 | To celebrate the Lunar New Year and publication of Logan's Lantern, by Lucy Tandon Copp (Bloomsbury Children's Books) we reached out to Pickled ink artist Ya-Ling Huang to tell us more about the detailed process of creating the illustrations. Logan’s Lantern was a very special project for me. The first artwork I created for it was the sample illustration, so it wasn’t until I officially got the job that I was able to slow down and rethink everything from the very beginning - starting with character design. Finding the Right Characters One of the most enjoyable parts of the picture book-making journey is finding the right characters, often through many rough sketches and wonky drawings along the way. |
| For Logan, I imagined a round face and medium-length straight hair. He is a four- or five-year-old boy with a sweet smile and a slightly shy personality, but thoughtful and kind-hearted. In the early versions of Logan’s design, his hair was spiky and windswept, but this later evolved into a softer, fluffier style. I spent time trying to capture that softness, as it suited his character much better. His clothing also went through several changes. For example, his top was originally a fluorescent green, but when I began thinking about the material as cotton or fabric, the colour shifted into a softer, earthy yellow-green. To support this feeling, I used watercolour-soluble pencils on wet paper to create a gentle, fabric-like texture. As the story isn’t set in a specific time or place, I imagined the clothing to feel slightly traditional, with subtle details such as Chinese knots or embroidered edges. |   |
The dragon, on the other hand, came from Chinese fairy tales: a flying dragon with whiskers and a red body. I gave him a cheerful expression, with curly eyebrows, golden wings, and ridges along his back. I imagined his personality as being like a baby who is just beginning to explore the world - excited and curious, yet easily frightened by unfamiliar things.
Practising Light and Shadow
Exploring light and shadow was one of the most enjoyable parts of making this book. To better understand how the lantern would behave in different conditions, I first made a small dragon lantern.
I quickly realised it was too small to place a light inside safely, so I created another lantern at full scale and placed a real candle inside it. (Thankfully, I managed not to burn down my house!) I took many reference photos, turning off the lights to imagine how the lantern would look in complete darkness. I also went outside at night to observe how the light behaved in darker environments, and later began sketching based on the photos I had taken.
Exploring light and shadow was one of the most enjoyable parts of making this book. To better understand how the lantern would behave in different conditions, I first made a small dragon lantern.
I quickly realised it was too small to place a light inside safely, so I created another lantern at full scale and placed a real candle inside it. (Thankfully, I managed not to burn down my house!) I took many reference photos, turning off the lights to imagine how the lantern would look in complete darkness. I also went outside at night to observe how the light behaved in darker environments, and later began sketching based on the photos I had taken.
I noticed that in darkness, the brightest area wasn’t always the lantern itself, but the surfaces the light fell on. The lantern’s body can appear quite dark, sometimes almost blending into the background, depending on how strong the surrounding light is.
As the project developed, I realised that working with a real lantern alone wasn’t enough, as much of the scenery in the book is imagined. I looked through photographs of lantern festivals and rewatched one of my favourite films, Spirited Away, which has beautiful examples of lighting and shadow that I could use as reference. Light behaves very differently in open spaces compared to small or enclosed interiors. It was a challenging process, but one that I enjoyed very much.
As the project developed, I realised that working with a real lantern alone wasn’t enough, as much of the scenery in the book is imagined. I looked through photographs of lantern festivals and rewatched one of my favourite films, Spirited Away, which has beautiful examples of lighting and shadow that I could use as reference. Light behaves very differently in open spaces compared to small or enclosed interiors. It was a challenging process, but one that I enjoyed very much.
Storyboarding: Pencil Roughs
During the storyboarding stage, the editor proposed a very interesting idea that I thought was brilliant: as the Little Dragon holds Logan’s hand, the grip gradually changes from tight to loose. At the same time, the colours of the scenes slowly become lighter, and the circles of light grow larger. This visual progression reflects how both characters become less afraid of the darkness.
Because the story involves so many night scenes and shadows, I had to consider lighting carefully during storyboarding, which isn’t always the case at this stage. However, I found it fascinating to think about where the light would fall, where to leave space for the text, and how shadows could be used to block out areas and draw attention to the most important elements in each spread. It felt almost like planning a stage performance.
During the storyboarding stage, the editor proposed a very interesting idea that I thought was brilliant: as the Little Dragon holds Logan’s hand, the grip gradually changes from tight to loose. At the same time, the colours of the scenes slowly become lighter, and the circles of light grow larger. This visual progression reflects how both characters become less afraid of the darkness.
Because the story involves so many night scenes and shadows, I had to consider lighting carefully during storyboarding, which isn’t always the case at this stage. However, I found it fascinating to think about where the light would fall, where to leave space for the text, and how shadows could be used to block out areas and draw attention to the most important elements in each spread. It felt almost like planning a stage performance.
At the storyboarding stage, there were many elements to consider, such as the direction of the fish lanterns and the parade, which moved from left to right across the book. On alternating spreads, we used half-page compositions to show the Little Dragon holding Logan’s hand as he grew braver.
Between these moments, larger scenes, like fireworks and dancing dragons, open up across full spreads. At the same time, I needed to think about how each spread connected to the next. I used shared visual elements, for instance, fish lanterns, bridges, and hills, to guide the characters along their journey to the lantern festival. Eventually, they reach the hilltop, where they let go of their lanterns, and their fear of the darkness.
Between these moments, larger scenes, like fireworks and dancing dragons, open up across full spreads. At the same time, I needed to think about how each spread connected to the next. I used shared visual elements, for instance, fish lanterns, bridges, and hills, to guide the characters along their journey to the lantern festival. Eventually, they reach the hilltop, where they let go of their lanterns, and their fear of the darkness.
Storyboarding: Colour roughs and colour planning
Switching colours helped me move between different locations and moods throughout the book. For the louder, more energetic spreads like 16–17 with the lion dancers and pages 20–21 with the fireworks, I used a colour palette that differs from the rest of the interior pages. These spreads give the reader’s eyes a break from some of the busier half-page compositions.
The night scenes, in particular, were quite challenging. I learned early on not to use pure black in watercolour, which led me to think carefully about how to paint darkness. I observed that when many lanterns are present, often red in colour, using similar tones such as red, orange, and purple, works well to show their glow and reflections. Purple became the main colour I used to illustrate darker areas. It worked especially well alongside the Little Dragon’s red & yellow tones, while also providing a strong contrast to Logan’s green top.
The night scenes, in particular, were quite challenging. I learned early on not to use pure black in watercolour, which led me to think carefully about how to paint darkness. I observed that when many lanterns are present, often red in colour, using similar tones such as red, orange, and purple, works well to show their glow and reflections. Purple became the main colour I used to illustrate darker areas. It worked especially well alongside the Little Dragon’s red & yellow tones, while also providing a strong contrast to Logan’s green top.
Storyboarding: Major Changes in Composition
Pages 8–9 took quite some time before we settled on the final composition. The original idea was to use four small panels to show, step by step, how Logan’s lantern transforms into the Little Dragon. At the same time, this early part of the book also needed to introduce Logan’s home and the location of the town. We eventually decided to zoom out and show the scene from a distance, with the glowing light at the doorway as the main focus. Around it, people are carrying lanterns and preparing to head out to the festival, suggesting that many things are happening at once. From there, the following spread zooms in, revealing the Little Dragon’s worried expression, bringing the focus back to the emotional core of the story.
Behind the Scenes
I really enjoy painting with watercolours, building up the image by applying one layer after another. I began by using white and yellow crayons to mask the areas I want to keep light. I then apply red watercolour, allowing some of the yellow to turn into orange, before slowly layering in greens. Once the main colour layers are in place, I move on to the details, using a mix of watercolours, coloured pencils, and a small amount of pastel, depending on what the image needs. Throughout this process, I always work from light to dark and from warm to cool, yellow before green, red before blue, so the colours stay fresh, clean, and luminous.
Here’s a note I wrote while working on pages 16–17:
“28.7.2024 (Sunday) Keep the figures in the background loose - do not overwork them. Don’t rush into details. I started with oil crayons (yellow and white), then used a light yellow marker on the dancing dragon (left). After that, I brushed the whole scene with a layer of light yellow, followed by red. I also used red water-soluble wax pastel on the dancing lion. I noticed that when I begin painting the main subject with brighter, more saturated colours and then work back towards lighter, paler tones, it helps prevent the background from overpowering the main focus. Painting from stronger, higher-saturation colours down to softer tones made it easier to control the overall balance of the image.”
“28.7.2024 (Sunday) Keep the figures in the background loose - do not overwork them. Don’t rush into details. I started with oil crayons (yellow and white), then used a light yellow marker on the dancing dragon (left). After that, I brushed the whole scene with a layer of light yellow, followed by red. I also used red water-soluble wax pastel on the dancing lion. I noticed that when I begin painting the main subject with brighter, more saturated colours and then work back towards lighter, paler tones, it helps prevent the background from overpowering the main focus. Painting from stronger, higher-saturation colours down to softer tones made it easier to control the overall balance of the image.”
The embroidery on the dancing lion’s costume is absolutely beautiful, and it was important for me to capture both the dazzling light and the sweet-smelling smoke in this spread. I imagined the light being almost too bright to look at directly, so I aimed for a strong contrast using vivid reds, green shadows, and a dark background sky. To achieve this effect, I began by applying white crayon to reserve the brightest areas, followed by a layer of watercolour. I then rubbed the crayon away, and at the very end of the process, I dabbed oil pastel along the edges where the light shines and reflects, helping to enhance the glow and finish the artwork.
A Few Final Thoughts
Nowadays, I keep reminding myself not to overwork the details and to worry less about imperfections. It’s the texture of the brushstrokes that feels charming and intriguing, and it’s the imperfection that makes artwork feel human. This is also why working with traditional media feels like a commitment, mistakes are part of the process, and I continue learning through them as I go.
While illustrating Logan’s Lantern, I realised that I was a lot like the Little Dragon, who is afraid of the dark. In my case, that fear wasn’t of darkness itself, but of painting dark colours. Through this project, I learned to embrace colours I wasn’t comfortable or familiar with. Purple, for example, became an important colour for me, especially in representing darkness and nightfall, where it creates a beautiful contrast with yellow, the dominant colour of lantern light.
Using green to paint the sky was another unexpected choice. I wouldn’t normally paint the sky green, but it works well to create a strong contrast with the red of the dancing lion. Playing around with these colours helped me see how they work together, and along the way, both the artwork and I grew a bit too.
Logan's Lantern is out now, published by Bloomsbury Children's Books.
Nowadays, I keep reminding myself not to overwork the details and to worry less about imperfections. It’s the texture of the brushstrokes that feels charming and intriguing, and it’s the imperfection that makes artwork feel human. This is also why working with traditional media feels like a commitment, mistakes are part of the process, and I continue learning through them as I go.
While illustrating Logan’s Lantern, I realised that I was a lot like the Little Dragon, who is afraid of the dark. In my case, that fear wasn’t of darkness itself, but of painting dark colours. Through this project, I learned to embrace colours I wasn’t comfortable or familiar with. Purple, for example, became an important colour for me, especially in representing darkness and nightfall, where it creates a beautiful contrast with yellow, the dominant colour of lantern light.
Using green to paint the sky was another unexpected choice. I wouldn’t normally paint the sky green, but it works well to create a strong contrast with the red of the dancing lion. Playing around with these colours helped me see how they work together, and along the way, both the artwork and I grew a bit too.
Logan's Lantern is out now, published by Bloomsbury Children's Books.