Illustration Rally: Children's book Illustration

Showing posts with label Children's book Illustration. Show all posts

28 Apr 2013

First Look Book Review: Vader's Little Princess

Here at IR towers it has been a hectic week but we have something of a real treat right now for you with a first look and review of the wonderful Vader's Little Princess by Jeffrey Brown.The delectable people at Abrams and Chronicle sent us over a copy to show you guys as I'm sure everyone here knows and appreciates Jeffrey's work.

So lets get to it then, Vader's Little Princess is "the irresistibly funny follow up to the breakout bestseller Darth Vader and Son" so reads the press release, but hey if my job was to re-hash press releases I'd work in games...

This book is the sequel to one of the most elegantly executed viral breakouts that illustration has seen in the last few years. The extremely talented Jeffrey Brown has redefined what success for an illustrator looks like, we can all take note, talent sells and you just have to be out there and keep on it. Cracking the mainstream gives you the freedom to do what he wants, which in anyone's book is a good thing. His charming work for Vader and Son was picked up the world over for both it's gentle truthful humour and brilliant subversion of one of the most recognisable pop culture villains of our generation, so in reviewing the sequel I'm mindful of the fact he has really tried to build on the formula with Vader's Little Princess and not just release a cash cow.

The book itself is lovely, crafted with care and slickly presented, Jeffrey Brown's illustration is top end. His work is both charmingly concise allowing the humour and humanity of his characters to shine through but also detailed in a Raymond Briggs sort of way that gives the viewer a real visual feast and classic children's book feel. He really is great at capturing character and expression which is a rare skill to master with simple line work and pared down characters. It's a really clever thing to get so much emotion into Vader, considering the full face helmet, this is the real key to the appeal of the series.

I feel like there is more character development here than the films as we have a beautiful selection of classic first world problems that is painfully familiar. This ease of understanding and universality strikes a chord with the arcade kids now grown up, his style, the icing on the cake.

Deliciously funny and bang on my demographic, what's not to love.

Vader's Little Princess is by Jeffrey Brown
Published by Chronicle Books
Available 4th May (National Star Wars Day!)

16 Jan 2012

Artist 123: Laura Wood

Artist feature time again everyone, and it is with great pleasure we bring you up and coming illustrator Laura Wood. Currently operating out of Melbourne but born and raised in Italy, she captures a sunny style with her engaging folksy illustrations. She manages to give her work a really disarming quality that draws in the viewer and allows her to subtly explain the scene in pastel tones and with a real sense of narrative. She uses colour gently and collaboratively to construct a very synergistic image, her work sits well with itself and gives a real idea of continuation and a great fantasy world that is both welcoming and mysterious. she has a nice touch for picking out the little details that are the hallmark of great children's illustration. Her character work is strong and her characters are both convincing and lighthearted. It's a good skill to have as portraying emotion in characters will lend her children's work the quality of exposition that all great children's books contain. The idea that you are communicating how a person should feel in a situation is quite empowering, the illustrator is the relay for learning that helps extremely impressionable young minds decipher the world. I think that they would be well served by Laura and I'm sure her illustrations will be among the first memories of some very happy kids in the not too far future. So with great pleasure we give you Laura Wood.

Who are you:

My name is Laura Wood and I'm an emerging illustrator based in Melbourne. I was born and raised in Italy and at the age of 24, after completing a Bachelor of Cinema and Multimedia, I decided to move to Australia. At the moment I'm attending a Diploma of Illustration at NMIT.

What do you do:

I draw pictures all day and every day, basically. I like to create illustrations full of earthy colors, cute characters and scenes with a folksy feeling. I plan to work one day in the publishing industry as a children's books illustrator.

How did you start:

I've started doing illustration just one year ago. I consider myself a baby with a lot to learn yet. One day I just realized I needed to do what I really wanted in life or I would have never be fulfilled.

So I have enrolled in an illustration course, started drawing and never stopped.

A Personal statement about you or your work:

I am fascinated by illustrations which are able to tell stories and that's what I'm trying to achieve with my own pictures.

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