Over the years I've developed a technique for making objects appear to float. Yikes! is the most complex set I've ever designed using this technique. I started with a checkerboard and a piece of clear glass in the background. I made a quick test with a few objects, gluing some to the glass. To design characters, I arranged blocks on a table top.

Next I made a new checkerboard using a forced perspective technique. To do this I covered white illustration board with a self-stick film called frisket. I cut the frisket to make squares in perspective. I then peeled off every other square and aibrushed the board with red paint. Finally, I removed the remaining squares to reveal the finished surface.

Objects were glued to the glass with hot melt glue and Funtak. Some objects were attached to aluminum wire and suspended over the surface to enhance the sense of depth. The camera (which can be seen in the background), is positioned so that no glue or wire can be seen in the final photograph. Yikes! took about three weeks to complete.

And here is the final image as it appears in the book.