The Make-A-Book Project and author-in-residence program school photographs. Pictured here are all four of the aerial-view school photos. Kids standing in the shape of a bicycle, worm, butterfly and cupcake.
A satellite view of my giant cupcake.
The Cupcake Boy school photo preparation. I used a satellite photo from Google Maps to estimate the size and placement. Then I overlay a grid and picture of a cupcake. When I get to the school, the first thing I do is pace out the grid.

Making of the Cupcake Boy School Photo

I think this is a beautiful picture even though it didn’t turn out as I imagined. The photo was taken on St. Patrick’s Day when all the kids were wearing green. I asked everyone with a red coat to be part of the cherry. I also didn’t account for perspective, which makes the muffin top look too small. Below you can see my preparatory drawing using a satellite image of the playground and a cupcake illustration, which I then transferred to the school playground using chalk and a grid pattern.

The preparation

A satellite view of my giant cupcake.
The Cupcake Boy school photo preparation. I used a satellite photo from Google Maps to estimate the size and placement. Then I overlay a grid and picture of a cupcake. When I get to the school, the first thing I do is pace out the grid.

In the video, you can see me (wearing a blue shirt and brown hat) directing everyone where to go according to my diagram.

The final picture

The Cupcake Boy school photo
The Cupcake Boy school photo. This is a green cupcake with a red cherry on top. There weren’t enough blue shirts for the frosting.

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More stories about the making of this book

Stack of 1500 drawings for the new book

The Cupcake Boy Book Project

Pictured here is a stack of about 1500 drawings for our new book “The Cupcake Boy” with Amy Belle Elementary. On top are disco-flavored cupcakes.

Colorful Gummi worm cupcakes being served on a silver platter.

Gummi Worm Cupcakes

Here’s a very strange coincidence. Guess what!? “Dirt cupcakes” with grass and a gummi worm on top. Bizarre!

Sunflower cupcakes made out of candy corn.

The Cupcake Boy Book Celebration

We celebrated the new book, The Cupcake Boy, at Amy Belle Elementary at their Spring Fling. It was a big success! It makes me feel fulfilled to see all the proud young student illustrators. And, the cupcake bakesale led by the PTO raised enough money to pay for the whole Make-A-Book Project with some money

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