"Young Leonardo in his Sketchbook World" (2024)

Digital (Procreate)
8 x 11 inches

For about ten years, I've been working on a story about young Leonardo da Vinci and how he retreated to his sketchbook world to process the world around him. The story sheds light on the real obstacles he faced, which today's audience can connect with. For example, his parents weren't married, he received an uneven education, experts believe he might have had ADD and dyslexia, and he was gay. In researching his early life, it seems plausible that the first time he felt at home was in the art studio of Andrea del Verrocchio.

The first version of my story fit the picture book market, but every edit stripped out more and more interesting details to suit a young audience. So I created a graphic novel version that included historically accurate details and sophisticated concepts woven together with a bit of magical realism (slipping into a sketchbook world à la Harold and the Purple Crayon). This momentary departure from historical fiction felt necessary to express the creative immersion artists feel when sketching. One editor fell in love with this idea before his imprint folded. But I know the right person will fall in love (again), and this sketchbook world will come to life in print.