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On the 11th of February Orange Beak Studio held a free talk with three illustrators they have been working with from the start of their children’s picture book journeys. The three illustrators were Ruby Wright, Jen Baranowska and Emma Farrarons. Orange Beak Studio was founded to work with illustrators from graduates to professionals, to help them improve and feel better with their illustrations. Ruby Wright
Jen Baranowska
Emma Farrarons
Take Away ThoughtsIt was really insightful to hear their stories and where they are now with their work. They all seem to have had different paths from graduating a while ago to only in the past few years deciding to fully get into children’s picture books. Their sketchbook work was so lovely with lots of different mediums, marks and colour used, and it is something I think really is important to figuring out what you want to do with your own illustrations, as well as just improving in general with drawing. I definitely want to get back into drawing as much as I can in my own sketchbooks, at the moment it isn’t really possible with university work but when that starts to come to an end I will get back into it.
I remember the first job that I wanted to ever do was being a concept artist. I had never, ever thought about what I wanted to do with my life, until I learnt about concept art. I just remember it being 2011, seeing the teaser trailer for Brave and then finding the concept art for the film. I feel like that was the point in my life when I realised I wanted to make art as a living, everything sort of clicked into place! At this point I know illustration is where I sit with my art, but I definitely am inspired by concept art, I am just unsure of what it fully is to become a concept artist or if it could be an option for me as a career.
I had never really considered illustrating children’s picture books until recently. It is an area that seems to have a lot of opportunities and way of making money as an illustrator, so I am going to do some research/ find books that are interesting to me.
A few months ago I came across the works of Alexander Lindberg and Evaline Ness, whom both I took a interest. Lindberg has a style that uses shapes with texture within them, that to me looks similar to the printmaking technique Pochoir. Little information is available on Lindberg but his style of illustrating is something I am influenced by. Ness took my interest with her colour combinations and how she used printmaking with woodblock/ Lino to create the illustrations. She illustrated so many children’s picturebooks during her life and each one has its own colour scheme that works with the story. Oliver Jeffers is illustrator whose work and way of thinking about art, is a similar direction to what I want to an extent. To be instantly recognisable in your work and have your own ‘style’ is something that takes years, and to be honest might never happen for me, but I can only do my best and hope!
Anoosha Syed and Sha’an d’Anthes are both picturebook illustrators, which in the videos above, both give an informative view into how the process of making these kind of books work. For me it is interesting to hear from their own experience of making them, as even if I was illustrating a book for a different genre they have given advice that can be applied elsewhere.
Back in February this year I visited the Scottish Modern Galleries in Edinburgh and was able to see the exhibition that Picturehooks holds (I think?) every year. It has the work of illustrators who are part of a mentoring scheme helping them to create a children’s picturebook. It something to consider maybe applying for if I ever choose to go down this route, as it would be such a good opportunity to learn and develop from!
I am going to have a look at books that have been illustrated, ranging from various genres to different illustrators, that interest me.
Reading books is something that I have in recently years not done as much as I used, but the books that I did read during a five year spell while at school were ones that I mostly enjoyed. In particular the His Dark Materials series, Anne of Green Gables, The Book Thief and the majority of David Almond’s books. Illustrating books is something I definitely want to do, either covers or even fully illustrated editions. I don’t have a specific reason why, but I think it is because I enjoy stories and being able to illustrate the characters or environments would be such an amazing thing to do for a job! Also this feeds into illustrated books on history about people or certain cultures from around the world, something else I would want to do.
Since leaving school five years ago I have taken a path that I didn’t think I would. I went straight into college from school and during my two years there I learnt so much by experimenting with so many techniques. Digital/ traditional, installation art, ceramics and printmaking. I found myself drawn to printmaking because of the whole process of it, having to prepare a plate, roll the plate through the press, etc. I would constantly be in that printmaking room than anywhere else! Then college came to an end and I had no clue what to do with myself, all I had known was education to give me something to do, now I was on my own. I had hoped to go to Edinburgh College of Art to study illustration but even though I got positive feedback it seemed not possible for me to get in after two attempts of applying. Honestly I am glad I ended up not being offered a place at Edinburgh because it made me go out of comfort zone by getting a job, learning to drive, getting to be part of Uplands Modern Maker programme and having time to develop my artwork. I knew I wanted to study illustration still but wanted to stay at home so ended up applying for the course I am on now!
I have always known choosing to go down the art path in life wasn’t going to be the easiest way to get a full time job, yet there is nothing else that I would rather do than be creative. Before looking into illustration jobs, what am I aware of? I know there are agencies for children book publishing, graphic design based jobs and being freelance/ self-employed with no full guarantee of getting work. At this moment in time I need figure out where I sit in terms of what path I could take. What strengths do I have? Knowledge of printmaking techniques, use of Procreate, sketchbook drawing, having experience of being part of group exhibitions, having some commissions (pet portraits, card making), producing work for deadlines, taking inspiration from a whole ranges of sources (art history, places I visit, films, music) What are my ambitions? At the moment I have a whole range of thoughts about what I want to do. I want to be able to illustrate books, so covers, children’s picture books, history/ nature related informational books maybe? Freelance/ self employment is something I consider, the internet connections with clients are more accessible meaning it would make working from home an option, though it is no guarantee of work. Then there are options of looking at agencies that have branches for illustrators. I also want to maybe write/research and illustrate my own books based on historical people/ places or traditional folktales. Concept art is something I am interested in but not thought about as much, it was what I wanted to do about eight years ago but faded away over time and now I might look back into it! To begin with I am going have a general look at illustrators, videos, blogs, agencies, mentoring and podcasts that inspire me/ what I aspire to achieve in terms of working as an illustrator. Illustrators
Articles/Blogs
Agencies/ Mentoring
Videos
Podcasts
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