Seven Stories Collection

Through looking up the publisher of a book I have seen that will be released next month, I have found a place named Seven Stories. Based in Newcastle it is the national centre for children's books. As well as having a centre in Newcastle city centre they also have a research facility in Gateshead. This facility holds numerous artefacts relating to children's books. To visit any researcher must book in advance so I have managed to book a two day visit over 13th-14th October. I am a little unsure exactly how this may help me with my project however I have picked out four items from their catalogue which are shown below along with extracts from their website and info pack I have been sent. The items I have picked might show me how illustrators such as Judith Kerr deal with serious issues, or how writers such Leon Garfield work, I may find frameworks or methods of working within manuscripts. The way I am looking at this particular research is a bit like mining for gold, I might find nothing useful or I may find a little golden nugget of information that becomes key to my project.

wc 27/09/15 progress check, reflection and ideas

Progress

At this time my only task for the week is to carry out more case studies of existing picture books.
The first presentation will now be held within week 7 or 8 rather than this week as Lynn explained the change had occurred due to the removal of pitch and crit weeks.
Next weekend I am going to Cambridge to the Anglia Ruskin open day so I will need to prepare the questions I wish to ask prior to leaving.

Reflection

Carrying out case studies has already highlighted a few things to me, my interest in the borders between fantasy and reality and how they merge which is common through picture books. The stories which have a deeper meaning seem far more interesting, more enjoyable to read and would full fill me more as a project to work on. Doing more case studies will be vital in leading what my questions and interests are and how they may drive my project. I have realised two things, firstly if I wish to create a picture book then a publisher would only want to see the story, two finished images and sketches for the rest. This allows them to have an input and influence on the book as they are not so keen on an already complete set of images. Secondly I do not have a portfolio as such because I have been busy trying out so many other projects in a variety of fields during my studies. This is important not only to gain work but to show that I am capable of constancy or many other styles along with many ideas for future.

Ideas

To allow me to build a portfolio I should continue with the idea to enter house of illustration contest.
I have also found that by entering five illustrations to Bologna fiere then you can receive a free ticket for the festival. This requires entry by 9th October which may be too short a deadline for me to meet but I should at least try (details shown below).
My thinking right now for a story is based on something current, political and rather serious. I am thinking of trying to create a story based upon the refugee crisis that is occurring right now. The story could be told using animals within a forest or something along those lines. The idea behind my thinking is how to produce something that taken on face value will just be a children's story about animals, however when looked at closer each person may interpret their own views about what the story is actually about. The question in my head right now is, how can reality become merged with fantasy through the use of visual metaphors?

Bath literature festival

Over the weekend I attended the Children's literature festival in Bath. Over the course of the day I attended five events. The first was with Julia Donaldson and Lydia Monks and was probably the best event of the day. Lydia had a short spell on stage doing some live illustrating, drawing the characters the children would recognise from the books. The majority of the show was run by Julia and was almost like a theatre production. Julia involves her husband and sister and a few actors to play out the characters within her stories. The words to the stories were sung rather than just being spoken, this method worked very well with the music being played by Julia's husband. This gave me a small insight into how Julia may work, I was able to imagine her sitting with her husband at home, he may come up with a small piece of music on the guitar. Julia probably has thoughts for a story but tries to sing along with the music, the stories she writes may well begin more as songs which explain how her words are so rhythmical. This shows how her own character and the influences around her come out through the stories.
The next event was with Danny Wallace and Jamie Littler and was far more evenly balanced with both being present throughout. They done exercises like Danny reading the first chapter of his book whilst Jamie would illustrate what was being read out. Others included the children making up a character that Jamie would have to draw. Danny also went around with mugs full of pieces of paper with words on them, these would be picked out and then the children would have to instruct Jamie upon what the character may look like, what they would wear, what would signify the characters personality. This event was very inclusive for the children has they all had a major input into the outcome of the illustrations. The working relationship between author and illustrator was very evident and there was a lively feeling throughout as the energy was built up by the children.
The following event was with Michael Rosen and Chris Riddell which comprised of Michael reading from his latest book and Chris illustrating throughout. I was a little disappointed with this event as Michael seemed to just go through each rhyme which became a little repetitive. Chris Riddell however saved the show as his illustrations were not only top quality but also brought humour into the event.
Next came Benji Davies who talked through his first book then created an illustration with all the characters from it in a single image. The children were to name all the characters before he drew them. Benji then ran through his latest release and done a small practical exercise which allowed the children to create toucan birds from paper. This was more interactive for the children although it did seem a little bland.
The final event was with Joe Sugg which was my unknown event. I had watched a few of Joe's youtube videos (known as ThatcherJoe) and to be honest I found him slightly irritating. However I wanted to see why he has become so popular and also why he was a part of the festival. To my surprise I found that Joe had produced a graphic novel with the help of others. Everyone was given a signed copy which is illustrated to a high standard. The event itself turned out to be like a one direction concert filled with screaming teenage girls, this was not what I was expecting but it showed me how dramatically the world is changing through social media.
The aim of my trip to Bath was to see how professionals stage their events at such a festival. I wanted to see if this would be something I would be comfortable doing. The live illustrations seemed pretty much common place, I imagine they are probably nerve racking the first/second time but become easier through time and practise. However I did think that if I am ever fortunate enough to perform on such a stage that I would like to do something a little different, something people would remember. Watching Julia's show with lots of props being used all over the stage I imagined using props that would be brought into the story using projection mapping. The games Danny used to involve the children also seemed like fun for both the children, adults and the host. In fact Danny seems to be able to generate new ideas for new characters which he might introduce into his next novel. In all the thing I grasped was the fact that I have already learned other skill which I could introduce to the staging of such an event, make it fun for and hopefully everyone else at the same time.

Book study: The scarecrows wedding

This picture book was written by Julia Donaldson and illustrated by Axel Scheffler. In recent times this pairing has become synonymous with the term picture book. The reason I wanted to carry out a case study of this book is that I will be attending a talk by Julia Donaldson in Bath this weekend. Julia will be talking about her latest release What the ladybird heard next, illustrated by Lydia Monks who will also be talking along with Julia. The reason I wanted to see their particular show was to see how they go about it. I've heard that Julia's husband plays music and that it might be a bit of a sing-a-long. This allows me to see how they approach such events and whether it is purely promotion of the book or if there is more to it.

The reason I have decided to do a case study on the aforementioned book is purely because it interests me more. The actual story and amount of writing within the book is fairly large in modern picture books. This will account for the book having 40 pages than the more usual 32. The publishers are probably less hesitant to print such a book as they will expect large sales from this particular pairing of author and illustrator.

Julie is renowned for writing in rhyme or at least rhythmically. She probably uses a system similar to how poets compose their words. The first thing that struck me was the use of first and second names beginning with the same letters. Betty O'Barley and Harry O'Hay are the main characters who are also joined by Reginald Rake. She has cleverly used farm items such as the crop or tools found on a farm within these names. The composition of the writing varies, in some spreads the backgrounds are left clear with a solid area of text, others the text weaves through the page to lead the reader through the story. Where the text overlays the image the text is usually placed with the sky as this is more subtle and less distracting to read from. Examples of these layouts are shown in below (Fig 1).

(Fig 1)

The writing also contains some phrases which are repeated through the book such as, the best wedding yet, The wedding that no one will ever forget. This technique is used by many authors as the child reader can then begin to read out the phrase aloud therefore leading the story rather than being read to by an adult. This immerses the child deeper into the story as they become a part of it.
This is also where an illustrator can really add to a story by adding in little sub stories or things for the child to find within the illustrations. Due to the large amount of text Axel has mainly drawn what lies within the words but where possible he has added little characters into images to give more life to the story, the settings and to give more enjoyment to the reader. Examples of these are shown below (Fig 2) with reference to the additional animals that are not mentioned in the text, the buildings, boats and landscape all used to build a more complete world for each scene.

(Fig 2)

Axel uses a very distinctive style of illustration within picture books. The colours are always very vivid and a strong use of line work, particularly on outlines. The main feature is the expressions he manages to portrait using such a style. This is probably similar in how I perhaps draw naturally although through this project I wish to experiment with a variety of styles to see what I enjoy, what works well and what style may suit the story I am trying to portrait.

Book study: The Arrival

The Arrival is a wordless picture book created by Shaun Tan. The book deals with the issues of immigration, families, building new lives and the cycle of migration. The end covers make a strong impact as they are filled with detailed portraits of people from all walks of life. The images are all about the same size as a passport photo. This gives me the impression that this story could be about any one of these characters portrait within the end papers (Fig 1).

Fig 1

The book is classed as a children's book although the story is primarily lead by an adult which is unusual as the main character is more commonly a child. The artist uses a mixture of spreads, some are almost storyboards, others single pages and some are double spreads. These techniques are used to control the pacing of the story. The storyboard type pages show actions and display more of the sequence of events whereas full pages give us a chance to slow down and take everything in as shown in (Fig 2). The artist very cleverly composes many of the items shown in the smaller images into the larger images giving us a sense of where things are in relation to each other.

Fig 2

Fig 2

The father is leaving as the town seems to have been taken over by a monster, this seems to be in a metaphorical sense as the tentacles or arms of the beast are all that are ever seen engulfing the town. There is a strong mixture of very realistic drawing and fantasy combined to create the world within the story. This allows the reader to have empathy as the understand the context but also allows the imagination to run with creatures and lands that have never been seen before. These fantasy type lands also add to how much empathy you have with the character as they seem just as new to you as the traveller who has just arrived. The artwork has just the right balance between reality and fantasy. 

The fantasy element works in such a way that no place can be identified, the language shown through writing on notes walls etc cannot be read, however each element may be unrecognisable but they all seem so familiar at the same time. These are evident in (Fig 3) as the city scene looks like a combination of a building from Florence, the water tanks of New York and simple block and shapes fantasy buildings combining to make one skyline. The newspaper boy is a familiar sight although the writing is not of any language we know but still retains some form of familiarity.

Fig 3

Fig 3

The story is unusual in that the main character does not always lead the story. As he meets others on his travels they explain how they have come to be in the same city as him. They usually show some form of terror or atrocity that they have escaped from prior to arriving in this city. These points are then lead by the person he has met. These sequences highlight that he is not alone, that in fact there are many others in similar situations. The artist also uses animals throughout the story in order to make the whole place similar to why we are used to, people having pets all kinds of varieties. However most seem quiet ambiguous therefore allowing the reader to project their own pets onto the ones within the book. This again creates more empathy with the reader being able to imagine the characters troubles, the places, people and creatures he meets may all seem slightly different to each reader.

This is what I believe is the most successful aspect of this picture book - it has no boundaries. The book can be read and enjoyed by anyone of any age. Each person will envisage difference cities they see within the book, each will imagine or remember different people and each will place their own versions of pets or animals they believe are being portrait. The art style is perfect for this story, the images look like really old photos which gives it a very personal touch. Sometimes it seems as though you are looking through someones diary but in pictures rather than words. The style and balance between reality and fiction give it a somewhat timeless feel. No date can be placed on the images, no place can be named and I imagine someone picking this up in 100 years time may feel exactly the same as me although their own version of the story or what they relate it to will differ from my own thoughts.

The main aspect that I take from this book is in considering how I could find such a balance of reality/fantasy, how I might use metaphors and also what is the story I want to tell. This book took the artist four years to produce so I have no intentions of trying to create such an comprehensive piece of work but this is something I should aim for once I have developed me skills and knowledge enough to allow me to create such masterpieces.

wc 20/09/15 progress check

Upon checking my program of works the main issues are:-
I was to have my questions figured out, this seems to be lead by my main question as shown on the jellyfish. However I have realised that this subject to change as I progress with my research. So having a date for the final questions is more likely to be just prior to me thinking about writing up my proposal. Using my initial questions gives me a start but it must be very flexible.
I was to have been reviewing picture books, the main reason was to see what it was I like/dislike about them. This would help me see if there are reoccurring themes that could then influence my research. This has been held back by me reading War Horse for the competition. The reason I felt this is important is that this might show me if I prefer working to clients briefs or purely my own works which is critical for me to understand so I can lead my own future.
The program highlighted to me that next weekend is the Bath festival so at some point this week I will need to do some research on each of the authors and illustrators who I am going to see. This will help me understand what I want to listen out for or possibly ask if there is a chance to.
The main areas I will focus on this week are studying picture books and researching speakers at next weekends festival.

Japanese wood block printing

Over the weekend I have attended a two day workshop at DCA in Dundee. This was to give me an insight into the processes used within Japanese wood block printing. The course was ran by Campbell Sandilands who previously studied in Dundee and then spent several years living and studying in Japan. It has been an interesting experience as I learned many things about the history, culture and tools used in tradition wood block prints. Due to the technicality and time consumption of the work we were introduced to the basics using a ply board on which we carved on both sides. Even this task was fairly time consuming which emphasised how much work must go into a full print using several blocks with numerous prints on each.
The main purpose of this task was to see what I could learn from the process. I realised that this process could be used to create textures or backgrounds for my work as there is a uncertainty about how the image will look until you lift the board back off. This can lead to unexpected results which I find interesting. The thing that kept on popping into my mind over the weekend was how could I repeat this digitally. I figure that working with shapes such as the ones I cut and then trialling different brush types could possibly lead to me creating something similar although I may also have to layer in textures. This would be to try and recreate the marks in the ink that are caused by the baren  which is the pad used to burnish the paper against the surface of the inked block.
We created several different prints on differing papers to see what happened. Below are the carvings I made on either side, my first trial of colours, a single image of the character and my final print which combines both sides onto the same print. The single image and my final image are my favourites as the single image seems to have a sense of movement, the final has a better sense of balance with the colours where the flower and leaves seem to work best out of all the prints I produced.

jellyfish

Today in class we carried out an exercise which I will name jellyfish. This represents our idea right now as it is a little wobbly and lacks substance. The exercise involved us writing down any questions which might arise when thinking about our projects.
I began with a main question which is
How and why are visual metaphors used in picture books?
this lead to other questions such as
Where can I research, what is a metaphor and why picture books?
Several other questions then arose
Do they have underlying meanings?
How do we understand metaphors?
Are some metaphors generic?
Does use of metaphors open up interpretation?
Are they used to deal with more serious issues?
Why does this interest me?
When did visual metaphors first appear?
Do metaphorical creatures need to be humanised?
Are metaphors usually simple or complex?
What issues to I wish to discuss?
Who is renowned withe the field?
Do other mediums use metaphors?
What methods can I use to help me create?
How are metaphors tied into reality?
Do metaphors change regionally or culturally?
How can I create a new style of illustration for me?
How do I want to work traditional/digital mix?
We then began to try to reflect on our questions and try to put them into groups. We also wrote down three tasks for ourselves to carry out within the next week. My tasks were to find some research already done on metaphors, find someone renowned for using metaphors and to create some characters. These tasks will help to get out projects started, the jellyfish process in shown below.

programme of works

Now that I have booked several events that might inspire or contribute in some way to my project I felt that I should begin to plan things out. I have produced a gantt chart using a sample version of software designed for this purpose. The chart is for the full year but understandably semester 2 is very vague without detail as I am not sure what exactly my project is right now.
This means that I have printed off up until week commencing 31 Jan 2016. This allows me to focus on what is required now and not become overwhelmed by the overall project scope. The process I use is simple in that I attach two pins with an elastic band between them to show which week I am on. This will only be changed each Sunday. This allows me to see where I should be at that point and then reflect on what I have done to see if I am on time with the program. Each Sunday will also allow me to plan for the week ahead, make any changes that are required and hopefully highlight any issues I am having. Breaking the program down into weekly lists also helps to break up the work into more manageable chunks and also allows for a more iterative process. This is key as I am unsure how my questions may change or how the work I produce will direct my project.
There are three main groups on my chart, research & development, presentations & submissions and events & workshops. The research & development shows the time I should spend considering questions, studying picture books, researching journals, books etc and time allowed for proposals and development of concept etc. The presentations & submissions is to highlight the critical dates throughout the project. The events & workshops show things I have organised to attend, these are important as they may have a huge influence on my project. Being aware of these dates in relation to everything else is vital in allowing me to prepare and carry out any research required prior to an event that I am attending and also in planning out what work I can get done between events. The weekly checks will help me in prioritising the works that are required at that point in time.

Taku-hon workshop

Another workshop that has caught my interest at DCA is the Taku-hon which is oriental pad printing. The reason I am interested in this is to see how textures can be created through this process. I wish to see if I am able to make textures similar to those in a book titled The ship that sailed to Mars by William M Timlin. The textures I am able to create may be used to establish backgrounds or be used as cloths etc in my images. This is how I am thinking at the moment but the reasons and my thought may change by the time the workshop is running. Again by the process of making this may influence my project as to how remains to be seen.

Argyrotype workshop

Looking through the workshops on offer at DCA in Dundee I noticed one that intrigued me. A one day course titled Argyrotype. This procedure is based from photos or negatives as this is what you are asked to bring along. The reason it caught my eye was that the images reminded me of one of my favourite picture books titled The Arrival by Shaun Tan. Trying out this technique may lead me in an unexpected direction with my art or project but I won't know until I try.

competition and workshop

Whilst looking through the House of illustration website I noticed that the yearly competition which is in partnership with the folio society. The details of which are shown below. The folio society commissions are highly regarded amongst illustrators. I learnt this when I done a two day workshop with Sara Ogilvie last year and she explained that when she was first asked to illustrate one of their books she felt as though she had then become a fully fledged illustrator and seen this as confirmation that her work was of a high standard. I seen the details for last year's competition but had noticed it to late and was too busy with other projects to enter. This year I wish to take part and will use this as a part of my research. The task is the equivalent of a single module from last year as a cover an three illustrations are required to enter. This also gets me stated with making things. The challenge is that I am working to a brief where as my other work will be lead by me. This may show me what I prefer, it can only have a positive effect on all of my work and my project as a whole. The folio society covers are usually very stylised so I have decided to book a two day workshop at DCA in Dundee this weekend. The workshop is on Japanese woodblock printing. This was something I had previously looked up as I wanted to see if this would allow me to create art like a book I have named Why mosquitoes buzz in people's ears. This activity will show me a traditional method which I then may be able to use or even adapt into a digital method of working?

Trip to London

To create great work inspiration is key, but waiting on inspiration can be a dangerous game. Instead I always feel that it is better to push the issue and force inspiration. This can be done by actively researching, going to places seeing things, meeting new people and gaining different experiences. Looking back upon my creative research project from last year I realised that the major turning points  came when I had either attended a workshop, a talk or visited somewhere or met someone who informed me on things of which I had been unaware.
For these reasons I have decided to spend a few days in London. This has come about because I was looking through the House of illustration website and noticed a masterclass on the 18th October. The class will be run by Dominic McKenzie who works as an editorial illustrator. The topic is about illustrating an idea and in particular I am interested in how I can take serious issues or complex ideas and turn them into metaphors. The descriptor for the class is shown below along with the about us description of what House of illustration is and what the aims are.
Taking a trip to London for this class only did not make much sense so I have decided to go from Sat 17th until Wed 21st and during this time I plan to visit many other places. These include the RA exhibition of work by Ai Wei Wei, drawing in silver and gold exhibition at the British Museum, the EY exhibition at Tate Modern, the E.H Shepard exhibition at House of illustration and also a visit to the cartoon museum. This trip is intended to force the issue of inspiration, not just solely for the purposes of this project but also for my future. Some of the inspirations I may take away with me may not become evident until later is life. Inspirations usually come from the things you have seen or done so this trip can only help me artistically.

children's book illustration MA

Prior to starting at Abertay University my thoughts were that my life as a student would finish after my 4th year. During my time at Abertay I have concerned myself more with what progress I feel I have made each term and year rather than the grades I have received. However my grades for last year went very well and as long as I keep them up or hopefully even improve on them then I could get a good honours result. This has lead me to inquire into going even further with the possibility of studying a Masters. 

The Anglia Ruskin University offers the only MA specifically for children's book illustration in the UK. This course interests me not only for the Masters qualification but more so for what the course offers. The possibility of work experience within a publishing house, attending and showing work at various book fairs and probably most importantly the contacts I could possibly meet as this course is recognised and highly regarded by publishers of children books.

In order to see if this is a path I want to take then I feel it is important to go and find out as much information as possible about the course. The Anglia Ruskin has an open day on the 3rd October which I have booked a ticket for, the fact that I had to book a ticket for an open day tells me that not only will it be busy but that there must be a great deal of competition for spaces on courses. Below are brief descriptions of the course and the entry requirements for the MA.

picture hooks

picture hooks is a mentoring scheme which is funded by Creative Scotland. The idea is to encourage up and coming illustrators who are interested in children's books. They are paired up with a professional illustrator for a year who becomes their mentor and helps them to grow as artists. The works that are produced through this scheme will be exhibited in Scottish National Gallery from 29th October to 26th February and during this time each pair will give a talk/Q&A/workshop event. This scheme seems to be aimed at postgraduate students and may be something I could pursue after this year is completed. I have managed to book a space on each of the five separate talks as I would be interested to see their work, their processes and learn about their experience of being mentored.

bath children's literature festival

As I wish to research the area of picture books I feel it is necessary to broaden my horizons and find out what is current, look at new artists and speak to others in the business or with similar interests. This is why I have decided to go to Bath children's literature festival. There are many book festivals in the UK but this is the only one dedicated to children. This will help me discover more about myself, what I may like, see where I might fit into this world or possibly even the opposite. The reason I think it is important is because if I become a picture book illustrator then this is the type of event a publisher would expect me to attend to promote the books I've illustrated.
The event is on for a week but unfortunately I will only be able to go for one day. I will get an overnight train on the 25 Sept attend the festival on the 26th then head back on the 27th. I have tried to pick a variety of author's and illustrators to make my experience more interesting.
The list below shows the talks and workshops I will be attending.