![children's book Character design digital watercolor children illustration cartoon storytelling book cover kidlit parenting emotions](https://mir-s3-cdn-cf.behance.net/project_modules/1400/17de5d194362283.65fad476e7e40.png)
Ben and Michael is a fictional book about a boy and his father trying to live as a family after the loss of someone very special to them.
The main idea was born out of a social media challenge, but then it became this project about these two characters.
The main idea was born out of a social media challenge, but then it became this project about these two characters.
![children's book Character design digital watercolor children illustration cartoon storytelling book cover kidlit parenting emotions](https://mir-s3-cdn-cf.behance.net/project_modules/1400/766f95194362283.65fad476ea904.png)
![children's book Character design digital watercolor children illustration cartoon storytelling book cover kidlit parenting emotions](https://mir-s3-cdn-cf.behance.net/project_modules/1400/a602a7194362283.65fad476ec4f5.png)
![children's book Character design digital watercolor children illustration cartoon storytelling book cover kidlit parenting emotions](https://mir-s3-cdn-cf.behance.net/project_modules/1400/2a625b194362283.65fad476df3b6.png)
![children's book Character design digital watercolor children illustration cartoon storytelling book cover kidlit parenting emotions](https://mir-s3-cdn-cf.behance.net/project_modules/1400/c52c64194362283.65fad476e05ae.png)
Behind the scenes
Thumbnails
I drew some thumbnails for each illustration to play around with the composition. As you can see, Michael was a gnome in the first sketches, but then he became an adorable child. Ben is half man and half moth.
![children's book Character design digital watercolor children illustration cartoon storytelling book cover kidlit parenting emotions](https://mir-s3-cdn-cf.behance.net/project_modules/1400/8e703c194362283.65fc0209d2b5d.png)
Visual references
I knew I wanted to use digital watercolor for the illustrations. So I got some references for this type of media and also other references to draw the scenarios.
![children's book Character design digital watercolor children illustration cartoon storytelling book cover kidlit parenting emotions](https://mir-s3-cdn-cf.behance.net/project_modules/1400/109e0d194362283.65fad476e9a2f.png)
Character design
After deciding on the main characters, I created this model sheet to have a reference for different character angles.
![children's book Character design digital watercolor children illustration cartoon storytelling book cover kidlit parenting emotions](https://mir-s3-cdn-cf.behance.net/project_modules/1400/869ba1194362283.65fad476de216.png)
![children's book Character design digital watercolor children illustration cartoon storytelling book cover kidlit parenting emotions](https://mir-s3-cdn-cf.behance.net/project_modules/1400/78e7ac194362283.65fad476eb5ea.png)
Spot illustrations
![children's book Character design digital watercolor children illustration cartoon storytelling book cover kidlit parenting emotions](https://mir-s3-cdn-cf.behance.net/project_modules/1400/6216c7194362283.65fad476e1526.png)
Kitchen
Slide to see the sketch and final art.
Cover book and inner pages
![children's book Character design digital watercolor children illustration cartoon storytelling book cover kidlit parenting emotions](https://mir-s3-cdn-cf.behance.net/project_modules/1400/a8bcf3194362283.65fc0209d1dfe.png)
![children's book Character design digital watercolor children illustration cartoon storytelling book cover kidlit parenting emotions](https://mir-s3-cdn-cf.behance.net/project_modules/1400/125040194362283.65fc0209d59eb.png)
![children's book Character design digital watercolor children illustration cartoon storytelling book cover kidlit parenting emotions](https://mir-s3-cdn-cf.behance.net/project_modules/1400/1855c0194362283.65fc0209d365d.png)
![children's book Character design digital watercolor children illustration cartoon storytelling book cover kidlit parenting emotions](https://mir-s3-cdn-cf.behance.net/project_modules/1400/295f58194362283.65fc0209d4efb.png)
![children's book Character design digital watercolor children illustration cartoon storytelling book cover kidlit parenting emotions](https://mir-s3-cdn-cf.behance.net/project_modules/1400/89f4af194362283.65fc0209d43f3.png)
![children's book Character design digital watercolor children illustration cartoon storytelling book cover kidlit parenting emotions](https://mir-s3-cdn-cf.behance.net/project_modules/1400/ed9d61194362283.65fc0209d1047.png)
Cover book
Slide to see the final art and inserted texts.
![children's book Character design digital watercolor children illustration cartoon storytelling book cover kidlit parenting emotions](https://mir-s3-cdn-cf.behance.net/project_modules/1400/64922d194362283.65fad5cf74cd1.png)
![children's book Character design digital watercolor children illustration cartoon storytelling book cover kidlit parenting emotions](https://mir-s3-cdn-cf.behance.net/project_modules/1400/f1fd3f194362283.65fad5cf6f0ea.png)