Category Archives: Compilation
AbbieSTABBY @ The Gaming Day Fundraiser
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Here is some footage graciously acquired by my friend Chris during the Gaming Day Fundraiser, put on by the Games Design department. The footage he got was of me completing one of the many commissions that he paid for on the day! He had filmed everyone’s activities throughout the duration of the event – but was kind enough to let me nab the footage of my work from him so that I could put it up on this blog.
At my table (which I shared with Cayleigh from Interactive media / Web Design), I sold ‘Itty Bitty’ portraits for £2 a drawing. Putting it at this price definitely seemed to do the trick for drumming up interest! Usually I charge £5 for the individual drawings, but seeing as it was a fundraiser and I wanted the pricing to seem cheap and fair, I went with £2. Plus, £2 is a lot more coherent as ‘walking-around’ money, rather than the probability of people having to pop to the cash machine for the money, or being put off by the notion of paying £5 altogether.
In total, after counting up the total which I had raised, I had just over £33 – which is absolutely fantastic! I had no idea at all that I had managed to raise that much! Cayleigh and I both managed to raise around the same amount (I think she may have even raised a bit more than me – selling cakes and drinks.). At the end of the day, each of the disciplines which were helping out during the fundraiser – from Animation, Games Design and Interactive Media, put the money they had raised with each of their stalls together. With all accounted for, total earnings were around £120 which was incredibly satisfying. That will help a great amount with getting the total amount required for rentals and purchases for the End of Year Degree Show.
Kittypillar Alphabet: A to E
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It has now all come down to this point – this final compilation before the hand in date for the Final Major Project (F.M.P.). I put together each animated sequence into one full compilation, to see how they would all run together as one singular animation. The good thing about the format that I have gone for with these alphabet animations, is that they can either be viewed individually by letter, or watched as one complete sequence. Having at least 45 seconds of animation altogether is such a relief – I did not honestly believe that I would get as much as this completed by this point.
Now, as for future developments on this project after the deadline has been reached: I am allowed to carry on with this project in the regards of gaining marks by presenting it for the Professional Practice hand-in. This gives me an extra week in which I can colour the frames I already have, and even possibly generate another sequence, this time for the letter ‘F’. As soon as that second deadline is reached, I will then go on to complete the full alphabet in my own time, out of the realms of Higher Education. It will be published online, and hopefully viewed by a good number of young children and their families – I already have one or two willing parents with young children, who are friends of mine.
The sequence for ‘A is for APPLE’ I feel could’ve been better laid out where positioning is concerned. The figures of the sequence seem to veer off towards the top of the screen as it goes on. Were I given the chance to do this sequence over, I would definitely use better judgement of placing. The apple itself is my favourite aspect of the scene, as it maintains a consistent shape. The Kittypillar, however, I feel could’ve been ‘doing’ more. Peeking out from behind the apple and having a few nibbles seemed a bit short-lived. Maybe if I were to have added a licking of the lips or a few more flicks of the tail, it would’ve given it that little more character that would’ve suited it.
The only observations that I can make on the sequence for ‘B is for BALLOON’, is that I could’ve added some more frames in between each ready existing frame (this would’ve slowed the animation down a bit, giving me more chance to add some characterizations in), and I would’ve also added a bit more personality to the Kittypillar featured in the sequence. Having it just smiling as it lifts up into the air, holding onto the balloon string, seems a bit too simple in hindsight. It works though, despite this seemingly over-simple format.
‘C is for CUDDLE’ was done using a standard, simplistic process of repeating frames in a loop to give the effect of repeated action. Whilst one Kittypillars head movement seems a lot more frantic than the others, I feel it gives each of the two characters on-screen a sense of individual personality. Somewhat of a happy accident, in retrospect, I originally intended them to display a simultaneous, slow motion of head movement. Differing the speeds between the two certainly gives it a quaint sense of endearment.
I chose to go for a more abstract sequence with ‘D is for DAISY’, as having a Kittypillar crawl up the side of a daisy would prove to be too ‘fiddly’ and time consuming, given the restricted amount of time I had to create this rebooted concept. I thought that I may as well utilize what was already there with the daisy itself, and make use of what I could, fashioning a Kittypillar into the sequence as best I could. I decided upon having the face pop out of the centre of the flower, with each other facial feature popping out separately – in order to add some more visual interest to the piece. Having everything pop out at once would’ve made the sequence over far too quick, with very little visual interest. This is the only abstract piece in the animation as a whole.
‘E for EGG’ was the final sequence that I managed to complete within the allocated time before hand-ins. I did one or two other variations of this sequence, one of the originals being themed more around the concept of ‘Easter’ – with the Kittypillar decorating the egg by painting it with it’s tail. In the general made-up genealogy of Kittypillars, they come from more spherical eggs, but I felt that having one pop out of a standard egg would be something that a lot more children would recognize.
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Music by Tom @ ParaBox Records, UK.
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Children’s Book Illustration Videos
I have found a handful of really useful and interesting videos of industry creatives doing tutorials on YouTube. Having these ready examples of established illustrators and how they go about their work is a fantastic resource. Whilst some of these videos consist of interview footage, and some of step by step artwork, both serve as valuable resources for interested learners, and those wishing to go into illustrating for children’s books. Here is a selection of what I think are some of the best ones that I came across:
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Illustrating for Children’s Books – Points of Interest & Useful Links
I thought that I would put together a blog post which I can not only reference at a later date, but also make something that may act as help to others interested in the field of creating children’s books. With illustrating for children’s books being a long term goal of mine in life I want to do everything that I possibly can to make sure that I have the best chances in getting something done about it! Research and planning is key in any sort of plan, so this is something I take quite seriously. Advice from creatives, publishers, and the reading public are important reference points to take note of, and all of them shall be taken into account here.
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How to Illustrate a Children’s Book – Jane Massey
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I came across this article recently and it factors in practically everything mentioned in the introductory paragraph of this post. It takes you through from the planning stages to the finished pieces, and what her thought process was throughout. Most importantly, she goes into how important it is to understand your brief and take feedback into consideration. In 12 steps, Jane Massey takes you through the essential parts of creating a successful children’s book and how to both professionally and artistically complete a commission.
- Sketch character ideas.
- Prepare a colour sample.
- Understanding the brief.
- Make thumbnail sketches.
- Refine your characters.
- Consider your audience.
- Discuss feedback.
- Check for continuity.
- Prepare the final traces.
- Build up colour.
- Leave yourself time.
- Add finishing touches.
Red the full article here: http://www.artistsandillustrators.co.uk/how-to/family-art/281/how-to-illustrate-a-childrens-book
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Illustrating a Children’s Book: How to Get a Commission
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From the same incredibly helpful site as the one above (please check out the other wealth of articles on http://www.artistsandillustrators.co.uk/), I also found an article on ways that you can achieve getting that much wanted commission work. It details the importance of artistic integrity, but also on suitable professional compromise with publishers. It also makes a point of making sure that you’re learning where you stand with royalties. At the bottom of the article it also shows a list of useful questions you can ask both yourself and publishers in regards to getting the best deal on a book publishing that you can, with minimum legal hassle and disagreements.
Read the full article here: http://www.artistsandillustrators.co.uk/how-to/Illustration/352/illustrating-a-childrens-book-how-to-get-a-commission
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How to Become a Children’s Illustrator – Paul Howard
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Once again, the people at ‘Artists & Illustrators’ have created another helpful article from the realms of children’s book illustration. This particular article, by ‘The Penguin Who Wanted to Find Out’ author Paul Howard, similarly to the first link in this blog post, shows how style and theme are important. A 20 year veteran of the industry, Paul is more than qualified and experienced enough to serve out some advice and wisdom on how to create a piece / commission.
He notes the practicalities of an illustrator being a double-edged sword – being able to both draw and write books. This makes publishers lives a lot easier, but sometimes collaboration is definitely a necessary factor in creating a successful book / series / franchise. Being able to learn how to cooperate well with collaborators is also taken into consideration. The importance of having an agent to help you find professional work is also a discussed issue in his article. Building up a network of contacts, both within the illustration circle / writers circle and publishing circle, is one of the most crucial aspects of becoming a known name in the industry.
Read the full article here: http://www.artistsandillustrators.co.uk/how-to/family-art/248/how-to-become-a-childrens-illustrator
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Illustrating Children’s Books Part 1: Portfolio Advice – Lynne Chapman
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Having illustrated professionally for children’s books for over 30 years, Lynne Chapman created a blogpost on her site in August, 2010, detailing the importance of building up a decent portfolio. In any sort of discipline of the creative profession, not just illustrating, it is incredibly important – essential – that you build up a portfolio to show to potential employers. She touches upon the essential nature of characterisation in any character designs that you do. Showing that your figurative works ave personality is one thing that will capture publishers and clients attention! She also notes that whilst it is important to be flexible with your style and content, it is also sometimes necessary to try and ‘not be all things to all people’ and knowing when and when not to over-stretch yourself. Know your strengths and weaknesses!
Read the full article here: http://lynnechapman.blogspot.co.uk/2010/08/portfolio-advice.html
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Becoming a Children’s Book Illustrator Part 2: Getting Your Work Seen – Lynne Chapman
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The follow up article to the one mentioned above, this blog post details some key points in how to get your portfolio and any pre-existing work noticed by both the public and clients. Chapman also mentions how important it is to observe other examples of published work available in various bookshops, and to get a feel for what can be considered good and not-so-good children’s books. She also makes the point that getting together a list of publishers and companies from these observations in bookshops as well. The age-old notion that “First impressions do count!” is also an important bit of advice to remember, that is mentioned.
She also includes a video of her creating some work at the base of the article, which I think is a very nice touch. She explains her process when doing a pastel-based piece, which without commentary would look incredibly bizarre to the ‘uninitiated’. Not only is it interesting to see how other artists work, but it also gives potential employers and those already interested a whole other insight into the workings of an artist. I enjoy creating videos such as this, just as much as I enjoy watching them. They can be very helpful in a person developing their style further, taking into account any tips and techniques shown throughout the duration.
Read the full article here: http://lynnechapman.blogspot.co.uk/2010/11/getting-your-work-seen.html
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http://www.howtobeachildrensbookillustrator.WordPress.com
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I came across this site after a browse through WordPress for any examples of children’s book illustration-themed blogs that may be on the site. It shows all different aspects of the industry such as tips and tricks, events, and other formats of illustrating for children, such as graphic novels. There is a wealth of videos, tutorials, and personal insight from industry creatives, which serve as invaluable reference points for any potential new artists. It recommends materials, books, other useful sites, and publishers, so keep an eye on this site, it will definitely serve as a massive help in the long run!
See the full website here: http://howtobeachildrensbookillustrator.wordpress.com/
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Beehive Illustration
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A UK based illustration agency, Beehive Illustration has amassed an impressive amount of talent to their name. Taking in talent and clients worldwide, they have set quite a standard for like-minded illustration agencies. With artists that have styles ranging from the quaint to the somewhat bizarre, each artist brings something to the table that will appeal to an all manner of audiences as well as just children. From more traditional designs, to those of a more contemporary aesthetic, the abundance of artists here certainly are not in short supply! Set up by several industry professionals and people who have studied arts-based degrees, Beehive Illustrations certainly know wat they’re talking about when it comes to representing clients.
See the full website here: http://www.beehiveillustration.co.uk/
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A Quiet Look – How to Become a Children’s Book Illustrator in One (Not So Easy) Step
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This fantastic video insight into the creative processes of artist Renata Liwska is perfect for any studying or amateur creatives out there, wanting to delve into the world of creating illustrations for children. The artist behind well-known works such as New York Times Best-Sellers ‘The Quiet Book’ and ‘The Loud Book’, ‘The Christmas Quiet Book’, ‘Red Wagon’ and ‘Little Panda’, Liwska is an incredibly interesting individual who has captured the hearts of both parent and child alike with her creations.
Whilst the voice-over flicks through each page of each sketchbook, there is running commentary about her inspirations and how she came to be the artist that she is known as today. Being a fan of sketchbook videos in general, this is definitely an interesting format which I might try to replicate once I get the time free. It is utterly fascinating seeing a persons thought process essentially sketched out onto every page. Sketchbooks can be very personal things and being invited to look within them is certainly a privilege.
AbbieSTABBY 