Sydney Smith’s Small in the City

h1 November 13th, 2019 by jules


Early sketch


 

Author-illustrator Sydney Smith visits 7-Imp today to share some sketches (lots) from Small in the City (Neal Porter/Holiday House, September 2019). I reviewed this one for the Horn Book, and you can read a portion of that review online here. [Edited to add in December: The full review is posted here.] I love this book, but don’t just take my word for it. It has already won a 2019 New York Times/New York Public Library Best Illustrated Children’s Book Award, and Sydney also won a Governor’s General Literary Award in Canada.

I’ve also got some final spreads below. I thank Sydney for sharing so many beautiful sketches and such. Let’s get to it. …



 

Reference Photos:


 


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Sketches:


 


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A “B side” illustration
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Sydney: “This is a painting my two-year-old, Sal, did.
I found it very inspiring and pinned it above my drawing table.”

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The Stages of an Illustration:


 



 



 



 


Four images above: Stages of an illustration; the fourth is the final one
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Some Final Spreads from the Book:


 


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* * * * * * *

SMALL IN THE CITY. Text and illustrations copyright © 2019 by Sydney Smith. Illustrations reproduced by permission of the publisher, Neal Porter Books, Holiday House, New York. All preliminary images reproduced by permission of Sydney Smith.





3 comments to “Sydney Smith’s Small in the City

  1. Ridiculously good.


  2. This post could be a whole nother book–The Mysterious and Astonishing Process Behind Sydney Smith’s Small in the City. I really love this book so much. Thanks for this post Jules and Sydney!


  3. Beautiful! Thanks for the inspiring look at your process and such clear examples. Must get your book!


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