←The ABC's of Snowboarding
The ABC's of Snowboarding serves as a child's introduction not just to reading, but to the art of snowboarding. Each letter demonstrates a different technique being performed which correlates to that letter.
SKILL SETS:
Conceptualization
Illustration
Graphic Design
Assembly
Digital Tools:
Procreate
Illustrator
InDesign
Project Conceptualization
EDUCATING & BRAINSTORMING
I collaborated with Neev Zaiet, a children's book author and snowboarding enthusiast, on a unique project: an ABC book that would teach children not only the alphabet but also introduce them to the exhilarating world of snowboarding.
I was immediately drawn to the idea, as it offered a refreshing departure from the typical "A is for Apple, B is for Ball" format commonly found in children's books. Plus, snowboarding is often introduced to children around the same time they begin learning to read and write, making it the perfect subject matter.
Each letter was illustrated in Procreate and carefully crafted so that the poses were authentic and accurate. This involved watching YouTube clips of pros performing the moves, as well as exploring eBooks.
Unique Characters for Each Illustration
FROM PROCREATE TO ILLUSTRATOR
After finalizing the sketches, I moved on to the next phase of the project: transferring the Procreate sketches to Adobe Illustrator to complete the final line work and begin exploring color palettes.
Given that the book could be distributed nationally and aimed at young children, we knew it was essential to represent a range of genders and nationalities in the illustrations. With this in mind, I carefully crafted unique designs for each character, ensuring that the book would be inclusive and accessible to all readers.
Assembly and Preparation for the Printers
BRINGING THE BOOK TO LIFE
With the illustrations finalized in Adobe Illustrator, I then moved on to the next phase of the project: importing all the images into Adobe InDesign to begin constructing the book. Working closely with the printer, we made minor color corrections to ensure the highest possible quality.
With this book doubling as an educational resource, we decided to include the term associated with each letter to make it clear to both the child and parent what each letter represented. This small addition made the book even more useful and engaging for young readers.
By the time we finished, the book was a colorful and informative masterpiece, packed with stunning illustrations and valuable lessons for children of all ages and backgrounds.