SERVICES PERFORMED
Illustration
Book Cover Design
Book Design
Content Creation
Be Peace - Be Hope
Be Peace - Be Hope is a non-profit that addresses the negative social, emotional, and environmental factors that have impacted students throughout Houston in low-income, under-served and at-risk communities and that have continued to contribute to their trauma, disengagement, delinquency, and academic failure. They provide workshops and programs that help build the competencies of self-management, self-reliance, healthy relationships, responsible decision-making, and leadership.
Karine needed a 90-page book designed in 3 days for an international conference in front of the French Minister of Education of the cross cultural program she had organized, strengthening the socio-emotional bonds between French and underprivileged Texan students. The program addressed emotional and artistic intelligence, allowing kids to process their traumas and create new stories for their lives.
The book included multiple creative spreads and full page images showcasing the student work, as well as multiple custom illustrations, including a hand drawn rendition of the Chateau D’Azay, where the final exhibition of the French & Texan student work was showcased. The globe displays the connecting thread between the two countries.
1. Where we started
Karine had an idea of what she wanted for the cover and provided me with a composition she had already put together. She wanted a dove as well as several other elements we later agreed were not necessary. I provided several sketches of possible layouts and we ended up settling on the original one.
I provided several sketches of possible layouts and we ended up settling on the one closest to hers.
2. Finalizing the Cover
With the composition agreed upon, I moved on to a finalized hand-drawn rendering of the Chateau D'Azay (where the cross-cultural, French-Texan exhibition of the students' work was to be displayed).
The color palette for the finished cover ended up being more muted and duo-toned. The result was quite nice and popular with Karine's people. The back cover includes a saying Karine uses frequently in her work:
“Let us be the peace and the hope we wish to see in the world.”
3. The Inside
Laying out the inside pages took the most time and a very high amount of coordination. There were over a hundred images, all needed to be named and placed in the right chapters. Edits were communicated through screenshots and the original copy of the book was written out in Google docs.
4. Sharing the song
Karine had a very successful presentation, sharing the books with members of the French government, including the French Minister of Education. The remaining copies were sold at Archway Gallery in Houston, and the profits of the sale funded future Be Peace - Be Hope efforts.
Pictured below from left to right:
Dennim Teart (educator), Karine Parker (founder and CEO of Be Peace - Be Hope), Flore Thevoux (founder of Jegayo)
