A girl with vibrant red curly hair and freckles, smiling and leaning against a tree with a black butterfly on her face, surrounded by a background of scattered photographs.

The Edge of the Wood

Here you can view the progression from character sketch to finished illustrations for Mandy Howard’s middle grade fantasy, The Edge of the Wood.

Illustrations start with pencil on watercolor paper, then the drawing is photographed and brought into Photoshop, where Howard adds color and depth.

Line drawing of a woman with long wavy hair, freckles, and a butterfly landing near her face.
A woman with red curly hair and freckles, wearing a dark top, with a large butterfly resting near her face near her eye, and an overlay of green leaves on her hair and shoulder.
A woman with curly red hair and green eyes is peeking from behind a large tree. She has freckles and is wearing a gray top. A gray butterfly is resting on the tree near her face, and there are some green leaves and stems visible.
A woman with long, curly red hair and green eyes, leaning against a tree trunk. A large black and green butterfly rests on her face near her eye. There are numerous Polaroid photos scattered in the background. The woman is wearing a black top with gr
A black and white sketch of a woman with curly hair, wearing a glitter top.
A detailed black and white sketch of a woman with curly hair, wearing a patterned top with a rounded neckline, smiling softly with slightly squinted eyes.
A woman with curly brown hair wearing a teal top, smiling softly against a light green background.
A woman with curly hair and blue lipstick wearing a green top with a leaf pattern.
A detailed pencil sketch of a person with long hair and a contemplative expression, with their hand resting on their face.
Line art illustration of a woman with dreadlocks surrounded by a wreath of leaves and branches, accompanying a page of text titled "The Promise She Couldn't Keep".
A digital illustration of a woman with reddish hair tenderly holding her hands close to her face, surrounded by flowing leaves or vines that form a circular frame around her. The image is complemented by a textured beige background.
Illustration of a woman with red hair surrounded by green leaves and vines, with her eyes closed and hands clasped.