Chapter Book Illustrations Coraline

This series of four illustrations explores the visual language of darkness, curiosity, and imagination inspired by the opening chapters of Coraline. Through dense black ink, fragmented textures, and dramatic contrasts, the project interprets the psychological tension and surreal atmosphere embedded within the narrative. Executed traditionally with dip pen and brushes on mixed media paper, the works were digitally adjusted in Adobe Photoshop to intensify depth and tonal contrast while maintaining the raw imperfections of the ink medium. Conceived as a tribute to fantasy literature and traditional illustration practices, the series reflects a fascination with handcrafted mark-making and the emotional resonance of dark visual storytelling.

Chapter books: Four illustrations representing the first four chapters of the book Coraline by Neil Gaiman

Ink, dip pen and brushes on mixed media paper, edited on Photoshop to add contrast

That’s my dedication to fans of fantasy and ink illustrations, like me

Timeline: 9 days approx, from brainstorm to edited pieces

A long time ago, I read the book Coraline. Back then, I couldn’t imagine myself illustrating for books, but I remember being fascinated by the illustrations.

Recently, this thought came to my mind, so I decided to re-read the book. Not only was that a great experience (and refreshed my mind about the story), but it was also very inspiring to bring my own twist to the narrative.