The Art Behind Dreamy goes to the Moon: Why I chose to Hand-paint Every Illustration
When people read Dreamy goes to the Moon, one of the first things they ask is, "Who did the illustrations?" And I always smile when I get to say, "I did."
But the truth is, That wasn't the original plan.
At first, I looked into outsourcing the artwork. I explored digital illustrators, browsed portfolios and tried to imagine Dreamy in different styles. There were some beautiful options, but non of them felt like the world my son described to me when he first told me his story at six years old. Everything looked too polished, too digital, too far away from the warm, imaginative feeling I wanted the book to have.
So I made a decision that changed everything.
I picked up my pencils, my brushes and my paints, and I decided to illustrate the book myself.
I didn't begin with a perfect plan. I began with a blank page and the question, "What would Dreamy look like if he stepped straight out of my son's imagination?"
I sketched, erased, redrew and experimented. Slowly, a style emerged, soft lines, gentle colours and a slightly whimsical feel that matched the innocence of the story. it wasn't digital perfection. it was something warmer, something more human.
Once the sketches felt right, I brought out my paints. My table turned into a tiny art studio, covered in watercolours, pencils and brushes. because my child is Home educated, he was often right there with me, sometimes working on his own creative projects, sometimes watching me paint, and sometimes offering ideas like, "Mam, can you make the crystals brighter," or "Dreamy needs a bigger smile," those moments became part of the story too.
Painting by hand takes practice, it takes time and I've been fortunate to have been drawing and painting my whole life. It is something I really enjoy doing. Don't get me wrong when I say this... but I didn't make the perfect picture straight away... Nope... I restarted many times from either the wrong colour, or the paint drying to quick, or the paint dries too dark or a line goes the wrong way, as was too water. I've had to overcome many obstacles creating this book but enjoyed the process the whole way. But hand painting creates something digital art can't replace... texture, warmth and a sense of real human touch.
When I finally showed my son the completed illustrations, he held them so carefully, like they were something precious. He looked at Dreamy, at the moon, at the crystals and the stars, and said softly, "Mam... that's exactly how I imagined it."
That moment made every late night worth it.
It reminded me why I chose to Illustrate the book myself, not because it was easier, but because it felt true to the story he shared with me. From this I have now chosen to Illustrate all my books myself by hand and paint first.
In a world full of digital everything, there is something special about a book that has been touched by real hands. Children notice it. Parents feel it. Teachers appreciate it. The imperfections become part of the charm. The brushstrokes become part of the storytelling.
Hand-painting the illustrations wasn't the quickest choice, but it was the right one. It made the book feel personal, authentic and full of heart. Exactly the way it was fully intended.
Every Page of Dreamy goes to the Moon carries a piece of our journey, his imagination, my paintbrush and our shared excitement. It's more than a book. It's a memory we built together.
And now, it's a world we get to share with you.
In the future a Dreamy colouring book will make its way to the shop also. keep an eye out for this. Feel free to sign up to my email list on my website for future updates on what I'm creating. Want your own copy of Dreamy goes to the Moon here's a link to the shop page.
