Ela
written by Alexandra Lüthen
illustrated by Mary Delaney
layout by Claudia Eder
In 2018 I began collaborating with Alexandra on her novel which at that time was called Zum ersten Mal ins Meer (the First Time at the Sea). She wanted to write a story about a couple with Down Syndrome who meet, fall in love, and have adventures together. Stories that place people with Down Syndrome at the center are rare, and even more rarely do those people get to show up as their full selves, with agency, complex emotions, flaws, and sexual and romantic lives.
Illustrating characters with Down Syndrome was a challenge. Most photo references persist in emphasizing people with Down Syndrome as grotesque, helpless, or at best background scenery. I had to work out how to draw people who have a visible condition without exaggerating or resorting to stereotypes, and while still giving them a sense of dignity. I reworked every illustration multiple times before I was satisfied. The printed result is the work of Alexandra's bold storytelling and my hard work.
Early on in the layouting process, we decided to print the illustration pages with a beige background to give us the possibility of adding depth and layers of white and other colors.
Incorporating text into the illustrations was an important part of Alexandra's vision and allowed me to add extra depth.
Collaborating on a project sometimes means giving up creative control of the finished project. For example, I designed many of the illustrations to interact with the printed text in different ways. However, some of the layouts were changed in the printed result, due either to printing restrictions or the preferences of the layout designer.
My original concept for these two illustrations were that they be placed within the text blocks on facing pages:
In the printed result the image order was reversed, both illustrations were altered and the text was mostly excluded:
I visualized this illustration, which represents a climactic moment in Ela and Fatih's relationship, as spanning two pages like so:
In the printed result the illustration spans 3 pages and the second illustration is cropped at the bottom so the road is no longer visible:
Finally, my original concept for the cover didn't make it into print, though elements from my design were still used:
In the end this project was an incredible experience that stretched the limits of my skills and forced me to accept the realities of not having complete creative control over a project - something that I think is valuable for every artist to experience!
