Today, I thought I would take you behind the scenes as I create a new character page for Felix Fleetfoot.

The finished illustration will show Felix and Roo sitting on two tree stumps in a sunny summer field. Their poses mirror one another: both face forwards, but turn their heads to exchange matching cheeky grins.

It sounds fairly straightforward. However, getting from that initial idea to a finished illustration involves rather more stages—and rather more waiting—than you might imagine.

Step One: Planning the page

Before drawing either character properly, I begin with a very rough planning sketch.

At this stage, I’m simply deciding where everything needs to go. I mark out the approximate positions of Felix, Roo and the two tree stumps, while making sure that the composition feels balanced.

I also have to consider how the illustration will work in two different formats. The printed Roo’s Garden books are square, whereas the Kindle edition is displayed as a rectangle on a tablet or screen.

The important parts of the illustration therefore need to remain within the area shared by both versions. Anything placed too close to an outer edge could disappear when the artwork is cropped—or stray too close to the print margins.

It may only be a quick sketch, but it saves a great deal of trouble later.

Step Two: Drawing the first proper pencil outline

Once I’m happy with the composition, I begin a more precise pencil drawing.

I outline the bodies of Felix and Roo before carefully mapping out their faces. Their expressions are particularly important in this picture because the humour comes from the way they look at one another.

I then add the main elements of the background and foreground. In this case, that means positioning the two tree trunks on which Felix and Roo are sitting and beginning to suggest the summer field behind them.

This drawing gives me the structure I’ll need for the painting, but I keep the pencil marks light enough that they won’t dominate the finished artwork.

Step Three: Adding the first ink details

Next comes the first ink sketch.

This allows me to define the characters more clearly and add details that were only loosely suggested in pencil. Their eyes, noses, mouths, fur and expressions all begin to take shape.

I don’t add every dark line at this point. Some of the final ink work must wait until the watercolour is complete, but this first layer gives me a clearer guide to follow while I paint.

Step Four: Painting the background

I usually begin painting with the background.

Most of my illustrations take place outdoors and are closely connected to a particular season. Painting the sky and distant scenery first helps to establish the atmosphere, the colour palette and, importantly, the direction of the light.

As this is a summer scene, I want it to feel warm, bright and full of life without allowing the background to compete with Felix and Roo.

Before applying the first washes, I use masking fluid to protect the small areas that will eventually become summer flowers. The masking fluid prevents the watercolour from reaching the paper beneath, leaving clean white shapes that I can paint later.

It also needs time to dry.

This is where I make a cup of coffee and attempt to be patient.

Patience is not my greatest strength when I’m painting. Masking fluid has become something of a nemesis because I’ve occasionally decided that it was “probably dry enough”, only to smudge everything and ruin the picture beyond repair.

So: coffee first. Painting second.

Step Five: Building the foreground

Once the background has dried, I begin working on the foreground.

I lay down the base colours for the two tree stumps before gradually adding shadows, bark markings and texture. Each layer needs to dry before the next one is added, otherwise the colours can bleed together and turn into a muddy wash.

At this stage, I also start developing the fields behind the characters. Several light layers usually produce a much livelier result than one heavy application of paint.

Then everything must dry again.

Time for another coffee—and possibly a sneaky biscuit.

Step Six: Revealing the flowers

When the surrounding paint is completely dry, I can carefully remove the masking fluid.

This is always a satisfying moment. The plain white shapes hidden beneath it suddenly reappear, ready to become flowers and small pieces of foliage.

I add colour to these areas, along with extra grasses, leaves and summer details. I can then deepen any background shadows that need more definition while still keeping the overall scene soft.

Step Seven: Painting Felix and Roo

Now I reach the most important part: Felix and Roo themselves.

With watercolour, I work from the lightest colours towards the darkest. Once a dark colour has been added, it is very difficult—sometimes impossible—to return the paper to a lighter shade.

I begin with gentle base washes, preserving the lightest areas of their fur. Once those are dry, I gradually build up richer colours, shadows and markings.

Creating convincing fur takes time. Rather than painting every individual hair, I use small variations in colour, broken edges and fine ink marks to suggest its direction and texture.

Felix needs to look sleek, bright and mischievous, while Roo must still have her familiar curls and distinctive markings. Most importantly, their matching expressions need to capture the playful friendship between them.

Step Eight: The finishing details

When the watercolour is completely dry, I return to the ink.

I strengthen selected outlines, deepen the darkest shadows and add the tiny details that bring the characters into focus. I may also add a few highlights to their eyes, noses and fur.

This stage requires a little restraint. Too much ink can make a watercolour illustration look hard and heavy, so I try to add it only where it improves the shape, expression or sense of depth.

Then comes one final wait while everything dries thoroughly.

Fortunately, Roo has been lying patiently at my feet while I work, so this is the perfect time to reward her with one of her beloved sniffy walks.

Step Nine: Preparing the finished illustration for the book

Once the painting is completely dry, the original artwork is finished—but its journey isn’t quite over.

I scan it at a high resolution so that the texture, fine ink work and subtle watercolour washes are captured clearly. The digital copy can then be carefully prepared and placed into the book, checking once again that Felix and Roo remain safely positioned in both the square printed page and the rectangular Kindle version.

Only then is the new character page truly complete.

A painting made one layer at a time

A finished illustration can look as though it appeared all at once, but every picture is really a collection of small decisions.

There are rough sketches, careful measurements, light washes, drying times, darker layers and tiny finishing marks. There are also cups of coffee, moments of doubt and occasions when impatience means beginning the whole thing again.

Slowly, though, the blank paper becomes a summer field—and Felix and Roo take their places in Roo’s Garden.

That final transformation is always worth waiting for.