An introduction to the world of Illustration
The 1890s-2010s
Written and Illustrated by Elenore Graber
For my senior project, I decided to create a hardcover book. Aimed at 11-14-year-olds, my goal was to introduce young students to the world of commercial illustration. The Age of Illustration covers artists starting in the 1890s and continuing into the 2010s.
My Process
Creating an original book was a huge undertaking, and it required a lot of planning. Here are the steps I took in order to complete the project in 14 weeks over the course of the semester.
01
Research
Since this was going to be a history book, my inspiration came from the different artists I was writing about. Research is an important first step to the creative process, both for writing and illustration. For my book, I looked at both the work created by the artists and their lives.
02
Writing
When it came to writing the content of the book, I was inspired by the history books that I read when I was a kid. My goal was to make the writing friendly, informative, and inspiring.
03
Illustrating
In addition to the historical examples, I also created my own illustrations to complement the text. These consist of portraits, inset illustrations, and section dividers.
04
Layout
When it came to putting everything together, I wanted the look of the book to be cohesive, but not overly repetitive. I developed a simple layout, with elements that could be switched around or tweaked in order to have variation. No two spreads are identical, but the book is still easy to navigate.
The Finished Product
The final was a hardcover book, 84 pages long and 7.5” x 9” folded.
It took a long time, but getting to hold the physical version in my hands after months of hard work made it all worth it.
