How to Illustrate a Novel

Putting illustrations in a novel can add a great deal of enjoyment for the reader. The illustrations can serve as important benchmarks that aid the visual imagery conjured up by the words on the surrounding pages. Illustrating a novel properly is a task that can be accomplished by following a few simple steps.

Things You'll Need

• Copy of the novel
• Pencils and pens
• Sketch pad
• Oil paints or watercolors

Instructions

1. Reading the book should be the first step in preparing any type of illustrations for inclusion in a published novel. If the novel has been published previously and the illustrations are for a new edition, pick up a copy at the local bookstore. If the book has not been published, ask for a copy of the manuscript.

2. Use the sketch pad, pencils and pens to make rough drafts of scenes in the book that seem to bring forth vivid images of important events. At this juncture, do not be concerned about making too many sketches. If an event brings up a vivid image in your mind, sketch it immediately. In one corner of the sketch, record the number of the page on which the event took place, for later reference.

3. After reading the book, review the sketches. Many illustration jobs for novels involve the delivery of a specific number of illustrations, or at least a minimum and maximum number. Make sure you have enough sketches to meet the client's requirements. If you have more than enough, prioritize the sketches based on how important you consider the illustrated action to the overall plot. Hang onto any discards, just in case.

4. Flesh out the rough sketches that you select for submission. Go back and add details that match the action, including background elements, additional emphasis on facial expressions, or any other small visual enhancement that will help to capture the event properly. If the illustrations are intended to be in color, use oil paints or watercolors to add the colors and shades you see in your mind’s eye.

5. Set your first set of completed sketches to one side for at least 24 hours. At the end of that time, review them again before submission. The day between completion and final review may provide you with additional insights that will improve the overall quality of the illustrations.

6. Once you are happy with the quality and subject matter of the illustrations, submit them to your client for review.

Tips & Warnings

• If at all possible, avoid viewing illustrations generated for previous editions of the novel. This will help keep your approach to the project fresh and relatively unbiased.

• Your client may have some particular desires regarding the type of illustrations he wants created. If he requests illustrations that contain such elements as collages or maps (or some other special touch), keep that in mind as you select scenes to illustrate. Failure to incorporate an element the client feels strongly about could mean losing the assignment and the income associated with it.