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Humblearts Blog Journal
Feb 13, 2010 04:52PM
2010-02-02T06:00:03.672-06:00
Favorite ways to stay warm:
Cuddle under blankets watching movies
A big mug of hot chocolate
Extra fluffy socks (I spend most of my days barefoot)
Dreaming of planting a garden (never happens)
Make a pot of veggie chili to share with friends
Bake Valentine sugar cookies
Read in bed
2010-02-01T10:55:21.362-06:00
I had the privilege of sitting in on a talk by two-time Caldecott Honor winner Marla Frazee at the Austin SCBWI conference this weekend. She showed us examples of using those design elements to portray emotions in your illustrations. She is brilliant and this gentle reminder of getting back to the basics to tell the story visually was inspiring.
Her talk was on Storytelling Tools and Techniques. She reviewed:
Artist's Voice/Style
Charactization
Setting
Interpretation of Text
Sequential Action
The Page Turn
Format - Size and Layout Options
She encouraged us to be aware of each choice we make in an illustration and how that can impact telling the story. She tries to get at the heart of the text to find what emotions need to be portrayed in each scene.
Want a refresher on those basic design principles? Here is a good link with all sorts of resources.
2010-01-31T11:45:53.145-06:00
I have a great fondness for illustrations with a Valentine theme. Both in my own artwork and seeing it commercially as the holiday rolls around. Maybe the chocolate has some influence on my love of the holiday or it could be that after the grey of January the bright pop of pink, purple, red and white are just what the doctor ordered. Although I just spent a week in the Caribbean and my head is still swimming from the most amazing vivid blues, greens, butter yellow and all sorts of tropical hues. I know, it's a tough life.
One of my favorite books as a kid was this crafty little number from Mr. de Paola. I picked it out at a RIF event, oh how I loved getting a free book each year! It had crafts, recipes, party ideas and jokes. The charming illustrations captured my attention and made this a year round favorite for me. Craft books were some of my most treasured possessions as a kid. That's a trait that has carried on and now I'm writing them!
