I am so excited to present my interview with the super-talented author-illustrator Thea Lu about her illustration and story processes for her new picture book Dive, Dive into the Night Sea. The book is physically unique in a few ways––vertical orientation, lots of flaps––but the story more than keeps up to make this book a gem inside and out. Enjoy our dive, dive into what makes this book so special!
Dive, dive!
Dive into the night sea.
I shine my light and wait
to see who will come to me.
Swooping manta rays. Vibrant coral reefs. Sleeping whales. And in the deepest darkness, a display of bioluminescence, swirling like a constellation of stars.
Let's talk Thea Lu!
LTPB: Where did the idea for Dive, Dive into the Night Sea come from?
TL: I love diving, and the idea for this book arose from my experiences with night diving. At first, I refused to dive at night because the thought of immersing myself in pitch-black water was terrifying.But my partner wanted to try it, and he needed a dive buddy. And so, that’s how I began night diving.
I was very nervous at the start. But gradually, I found myself a bit addicted to the mysterious wonder of the nighttime sea. Compared the bustling traffics during the daytime, diving in the night sea is a much more immersive and focused experience.
One night, I was sitting at the back deck of our dive boat. A powerful spot light was casting into the water to attract marine marine lives. I kept gazing into the inky depths, thinking about what we might see this time. Then, a few words emerged in my mouth: dive dive, dive into the night sea….
That’s how this picturebook began.
We sat at the back deck of the boat, looking into the night sea
Me, holding my book in the black water (when it is published)
LTPB: Did you always envision the book having a unique orientation (rather than opening horizontally, it opens vertically!)? And what about the flaps, were those always part of the equation?
TL: The vertical orientation was an intuitive decision from the start; I want to simulate the sensation of “descending” for readers, just like in a read dive. Especially for the first two spreads, the gravitational pull of the vertical page-turning lets readers feel the energy of the diver plunging into the depth.
I included flaps in this book primarily in order to build an information hierarchy. I ahd realized that there’re two reading layers: one is the poetic narration guided by the diver, and the other is natural science knowledge. The flaps effectively separate two reading tracks. Readers can first enjoy the marine wonders purely, then open the flaps to reveal the scientific “why” behind each scene. It’s also very helpful for different age groups to navigate their own way of using this book.
Some very rough flap mock-up
I initially thought of designing the flaps as simple rectangles. But later, I decided to shape them to match the illustrations. Although this added significant work, it creates an animated effect when the flaps are opened.
LTPB: Can you talk about your research process for this book? What did you find most difficult in creating this book? What did you find most rewarding?
TL: It was a typical top-down creation process.
It didn’t take me much time to form a clear vision of how it would look, so from there, it was just about gathering the “building blocks” to enrich it. Collecting “night sea wonders” was relatively easy, as I’d heard many stories from fellow divers and dive guides. The real challenge was researching the scientific explanations behind these fascinating marine phenomena, as apparently I’m not a natural scientist! I read articles from diverse sources—including diving communities, nature observation blogs, and marine biology studies—to find the most accurate and concise explanation for each phenomenon.
My initial researching document
The organized information: for each spread, I listed references and photos. This was helpful for both me and my editors to review everything in one place
Another challenge was studying how to draw the marine lives. I didn’t want to draw them in a realist style. Instead, I aimed to give each fish a subtle, personified touch while stilll making them recognizable. Marine lovers shall be able to identify what species they are! Balancing the scientific features with an artistic visual style was the difficult but incredibly rewarding for me. I had lots fun in capturing the fishes’ grumpy expressions!
Marine lives sketches
Final book
LTPB: What did you use to create the illustrations in this book? Is this your preferred medium? How does your process change from book to book?
TL: The illustrations for this book were primarily created using drypoint printing——a type of etching technique where scratches are made on the PVC plate. The original prints are in black and white, with color layer added in the Photoshop, such as the yellow torchlight, the neon glow of corals and the overall blueish tone.
Scratch marks on the PVC board
Applying a layer of oil ink then wiping it off with intention. The oil inks sticks in the scratches and appears black when printed. I can also control the tonal effect by adjusting the amount of ink left on the plate.
The original black-and-white print
I don’t have a fixed technique or preferred medium. At the start of each book, I always allocate myself time to experiment, and feel out the appropriate artistic approach. In Dive, Dive into the Night Sea, I chose drypoint printing because the noise or grain left by ink on the paper perfectly conveys the tactile feeling of the night sea—with countless plankton crashing around me, turning the black water into something almost sandy in texture.
I another book of mine, Here & There, I used oil ink and watercolor on the paper, with colored pencil details. This book is based on two real persons I met, so I wanted my drawings to have a cinematic feel. Sometimes, I create a moodboard to visualize the color atmosphere that want to realize. It’s a very helpful tool that is commonly used when I am on design project.
Illustrations for Here & There
The moodboard for Here & There. including two test illustrations in the center to preview the look & feel
Sometime, I worry that I lack an identifiable “style”. But with each book, I find I truly enjoy the ongoing adventure of experimenting and adapting. I believe each book has a “right” way, and it’s my job to find the “right” key.
LTPB: What are you working on now? Anything you can show us?
TL: I’m currently working on two books. One is a simple yet poetic picturebook in dialogue form, authored by Zolotow. The other is a personal project of mine about a boy and his little island. It will be a fun adventure story on the surface, but it also carries a sense of cosmopolitanism at its core. I don’t want to reveal too much of it yet, but I can share two test illustrations for this book. And, yes, you can see I’m testing a new way of drawing once again.
LTPB: If you got the chance to write your own picture book autobiography, who (dead or alive!) would you want to illustrate it, and why?
TL: Wow, I wish that is Kitty Crowther! I adore the sensitivity of her artwork. How does she manage to perfectly balance whimsy, gentleness and wild craziness all at once? I am so curious to see how she would capture my crazy side with her magical color pencils!
A deep thanks to Thea for taking time to answer some questions! Dive, Dive Into the Night Sea published from Candlewick Press last month!
Special thanks to Thea and Candlewick for use of these images!
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