He loved to draw pictures as a child. His teachers recognized his talent and encouraged him to solve certain projects with his art. Mr. Pinkney says that good illustrations come from good writing. But illustrating is not always easy. He plans his pictures first.
Planning is a great habit for authors and illustrators.
As a young man he worked designing greeting cards. This gave him lots of experience with a different kind of art. Designing cards is great practice for you too. Try to design cards to send to people you love. Visit ZooNet and study the pictures of all the interesting animals you find.