Jonathan Kieran

Though they say you should never want to see “how the sausage is made” in a restaurant, I think such desires are valid when it comes to the visual arts. In my upcoming novel, The Wednesday Box, I have featured forty-five full-color illustrations that all took their initial shape much like the large piece you see in the photo above. That work will be a showpiece for another upcoming book of mine.

Professional illustrators work in many and varied ways … sometimes even within the parameters of a single project. I tend to favor a multimedia approach for my more elaborate efforts and it all begins with the best Bristol paper or poster-board money can buy and the finest ink pens available. (I favor Staedtler pigment liners) but there are a number of superb brands out there.

After delineating the illustration in pencil, I flesh it out in ink, employing various effects if the piece calls for them. When taking the illustration to a full-color realization, I will underplay the inking in order not to interfere with the layers of coloration applied to the final product. Color effects are achieved in a multitude of ways, often via combinations. In some cases, I will distress the actual poster-board with sandpaper or any number of utensils to achieve a desired background texture or effect that will influence the finished “look” of a piece. After that, India Ink, greasepaint pencils, watercolor paints or pencils, and fine German colored pencils are applied at need to achieve the ultimate appearance.

The sky is the limit, if you know what you’re doing and, more importantly, how to get what you want. But the start is fairly simple: a good idea, talent, top-quality material, and excellent utensils.

Build your illustrative vision from a firm foundation, as with anything worthwhile.

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All images copyright Jonathan Kieran, 2026.

[ THE WEDNESDAY BOX, a dark fable by Jonathan Kieran is slated for international release May 19, 2026 ]

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