Masterclass B: Picture Book Illustration 101: Bringing My Dead Bunny Alive

Learning how to bring illustrations alive and their impact on the visual narrative is key to successful picture book illustration. James Foley used his CBCA shortlisted book My Dead Bunny as an example of picture book illustration in this captivating master class.

James talked about how character design, choice of media, colour, line, typography, image boundaries and composition all affect the visual narrative, and how you can control these variables in your own work.

Research:

• All books begin with research.

• Use reference photos to help develop characters, setting and colours.

Character design:

• Sketch and re-sketch the character in many different ways.

• Try a variety of styles: realistic, cartoon etc.

• What size and shape will their body have? tall, short, solid, circles, triangles, squares

• What type of body language or mannerisms wills they how?

• What colour scheme, patterns, line work style will be used for the illustrations?

• Develop Character Reference Sheets showing the character from the front view, three quarter view and profile.

• Develop Cast Sheets to see all the characters next to each other.

• Check to see if the characters are identifiable from one another. As a silhouette you should be able to tell who each character is from their outline.

Planning - storyboards, dummy books:

James shared a few of his storyboards and dummy books. He described this step like jigsaw pieces coming together to make a complete picture.

Storyboards and dummy books show:

• Pacing and page turns.

• Illustrations with the text placed on the page.

• That the important information is not in the gutter or bleed area.

• How the extra story layers work with the main story.

• That eye movement pathways from left to right for both the text and images.

Media Testing:

James used a range of images from books to highlight how media choice creates the tone of the story. Media may include but is not limited to; watercolour, acrylic, pencil, pastels, paper collage, digital, mud and food.

Take a look at some of the books James showed the masterclass and the media they were created with:

• Flood by Jackie French and Bruce Whatley

• I’m a Dirty Dinosaur by Janeen Brian and Ann James

• Water Witcher by Jan Ormerod (out of print but accessible in Story Box Library)

• Harry and Hopper by Margaret Wild and Freya Blackwood (out of print)

• Quentin Blake illustrations from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

• The Last Peach by Gus Gordon

• The Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle

Final Artwork

The last step of creating a picture book is creating the final artwork. The typography has been chosen and the visual narrative is cohesive. All the pieces of the jigsaw puzzle are in the right spot.

Now it is your turn to create using this illustration process. Participants had a short amount of time to develop characters using the process and the story Ugly Fish written by Kara LaReau.

Happy Illustrating!

Leanne Barrett

#SCBWISyd

Extras - Video Links:

Ann James Painting with Mud is my Medium

Quentin Blake How to Draw Willy Wonka

Bruce Whatley Drawing Your Characters with Bruce Whatley

Gus Gordon Meet Gus Gordon, Story Box Library

Eric Carle Eric Carle on the illustration of the Brown Bear Series

Behind the Scenes: Meet The BEATNICKERS!

Unable to extract themselves from an era of spiritual exploration and creative revolution, a handful of scribes and illustrators clung to the notion of the Beat Generation and morphed into The Beatnickers Band. For years, The Beatnickers have been gracing SCBWI AusNZ Conferences, enticing would be shakers and groovers onto the dance floors. And like a hippie left out in the sun too long, it’s a culture that seems to be assuming a life of its own. Join us now as we delve below the curdled mantle of The Beatnickers and their key members, starting with, James Foley.

James Foley makes picture books and comics for kids. He’s the author/illustrator of the S.Tinker Inc graphic novel series for middle primary: Brobot (2016) and Dungzilla (2017) starring Sally Tinker, the world’s foremost inventor under the age of twelve, and Joe Tinker, her stinky baby brother. The third in the series, Gastronauts, will be published in late 2018. James’ earlier books My Dead Bunny (2015) In The Lion (2012), The Last Viking (2011) and The Last Viking Returns (2014) have all scored several honours, including children’s choice awards, shortlistings in the Children’s Book Council of Australia Book of the Year awards, and selection to the International Youth Library’s White Raven list. James is an an ambassador for Books In Homes and Room To Read. He is a massive Marvel movie nerd. He comes from a long line of queuing enthusiasts.

Welcome, James! Briefly state your conference role and conference responsibilities

My role will be Chief Lyric Warbler in a band called the Beatnickers. The band members are all SCBWI scribblers and scribes (plus the odd scoundrel).

How long have you been part of the SCBWI Band and what made you sign up for it: the money, the notoriety, the free scotch finger biscuits?

I was unaware there were free scotch finger biscuits. This will be my third time singing with the band - have there been free scotch finger biscuits in the past? Meredith and Scott, did you know about this?? Did you eat my share of the biscuits?!?

Describe your most notable achievement or proudest moment in Kids’ Lit to date

The best thing is that I still get to do it. It’s not a stable job, it’s not a given - but it’s been 9 years since I started my first book, 7 years since my first book was published, and 5 and a half years since I started doing it full time.

What is the most memorable (SCBWI) Conference experience you’ve had to date, or hope to have?

The best part about SCBWI conferences is the chance to catch up with everyone from across Oz and have a party.

Name one thing you can’t live without

Scotch finger biscuits.

Provide at least one Fun Fact from a SCBWI Conference you’ve attended or played at (anywhere in the world)

I went to the 2012 NY winter conference, and Mo Willems was a keynote. He is quite good at throwing frisbees. I know this because he threw signed copies of his books into the audience. 75% sure they were softcovers.

Get to know James better by visiting his website: www.jamesfoley.com.au

If you’re keen to meet more Beatnickers scoundrels, er members, stick around, we’ve managed to lure them in with a mere half a packet of scotch finger biscuits! Till then,

Rove ya later!

Dimity (Head Gardener)

www.dimitypowell.com

#SCBWISyd

SCBWI Success Story James Foley

I can say without exaggerration that SCBWI kick-started my career.

I attended my first WA SCBWI conference in February 2008, shy and unprepared. My portfolio was abysmal. But I met a few unpublished author/illustrators around my age. They’ve been my support network ever since. 

Fast forward to June 2009 and we SCBWIans are on Rottnest Island for the inaugural SCBWI Retreat. Norman Jorgensen looks at my portfolio (which is now half-decent) and asks if I’d like to work on a book with him. It’s about a fearful boy who wants to be a brave Viking. I say yes; we start work (if you could call it that) almost immediately. His publisher seems interested in the idea. 

Fast forward to June 2010, Rottnest again. Sarah Foster from Walker Books is a guest of SCBWI. She reads a manuscript I submitted for a critique, and she offers me a contract. The story is called In The Lion. 

June 2011. The Last Viking is published by Fremantle Press. There is much rejoicing, eating of pickled herring and drinking of mead. 

2012. In The Lion is published by Walker Books. The Last Viking wins the SCBWI Crystal Kite. I sign on as SCBWI Australia West’s Illustrator Coordinator, and attend my first SCBWI Sydney conference. 

I catch my breath. 

Just four years before this I had no idea what I was doing. I had very few contacts in the children’s book industry; I had no connections to publishers; I had no support network; I had no portfolio and no workable book ideas. 

But then I joined SCBWI, and everything clicked. 

So thank you to all involved with SCBWI in the East and the West for everything you’ve given me over the years; you’re a brilliant group of crazy wonderful people and you make a huge difference. 

James' Bio

James Foley is a children’s author and illustrator. His books include In The Lion (Walker Books, 2012), The Amity Kids Adventures (2013), The Last Viking (Fremantle Press, 2011) and The Last Viking Returns (Fremantle Press, 2014). In The Lion was selected for the International Youth Library’s White Raven list in 2013. The Last Viking won the 2012 Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators’ Crystal Kite Award, the 2012 WA Young Readers’ Hoffman Award, and a 2012 Children’s Book Council of Australia Junior Judges Award. It was shortlisted for a further four awards.

His next book is written by Sigi Cohen and titled My Dead Bunny. It will stink up bookshops from October 1st 2015.

James is the Regional Advisor for SCBWI Australia West. He is also an ambassador for Books In Homes and Room To Read, and a judge for the Shaun Tan Award for Young Artists. His interests include comics, film, psychology, science, history (anything nerdy really), as well as yoga and social justice.

He has far too many books in his bedside reading pile.

Read more about James here.