The Artistic Elements/Page and Book Design

 Artistic Elements/Page and Book Design 

Article 5

by Lyn Lacy

3700 words

For Ed Emberley, who kindly and patiently showed me in whimsical, illustrated correspondence his complicated process for creating brilliant colors in Drummer Hoff. 

Note: In this Article 5 is discussion of illustrators’ uses of the artistic elements and page/book design as indicative of truly “distinguished” illustration. Both Article 6 and this article are recommended reading for elucidation of the author’s point of view in Article 7 for reviewing a choice of eighteen 21st century award-winning titles. For purposes of these articles, “Medalist” refers to a year’s winning title, “Honor Book” refers to a title of merit and “Caldecotts” refers to the entire collection of Medalists and Honor Books.   

ALSC Definitions of “distinguished”

        The American Library Services for Children of the ALA  has defined a “distinguished” picture book variously as “marked by eminence and distinction; noted for significant achievement; marked by excellence in quality; marked by conspicuous excellence or eminence and individually distinct.” (For purposes of this article, “Medalist” will refer to a winning title, “Honor Book” to another title of merit and “Caldecotts” to the entire collection of Medalists and Honor Books.)

        ALSC has also stated that to be considered “distinguished,” illustrations must demonstrate “excellence of execution in the artistic technique employed; excellence of pictorial interpretation of story, theme, or concept; appropriateness of style of illustration to the story, theme, or concept; delineation of plot, theme, characters, setting, mood or information through the pictures; and excellence of presentation in recognition of a child audience.”

        This is a sensitive approach by ALSC about what a distinguished picture book looks like. All that might be questioned is whether an artist’s style is “appropriate,” which is a highly subjective exercise without standards for making judgments. All types of artistic styles, including digital art, have been considered suitable for children and can not be indicators of success of failure. In 1991 Medalist Black and White (1990), David Macaulay even used four styles to tell parts of the same story.

Definitions of the artistic elements

        In addition to ALSC definitions, use of time-honored language of the fine arts regarding artistic elements offers a workable approach for analyzing distinguished illustrations. The artistic elements are usually confined to line, light and dark (value), color, shape and space. A sixth element is texture, which is implied in two-dimensional art and is created by use of the other five elements. Movement is also implied in this way.

        Analyzing use of these artistic elements can better determine if an illustration has excelled “in quality” or “of execution…pictorial interpretation…and presentation.” Such an analysis not only elevates illustrations in distinguished picture books into the world of the fine arts where they belong, but also use of precise language from the arts educates an audience of young people and gratifies illustrators when their work is seen to perform in ways they have worked so hard to achieve.

Rationale for considering a “quality” picture book as a fine art form is that an Illustrator exercises power independent of the words by choice of textual subject matter to illustrate in a field of action, which is the page or “canvas” the illustrator works on. Emphasis on certain subjects and omission of others add dimension to the written words and serve as a differing but harmonious point of view. An “excellent” sequencing of visual narration indicates a unique relationship between one visual and the next, often resulting in a graphic narration in its own right, separate from the text.    

Classic 20th century Medalists gave exemplary examples of high standards regarding uses of one or more of the elements—line in Make Way for Ducklings, color in  Drummer Hoff, light and dark in The Little House, shape in The Snowy Day and space in The Fool of the World and the Flying Ship. A discussion about these picture books is more helpful to the reader than a lengthy explanation of the elements themselves, which can be found in fine arts textbooks. Since an entire picture book is being discussed below, having the title nearby is preferred but is not necessary for these brief explanations. 

        Line is a basic artistic element that records what illustrators see, and the various uses of lines express their impressions of fluidity, vigor or subtlety in a field of action. One of the best examples for uses of line is Robert McCloskey, with his masterful 1943 Medalist, Make Way for Ducklings (1942). Printed in a soft sepia, his line drawings of Boston landmarks and intricate pencil portraits of policeman Michael and the Mallard family are beyond compare. The artist drew visible edge lines that are thin or thick, continuous or broken, outlining and contouring figures. What additionally set Ducklings apart was McCloskey’s viewpoints or sight lines that are superb— birds-eye view looking down at Boston landmarks, child’s eye view (notice that his sight lines are not from an adult level) and even the ducklings’ eye level.

Page after page, McCloskey’s compositions have invisible or directional lines that structure scenes on either horizontal baselines (slicing from left to right to intentionally encourage the audience to turn the page), as strong verticals (which stop the eye to absorb what’s going on), as cozy circular (a closed composition with a center point that draws the audience into the picture) or on the dynamic diagonal (upon which motion and action are built).

Dramatic comparisons to the soft, subtle lines in Ducklings are bold, thick lines and boxed-in illustrations by David Diaz for his 1995 Medalist Smoky Night (1994). A 21st century picture book with strong visible and invisible lines is 2019 Medalist Hello Lighthouse (2018) by Sophie Blackall.     

        Color and color harmony are recognized to reflect personal preferences more than any of the other elements. Ed Emberley, in his incomparable 1968 Medalist, Drummer Hoff (1967), introduced the creation of thirteen colors (hues) using only three inks—primaries magenta, cyan and yellow—by overprinting one transparent ink over another to make secondary colors (green, orange, violet) and tertiary colors (red-orange, yellow-orange, yellow-green, blue-green, blue-violet, red-violet), giving the illustrations a sharpness and brilliance not duplicated by any other printing process.

In his illustrations about soldiers gathering to put together a cannon along a strong horizontal base line, Emberley relied on principles of harmonious arrangements found on a color wheel—hues that are opposite, adjacent or in a triad to each other. He also made good use of color temperature, which is a psychological sensation in which reds, yellows and oranges are considered warm and appear to advance toward the audience, while blues, greens and violets are considered cool and appear to recede. 

All colors in Drummer Hoff are set inside strong black lines, straightforward and unsophisticated, with no shades or tints (low intensity or saturation), increasing the boldness, flatness and two-dimensional quality. Additional vibrancy is achieved by backlighting the scenes in white, and the impression is of bright jewels spread across the field of action, a reason why Drummer Hoff has been called the most radiant of the mid-century Caldecott winners. 

The island of exotic creatures was equally colorful in 1987 Medalist Hey, Al (1986) by Richard Egielski. The 2000 Medalist Joseph Had a Little Overcoat (1999) by Simms Taback has all the colors of the rainbow for costumes of the villagers and Joseph’s little house. 

            

        Light and dark (value) can be the most elusive and emotional of the artistic elements. Virginia Lee Burton, in her timeless 1944 Medalist, The Little House (1943), offered the subtle contrast of night and day as well as gradations of black, white and colors for modeling, shading and highlighting of figures to depict her story of a little house in the bucolic countryside that slowly becomes surrounded by chaos of the city. Cheerfulness and cleanness of weak or pale tints and shades in a snow scene are replaced by the dark dull tones that signify gloom and griminess of tenements and pavement, accomplished as much by grays and browns as by addition of ominous shapes crowded within limited space. 

John Schoenherr in his watercolors for 1988 Medalist Owl Moon (1987) made dramatic uses of light and dark with bright moonlight on snow in the middle of the night. In the 21st century, the 2009 Medalist The House in the Night (2008) by Beth Krommes is all about light and dark, with little bursts of yellow on dark nighttime scenes.

        Shape is associated with one’s own feelings and past experiences with familiar, known images, such as the human body. Ezra Jack Keats, with his ground-breaking 1964 Medalist, The Snowy Day (1963), introduced collage to many adults and children as a different way to see a boy and the world around him and by so doing, the artist was first in playing an important role in promoting collage as an effective art technique for picture books. 

His particular style resulted in bold simplifications of both geometric and organic shapes. His art was in stark contrast to representational (idealized or expressive) portrayals. Keats simplified to the extreme with hard-edged line effects that made closed shapes, using no other drawn lines or shading within his figures. Color also defines his shapes, and he makes use of gently distorted proportion, for instance in Peter’s bed and in the near-human shape of a tree.

Sinister, expressive organic shapes dramatically play hide-and-seek with the audience in 1990 Medalist, Lon Po Po: A Red-Riding Hood Story from China (1989) by Ed Young. Having fun with sketchy shapes in the 21st century is Chris Raschka in the 2006 Medalist, The Hello, Goodbye Window (2005). 

    The element of space in two-dimensional art is a result of the combined uses of the other elements–lines both drawn and directional, colors that advance or recede, gradations of light and dark, and shapes of varying sizes, often in overlapping positions—and seen altogether, space becomes the element that draws the audience into a picture. Negative space is an empty or unfilled part in a field of action that, large or small, gives the eye a place to rest. Uri Shulevitz, in his mesmerizing 1970 Medalist, The Fool of the World and the Flying Ship (1969), shows his mastery of deep space in the first bird’s-eye scene in which “the Fool steered for the highroad and sailed along above it” in his little ship. The scene has aerial perspective, in which the natural world grows less distinct as it takes on the dissolving nature of the atmosphere, and all the other artistic elements dramatically emphasize in their own ways the distances involved from such a height. Hierarchy is prominent in other scenes from a contrasting linear perspective, in which sizes and placements of figures imply their relationship to each other. In “The Bathhouse” illustration, linear perspective is from three separate angles, viewpoints and systems of proportion..

Shallow space is found in the ingenious 1973 Medalist, The Funny Little Woman (1972) by Blair Lent, with his creation of an underground cave for the wicked “onis.” The creation of flat or planar space is unparalleled in 1976 Medalist, Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People’s Ears (1975), illustrated by Leo and Diane Dillon, which also employs their unique, cinematic uses of three storytelling devices called continuous narrative (one character portrayed in two places within the same setting in a field of action; also found in The Snowy Day), split narrative (two episodes with different characters portrayed within the same setting in a field of action; also found in The Fool of the World) and double narrative (two scenes with different characters and settings within a field of action; also found in The Funny Little Woman). 

Fun to compare and contrast are uses of spatial perspectives in two titles about high-wire artists, 1993 Medalist Mirette on the High Wire (1992) by Emily Arnold McCully and 2004 Medalist The Man Who Walked Between the Towers (2003) by Mordicai Gerstein.  

Much more can be learned about the fascinating uses of artistic elements by perusing the public library’s fine art collection, by taking art classes and by visiting art museums and galleries. Applying the language of the fine arts to picture books is a rewarding gift an adult can give to children who question what they see and would like to know the appropriate words to express themselves. Admiration only grows for the marvelous illustrators who have devoted their careers to this beautiful art form.

ALSC Definition of the form of a picture book

        An ALSC commentary about the form of a picture book reads as follows: “The only limitation to graphic form is that the form must be one which may be used in a picture book. The book must be a self-contained entity, not dependent on other media (i.e., sound, film or computer program) for its enjoyment…Each book is to be considered as a picture book. The committee is to make its decision primarily on the illustration, but other components of a book are to be considered especially when they make a book less effective as a children’s picture book. Such other components might include the written text, the overall design of the book, etc. …Components other than illustration should be considered as they bear on effectiveness as a children's picture book.” 

        The ALSC has done a great service to the publishing industry, illustrators and admirers of the graphic form of the picture book by recognizing the picture book as a unique form of graphic art, offering the illustrator many more possibilities than a painter has with one canvas stretched upon a frame.

Definition of page and book design 

        In addition to studying five artistic elements, intelligently looking at picture books requires consideration of the form itself, such as page and book design, or the exterior and interior features used by author, artist and publisher to meet different literary and artistic objectives for different kinds of audiences.

        Visual narration in a sequence for a picture book must indicate a close relationship between cause and effect from one visual to another and may result in a narration in its own right, even separate from the text. The Illustrator exercises power independent of the words by choice of textual subject matter to illustrate. Emphasis on certain subjects and omission of others add dimension to the written words and serves as a differing but harmonious point of view. 

        The narrative in a picture book may be textual, visual or in combination, as in use of speech balloons within an illustration. In the past, disregard for detail, inconsistency or poorly laid out illustrations not only do a disservice to the story but also frustrate and annoy the audience. A single misstep can be overlooked (and is understandably lamented by illustrators themselves, since they are only human after all), but poor choices throughout a picture book sadly demonstrate ineptitude on the part of artist, editor and/or book designer. A well-planned and executed picture book, on the other hand, is truly a work of art.

        Uses of single pages and/or double page spreads as fields of action are basic to page and book design. The second half of the 20th century saw dramatic changes regarding design by the illustrators mentioned in Article 5. 

        In his revolutionary 1964 Medalist Where the Wild Things Are (1963) Maurice Sendak introduced Max formally in a framed illustration similar to a snapshot. Next were single page spreads showing his small room change into a forest. Then his boat is shown in three-quarter double spreads in which the gutter is not ignored but amplified by the presence of a tree or a beastie. Following those, the island of Wild Things spreads across double pages with text beneath, except for a wordless three-page wild rumpus scene. Max returns to his room pictured again on a single page. The single last page is famous for its five-word description of Max’s supper left by his mom—“and it was still hot.” 

 

        The exemplary team of Leo and Diane Dillon In the 1976 Medalist Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People’s Ears (1975) offered something new with cinematic uses of three storytelling devices called continuous narrative (one character portrayed in two places within the same setting in a field of action; also found in The Snowy Day), split narrative (two episodes with different characters portrayed within the same setting in a field of action; also found in The Fool of the World) and double narrative (two scenes with different characters and settings within a field of action; also found in The Funny Little Woman). Also intriguing was the flat or “planar” batik-style art with its unmodeled, two-dimensional figures inhabiting a seemingly space-less setting that bleeds off the pages’ edges. The single last page was so satisfying, with “KAPAO!” as text for an illustration of the squashed mosquito. 

  

        Chris Van Allsburg designed his 1982 Medalist, Jumanji (1981) in a very formal format (single page framed illustrations faced by paragraphs of text on the opposite pages). Just once, he extended an illustration slightly outside the field of action, when a chair tips over into our space. 

        Ed Young for his 1990 Medalist Lon Po Po: A Red-Riding Hood Story from China (1989) used an ancient Chinese technique of vertical panels to reveal the story as it unfolds, twice in continuous narratives. 

    

        David Macaulay in the 1991 Medalist Black and White (1990) designed double page spreads divided into quadrants, each of which had its own plot illustrated in a different style. The single last page is for copyright information, with an illustration that hints about the possibility of yet another way to interpret the picture book. 

        David Wiesner for his 1992 Medalist Tuesday (1991) had  vertical and horizontal panels that were filmic in nature, allowing him to illustrate as many as four parts of a scene on one double page spread. 

        Other properties of page and book design are size and shape, dust jacket and cover, front matter (endpapers, title, copyright and dedication pages), last single page, gutter, text, typeface and any special features, such as nontraditional paper performances.

The following 21st century Caldecott Medalists and Honor Books offer examples of many excellent design decisions:  

        Regarding size and shape of the book, the popular large square format opens up to a display of rectangular double page spreads for an audience of several children, such as 2016 Medalist Finding Winnie: The True Story of the World’s Most Famous Bear (2015) by Sophie Blackall. Large vertical or horizontal rectangles present a similar advantage, as in 2020 Honor Book Going Down Home with Daddy (2019) by Kelly Starling Lyons and illustrated by Daniel Minter. 

        A tall vertical rectangle is 2019 Medalist Hello Lighthouse (2018) also by Sophie Blackall. Small square or rectangular “lap-size” books are best used with one child, like 2005 Honor Book The Red Book (2004) by Barbara Lehman and 2001 Honor Book Olivia (2000) by Ian Falconer.

        The dust jacket or book cover may have a single image on the front or one image on the front and another on the back, all of which compete in popularity with wrap-arounds (in which one illustration extends from front to back cover). An example of a wrap-around is 2020 Honor Book Bear Came Along (2019) by Richard T. Morris and illustrated by LeUyen Pham. 2000 Honor Book Sector 7 (1999) by David Wiesner displays different front and back illustrations. 

        Front matter may include decorative endpapers, as in 2001 Honor Book Casey at the Bat (2000) by Christopher Bing, and an illustration on the title page that begins the story, found in 2014 Honor Book Journey (2013) by Aaron Becker. 

        The last single page may be used to conclude a story creatively with a satisfying, succinct little verbal or visual statements, as in 2012 Medalist A Ball for Daisy (2011) by Chris Raschka. However, many illustrators—such as 201 Medalist The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend (2014) by Dan Santat—place copyright and dedication information on this page, rather than in the book’s front matter. This placement offers opportunities for more art in the front and frees the artist from illustrating that last single page, which in the past had appeared to be an afterthought that was inconsistent, insignificant or redundant.

As to single page illustrations, vignettes may have text above, below or to the side while larger illustrations often have text consistently along the bottom like a caption. Double page spreads (or sometimes three-quarters of a double spread) present a horizontal expanse called landscape format. An example of a combination is 2006 Medalist The Hello, Goodbye Window (2005) by Norton Juster and illustrated by Chris Raschka.    

        Landscape format presents the illustrator with the thorny problem of balancing art to the left and right of the gutter, where the pages are bound. An excellent example of sensitivity to the gutter is 2021 Medalist We Are Water Protectors (2020) by Carole Lindstrom and illustrated by Michaela Goade. 

Illustrations may be framed by margins, considered a formal format, or bleed off the pages’ edges, considered informal format. Margins are usually black or white space, whereas bleeding with no margins extends the art beyond the field of action. David Wiesner is a master of using both formats in the same book, as in 2007 Medalist Flotsam (2006). 

        The formality or lack of it is often closely associated with the illustrator’s consideration for placement of text and the size and shape of its typeface. Formal text can be at the bottom of an illustration or on the opposite page. When text is not separated from illustrations, it is sometimes informally shaped to become part of the art. Examples are found in 2001 Medalist So You Want to Be President (2000) by David Small. Changing size and shape of typeface is uncommon, except for sound words and exclamations, as in 2014 Medalist Locomotive (2013) by Brian Floca.

        Award-winners that incorporate special features are die cuts in 2000 Medalist Joseph Had a Little Overcoat (1999) by Simms Taback, fold-out pages in 2004 Medalist The Man Who Walked Between the Towers (2003) by Mordicai Gerstein and lift-the-flaps as well as fold-out pages in 2014 Honor Book Flora and the Flamingo (2013) by Molly Idle.

        In conclusion, a discussion of Caldecott nominees is better served when specific aspects of both art and design are considered. The picture book audience also benefits greatly when children learn the language of fine art to discuss how and why these books bring us joy, sadness, insight and laughter.

For discussion of the definition of picture books and the picture book audience, see Article 6. 

Some of this article has been excerpted from Art and Design in Children’s Picture Books: An Analysis of Caldecott Award-Winning Illustrations by Lyn Ellen Lacy (ALA, 1986).