Welcome to the World of the Forest is the first volume of a Welcome to the World series that introduces nature and natural environments to very young minds. It has been printed in 5.5” x 5.5” board book format, with 11 full-color spreads and one cover spread.

Taking cues from both mid-century illustration, as well as contemporary children’s books, this project employs mark-making, shape, and color to describe the flora and fauna of the forest. It features a simple narrative that takes the reader through a day in the forest, following an alternating visual rhythm of “far away and close up”. This is meant to both mimic the experience of walking through a forest, and to encourage viewers to look closer at nature. All images were composed using brush and ink, black colored pencil, and Photoshop for layout and coloring. What I am presenting here is meant to be a mockup for pitching to publishers, or as content for a self-initiated Kickstarter or other crowd-sourced funding campaign.

Stylistically, this book could exist as both a children’s book and an art book, as it strives to balance sophisticated imagery with marketplace accessibility. The general audience for Welcome to this World of the Forest are children aged 0-5 years of age, as well as parents, and other artists who appreciate illustration and design.