Here’s the 4th illustration for the book project I just finished for Learning A-Z. Page 6 of The Neighborhood’s Night by Juliana Catherine.
So, this is actually the full-wrap version of cover image, including a half inch bleed all around it. But it’s also going to be used on page 6 as a spot illustration. For that they’ll crop off about a quarter of the image from the left side and some from the top, bottom and right as necessary to fit the spot.
I just finished illustrating a graded reader from Learning A-Z. The Neighborhood’s Night by Juliana Catherine. It’s about a family who has to evacuate their home due to forest fires near their neighborhood. Here’s a mock-up of the cover. It was work-for-hire, so it’s copyright Learning A-Z.
I sure got practice drawing vehicles on this one and the changing perspective along the curve was challenging, but the most important part of this illustration was the lighting. I wanted it bright enough to show what was going on and all the people and such, but still look like it’s actually nighttime. An argument could be made that maybe it should have been more smoky, but the haze would have obscured more of the background details, so I went light on the smoke. This image took longer than all the rest of the images in the book.
The full cover image actually wraps around the back. I’ll share that later.
I’m going to dole out the interior illustrations over the next few days here, so keep an eye out if that interests you.
Here’s page 10 from My Treehouse, a short graded reader I recently illustrated for Learning A-Z. This is the last page for this book. 
Here’s page 9 from My Treehouse, a short graded reader I recently illustrated for Learning A-Z. The girl really has a remarkable view from the deck of her treehouse. If you look close, you’ll see a road with two bridges. One over a river and another over railway tracks. There’s traffic on the road. The distant fields have trees along the fencelines and there are cows in a field closer in.
Well, I’ve been super busy lately. When that happens, nothing gets posted on the website at all. But today I’ve got a bit of a breather while I wait on feedback from a client, so I’m setting up some posts.
I illustrated a short graded reader for Learning A-Z titled My Treehouse. Here’s the spread for the wrapped cover on that one. The first page is the same image, but a cropped version showing just the right-hand side of this scene.
One last winter fair illustration commissioned by Learning A-Z.
An illustration commissioned by Learning A-Z. Kids and their families at a winter fair enjoying the cold weather activities.
My second kite-themed entry for the SCBWI Postcard Illustration Contest.
A delighted boy is carried aloft by his kite while his mother chases behind in a panic.
Here’s a background I’m using on another piece that I’ll post later.
Just a sketchy thing.
Karen B. Jones - Illustrator 