I’d like to introduce you to a new (well, new to me) award-winning artist and illustrator, Joshua Wichterich (also known as Joshua B. Wichterich).
I will soon be releasing a new illustrated book for young readers called There’s a Duck in the House. This book was inspired by an actual event that happened to me early in 2023. But more about that in a bit. I’ve been working with Joshua over the last several weeks as he illustrates the new book, and I couldn’t be more excited about the quality of his work. His vision is a perfect fit for the story.
Normally when I interview someone, I always ask about how they got their start and a little bit about their background, but since Joshua already has that information on his website (see below), I wanted to focus more on his process for illustrating a story, specifically centered around the work he is doing on There’s a Duck in the House. So without any further ado, here is Joshua Wichterich.
Don: Joshua, thank you so much for sharing your process with my readers. When illustrating a book, how do you determine the best way to illustrate each scene?
Joshua: You’re welcome! Thank you so much for choosing me to be a part of this great book!
I’m a visual person. Ever since I was a kid my head was always in the clouds. God gave me a gift of imagination, so usually while I read a book manuscript, images and a visual storyline will come to me. For a children’s book of over 600 words, I’ll usually use a main point to illustrate, which is always something with action or the most interesting scene. After coming up with the layout and character concepts of the illustrations, everything just flows.
Don: The illustrations for There’s a Duck in the House are fantastic. Can you share with us your process of illustrating a book?
Joshua: Thank you! I am proud to say that I am a traditional illustrator, but with that comes a more tedious process. I will come up with a rough sketch first, then fine-tune it as a line drawing. I will then show the author, and once it is approved, I will start painting it. Then I will ink it. After inking it I will quickly clean it up and get rid of the sketch marks with an eraser, and then go in with a little color with a color pencil. Then I will scan it and upload it into a program where I will further clean it up and finalize it digitally. Then off to the author it goes to be approved once more.
Don: One aspect of your illustrations that I especially love is how well the facial expressions of the characters help tell the story. How did you develop this skill?
Joshua: Thank you and I appreciate you noticing them! My most favorite thing to do in illustrating is bringing the characters to life with relatable expressions and quirks. I always found it boring when looking at kid’s cartoons and books where the characters all looked the same with the same poker face on. Everyone is unique and deserves a humanistic face full of expression.
Thank you again, Joshua for sharing your work with us. To learn more about illustrator Joshua Wichterich and his work, visit his website at: https://www.thelastlegendawakened.com/
The Inspiration Behind There’s a Duck in the House:
One predawn morning in the summer of 2023, I had just gotten out of the shower when I heard a terrible noise. My wife went to investigate, and when she entered the living room, she saw a shadow in the dark room that looked like a giant vulture. Panicked, she yelled, “There’s something in the house!”
When I got to the living room and turned on the light, to my surprise, I found that a terrified young wood duck had somehow fallen down the chimney and, with his wings wildly flapping, he was trying to get back out again through the nearby window. While my wife opened the front door and tried to get the duck out of the house, I had to get my camera to document this most unusual event. After a short episode of duck wrangling, my wife got the duck safely out of the house.
Thanks for reading about illustrator Joshua Wichterich and his work and my new book There’s a Duck in the House!
Cardboard Box Adventures picture books are great for shared reading and can help parents establish a strong preliteracy foundation for their children. Check out the CBA Catalog for a full list of award-winning picture books, chapter books, and resources for parents and educators. Visit my Amazon author page for more information.