No Sleep for the Sheep!

Sketches from the Illustrator

Note from Jackie Urbanovic, illustrator of No Sleep for the Sheep!: Every picture book is a long process from idea to final art. As an illustrator, one of the things I have to think about is: what does this character look like? Remember, I had only author Karen Beaumont's words when I began. And if you look up "sheep photos" online, you'll see there are many types of sheep. Add in all the humorous possibilities, and what kind of character can be created seems endless!

I begin by experimenting with ideas. I drew many sketches, and imagined Sheep as shorter and stouter.

I imagined him with a long nose…

And with mutton chops and a nightshirt.

I wondered if Sheep should be a lamb child…

Or if he should wear clothes. The art director, the editor, and I all worked together to give him a personality—not just any sheep but a specific character that readers would laugh with and enjoy.

Once the character has been created, I often make a crude model of the head to help me while I'm drawing. With this clay model, I can see what Sheep would look like from any angle.