Wednesday 27 August 2008

Children's Book Illustration and Children's Workshops




This morning, the three pieces of my artwork from Dragon's Dinner arrived with the postman - a massive, flat package, almost as big as me. You may remember that I have been waiting for these to come back from my publisher, to use as colour reference for the remaining cover and endpaper artwork .

In the package, I also got the DVD containing the digital scans of everything so far, which somehow makes it all feel real. Above is one of my favourites: the first page of the book, with the dragon waking up in his cave, deciding he feels peckish.

I have spent most of the day working on the cover, and it's more or less finished. I like to listen to stories or podcasts while I work. It helps to keep me feeling upbeat and relaxed.

One sudden crisis though - I seem to have run out of fixative! Luckily, I have a lovely, local art supply shop, called Artscene who will deliver in an emergency. I always buy my pastels and paper there, as I much prefer to support someone local. It's a brilliant place: one of those Aladdin's Cave shops, very tiny, but with stuff piled upon stuff, right up to the ceiling. It's a pretty tight squeeze getting in and out, and I always have to rearrange a few things before I can access the cabinet to choose my pastels.

The CD from Stockport Art Gallery arrived this morning too, with some more photos from my illustration workshop. I thought this was a nice shot - if I can, I do enough flipchart animal drawings for each child to take one home. Easy with small groups, and fine with large school groups, where it's obviously impossible. Tricky though, when you have around a dozen, as you can't give them to more than half the group, and not all. That's when I generally miss my train home!

I like this one too, he looks so engrossed...


And finally today, our caption competition. I have no idea at all what I was doing when this photo was taken. I do have a tendency to wave my arms around and pull embarrassing faces, so weird and unflattering photos from events are a regular feature. Any ideas for funny captions should be posted below!

6 comments:

weechuff said...

What I like about your blogs is that it is not only the children who look as though they are enjoying themselves, but you look as though you are having the time of your life!

Lynne the Pencil said...

I truly am - It's why I have the ridiculous grin in all the photos!

It's funny, but I came upon the events side of things by chance, but it has proved to be something I enjoy at least as much as the drawing. For some reason it just feels really natural, ehich is odd given I don't have kids of my own.

Gorilla Bananas said...

I like what you're doing with your right hand, Lynne!

"This is how to check an elephant for haemorrhoids, children!"

Lynne the Pencil said...

Hello Gorilla: welcome.

Excellent idea - top that anyone!

Babs (Beetle) said...

How can anybody top that?!

Lynne the Pencil said...

Come on all you creative types, the bar is indeed set high, but I still have high hopes...