The Adventures of Ashe and Cat
I collaborated with two authors to illustrate a 34-page children’s book, The Adventures of Ashe and Cat: The Mountain Bike Flat, a story about the challenges of mountain biking and the power of resilience. This project was a significant leap from my previous experience, teaching me valuable lessons in digital publishing, illustration process, and collaborative project management. The book is published and is available for purchase through the authors or at Maria’s Bookshop in Durango, Colorado.
Color and character development
To kick off the project, I collaborated with the authors to review the draft text, project specifications, and their vision for the book. Based on these discussions, I created two distinct visual options, each featuring unique character designs, color palettes, and typography styles.
Setting the scene
I created composition sketches to visualize how characters would interact on each page and across spreads. These sketches served as a blueprint for storytelling, ensuring the flow and pacing felt cohesive. My approach focused on front-loading design decisions to make the full-color illustration phase as seamless as possible.
A monumental effort
Illustrating 34 full-color, full-bleed pages was no small feat, even with the solid groundwork from earlier phases. Next time, I’d consider using spot illustrations to balance effort and impact. During this phase, I collaborated closely with the authors to fine-tune character expressions and ensure seamless text flow.
Bringing the book to life
The final phase of the project involved preparing print-ready files for the publisher, ensuring every detail met professional standards. This step was an incredible learning experience, from mastering file formats to collaborating on final edits. The result was a polished product that exceeded expectations, leaving the authors ecstatic with the outcome.
