From the Sketchbook:
Mark Tuchman
This CBC series features illustrators sharing their creative process and providing a gossamer of context for their art.
Our artist this week is Mark Tuchman, who illustrates the middle-grade series Raccoon River Kids Adventures (Persnickety Press) and is the creative director of Library Journal. Here, he shares sketches from the new picture book Giracula and discusses his inspiration, “My goals as illustrator are: enhance the storytelling; problem-solve; and be funny. “
Grab your fangs and go batty with Giracula, a long-necked vampire with a love of dessert. Just in time for the spookiest season comes the story of how an unexpected bite led to a string of bakery crimes. Hide your pies, tarts, and cakes because this vampire has a taste for treats! Halloween just got a little bit sweeter.
“In the story, a freaked-out Giracula comforts himself by eating ice cream from a carton. But where did Giracula get this ice cream? I imagined that he pilfered it from an ice cream cart (gateway crime)! ”
“I had fun with signage: A ‘slippery when wet’ sign on Giracula’s mountain signals irreverence within the horror genre. ‘Wanted’ posters with Giracula’s face are seen in shop windows.”
“When Giracula binges, his stomach gets absurdly large. It’s these humorous details that make illustrating fun for me and hopefully rewarding for readers! “
