Among my many projects, one of my favorites is the Daydreams on the Sherbet Shore. These whimsical short stories take place in the world of Draem and how this project started and what it’s become is why it’s so special.
The idea for the Daydreams came from a random chat and I wrote two or three of them before a friend of mine actually had to undergo surgery. When that happened, I wrote a Daydream as a get-well card and started inviting people I know from around the world to visit Draem. For the first volume of the Daydreams, I knew pretty much what I wanted for the cover but for the second installment, I was stuck.
Enter Melissa Lettis. Talented, diligent, sharp as anything you can imagine, patient, and kind. These are just some keywords I can use to describe her and my experience working with her. Which is why I wanted to invite her to the blog, so you can get to know her, her work, and possibly help you connect with her if you need an artist for your cover.
JD: So welcome to the blog, Melissa. So lovely to have you here. Care to tell people who you are, where you’re from, and all that jazz?
I like jazz! I’m an illustrator and
author living in Pennsylvania. I grew up in Alaska and Seattle, studied music
and English, and now I freelance with illustration and design. I also drink
tea. Lots of tea!
JD: Blessed be the tea and jazz then! Talking a bit about your career, how long have you been designing and what would you say are some of your most notable works? (You know, besides a certain short story collection about daydreams.)
I’ve been doing art for most of my life,
but I only started working as a full-time freelance artist in 2021. I’ve worked
on several picture books with self-published authors, but I don’t know how to
choose which is most notable! You may have to check out my projects on my website,
www.MelissaLettisArt.com , and decide for yourself! (Yes, shameless marketing -
it’s part of the freelance life).
JD: We encourage the shameless marketing! :) Here’s a tricky
question, what would you say is the specialty that sets you apart from other
designers?
That is tricky, as there’re so many
amazing artists and designers out there! One thing I like to focus on is how
everything comes together. From the very beginning of the project, I’m already
thinking about how all the pieces will fit into place. It’s not just the
illustration. It’s not just the title and the font. It’s not just the text.
It’s not even just the page for the interior of a book. It’s how they all
relate to each other, and I think keeping that in mind from the start can
really help shape the project and help everything click together in a really
natural way.
JD: Daydreams on the Sherbet Shore 2 was a project that was challenging for me. Can you walk us through the process on your side of this creative equation?
Sure! I started by reading the text (which is always a pleasure!) and jotting down some of the more dynamic visuals that I thought might work for the cover - and there were a lot! Daydreams is such a visually rich world. Once we chose which direction to go, I did a few thumbnail sketches for the layout and planned out where to place all of the elements on the cover. I knew we wanted a similar color palette to the first book’s cover (and I love that peachy-coral color so much), but we still went through a number of color options. As the different stages of the artwork were approved, I kept refining and adding details, and then finally we settled on the title fonts and laid in the text.
JD: I can attest to the exploration process and although each artist is unique in their approach., I really enjoyed how you went about it. How about the biggest challenge for the Daydreams?
Haha, probably the dragon scales! I never know how much detail to add to textures like that, so it definitely went through a few different versions there. I’m quite happy with how they turned out though. I can’t say I ever expected to draw a dragon-train-teapot!
JD: Well the Falkori will invite you to imagine and draw some pretty interesting things. I also really loved the detail in the scales and all the tidbits hidden. Going back to your process, what are some things people who work with you could do to help the process?
So much of it is about communication (isn’t everything?). It will always be easier to make changes in the early stages of a project than once the art is close to finished. So, if you really like the direction something is going, or if there’s something that isn’t working out as well, definitely say something!
JD: Communication was definitely key in our process and I’m
so thankful for you and your patience. You really were pivotal in helping me
find my way and helping identify the soul of the book to get it the covered it
needed. Now to throw you a random question, if someone designed a font in your
honor, what would it be called and how would you describe it?
Enchanted Tea Time - magical, legible,
and swirly. It would pair well with cozy little hand-writing serif fonts.
JD: What sort of projects really call out to you and you’re
interested in working on?
I love drawing fantasy characters and
nature. Give me something with cozy magic, and I’m 100% there for it. On a more
technical end, I mostly do picture books and illustrated book covers, but I’m
also branching out into comics.
JD: Your fav restaurant called and they’ve noticed all the
times you’ve had a meal there. They want to do a Lettis Special as a small
thanks. What would that special include and how would it taste?
It’s a brunch special. It has a fancy
bacon-egg-cheese biscuit with your choice of mushrooms or avocado, a side of
breakfast potatoes (crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside), and a mini
pastry that rotates daily (today’s pastry is a cinnamon roll, but the gooey
pecan rolls are popular, so come back on the weekend!). Served with a tea
latte.
You’re asking the important questions here, I see.
JD: ALWAYS ask the important questions lol. But swinging back to work: How would an ideal project roll out for you?
The short answer is good communication and no bugs in my art programs. And both parties walk away happy with the product.
JD: Succinct and so well said. Now to wrap things up and roll out the blogs red carpet, tell us: how can people get in touch with you if they have cover, character, or other design needs?
My website, www.MelissaLettisArt.com , has a contact page and links to my social media platforms (I’m currently on Instagram, Facebook, Bluesky, and LinkedIn). Feel free to reach out if you have any questions or are looking for a freelance illustrator and designer!
* * * *
And there you have it folks. Once again, my thanks to Melissa for visiting the blog and taking from her busy schedule to chat it up with us. Ever thankful to have crossed paths with her and a perfect example of how the writer community sticks together. I had not one, not two, but three artists that weren’t able to take this project on when fellow author Mike Jack Stoumbos was kind enough to recommend Melissa and not only was she able to do the project, she was a perfect fit. Here’s to connecting creatives so we can all thrive and bring our dreams to Raelity
Peace, love, and maki rolls
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