THE BRIEF
Belinda Bow has written her own children’s book because she is a working mum on a mission: Her book “But she still has time for me” was created to help mothers help their children understand that they’re not any less important just because mums are busy at home or go out to work . The book is also a great reminder for mums that they’re all doing the best they can.
In her own words: “With But she still has time for me, I want to honour mothers everywhere, making choices to live their lives and to stay true to their authentic self at home, at work and at play. We can still put our physical and mental wellbeing and family first without sacrificing a rewarding career or home life.”
The brief for this book was clear: Bold, very colourful images that show in a clear and simple way the activities of each different family. They all had their own traditions, backgrounds, work occupations and activities, but what they all have in common: love for each other and taking the time to enjoy each others company.
With minimal text, the pictures are the clear communication tool for this book.
THE PROCESS
Since the client was looking for a solution that created a bold bright picture book that even younger kids can easily grasp and that did not involve time consuming illustration techniques, I recommended digitally flat coloured ink line drawings. It beautifully served both purposes.
First, after some brainstorming of ideas for each page, I created loose pencil sketches which, once my client approved, were turned into clean ink line drawings.
They were then scanned, coloured digitally and backed with fun patterns.
I kept backgrounds simplistic and minimal so that the characters could shine.
THE RESULTS
My client was very pleased with the result. The book came in on budget and its simplicity is also its strength. It became a great book to gift and sells well as hard copy and via the ebook platforms.
There is so much I can say about Ina. I had a vision for my book. It is a children's book that has been in my heart and mind for many years. When I finally sat down and wrote it, I wondered how I would bring it to life. I scoured the Internet for someone who "got" my vision and found many who didn't.... in the first conversation with Ina I knew that I had found the right person.
She was listening to what I wanted and asked the right questions to create some first draft sketches that brought tears to my eyes. She got it. I was blown away! Then Ina developed the full illustrations and I was beyond thrilled. The attention to detail is incredible, as was the love and care that she put into each illustration. Thank you Ina. PS: I can't wait to work on my next project with you.
