Conceptualization Compared to Visually Translating a Children’s Story

By the illustrator, Lisa Mertins


Although I hadn’t been contacted by Jim until after he’d done the writing and story boarding, while he was working on his end, I was conducting an illustration workshop for the staff of the UCLA Daily Bruin. We did some conceptualization exercises for more abstract ideas that are part of editorial illustration which is different from illustrating a story like
Jimmy’s Adventure on Stage
. It’s difficult for children to understand visual nuance and complicated concepts.

With the type of illustrating that’s done for news and feature stories and for fine art as well, the objective is almost the opposite of illustrating a children’s story. Literal translations are strictly avoided and depicting the mood or feeling of a story is the goal. Above are 3 concepts I submitted for a news story about letting go of personal finance myths. The art director wasn’t convinced the first 2 images would work. When I sent the 3rd depicting a guy “polishing up his finance ideas,” it lead to the final art.

While it’s less complicated to translate an author’s image in a children’s book since the illustration will be a literal translation, hitting all the visual notes Jim has in mind will be my challenge for
Jimmy’s Adventure
.