Children's Book Illustration

That's the course I'm doing! I've always loved to draw, but never thought I was much good, which is why I never took creative A-levels or degree, Well, I did start Design Studies along with Marketing and Psychology for my degree, but that's another story!!

I've also always written stories, although never seem to finish them. The last one I started was in 2007, which I aimed at 7 - 9 year-olds. However, I decided that the subject matter was really for younger children, so I'm going to rewrite it and make it into a picture book.

I've learnt lots on this course already, so hopefully I'll be a little better qualified to illustrate as well as write. I'm certainly not expecting it to be easy, but to have a book published is a dream I've had for so long, I have to give it a try.

Anyway, here are some illustrations from the assignments so far. The first exercise was a collage of wet-on-wet watercolour:

Using the same technique, the brief was to create a two-page spread about a tiny tree seed who travels through the seasons and comes to land in a field:

I got some lovely comments from my tutor about this one. I haven't submitted the next two yet, but the exercise was to use pen and ink to draw household squeezy bottles with a character. I did two, as I couldn't decide. Here's a fairy house:

And then I did a suncream bottle with a lizard-type creature:

I'll submit these when I've finished the second brief. Just on the painting stage at the moment... Has taken me ages to draw, although I have really enjoyed it! I'll post the finished piece when it's, well... finished!

Doing this course does mean my shops are becoming a little neglected though. I'm going back to teaching as well, part-time. It's so hard to fit everything in! I might start selling these illustrations though, depending on how they turn out. Mind you, that will probably mean another shop..!