Second Presentation, Nov 2014

Here is the link to my presentation;
http://prezi.com/t3phusmnnk1a/?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy&rc=ex0share

I have changed, slightly, my aim for this module/project. Particularly on the art style. I've come across some really nice artists who use different (perhaps more exciting) techniques rather than just straight digital painting. I love experimenting and using mixed media in traditional art so when I realise I can do the same thing, digitally I jumped at the chance.
Considering my project is aimed at young children, I believe this different illustration style/look will also grab their attention more. Which is ultimately what I want!

My feedback was positive and that I need to basically get my head down and churn out a whole load of drawings and experimenting. Which is defiantly what I aim todo!

Yasmeen Ismail

Another Artist which works I really enjoy, is Yasmeen Ismail. I love her style of water colours and the way she draws over the top of them to create and explain the shapes.
This is something I want to try out, for my illustrations. Although I would alter/draw onto of them, digitally.

Yasmeen has also created a series of books and animations, continuing the water colour theme. 

http://vimeo.com/11048568

http://vimeo.com/11048689

http://www.yasmeenismail.co.uk/

Trisha Krauss

I have come across another great illustrator and artist which I have taken great liking to and hope to use aspects from Trisha in my own project/work.

I especially love the use of mixed media in the illustrations, with the watercolour and then drawing over the top of the colour to define and explain the shapes. 

Although I do believe all these have been done traditionally, I am keen to paint out some watercolours, scan them in then draw over them in photoshop digitally. 

I'm excited to see what will come of it! I love to experiment. 

http://trishakrauss.com/welcome.html

Style Progress

As I have mentioned in a previous blog post, I love Lauren Childs style. I particularly love the use of real life textures implemented in the illustrations. Something Iam very keen to use in my own set of illustrations for this project. I feel it will bring a new and exciting twist to the illustrations and hopefully draw children(and parents) to the book.
This is another element which I believe will help children interact and engage them even further than just simple illustrations.

I have already put this idea to effect with some of my illustrations I have already drawn.
(Using all my own pictures).

With both these images I have used a picture of scarf, particularly the knitted pattern. This was just an experiment but I really love the effect it brings/added interest to the piece. 

I now aim to collect a lot of images of different patterns and textures. 

First Digitial Sketches/Ilustrations and Find my style

I have drawn up some of my initial sketches into photoshop, with not a definite style but it is a start and something I can progress and improve on until I find the definite style I want to use.

As you can see I have created these drawings in a range of styles, just trying to see what I like best and what I think will work well with the final story. 

First sketches

I began this project with the intent of creating illustrations really abstract and strange but I have since decided to do something a bit different. I still want to create different looking and interesting illustrations but perhaps keep things more recognisable (for the children) but still having fun with the designs.

Story idea

After considering the way children learn through play and what each type of play can help the child learn towards, I have started thinking about a story. I want a story where the child could hopefully learn something from while still being engaged and excited to read/look at the illustrations.

I want the book to be mostly the illustrations with few words although still a significant amount of words to describe the story well enough for the child to understand.

While putting the story together, I have considered the wide imagination a young child has, so imagination is a key/big part to my story.

I also want to aim my book towards 3-5 year olds, pre schoolers.

(I may come back to this post and update it, as I continue to tweak and alter the story but will leave the date in the updated bit, to keep track of my progress).

Initial Story Idea
(I'm going to list the story in bullet points to make it clear what is going on, to begin with, then eventually I will write it out properly ready to be put in the book).

• Main character (A boy but perhaps dressed in gender neutral clothing, like a onsie to still seem appealing to girls) doing a jigsaw but cannot find the last piece. 
• (This is where his imagination starts....)
• First he has a look on the pirate ship (his bunk bed), climbing the rigging etc(ladder on bunk bed) 
• Then meets a pirate and has to help him with something.
• Still no jigsaw piece...
• Goes to the jungle, meets a monkey (his stuffed toy monkey lying on his floor) and again helps this monkey with a problem.
• Still no jigsaw piece...
• Climbs a massive tree house(book shelf) meets a squirrel, helps him with something.
• Still no jigsaw piece....
• Takes part in a car race(spiny chair) helps a fellow racer.
• Still no jigsaw piece....
• Goes to space(star stickers on ceiling), helps a spaceman.
• Still no jigsaw piece...
• Last few illustrations are the boy back in his room, with each place he has been (objects) being obvious to the viewer (monkey toy on floor, pirate flags across bed, stars stickers on ceiling, racing stripes on chair etc) looking defeated because he cannot find his jigsaw piece to finish his jigsaw.
• Ends up finding it in an obvious place, like under the pillow/under the bed - 'There was one play he didn't look' etc then it is there...

How do children learn?

I did a bit of research on how children learn, to see if this could help me distinguish what kind of book/pictures/illustrations/story I want to use for my project.

Children are naturally curious, they love to explore and discover knew things. A child feels more reward when they learn/chose to do something themselves. From these two points it makes me realise I need to make a book/illustrations which really catch the eye of the child, making them want to reach for it. Not have it be forced onto them by a parent/teacher. Although if it is given to them by a teacher/parent, I want the child to obviously have some interest/desire/curiosity for the book/illustrations.
'A child is more likely to learn and retain information when he is intrinsically motivated - when he believes he is pleasing himself.' [nasponline]

Children learn through their senses, tasting, touching, seeing, hearing and smelling. Obviously with my project I can only use the seeing sense, with my illustrations. Which again makes me want to make sure they are eye catching and exciting to the child viewing them. A big part of children's learning, is playing. So perhaps if the child is excited to engage in the book and have fun reading the book and viewing the illustrations, it should be a 'fun playing' experience.


Considering the story/message

Different types of play help the child learn different things, I perhaps want to include these types of play into my story. Conveying a message/lesson to the child but in a fun/engaging way.
Dressing up/painting/dolls/play dough - creativity.
Water/sand - science. 
Building blocks/jigsaw - logic.
Games help with sharing. 
When creating my story I want to include at least a couple of these play/exercise throughout my story, perhaps the main character faces a problem and has a play scenario to deal with and work through.

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http://www.familylives.org.uk/advice/toddler-preschool/learning-play/how-children-learn-through-play/

http://www.nasponline.org/resources/home_school/earlychildmotiv_ho.aspx