FINAL MAJOR PROJECT

 

Illustrating Original Writing to Commission and Brief

Authors use illustrators, particularly with children’s books to animate, decorate and demonstrate their text. I have been commissioned by an author to illustrate a 1000 word children’s fable. The story focuses on the themes of change and loss appropriate to its 3-5 year old target demographic. It is a familiar story but with a symbolic twist that reflects the author’s theological background. It is sentimental but not sickly and there is lots of scope within the text to exploit the rich imagery and scenery.

I aim to produce around 50 illustrations including a front and back cover. I want to create emotionally charged environments and striking characters. The author is going to look for a publisher in late Spring so the timeline of this semester suits this brief perfectly.  

I met the author when I was working at Idaho in Altrincham and she saw me sketching on my Ipad for Standard Issue Magazine, where I have been a weekly contributor since 2014. She told me she was looking for an illustrator to complement her short fictional stories but hadn’t had much luck finding someone who she gelled with. Brought up more or less in church I am used to religious people so I felt I could work with her. I sent her my social media links and portfolio, and explained that my background is largely commissioned work to commemorate actual events or topical political and gender specific articles. She was taken with some work I’d done in response to a trip to a pet shop and the way the faces of the amphibians I’d done seemed to have emotion and a story all to themselves. She sent me the text, and I felt confident enough in my ability to teach myself what I need to, and the skills I already have and was happy to accept the commission.

According to the Publishing Association, the top ten most borrowed authors from UK libraries in 2014 contained 6 young adult or children’s authors.

Source- The UK Book Industry in Statistics 2014

This is clearly still a vibrant market and although I will be producing a massive amount of work on spec as of now, the author, who has two books under her belt already, is prepared for the work involved that will lead to securing a publisher. There are another two stories that have been written and I have agreed to work on those as well, but that will be beyond the submission time of this assignment. 

We communicate via email and telephone as well as schedule meetings in Altrincham. I like to encourage clients to be free and subjective with their feedback. I have always found that as an illustrator and artist who has been working to commission since 2000 that I am being used as a channel rather than a servant. When you allow a customer to feel as if they are AS creative as the artist they open up and start to give really good instruction and feedback.

By combining my Final Major Project with this commission I will be able to use the authors critiques along with peer tutorials and tutor feedback. It also means I will be able to fully concentrate on this task and make something that challenges me but also demonstrates the skills I have spent a life-time building.

 

RESEARCH 

●     JUNGLE ENVIRONMENTS, VISIT COLLEGE ANIMAL CARE DEPT AND MANCHESTER UNIVERSITY MUSEUM VIVARIUMS. PET SHOPS AND ONLINE RESEARCH INTO AFRICAN JUNGLE

●     LEADING ILLUSTRATORS CONTEMPORARY AND CLASSICAL. ARTISTS WHO ARE RENOWNED FOR THEIR USE OF LIGHT AND SHADOW.

●     POPULAR BOOKS IN THE AGE RANGE 3-5

●     OUTCOMES OF INSPIRATIONAL STORIES WITH TEST GROUPS

●     LAYOUTS AND INDUSTRY STANDARDS

●     CREATING VISUALLY EXCITING ENVIRONMENTS THE GAMING INDUSTRY AND ON SCREEN STUDIOS- DISNEY, STUDIO GHIBLI ETC

●     OPTIONS FOR FURTHER MERCHANDISE, RESEARCH INTO WHAT SELLS AS A TIE IN

 

METHODS  

1.    Emailed Andrew Gray at Museum of Manchester to visit the Vivariums and compile a body of environment sketches.

2.    Emailed John Hamilton (The Boy Who Loved Lizards) for some advice as far as process and development work. Library and online research into illustrators I admire and are well respected. Classical artists like Arthur Rackham, Hablot Knight Browne, John Tenniel William Hatherell, Laurence Housman have the most intricately detailed work and the environments they created are timeless and esoteric. The author has specified that she wants a dream like rich atmosphere for this story. Contemporary illustrators like Piet Grobler and Lee Wildish work in a different way, their style is more abstract and loose, but the worlds they create are full of life and colour. Teal, turquoise, greens and yellows are prevalent.

3.    Create a mock up of a page and illustrate it and copy it and give it to parents of children aged 3-5 and ask for their responses. Have sourced the families already from college.

4.    Research methods of reproduction, collotypes and 3 colour processes which are done digitally now to enhance the quality of original art for publishing

5.    Ongoing consultations with author to make sure work is always complementary to her text and vision.

6.    Use statistics available to me from The Publishers Association and Statista, insights from Mintel and The Global Style Network to ensure a relevant and stylish aesthetic to my work.

 

MATERIALS AND PROCESSES 

In all my work I like to have an element of exploration of negative space. From paper cuts to stitch and sculpture I have always been interested in what happens in gaps and space. The author is happy to let me experiment with pop ups (time allowing) and cut outs on the page.

In accordance with the author and findings of market research I will use inks, watercolour paint and gouache. I want to research methods of creating texture on watercolour paper and investigate the technique of water-colour and ink mixing in situ. I am influenced by Japanese sculptors and paper cut artists, including Kintsugi methods of inventive and decorative repair, which I would like to demonstrate with the use of metallic inks. 

Drawing on the aesthetic of classical illustrators I have already referenced, I would also like to incorporate pattern into the African environment. I see butterflies and birds with patterned bejewelled wings and prisms of reflected shimmering light. I want to create some textures with fibres and digitally sample those and make them part of the illustrations. I believe this will give the work a dimension that isn’t possible with flat paint.  

Even though the setting is a jungle environment, there will be little streams of light breaking through the trees and I am keen to use light and shadow to express emotion and dynamic movement. Holman Hunt William was a master at this, and I will build a library of my own studies of work I find inspirational 

I plan to incorporate as much studio time as possible, keeping in contact with my tutors will help to inform and guide my work and adhere to the course handbooks guidance. I have a lot of work to do but I feel this assignment more than any other I have done so far will challenge and push me into being the illustrator I am capable of being. A professional practising illustrator with her first published book.