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WORK IN PROGRESS

A tablet shows an illustration from the series in progress in Photoshop: Lina the echidna and Eli the numbat, holding scissors, in the school bathroom; on the right, the color and layers panels.

CHARACTERS

Sheet with the seven characters in line art: Lina the echidna, Eli the numbat, the emu teacher, the parrot, the koala, the spider and the platypus. Open spiral sketchbook with the first pencil sketches of the characters, Lina and Eli among them.
Lina the echidna in color, wearing a yellow shirt with a purple flower among her quills. Eli the numbat in color, wearing a yellow shirt and a green bow on each ear. The parrot in color, with a flower crown and a light blue scarf. The koala in color, with glasses and a yellow shirt. The spider in color, with a knitted hat and a yellow shirt. The platypus in color, with a teal scarf and a yellow shirt. The emu teacher in color, with an orange shirt and a flower on her head.

BACKGROUND

The classroom: light blue tables with pink chairs, windows with green curtains, a board, a tree with a birdhouse painted on the wall and colorful cushions on a rug.

PROCESS

Process, step 1: sketch of a page, with Eli and Lina drinking water in the classroom while the emu teacher talks to the class. Process, step 2: the same page in clean line art. Process, step 3: the page with flat colors. Process, step 4: the finished page, with textures, light and shadows.

THE PROJECT

Series 1 (1st Grade) consists of two decodable readers set in a primary school classroom in Australia. The narrative is brought to life by a cast of native Australian animals—including the emu teacher, Lina the echidna, Eli the numbat, a koala, a parrot, a platypus, and a spider—exploring school life, creativity, and classroom dynamics.

Books in the Collection

  • Borra, borra (Andrea Shuman & Yaxkin Hernández-Melville): during a self-portrait activity in class, Eli and Lina share a table. Eli's curiosity about Lina's pencils leads to a tug-of-war that snaps a marker, accidentally smudging Lina's drawing into a unique work of art.
  • Snip, snip (Andrea Shuman & Yaxkin Hernández-Melville): during indoor recess, Lina and Eli sneak off to the bathroom so Eli can give Lina a "haircut." After trimming her bangs, both return to class having pulled off their little prank.

PROJECT SPECIFICATIONS

  • Authors: Andrea Shuman and Yaxkin Hernández-Melville
  • Client / Publisher: Acuarela Biliteracy Works LLC
  • Status: in development
  • Target Audience: early reading / 1st Grade — bilingual decodable format
  • My Role: character and background design, color palette selection, interior illustration, cover & half-title page design, page layout, and bleed management
  • Medium / Software: digital illustration (Adobe Photoshop)
  • Scope: 2 books (4 full-page illustrations, 4 small-format spot illustrations, plus cover and half-title page per book)

Process and Teamwork

  • Adaptation to a New Editorial Format: new layout structure combining full-page artwork with small spot illustrations, alongside artwork selection for main covers and half-title pages.
  • World-Building & Character Design: created a cast of anthropomorphic Australian wildlife in a classroom setting from scratch, defining harmonious color palettes and environments tailored to first-grade learning dynamics.
  • Collaborative Process: direct, ongoing communication with the authors and Acuarela editorial team for visual conceptualization, margin/bleed adjustments, and pre-press file setup.
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