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Bear and Ivory
Written & Illustrated by Nikolai Deleff
Bear and Ivory: The Quest for the Magical Meretoat is a northern-inspired children´s picture book that follows the adventures of a young polar bear cub in his quest for a magical plant that could save and restore his mothers garden. Battling against the vast coldness of the arctic and the mischevuos creatures that lurk along its terrain, does Bear have what it takes to survive and obtain the object of his desire?
Project Details:
Year: 2022
Role: Author / Illustrator
Format: Children's Picture Book
Medium: Traditional illustration / digital production
Status: Published
Pages: 99
Where it Began...
During a hospital stay, I began filling notebooks with little drawings to pass the time.
Those quiet sketches eventually became the first seeds of Bear & Ivory.
Notebook Sketches
First ever recording of Bear and Ivory
Read the Full Origin Story
Character Development
I began drawing all sorts of northern creatures in my notebook. A few remained overtime and I then began exploring Bear and Ivory´s viusal look.
Bear Studies
Serious attempts to study to understand the form and shapes of Polar Bears
The first assemblage of Bear and Ivory characters on a single page.
I explored possibility of technological gear that Bear could wear.
I did not end up sticking with this idea however.
Ivory
This version of Ivory is inspired by my moms towel that she used to cover
her wet hair after a shower. It looked just like a seashell!
Story Development
I first began making little skits of Bear and Ivory.
In this particular scene they get carried away with a rouge balloon. Ivory gets tangled in it and so begins Bears chase to help him.
Although this would not end up in the final story, it did get me thinking.
Meet Superdog Jake
Building Their World
My room took on a new look as I began making rough watercolor sketches of every scene.
This helped me explore color, environment, and characters.
Jake went through many different forms before I arrived at his final look. I explored his proportions, expressions and superhero identity through traditional pencil sketches.
Early Exploration
Behind The Scenes
Watch as I paint behind the scenes of Pearlman's Hug, both an exciting and beautiful scene.
Rough → Final illustrations
Raven Outpost
Muskoka's Conservatory
Neo´s Laboratory
Behind The Scenes #2
Immerse yourself into the serene and calm tundra, in this behind the scenes painting, featuring Bear and Muskoka!
FINAL ILLUSTRATIONS
Audiobook
My Role
Author · Illustrator · Designer · Publisher
I wrote, illustrated, designed, and prepared Bear & Ivory for publication, taking the project from its initial story and character concepts through to the finished physical book.
More About Nikolai
Next Project
Superdog Jake
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