Wednesday, October 2, 2013
All My Nice & Talented Students...
Since I have been kept very busy with my shop Draw Me A Lion as well as teaching classes lately, you might have noticed that I haven't had time for my beloved picture book blog. A bit sad, but what can one do... Today instead of featuring a professional illustrator's work I would like to feature this illustration here made by Cally Thompson, a very fun and talented budding illustrator/past student of mine. She had sent it to me back in the Summer at the end of our class and what do you know, I just stumbled upon it again in the mysterious depths of my hard drive. The illustration features all the different characters she developed for various homework assignments in class. A little character montage so to speak. I feel very special indeed:) Thanks right back to you Cally and in fact a BIG thanks to ALL of my awesome students out there, past and present! How is it that I only ever get such bright and talented and nice folks in my classes? What luck:)
Sunday, June 23, 2013
Albertine
Some weeks back I bought the magnificent picture book Little Bird which immediately became a new favorite of mine after reading it. Pick it up when you have a chance. Definitely a book that will be appreciated on many levels by adults but that can also be enjoyed by kids.
What I love most about the book other than of course the visually amazing illustrations of super prolific illustrator Albertine, is that it's a daring book in that it could easily have been a much different book were the text tailored more along the conventional lines to accompany what the images are telling us in the story. Instead however there are two separate narratives happening at the same time. Together creating a truly beautifully and sophisticated picture book experience.
I love it when you could do the easy thing. But you don't. You take a chance. And in this case, it turns out so worth it. Also interesting here is to wonder how illustrator Albertine and writer Germano Zullo worked together on this book. Did the story/text come first? Or did the images/partially come first and then the story and then the rest of the images...
If you want to read more about the book and see more images of it check out this post about it here on the Brainpicking's blog.
All Images © Albertine
Wednesday, April 17, 2013
The Strange Poetry of Lilli Carré
Lilli Carré although only just 30 years or so old, has accomplished and produced so much already. I was first introduced to her work when stumbling upon ‘Nine Ways to Dissappear’, a beautiful and compact book published by Little Otsu that tells nine short stories in words and pictures. First drawn to the book for it’s sheer beauty and design I kept reading for the bizarreness and melancholy of the stories. They almost feel as though Carré is just making them up as she writes and draws them out. As if there was no plan, no definite set purpose to them, but that this in a way seems to be the point of them at the same time. A combination of poetry and dream seems to cloak her characters and their worlds. While I think that Carré’s illustration work is beautiful in it’s own right, I believe that the format of the book, her ‘animated drawings’ or animation is where Carré’s work is truly at home. As long as there is more than one page for Carré to work with, to show us the continuation of something she is able to bring a strange kind of poetry to life that is truly unique.
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I wrote this article for the great illustration magazine Linea Curve. I will be writing some articles for them every so often and these articles will be cross posted on their blog as well as on I Heart Picture Books. Images chosen to accompany articles may vary.
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All Images © Lilli Carré
Saturday, March 16, 2013
Picture Book Shop: Mundo Azul in Berlin
Imagine my surprise as I walked into the next little room and discovered original artwork by non other than Violeta Lopiz (whom I had just written about a few posts previous of this one). I was so excited and it totally made everything about the shop even more magical and perfect. The woman who was working that day was of course amazing and fun and super helpful and it was obvious that she was a big picture book fan herself. So cool! I'm so happy to have found this shop and I hope that it will stay there forever and just grow bigger and bigger. My cousin and his girlfriend whom I was visiting there life very near and it makes me happy to know that they go there to get books for their little boy. I couldn't imagine a better place in the world to get them at!
So yes, if you find yourself in Germany and you love picture books, here is their website .GO THERE! ...but remember that ALL shops are closed on weekends in Germany;)
Labels:
berlin,
best shop ever,
book shops,
germany,
mundo azul,
picture book shops,
trip
Friday, September 21, 2012
Jost Amman & Das Kunst und Lehrbüchlein
In my level 1 illustration for picture books class, one session is always dedicated to a brief overview of the history of illustration for picture books in North America as well as Europe, since the two are so inextricably linked. I always really enjoy this class since it gives me an excuse to brush up on my existing knowledge of the subject but more importantly and excitingly to add to it.
I have taught the class for about two years now and every time I teach it, I like to add a bit to my knowledge of illustration's rich and fascinating history. It's pretty cool to be able to pick up dense scholarly books on the subject and to recognise and know a bit about most illustrators mentioned through out. There was no illustration department at my school when I attended so illustration was not included in my study of art history and everything I know today on the subject is self taught. I think that that's really cool and I'm proud of how much I have learned so far. I also hope that this keeps the class fun and fresh for both, my student and me. I really don't want to become one of those teachers who always teach the class in the exact same way, thus becoming stale and boring. Snorrrrrrrrr...
I got a little over excited to begin with when seeing all the images of this instructional and inspirational work for young artists, thinking that it might have served as a colouring book (note the allowance of plenty of white spaces given to most depicted characters) but I according to the previously mentioned blog post it was not. Also one has to consider that there probably were no crayons for kids lying around the houses back in 1580. Back then I would imagine that art materials of any type were only common amongst those in the proffesion of illustration and their apprentices. Having said that, the age that one would become an apprentice was also much much younger than in todays world.
If You'd like to learn more about Jost Amman click here and here. To view the rest of the inside of 'Das Kunst und Lehrbüchlein' click here to enter the amazing German Kupferstich Kabinet database.
All Images © HAUM
Thursday, September 13, 2012
Violeta Lopiz
The summer break is over and just like that... I have a new favorite illustrator :)
OMG! So fantastic!
Check out her siiiiite!
I am in love
All Images © Violeta Lopiz
OMG! So fantastic!
Check out her siiiiite!
I am in love
All Images © Violeta Lopiz
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
My Advise on Picture Books in Uppercase Magazine
As if that wasn't enough for me to be super excited, my friends from Collage Collage and the awesome toy shop Dilly Dally both here from Vancouver also happen to be featured in the issue. So yes, I really couldn't be happier with this issue! Number 14 Ladies and Gents! Go get your copy, check out my advise column and the rest of the magic.
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