Sunday, November 30, 2008

Jacqui Grantford











What's this illustration for?

This illustration is from the book ‘Squeezy Cuddle Dangly Legs’ written by Peter Whitfield. It’s a picture book about a little girl who refuses to go to bed, and the rituals that the mum has to go through to get her there. Incidentally, the models I used for the illustration are Sophia from New Frontier and Grace, the littlest Whitfield.

Do you have to wait for a flash of inspiration - how do you start?

I usually find that starting can create the flash of inspiration. Starting anything can be what springboards you into a great idea.
How did you get your start as an illustrator?

I started an illustration class at Chisholm College and one of my assignments was to write and illustrate a picture book – which I did.
I then took my book, Various Faerious, to Books Illustrated and Ann James was a fantastic help, pointing me in the right direction. Thanks Ann.

Who or what has influenced your work?

Michelangelo was a big influence on me when I was 10. We went on a family holiday to Italy and I remember being blown away by his work. Great muscle definition. Also Ingres and Renoir (who shares my birthday).
Robert Ingpen’s ‘Encyclopaedia of Things That Never Were’ also inspired me. I decided when I saw it that I’d love to get into illustration.

What's your favourite media for creating pictures?

I love all medias. I go through different phases when a certain media appeals to me more. At the moment it’s oils. Although I would like to get into some etching. It’s something I’ve never done and it sounds like fun.

Do you experience illustrator's block - if so, what do you do about it?

So far no, I haven’t experienced any blocks. I think it’s much easier for an illustrator to thrash ideas around in thumbnail format than writers, and to work through problems. It’s immediate and in front of you. For me at least.

What's the worst thing about being a freelancer?

You have to be careful not to put in too much overtime. It’s easy to keep going if you’re at home. And of course you don’t get paid if you’re sick. Still, happy people rarely get sick, so I guess it all works out in the end.

And the best?

It gives me time to be a mum and to work in my own hours, which is often at 1am in the morning. Love it. And I get to share my work with my family. My kids often come in and work with me which is great.

What are you working on at the moment?

I’m working on a book called ‘Thank You’ Wishes by Kate Wilson. It’s got a similar message to ‘The Secret’ except it’s for kids. And coincidentally, I was reading ‘The secret’ When the MS came my way. Very Twilight Zoney!

Where can we see more of your work?

All good bookstores!
And I’ll keep everybody posted when my work next gets exhibited. Always exciting!

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Teresa Culkin-Lawrence



















What's this illustration for?

This illustration was done for a book called The Other Side, written by Sally Morgan and published by the Australian National Museum, Canberra. Authors are invited to look at the museum’s collection and take their inspiration into a children’s story. In this picture, the two main characters, an aboriginal boy and his grandfather have met in the boy’s dream as animals. Alex, as a joey asks his grandfather, a goanna how to get home.

Do you have to wait for a flash of inspiration - how do you start?

I always find words inspiring – just reading the text will start to prompt pictures in my head. It’s the interpretation of those inspirations that can be difficult – as Marjory said last week, ‘getting the hand to do what the mind sees’ is a tricky business.

What's your favourite media for creating pictures?

For the above illustration, I loved using charcoal pencil as it gives me lovely blacks and greys which then contrast dramatically against a white background. When I use colour, I love watercolour and coloured pencil. And lately, I have gone back to etching which I hadn’t done for many years and can’t wait to use that medium in the future.

Do you experience illustrator's block - if so, what do you do about it?

Yes, sometimes all I want to do is go and have a sleep. But I heard a great tip from a writer once who said he sits down to write, telling himself this will be ‘just for an hour’. By the time that hour is finished he said, he is always absorbed in the project. I have tried this many times and it works. It’s a great little trick you can play on yourself!

How did you get your start as an illustrator?

I applied for a full time job as an art director's assistant at a publishing house. During the interview, I mentioned I had an 18 month old daughter and immediately knew I wouldn't get it. But, I did ask if I could be added to the list of freelancers on their files - the art director mentioned that sometimes they would do up to 30 titles and thus needed access to lots of talent. Some months later, I was offered my first book with that publisher. I was so thrilled and so terrified! After that I went to other publishers with my book and my folio. One that I walked into - Macmillan - said they were just wondering who to give their latest Maths Book to - turned out it was me! And then, I was off....

Who or what has influenced your work?

As a child, I loved Edward Ardizzone's illustrations and his work has influenced my thinking about art very much. I don't think I ever actually read his books, just got lost in the pictures. And I remember Angelo being read to me in prep - illustrated by Quentin Blake - and being enthralled by the story and pictures. Sarah Garland - loose and bright and funny, Julie Vivas - the gesture and weight of her figures, Narelle Oliver - her amazing skill as a printmaker and David Frazer - another stunning printmaker are just some of the other artists and illustrators whose work I love and admire.

What's the worst thing about being a freelancer?

Finding the discipline to do the above. And, feeling a bit isolated from others – which makes networking important, especially with things like negotiating for a project.

And the best?

Sometimes actually having a sleep instead of working… But really, creating a book – WOW! What a wonderful thing to be able to do.

Visit The Style File to see more of Teresa’s work

www.thestylefile.com/show.php?illustrator_id=106&image_id=216

or her website at:

www.portfolios.com/TeresaCulkinLawrence

Sunday, November 9, 2008

Kevin Burgemeestre



















What's this illustration for?

This cover painting in acrylic was for Antarctic Dad written by Hazel Edwards. It was interesting in that it was the third cover picture and by far the best. In my initial painting I had used pictures from people in the Antarctic cold and their faces were somewhat "scrunched" up. Hazel wanted a more positive look, in accord with her theme of families apart but in touch. The skies were authentic, but perhaps a little optimistic, you would not often have such clear weather. Maybe they were lucky!

The boy in the image is my son Jim.


Do you have to wait for a flash of inspiration - how do you start?

In this instance the idea was clear from the start: people in different places, but together, so I used my background in collage to combine separate images in an informal manner. There is also a cross-over in the colour used for each character. The warm yellows reflect the comfort of home and safety, the cool blues reflect the cold Antarctic. Dad's yellow suit is a tone of the boy's background, the boy's blue jumper reflects the blues of the Antarctic scene; the images are thematically connected. (I really do construct images like that, it reflect my interest in cinema studies).


How did you get your start as an illustrator?

What start would that be? No really, I arrived back in Australia in 1985 with a folio full of images from my study in children's book illustration at the Rietveld Academy in Amsterdam. I also had freelance work. It was enough to make me memorable at the time. I would have drawn anything!


Who or what has influenced your work?

Too easy: Warner Brothers cartoons, Alfred Hitchcock's movies, Henri Toulouse Lautrec, and Pablo Picasso. Also, my mother was a fine art restorer, so I was up close and intimate with paintings from a young age. To see work being restored is to see it naked.


What's your favourite media for creating pictures?

Pretty well the one I'm using at the time. I have a commitment to recycling, so will re-use stock, stick things down and sculpt with discarded packaging. B is for Bravo, my book on Australian aviation had dioramas that were constructed completely from the recycling bin. Only the cardboard is artist's quality and that was discarded at the local framers. A highlight is stealing my son Jim's plasticine to mould an engine block and cylinders for an aircraft engine. (He was finished using it!)

For Antarctic Dad I used recycled A3 paper for the dummies and sketches.


Do you experience illustrator's block - if so, what do you do about
it?


I have always found masses of whiskey works well. Otherwise a rapid bike ride is marvelous. There is always a moment of trepidation when beginning, this can be larger or smaller according to the moment. It is important to go back to basics; clean brushes, clear the work surface, go back to researching the illustration, do thumbnail sketches to reduce the stage size and fear factor. If you live near the Gold Coast go surfing. Keep surfing. Go surfing again. I don't live near the Gold Coast.


What's the worst thing about being a freelancer?

I hate working on my own. Your own "head tape" can be very negative at times. It is important to see exhibitions, and experience things like live theatre to fire you up. Interesting movies offer great alternative approaches to visual story telling. Do coffee with friends. Do more coffee with friends. It is important to keep a perspective.


And the best?

I was at home all through my son's primary school time. I took him for injections, made him breakfast, got to know the crèche staff and when he was older, I took him to school every day. It is an unforgettable experience, he is my treasure. I had the same joy with my step-children, I was there when they came home from school and heard about their day.

Jim slept like clock work every day, so I had 3.5 working hours as well as having him.

We would charge around like lunatics in the morning having fun, he would drop like a rock in the arvo, and I would start work. I could hear him sleeping. It was the best of times. What are you working on at the moment?

I have committed the folly of starting an adventure novel. It moves at a cracking pace and is really frightening, and centres around a cautious kid called Tim (timid?). I am also trying to resolve a picture book about the experience of young men and women in the Second World War. It was such a massive era of transformation for Australian families, it set the tone for modern Australia.


Where can we see more of your work?

I make work in many mediums, I have worked as a collage artist, sculptor, freelance writer, even briefly as a freelance motoring journalist. I'm mad about machines and movement. A highlight was testing a Ferrari down Punt Road: the traffic just parted.

We had a Porsche as well, it was a really memorable morning.

I visit lots of schools and do presentations at libraries and TAFE colleges. I am working at getting my website up and I will soon have a gallery of images and writing for free download. The electronic age has been the most profound change we have experienced. Despite ups and downs it is still my dream job. My only frustration is not getting my writing out there at the moment.


I have illustrated two books by Lucy Farmer in a new series about a character called Uncle Eddie who manages a game reserve in Africa. They are produced by Black Dog Books and are due in February 2009. Eddie has to work out how to deal with difficult customers like Hippos, crocodiles and Killer Bees. It was great to draw these amazing creatures (Hippos are NOT cuddly!) and challenging to get the feel of the African setting. Order your copies now!

Thursday, November 6, 2008

Shannon Melville



















What's this illustration for?

Illustration Friday topic “Forgotten”.
Do you have to wait for a flash of inspiration - how do you start?
I always have ideas that I want to work on next. Sometimes inspirations comes to me through a simple object like a spice container lid or a bit of twisted metal I find on the ground. I like it when I am in that creative zone to be able to notice the small details in life.

How did you get your start as an illustrator?

I am still getting my work out there, the illustration jobs I have had are mainly illustrated logos, illustrations for educational readers, one off illustrations for signs, banners, maps etc. I also work as a Graphic designer, so some of my clients require illustrative work. I would like to get more into book illustration as I have a childlike imagination at times!

Who or what has influenced your work?

I admire a lot of illustrators work so couldn’t just name a few, however, doing work experience in Year 10 + 12 at Fremantle Children’s Literature Centre allowed me to see the fabulous work on display. I felt inspired because so many children’s illustrators and authors were so passionate about what they did. I loved how they showed their research aswell.

What's your favourite media for creating pictures?

I enjoy working in lots of different media. I have been working more lately in inks, coloured pencils and pastels though. I also like painting with acrylics at times and wouldn’t mind creating some more work with Das Clay. My clients often require vector illustrations, which I do in Adobe Illustrator.

Do you experience illustrator's block - if so, what do you do about it?

Not often, sometimes if I am very stressed or tired I am not in the mood for creating art. I have recently bought some books on face expressions and poses, which I think will help greatly if I get stuck.

What's the worst thing about being a freelancer?

Finding your own work. Trying to balance marketing yourself: sending out flyers, updating your website along with actually doing the work and developing your skills more. Also motivating yourself to keep striving ahead for the next goal.

And the best?

You get to work on a variety of projects. You can choose what you want to take on and what you don’t want to. You get to wear your tracky pants and ugg boots around the house, you get to cuddle your dogs whenever you want, you can sleep in if you have stayed up late working on something, you can draw more, you can create more mess with your art supplies!

Where can we see more of your work?

www.shannonmelville.blogspot.com/
www.lemonzestdesign.com.au/

Wednesday, November 5, 2008

Sarah Davis












What's this illustration for?

For "Mending Lucille" by J.R. Poulter, which will be published by Lothian/Hachette in June this year. It's a beautiful story about a little girl coping with the loss of her mother. I absolutely loved illustrating this book - The text is so rich and lyrical and emotionally layered.

Do you have to wait for a flash of inspiration - how do you start?

I don't have time to wait for inspiration! I usually start with a loose brainstorm - scribbling all over the text. I usually start off by writing about my ideas rather than drawing. Sometimes particular characters or images pop into my head fully fledged and I have to sketch them quickly in case they disappear again.

How did you get your start as an illustrator?

I don't have any training or anything - we moved to Sydney 3 years ago, and I had been working as an English/art history teacher, but hadn't really touched a pencil in 10 years. I took a year off work when we moved here to help the kids settle in, and stumbled into a job (through a friend of a friend) storyboarding a feature film. I had 2 weeks to draw 480 frames so it was like illustrator boot camp. But I loved it, and realised that you could conceivably make a living out of it, so decided to give it a go and put together a few samples and started trawling for jobs on freelance websites. The 2006 SCBWI conference and Susanne Gervay's enthusiasm and support gave me a real start though - SCBWI has been invaluable for meeting people and making contacts.

Who or what has influenced your work?

I do a lot of surfing the net looking at other illustrators work and subscribe to some great illustration and art blogs - www.drawn.ca and www.linesandcolors.com are two of the best. http://www.illustrationmundo.com is also a great portal for seeing what other illustrators are up to. I love all the great classic illustrators like Arthur Rackham and Howard Pyle - when I was a kid Maurice Sendak was my favourite. I'm a bit besotted with Shaun Tan's work. I try to read lots of art books and am lucky to have access to the library at Macquarie uni for dipping into random books for inspiration (on everything from the history of botanical illustration to a pictorial "how-to" manual on butchering cows.)

What's your favourite media for creating pictures?

I still haven't worked that out! At the moment I’m usually either using fast-drying oils on paper, or digitally colouring. But I fantasise about having more time to experiment with unusual techniques and combinations of media. The method usually varies depending on the project anyway. I try usually to do book work traditionally and commercial work digitally.

Do you experience illustrator's block - if so, what do you do about it?

Not usually -I just have to keep plugging away. It can get really frustrating when you hit a drawing that doesn't work, but that's usually a good sign that instead of banging your head against a brick wall you should get rid of it and try a completely different approach rather than clinging to the original idea.

What's the worst thing about being a freelancer?

Trying to make myself stop work! It's so tempting to grab every spare moment to sneak into the studio and get just a little bit more done - and working round the kids I end up working ridiculous hours - often till 2-3 a.m - because I haven't had a chance to do much in the day. I'm not sure if being addicted to your job is healthy, but it's definitely fun. It gets a bit busy too - I would also like to make more time to do a bit of painting just for myself.

And the best?

Doing what I love

What are you working on at the moment?

I'm illustrating a series of books for Velopress in the USA, written by an Olympic cyclist, Erin Mirabella. I'm working with New Frontier on a really delightful series called the Music Box series - each story is based around a famous piece of music, and the books come with a CD of the music and the story narrated by Antonia Kidman. I think it's a great idea, and so much fun to do! I'm working on The Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy at the moment (story by Sue Whiting), and will be doing The Sorcerer’s Apprentice next. I'm also illustrating an English language reader for ILTS. I also have a couple of projects of my own I'm trying to find time for - a couple of picture books/graphic novels I'm writing and daydreaming about, and some animated videos to go with the songs that my lovely partner writes. In my day job, I'm illustrator/Art director for a company called Childhood Champions which produces personalised books for kids in association with sports stars. We've put out books with Tim Cahill (socceroo) and Brett Lee (Australian cricketer), and are taking it international later in the year making books with some great athletes in the UK and USA. Phew. And taking care of 3 kids and a new puppy! Sounds like quite a lot when I write it down.

Where can we see more of your work?

my website: http://www.sarahdavisillustration.com

my blog: http://www.pseudoarmadillo.wordpress.com

Sunday, November 2, 2008

Aaron Pocock



















What's this illustration for?

This is the second illustration for the book 'Dewdrop the Little Fairy' by Loretta Nielsen. The story is about a fairy born with only one wing, very sad. but don't despair, all's well by the end of the tale.

Do you have to wait for a flash of inspiration - how do you start?

I've kind of gotten over that hurdle. I do like to respond to inspiration when she calls but I find that just 'doing it' gathers it's own momentum. I've found over the years that the Nike slogan 'just do it' really is the best mantra.

How did you get your start as an illustrator?

By being bold and sending portfolios away, and 'hanging in' there was worth it. I started out in comics and then magazine illustrations, then fine art, then books. now I do just about anything that comes my way. but my heart is in illustrating books, I knew at a very young age that this is what I wanted to do, I think it's important to follow your dreams. Too many people give up.

Who or what has influenced your work?

I'll need a few more pages to answer that one..... My friend david Wyatt was the person who started me on the path... he's probably the top children's book illustrator of his generation... Charles Vess (one of the co-creators of the Stardust movie), Arthur rackham (who isn't?), The Hildebrandt brothers, Alan Lee.... My God, he is an absolute Legend... nobody can hold a paintbrush up to that man! So many others... as long as it speaks to me in some way, I'm open to learning from it..... Mother nature is my muse.

What's your favourite media for creating pictures?

Probably watercolours, but due to time constraints, i work mainly digitally, (Corel Painter and Adobe Photoshop). it really is the fastest way for me to illustrate anything. the enclosed illustration was rendered this way.

Do you experience illustrator's block - if so, what do you do about it?

No. I can hit 'burnout' from time to time, due to an overload of work, but i don't ever get blocked. i was told by someone years ago that if inspiration doesn't come knocking, get out the sketchpad and draw from life.... very wise words.

What's the worst thing about being a freelancer?

Not knowing where the next job will come from.....

And the best?

Getting to do what I want for a living.

What are you working on at the moment?

A wonderful little story about a child's love for her dog.

Where can we see more of your work?

My website is a good place to start: www.pocockart.com