During the course, we will explore the world of illustrations for children’s books, looking into every step of the artistic and narrative process to create picture books.
The course is open to everyone. Several exercises will focus on the importance of the composition, the relation between the text and the images, and experimenting with different media.
At the first meeting, we will introduce ourselves, and I will show you my books, original illustrations, sketchbooks, etc.
We will then study all the elements of a picture book, working on famous books as examples and your favourite books.
You will then move on to the next phase, developing the characters, experimenting with different media, finding your style, researching references, and creating a character model sheet.
We will explore the importance of creating a storyboard, how to compose the pages with words and pictures, setting up your storyboard, and creating rhythm, pace and movement.
Setting up your sketches is the next step, and you are ready to create the final drawings.
You will then finish your work colouring your illustrations with the media of your choice (from watercolours to acrylic, to pencils or digital).
There will be exercises to understand all the types of media, how to use black and white, the difference between fiction and non-fiction books, illustrations for older kids, and how the publishing world works.
At the end of the course, you will go back home with a baggage of knowledge that will make you feel more confident in the creation of your artwork: for a contest, for a portfolio or for a project book to be presented to a publisher, or maybe just to draw freely for your pleasure, being able to master consciously the the art of illustrations.
Judi Abbot is an internationally successful illustrator of children's books. She has been working in the publishing market for the past 20 years, and her books have been published all over the world. As part of her job, she also loves to work with children and create special workshops for schools and bookshops.
