuring that their visual representation resonated with the intended tone of the narrative.
Designing a Whimsical Environment
The imaginative environment in which the characters embark on their journey was a critical aspect of the illustration process. I aimed to create a visually cohesive world that would not only captivate young readers but also serve as a comforting backdrop for the exploration of difficult emotions. Consistency across pages was a key consideration, maintaining a harmonious flow as the characters navigate through the various scenes.
Digitizing the Magic with Procreate
The decision to utilize Procreate as the digital medium for illustration provided a dynamic and expressive canvas. This tool allowed for intricate detailing, refining character expressions, and capturing the vibrant emotions that are integral to the story. The flexibility of the digital medium enabled me to experiment with colours, textures, and visual elements, ensuring that the illustration resonated with the heartfelt nature of Coffee on the Moon.
Bringing the Pages to Life with InDesign
Once the illustrations were finalized, the next step involved compiling the full book using InDesign. This professional layout software facilitated the seamless integration of text and images, creating a visually engaging and cohesive narrative flow. The goal was to produce a PDF that not only showcased the illustrations in their full glory but also provided a user-friendly format for publication on Amazon Direct Publishing.
A Visual Journey through Grief
Coffee on the Moon unfolds as a visual journey through grief, with each illustration serving as a portal into the imaginative landscapes of love, loss, and remembrance. The characters, now digitized and brought to life with Procreate, invite readers into a space where whimsy becomes a tool for healing and storytelling.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the illustration process for Coffee on the Moon was a deliberate and thoughtful endeavor aimed at creating an emotionally resonant visual narrative. Through the careful crafting of characters and environments, this collaborative project seeks to provide young readers with a visually engaging and comforting exploration of the profound themes woven into the story.
To purchase a copy of Coffee on the Moon, visit:
www.paulspublishing.com
“When I wrote Coffee on the Moon, I immediately thought of Shelby Mymko for the illustrations. Shelby has a unique sense of characterization which I wanted to see reflected in the characters of my book.
The story needed to be enhanced with playful graphics, as the concept behind the words is to use playfulness as a way to help families approach grief-related topics with their young children. Shelby rocked it.
I sent Shelby a couple of sketches, filled her in on the backstory of the characters, stumbled through the purpose of the story, and then we went back and forth with drafts, proofs, revisions, new proofs, and so on. Once I decided how I would publish the book, Shelby supported me by putting together a website for the book launch.
When the book was finally launched on Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing, Shelby helped with marketing efforts while also recognizing that the book would have a slow launch in the interest of maintaining my mental health, as the book has had a direct impact on processing my grief of the loss of my husband.
Shelby is such a talented illustrator and she’s a pleasure to collaborate with, particularly on a passion project as she is so very empathetic. I look forward to working with her on my future projects.”