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A Peek at Yuyi Morales’ Drawing Table

h1 June 18th, 2013 by jules


“NIÑO!” (final art)
(Click to enlarge)

Last week at Kirkus, I wrote about Yuyi Morales’ newest picture book, Niño Wrestles the World, published this month by Neal Porter/Roaring Brook. That link is here.

Today, Yuyi visits to share some early sketches, dummies, final art, etc. I thank her for sharing. Let’s get to it …

* * *

Yuyi: Here is an image of a page in which I kept reworking the text — and also images of some of my early thumbnails. The more I draw, the more I go to very small studies of my characters — tiny sometimes! And, yes, the first drawings are very simple and rather ugly.


Very early version of El Chamuco


Niño’s Doll Decoy
(Click to enlarge)


Hermanita
(Click to enlarge)


Working with the text
(Click to enlarge)



Thumbnails
(Click each to enlarge)

Here are early drawings and my thumbnails for some of the spreads, including a progression of stick figure drawings to more refined sketches for Lucha moves.


Early version of Cabeza Olmeca
(Click to enlarge)


Copyright and title pages
(Click to enlarge)


Lucha moves
(Click to enlarge)


Thumbnails of El Extraterrestre
(Click to enlarge)


Las Hermanitas
(Click to enlarge)

Here are some sketches of spread compositions and their corrections.



Dummy of Niño vs. El Chamuco and its correction
(Click each to enlarge)


La Momia de Guanajuato
(Click to enlarge)

Here are ink drawings and the acrylic painting colors I later scanned into my computer so that I would use them to paint digitally. Cabeza Olmeca’s is a combination of acrylic paint and salt.



El Chamuco with colors
(Click each to enlarge)


Ink line drawings
(Click to enlarge)


Cabeza Olmeca
(Click to enlarge)

And finally some color art [without the text and the impressive typography]:


“Niño!”
(Click to enlarge)


“Uh-oh, Olmec Head awaits his chance to bump skulls with Niño!…”
(Click to enlarge)


“His sisters’ nap is over. Time for Niño to tangle with LAS HERMANITAS!
NIÑO VS LAS HERMANITAS”
(Click to enlarge)


Copyright page
(Click to enlarge)


Back cover (also sans text)
(Click to enlarge)


Cover

* * * * * * *

NIÑO WRESTLES THE WORLD. Copyright © 2013 by Yuyi Morales. Published by Neal Porter/Roaring Brook, New York. All images used with permission of Yuyi Morales.





5 comments to “A Peek at Yuyi Morales’ Drawing Table”

  1. I realized that part of what is making me grumpy during this crazy moving process (that will finally be over on Friday!) is that I have missed all my favorite blogs so I am making time this morning! And what a treat! I love seeing the early sketches!!!

         by Stacey June 18th, 2013 at 4:57 am

  2. Holy…I looove that cover. Her “Just a Minute” book is one of the all-time favourites at our house. And this one looks like something that would forever rock the world of our five-year-old little guy.

         by Jeremy June 18th, 2013 at 10:11 am

  3. Those weency little legs in those underwear just crack me up. I love that Yuyi incorporates Mexican culture in such a huge way into the crazy little kid world of picture books. Lucha libre is a THING for some people, and I love it depicted as part of a child’s imagination – I mean, WHY NOT??

         by tanita June 18th, 2013 at 11:31 am

  4. what a funny book – thanks for sharing these drawings. I picture lots of close study and giggling on the part of many 7-year olds.

         by Allison June 18th, 2013 at 6:26 pm

  5. Splok! Blagoon! Hurray!

         by Tricia Springstubb June 19th, 2013 at 3:49 pm

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