Narrative Illustration/ Development. First Thumbnails and basic composition

My first thumbnails were a simple set of pen drawings. This was a stage of experimentation with basic composition and making the image relevant.  I had already chosen the peaks which would be illustrated, so I went back and read them again for reference. These drawings were very rough as I was trying to get as many ideas down as possible. Labelling the illustrations in order, I began work in my sketchbook, drawing them one by one. 

For the first illustration I wanted to depict the old house on the hill. To make the image more interesting I also wanted to show the peach tree and the ocean, this would foreshadow the future events. I tried a number of compositions and image borders. Most of these were simular as I knew what I wanted the illustrations to look like

Illustration two was meant to show James receiving a bag of crocodile tongs from the old man. I struggled with the composition of this one but I knew it would work better as a portrait image. The old man from this part of the book was not fitting in with my illustration too well so I decided to make it about James. I wanted to illustrate the moment after he had been given the bag and being called by his aunts. This is where the circle vignette idea came into play.

The third Illustration would show the fully grown Peach hanging from a tree. I toyed with the idea of having a long thin portrait illustration showing the scale of the peach. I thought this would seem a bit boring considering the last illustration would have an interesting border. One of the original thumbnail shows the peach resting on a grassy tuft as it hangs from the tree. This would make an interesting vignette style illustration in my opinion. 

Number four would show James meeting the bugs for the first time. I wanted this one to be a full page Illustration as it’s very important for the main characters. Again I played with the shape of the border but I wouldn't be able to use this if it was a full page. I struggled to fit all the characters in with the positions of the insets as described in the book “how there sat next to”. Thumbnail for works the best but I will have to put the bugs in there correct positions and adapt it to fill a full page.

The fifth illustration would depict the two aunts running from the escaping Peach. I would like this one to look dynamic as the peach builds up momentum.  The aunts actually get crushed in this scene but I don’t want to show this in the illustration as it’s a bit dark for children. One of the thumbnails looks a bit too much like an Indiana Jones movie. I think this thumbnail will work the best but I will need to be cleaned up a bit before I finalise it.

 Six will be based around the shark attack scene. The three main things I wanted to depict in this sceen wear the peach, the sharks and the seagulls being captured. The thumbnails are quiet varied because I didn’t know how best to show this. I tried making it in to a vignette for thumbnail four. This seamed much more interesting than to other designs. I will properly refine this in to a final.

Drawing seven will focus on the cloud men as they are introduced. Again I struggled with this one as I wanted to show multerpul things in the one image. I wanted a close up of the cloud men working and a view of the peach in the distant sky. I felt this illustration would also suet vignette more than a full page.

Illustration eight will need to show the peach flying over New York. Again this is an important moment so I want it to be clear on the page. For this illustration I wanted it to have a border but have the illustration going portrait.

 I want illustration nine to depict all the bug’s in there new jobs. Technically illustration nine will be a set of seven vignettes but they will all go with the same chunk of text. I figured out basic poses for this one but most of the details will be figured out in more accurate thumbnails. I simply played with ides for the thumnails.

The final illustration should show James relaxing in his pip house. Earlier in my development I talked about changing his clotting at the end of the story. This will be the illustration that shows James in his new clothing.  I wanted this screen to look cosy and colourful.