Here’s another sad one. Image six of nine in a short series for Menno Media for their Shine curriculum shows the preparation of Jesus’ body after his crucifixion. The men are Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus.
Image five of nine in a short series for Menno Media for their Shine curriculum. After Jesus’ crucifixion, his mother and a few other women who loved him came to see him. It is a very sad scene, with the heavy clouds in the distance adding to the mood. The client specifically wanted this scene to be viewed from behind Jesus and looking down towards the women. That was both to obscure the most gruesome aspects of a crucifixion (this is a children’s illustration, after all) and to focus on the women’s overwhelming grief. We chose to also make the sky match the mood of the mourners.
Here’s the 11th illustration for the book project I just finished for Learning A-Z. Page 13 of The Neighborhood’s Night by Juliana Catherine.
This is the last one set in the school gymnasium. Amaya is crying after learning Juana’s news. Their house didn’t make it.
Here’s the 5th illustration for the book project I just finished for Learning A-Z. Page 7 of The Neighborhood’s Night by Juliana Catherine.
This is the last one in the project that has fancy lighting. From here on out the characters will be indoors under regular lights, which is a lot easier, but not as pretty.
Anyway, Leena and Amir are in the backseat of the car as their mom drives them away from their house towards the evacuation shelter. Leena is sad and worried. Amir is too young to understand, so is sleeping. He spends most of the book asleep, actually.
In the sketch phase for this one, I originally drew it at a different angle because I didn’t realize two-year olds, the age Amir is supposed to be, still have to be in rear-facing carseats. I thought they could front-face when they turned one. Nope. It either changed since my kids were that age, or I was remembering it wrong. Anyway, at first I drew them both facing forward. I had to completely redraw it at this angle so that both the kids’ faces are visible. Glad I caught it before I sent it to the client.
RIP, of course, means Rest in Peace. We as a country and as a world have lost so many this year. Rest in Peace to all of them.
I’ve been quiet here lately because I’ve been working on a picture book. Learning A-Z commissioned me through Storybook Arts to illustrate a graded reader titled Standing Up to the Bullies, written by Ashley Kazery. I just finished the last image this afternoon. I’ll probably have a few minor edits before publication, but I’m more-or-less finished.
Here’s the first of thirteen images.
[Edit: I’ve updated the image. This is the final they’re using for the book.]
Buy a print.
Buy print rights and download.
Now he has some color. Why do I have a feeling he’s a cat burglar or something like that?
Or maybe he’s a longshoreman.
He looks kinda sad. Wonder what’s wrong.
Karen B. Jones - Illustrator 