Experimentation Week

During each project, I like to set one week aside to focus on experimentation using both digital and traditional methods. In this week, I can explore any ideas I've had in the early weeks through media I wouldn't usually use to see if it's worth pursuing or just good for development.

Recently, I've completed artist research on relevant children's book illustrators who have influenced my development and link thematically to what I hope to produce. Jon Klassen, being one such artist, is an author and illustrators renowned for creating his 'I Want My Hat Back' series. His approach to characters and composition is simplistic yet textured through his use of traditional collage to create scenes. I also chose to research Anna Bond who started as a freelance illustrator before founding her company 'Rifle Paper Co', where she applies her beautiful floral designs to fabrics, stationery and wallpapers. I am inspired by the idea of creating artwork that can be utilised on a larger, commercialised scale- something she has achieved in the past 10 years since starting her business. Before founding Rifle Paper Co, she has worked with Puffin to illustrate book covers for a selection of their most iconic classics, including 'Little Women' and 'Heidi'. In my sketchbook, I deconstructed each cover and looked at the elements she uses to create a thematic composition through harmonious colours and botanicals corresponding with the stories setting and characters. From here I started to design a cover representative of these characteristics and drew both Mister Tom and Will in the childlike yet effective way she draws characters. Below is the concept I created along with a spine design, I enjoyed experimenting with this decorative style as its not something I usually do.

Anna Bond Inspired Cover Design

Along with a response to Anna Bond and Charlie Mackesy, I wanted to test out a new sepia ink I'd been on the hunt for, using it in response to Jon Klassen's textured book illustrations. During the past week, I've focused primarily on expanding my knowledge of the anatomy of a book cover and how effective designs have a strong visual impact, with equally relevant imagery and positioning of the title and authors name. I've enjoyed utilising the illustrations I've produced thus far along with the Goodnight Mister Tom assets and book cover template to piece them together.

Illustration Inspired by Will's Attic

Above are some of the ink drawings I've produced over the week. I found it challenging at first to get the perspective right on the attic bedroom, creating the allusion of the overheard beams and floorboards getting smaller towards the back wall. By using one-point perspective, with a centre point being the window, I made sure each line angled towards that so it was accurate. I was also able to get a lot of information from descriptions of Will first entering the 'Ridge-tent' shaped attic up the ladder and seeing the small bed nestled under one of the eaves. Further in the book when Zach sees the attic, the writer goes into more detail of how Will has covered the walls with his paintings and it appears cosy and more lived-in; these were the elements I tried to include, with sepia ink giving a warm tone to the painting. I enjoy the fluidity of this medium and how, through layering, you can achieve many shades of the hue.

Painting Process

Although the process can be quite long depending how much detail you intend to put in, it's very rewarding and has a permanence that other mediums like watercolour don't have. By utilising this time to develop my skills of ink application and composition, I have a better idea of the outcome I want to produce, including elements of both the botanicals in Anna Bond's designs and the textured landscapes Jon Klassen creates.

In the next few weeks, I'm going to refine my ideas and start thumbnailing a few designs that I want to take forward after looking at artists, existing book covers and mediums. I enjoyed using the Sepia ink and feel it ties in well with the colour palette related to the countryside and WW2. I want to focus on aiming the design at both older and younger audiences therefore it needs to be engaging and have designs that children would find interesting. Goodnight Mister Tom is a book for all ages with prominent themes some children would struggle to comprehend so it also needs to appeal to older generations who have grown up reading the book and would be interested in the books rebrand.