Here's how I planned the artwork for

He Came With The Couch-

Every image begins as a black and white sketch done in acrylic on 8 1/2 x 11 inch copy paper.  Once I'm happy with that, I paint a small color sketch in acrylic on copy paper. 

 Larry's Rummage Sale was a lot of fun to draw and paint.

At the bottom of the paper you can see a note to remind me what the dominant color harmony would be.  (purple /orange /green triad). 

If you compare these sketches to the final art in the book, you can see that the look of the character on the couch changed over time. 

This kitchen is the kitchen I grew up in as a little kid.  My Dad would read the Wall Street Journal at breakfast, eating donuts and chocolate milk. 

The text became much shorter in the book.   On the left hand page Sophie asks, "Can we keep him?"  On the right comes the parents'answer:  "No!"  Writers push words around the way a kid pushes play dough around.   Don't be discouraged if you don't get it right on the first try.  Professional writers expect to rewrite their story many times until it's right.