Janet Stevens Frequently Asked Questions

As you know from other parts of my web site, I am using a computer more and more these days in the early stages of creating books. The tool I use most is Adobe Photoshop running on a Mac G3 with a big monitor and a stylus (I can barely use a mouse!). This digital world provides a great environment for experimentation and combination of real and imaginary objects. It gives me freedom to explore many different combinations and arrangements quickly! This page shows several stages of the process of creating a spread for my new book Cook-A-Doodle-Do!.

These are the rough drawings (drawn on paper and scanned into the computer) in place on the spread with a sketched shortcake. The background is the scanned handmade paper that I will use in the book. I put some quick color on the characters with the computer to see what the whole spread will look like. At first, I put the table cloth on, but later realized that the characters were still in the kitchen and not at the formal dining table!

Once the general design of the spread is decided on with the Editor and Art Director using the rough characters, the next step is to draw the backgrounds for the finished characters. This is also done on paper and then scanned in to the computer. This version of the page also shows the real plate that will be included on the page. Note that this is still the wrong table!

After the final characters are in the computer I can add textures and colors. Here I have added cheese grater, sponge textures and color to the Iguana, a fabric "apron" and comb texture to the head of the rooster, potato texture to the Pig, and grater and tortoise shell to the Turtle. Actual cake texture has been added to the cake and scanned strawberries are in place. I also realized at this point that I needed the kitchen mess on the table, not the table cloth. I sketched mess in on a separate layer in the computer.

At this point I have added digital kitchen elements (bowl, spoon, measuring cup, beater, whipped cream container) and whipped cream spills to the table. This is what I printed out from the computer. It is the final digital stage for this page.

This is the final art work that went to have text added and be printed into the book. I painted in color and definition and more whipped cream into the final. This combination of digital and non-digital tools provides a great environment for experimentation and combination of real and imaginary objects.