Saturday, June 6, 2009

Picture Book Illustrating







At the moment I'm working on picture book illustrations for the CYA competition. Three illustrations with accompanied text (mine) have to be submitted by the 30th June. I'm not sure that I'll make it, but what I like about this comp is that it forces me to be still and focus. With three weeks left to go, one illustration is pretty much ready and without too much distraction (from family etc) the other two should come together in time.

I am working in watercolour and colour pencil as I like the soft effect against the white paper. Jan Ormerod, Freya Blackwood and Julie Vivas are three of my favourite picture book artists, whose depiction of children has influenced me. My characters have their own 'look' and I am slowly coming to recognise this as my style. This style has been with me since forever and no matter how much more experienced I am now, this 'look' keeps emerging. It annoyed me at first, but now I own it. My characters can border on being cartoony as I did draw a lot of cartoons all through childhood and into my twenties, even my wedding invitation.

For the last three years I have been under the tutelage of Tony Champ at The Gold Coast Art School. Tony used to be the resident illustrator for the Courier Mail and Sunday Mail , during which time he won the coveted 'Stanley Award' for Black and White Illustration three times. He has also taught illustration at Illustration House in Brisbane with the likes of Gregory Rogers.

Last year I entered the CYA comp and was placed 7th in the illustration category. The illustrations were done for my picture book manuscript Roly-poly Baby and show a cheeky one year old climbing out of his cot. My daughter did this repeatedly and it is also my first childhood memory. The illustrations are on Arches smooth 300gm watercolour paper.

I really love drawing children. I hope you enjoy these ones above from last year...

Angela

8 comments:

Karen Brooks said...

Angela! These illustrations are gorgeous. Really lovely. Good luck with the competition! Karen B.
xxx

Karen said...

Hi Angela! Love your gorgeous illustrations! So much energy and appeal! You've really surprised me!
Karen Tyrrell.

Anonymous said...

I still remember these vividly from CYA. You've beautifully captured such a sense of playfulness and fun, and your perspective is impeccable. Can't wait to see what you enter this year!

Isn't it funny how it can take a while to settle into and accept your own emerging style? I found exactly the same thing, and even fought against it for a while, before I started enjoying it.

Katherine

Angela Sunde. said...

Thanks girls, I am trying to be more relaxed about the comp this year. I just like being in it. The judges write up feedback which is invaluable. When I was a little girl and a teen, I drew all the time and I wanted to be an illustrator when I grew up. Fate however decided otherwise and I ended up teaching. Kath, I am really enjoying your new illustrations too and love it when they are up on your blog.
Angela x

Daniela Sunde-Brown said...

yooo.
good work mummmy :)
ive been so busy i dont distract right now... x

lach said...

Shame about the Illustration house...
a worry that a city as large as brisbane couldn't support something like that.

Angela Sunde. said...

Martina Matussek, the co-director/owner of Illustration House also teaches at The Gold Coast Art School with Tony. Apparently SouthBank did not renew their lease as they wanted to use that spot for their own offices. It all fell apart after that.

Amanda Worlley said...

Angela your illustrations are amazing, I can't wait to see what you have for CYA this year.
How does someone get such a big share of the talent gene pool? Amanda.

 
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