I have been fascinated in writing and illustrating children’s stories ever since I was in elementary school. In developing a concept for the senior project, I tried to think of story ideas that could teach children important life lessons. “Jabari the Green Giraffe,” originated with the idea that children should learn at a young age about diversity and other differences among people. They need to know that they can be friends with people who might be different from themselves. I thought that a good way to portray these differences visually would be to use bright Caran d’ache crayons. There is an initial drawing composed on paper, followed by a layer of vellum. On this surface I use Caran d’ache crayons for color. Finally I layer clear acetate on top of that, and paint the line work with ink. Throughout the whole process of creating my senior project, I learned a lot about book formatting and the amount of work that goes into making a children’s book. Someday, I hope to have the opportunity to publish “Jabari the Green Giraffe.”
