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Behind the Scenes: Illustrating the Children’s New Living Translation Bible
Our Commissioning Editor Juliet Trickey and Editorial Intern Miriam Huggland are on the blog today discussing the illustrations in our new NLT Children’s Bible. How does an editor brief an illustrator?
It’s a complex thing, briefing an illustrator on how to best portray stories and scenes from the Bible. How literal should the illustrations be? How historically accurate should the food, clothing and surroundings be? And crucially, how can we make sure these illustrations ensure our Bible stands out from the competition?
Our main objective with this Bible was to make it feel like a really fresh and modern representation of Bible stories – something that really caught the eye and made a statement.
Upon discovering Javier Joaquin, we knew we’d struck gold. Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Javier’s inspiration comes from his acute observation of urban characters, architecture and nature and his style incorporates textures and colours which are added both traditionally and digitally.
Combining ancient and modern
One of the things which most attracted us to Javier for this project was his eye for unusual perspectives, and we really pressed into this when approaching our selection of Bible stories. What would the story of Jonah look like from a bird’s eye view? How could we draw out the gruesomeness of the plagues? How could we create impact by using interesting composition rules?
Another strength of Javier’s approach was his ability to not be constrained by realistic colour palettes. Instead, we had pink ground, pink waves in the sea, yellow floorboards and blue tree trunks. When working on the project, in one email exchange between the art director, editor and the illustrator’s agent, the art director stated that the blue sky and blue sea were a little traditional, and could Javier please work his magic and revise this colour palette? The resulting illustration was what we now see on the cover – still blue sea, but with contrasting pink creatures in the ocean and a wonderfully textured pinky-orange sky.
The graphic elements in his work further add a modern twist to these illustrations. The ground in the Mary, Joseph and donkey illustration is a perfect example of this, and the use of shadows adds such depth to the image. Shadows are used to dramatic effect in the crucifixion scene as well, creating a reflectiveness and poignancy in the image. But an in-house illustration favourite has to be of Daniel in the lion’s den. The use of shadows in this illustration is marvellous, and the shapes of Javier’s animals, and the wonderful expressional faces on the lions, are just exquisite.
Same stories, different perspectives
We definitely took some creative license with these illustrations (if you’re looking for historical accuracy, look away!), but we believe this fresh approach encourages readers to look afresh at the stories we all know so well.
Take, for example, the illustration of David and Goliath. Look at Goliath’s piercing red eyes and his bulging teal-green skin – he really is a monster in this illustration, and the dramatic sky behind him only serves to increase the tension. It’s a wonderful way to show that whatever battles come our way and however monstrous they may look, we can always rely on God to help us through it and face our enemies with us.
Look at the illustration of the nativity scene, with baby Jesus in the manger. Although this scene is more traditional in style, the contrast between the muted colours of the stable and the brightly-dressed wise men really emphasises Jesus’ humble birth.
Or instead, look at Javier’s portrayal of the fisherman’s catch. How amazing that miracle must have seemed to those fishermen. The vastness of the net of fish below the boat is an example of God’s abounding provision and shows just how much He will bless us if we obey when He asks us to do something.
In every illustration for The Children’s NLT, Javier encourages us to see the details in stories we previously overlooked, and to reconsider familiar Bible passages from new perspectives. Together with his bright colour palette and graphic illustration elements, his careful and creative work ensures this Bible edition is entirely relevant and fully alive for a whole new generation of readers.
Juliet Trickey
Commissioning Editor
Miriam Hagglund
Editorial Intern
