2013 Bologna Children's Book Illustration

Strange to think that my trip to the Bologna Children's Book Fair and time with the Cambridge School of Art  is all over now. I saw so many fantastic illustrations and received great (if sometimes curt) advice from publishers. What have I learnt so far? Well...I'm not 'commercial' enough, that's for sure. I really need to travel a bit more in terms of my 'style'. The whole trip taught me that simplicity is a child's best friend when it comes to learning the world around them, and how to engage stories with them. I guess it explains why there are so many picture books where characters are living in a constant flux of white limbo (ahem... Emily Gravett's 'Orange Bear Apple Pear', you have been poked). Seriously though, I need to learn how to tone down the texture, but that's going to be so hard as I adore it so much. Some of the publisher's liked my work, but they said it wasn't for them as it was too 'mature' (which they assured me isn't always a bad thing). I don't know if I'll get a contract or anything out of this, but it's really opened my eyes. 

 

Book cover for "Guzzler The Greedy Dragon"

It's been a long journey with Guzzler, I still don't know if children will take to him, but he's flying off to Bologna next week. I'm going to the Bologna Children's Book Festival and will be trying to catch the publisher's eyes, which will be incredibly difficult! I know I haven't added a name down the middle where the spine would be, but this is just to show you what it looks like. Please tell me what you think about this. I take criticism to heart and I really do want to improve. 

'Rooster Loses His Voice' (pending picturebook)

Story about Rooster who loses his voice and has to use alternative means of waking up the farm animals. This was partly inspired by Eddie Izzard's 'Jazz Chicken' and had an idea of creating a back story as to how or why this chicken / rooster wanted to play it.

Left: Animals tell Rooster to stop waking them up with his 'rude' methods
Right: Rooster walks off dejected, but hears some jazzy tunes on a radio. Hmm... inspiration?

Rooster  uses things he finds round the farm such as party horns, banging on buckets, blowing in empty bottles and other musical ways.

I know this is a repeat image, but I wanted to indicate a light source and experiment with mono-printing under the linocut.