My latest progress with picture book, I much prefer the simplicity of the direction I'm taking now, my plan is to just spend loads of time on the drawing now and then put them into simple compositions as so, I plan to push the stage a big step further to try and create my 4 finished spreads, but I'm thinking this work at the moment isn't far off the quality I want for my dummy book? But yea put these two up as examples of what I'm doing if anyone wants to criticize, please feel free :D (lol i know you will)
Well...I just managed to some how lose the comment I was about to post...so lets try this again!
ReplyDeleteHey Murray, don't worry I'm going to be nice for once. First off I really like the new colour palette, muted colours really suit your linework although be careful of the connotations that that sort of palette bring (Tim Burton for example). But it looks about a gazillion times better than the first image you posted up so you're definately getting there...I know how hard shifting from black and white to colour is so you are really doing well.
One point I would say is don't let your text overpower your artwork...whilst text placement and use of text is important in Macmillans it is primarily an artwork based competition (for example if you had amazing artwork you could probably get away with simple/mildly dull text placement but not vice versa).
Also I think maybe you're wasting the top image...I think it could be a really powerful double page spread if you keep working on it though perhaps you should consider the landscape around it abit more and put more into it...A good example are the What-a-mess books by Joseph Wright (written by Frank Muir) Your little characters remind me of these books which I absolutely loved when I was little but I think you need to go alot more into it...What-a-mess is a good example because the spread is powerful as an initial image but as you look closer you see all these weird and wonderful little creatures doing things in the background of the image. It might be worth thinking about doing something like that because I think it would really fit your style.
I'm really impressed by how far you've come pushing yourself but I would say keep going...From what I've seen Macmillan does have a really obscene high level, even with the dummy books and unless your drawing is like shit hot fanfuckingtastic your dummy book needs to be essentially the same level every page as your double page spreads (although your double page spreads having to be extra fanfuckingtastic OMG like).
Yeh I'll stop rambling now >.>
haha i wouldn't have expected anything less of an essay jess, but seriously thanks very much for the advice and support, I shall check out that what-a-mess book and continue to push myself...lol even if it is killing me...i'm starting to worry literally!
ReplyDeletehah well yeh...I am abit long winded sometimes >.> But seriously don't burn yourself out on this thing...You're trying to do something that normal illustrators spend like a year creating and although its a decent competition its abit of an arse in that the majority of people entering are on Childrens book illustration courses and have spent years coming up with their book. The only person who got in from our university was a masters and it was a book she'd been working on for like 2 years...to give you some perspective >.> You can always enter it next year and whilst it is really important to push yourself don't do it to the extent that it kills you :P
ReplyDeleteI agree with Jess! Much better with limited cross mute/pastel palette - flat colour dropping should also allow you much more time for patient drawing! I couldn't spot the problem before with the watercolour, but figured it now that your line work was being suffocated by the wtaercolour - now that your using flat colour everything reads better - still need more refined detail, and line quality!
ReplyDeleteeverything has already been said so im a little late but weyyy murray thats looking way better! uve made the transition to kiddie books really well and i reckon its gonna be a really strong entry :) the font needs to be a bit smaller though and mayyybe change it, something similar to what it is at the moment but a bit more playful? child friendly? well done prom date!
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