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Norwich University College of Art and Design

BA (Hons) Illustration - Jan 2011

DUMMY BOOKS
UK - 32 pages from cover to cover A standard 32 page picture book story is usually told over 13 double page spread or 26 single pages. The remaining pages are used as below. This is fairly standard.

PAGE 1 2-3 4-5 6 30-31 32

CONTENT Endpaper Title page Copyright and title page Beginning of story text Story continues until page 31 Endpaper

Generally, front matter takes approximately 4-5 pages but there are no hard and fast rules. A good rule of thumb for working with a book dummy is to plan on the story starting on page 6, if possible. (Board books are less. Normally 24 pages in total.) Making a dummy book Making a book dummy is an essential step in plotting the scenes and page turns in a picture book. Authors who take the time to create a mock-up of their children's book produce a much more complete outcome. Many writers/illustrators produce several versions as the book evolves. A picture book dummy is a guide to help you create your book. It can be made from 16 pages stapled along the left side so that 32 pages are created, or folded down the middle to create 32 pages. The dummy book is there to help us understand the relationship between text and image and how they can be shaped to make a whole. The narrative is informed by the connections between all these ideas. You will need to be able to experiment with the text and image and in the first place it is a good idea to either write out the text on post it notes or print out it out and cut into strips. This enables you to easily move the text around as you are working on the dummy book. Important tip The number of words is important when working through a dummy book. Think about who you audience is. A picture book is normally read by or to children under 7 years and the number of words should reflect this. Illustrators can approach a dummy book in different ways, you can start with the images and the words fit around them or you know your text and use them as the starting point. Whichever approach you may use listed below are important things to consider as you are creating your dummy book.
Pacing

Think about how you'd like the text to be broken up. It's very important in a picture book to have a good rhythm and pace and to contain the drama of the page turn. You don't want too much text on one page and none on the next, unless there's a good reason. Where the wild things are is a great example of a book that uses excellent pacing, having words on some pages but not on others - let the wild rumpus begin... there is then no text on the next 2 dps. Rosies Walk is another of excellent pacing. Sketches Normally B/W. Some illustrators do very detailed, neat sketches while others are much more rough. Work in a way that's best for you. However, make sure that your sketches clearly convey the characters, action and setting. They can't be so rough that we don't know what's going on. Characterisation is very important skill of an illustrator. Character continuity needs to be demonstrated throughout the book. Use the dummy book to experiment with this.

Page Layout While working on the sketches it is important to consider page layout. Always think about composition, placement and scale when working through the dummy. Consider close-up / distant views, viewpoint, e.g. birds-eye view. Your book as a series double page spreads, but how you decide to use them is up to you. You can mix it up,
using full bleeds on some pages while using spot illustrations on others.

The movement in the illustrations goes to the right, pulling the reader toward the page turn. You can increase the drama by using the page turns in your pacing. A page turn can be the punch-line or deliver a surprise. Text As you're working on the sketches for the dummy be sure to leave room for your text. Do you want the text page
to be white? Or would you like it to be placed on top of your illustration, a full page bleed? If you'd like to do the bleed, it's also important to leave a good solid space for the text, uninterrupted, without too many contrasting colours. Try not to put busy patterns or objects behind where the text will go. Choose a font that is not too difficult for children to read. Gutter

Important parts of the illustration should not be drawn too close to the gutter, the valley between facing pages. Double-spread illustrations that need to line up from one page to the other might not align perfectly in the middle, so bear that in mind when you think about the connection between left-hand and right-hand pages. In a typical 32-page picture book, made up of two signatures, pages 8 9 and 24 25 will be a single sheet of paper with stitching down the centre. These are great places for double spreads, because nothing can get lost in the gutter here.
Keep text away from the gutter. Book size Think about the scale and size of your project. Portrait, landscape, square.

Front Matter Title page title of book, your name and the publishing company or imprint.
The title page always comes first, after the endpapers. You can create a half title page or use two full pages to place the title. Look at the different approaches to the title page. Cataloging in publication (cip), copyright, and dedication page - publication information about your book. Some books combine this page with the title page while others designate a separate spread. You can leave the page blank or you can choose to illustrate it as it can be an opportunity to introduce your characters and/or setting.

Endpapers The endpapers consist of four pages, two in the front and two in the back. One side of each endpaper is attached to the cover boards. .

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