shelley scraps

Illustration Friday: Hollow

2009-07-11T02:16:00.003+01:00

Old exhibition piece illustrating the saying Fairy Folks are in Old Oaks. Seems to fit this week's "Hollow" theme. Can you spot the hidden figure in the shadows? (I didn't know it was there until after I'd completed the artwork).

Outside-In

2009-07-10T10:22:00.010+01:00

I've just finished an unusual (for me) book for British publisher Frances Lincoln Ltd, a non-fiction lift-the-flap for young children on the human body. Outside-in was written by Clare Smallman and first released in the mid 1980's with illustrations by Edwina Riddell, but for this new edition I was asked to completely overhaul the book to appeal to a modern readership.

The text and layout were pretty fixed, but it was an interesting project to approach. Many spreads consist of pictures of children, with a flap to reveal the working body underneath, thus...

However there are also some vignette scenes like this.....

In the illustrations I tried to achieve a balance between accurate depiction of children with just enough character and distortion to make a fun book. Outside-in will be co-released in the USA by Barrons, I'm not sure of the exact release date yet.

This was an interesting project quite different from my usual output. In Japan I established my career illustrating fairy tales and dreamy aspirational images, the UK seems a lot more gritty. After researching wasps and fleas for the "Nasty" book, I'm wondering what other in-the-face projects might be next!

Cover to Cover Conference

2009-07-09T23:11:00.003+01:00

Looking towards the end of the year, I'll be giving a talk at the British SCBWI 2nd Conference for Writers and Illustrators Cover to Cover, and all the magic in between - the making of a children's book which will run on 21st and 22nd November this year at the West Downs Campus in Winchester.

There are a lot of good speakers and it promises to be an interesting weekend for faculty and attendees alike. My break-out session will be "Power Portfolio's - Learn the secrets of building a better portfolio and showing it effectively". running from 1.00 - 3.00pm on the 22nd.

Regular readers will note that I gave a talk on exactly the same topic in Tokyo earlier this year, I'll basically be covering similar ground, here's the blurb:

"Despite, or perhaps because of, the plethora of artists websites, nothing beats a face to face meeting with an art director or editor. An effective portfolio that best shows off your talents is essential. With over 25 years of experience as an illustrator John Shelley will focus on the golden rules of portfolio layout and offer insights to help strengthen your portfolio book or other media. The workshop will also address focusing on your best work, tightening your presentation skills, and the psychology of meetings and tips on promotion. Following the talk, attendees are invited to submit their portfolios for discussion and critique. Please bring along your portfolio as you would to a client, a picture book dummy if you have one, and promotion materials."

Early Summer in Staffordshire

2009-07-05T14:46:00.005+01:00

A bit quiet on the blog lately, due chiefly to a pressing book deadline. I'm indoors sweating over a drawing board rather than under the summer sun, but almost done now, I'll post images when it's all handed in.

Nevertheless, much as I yearn for London, there's much around here to count blessings for.

"Nasty" Interior art

2009-06-10T09:40:00.002+01:00

Some of the full page interior cuts from the new edition of Michael Rosen's "Nasty".

The Book consists of a series of comic horror tall tales related by a woman first met by the narrator in a London pub. Among other things a giant flea infesting the Underground, belligerent wasps in the middle of winter, poisonous burgers, mouse hypnotising, and a runaway grizzy bear, lots of fun to illustrate.

The book is released on 6th August and can be pre-ordered from Amazon.

New Children's Laureate

2009-06-09T17:33:00.003+01:00

Anthony Browne has been elected the new Children's Laureate in UK, as reported by the Guardian here.

"Browne said that he would use his two-year stint as laureate to focus on the appreciation of picture books, and the reading of both pictures and words. 'Picture books are for everybody at any age, not books to be left behind as we grow older'..."

This is wonderful news, not only is Browne a fantastic illustrator he's a great spokesman for children's books. Picture books have been in the doldrums for several years now, let's hope that despite the recession things will start looking up. Go for it Anthony!

Illustration Friday - Craving

2009-06-05T19:03:00.009+01:00

I promise more essays on the way soon, but for now something for this week's Illustration Friday topic "craving".

It's a spread from the picture book １２の月たち (12 no Tsuki-tachi, or "The Twelve months" in English), first published back in 1991 in Japan. It's a classic fairytale from Slovakia, following the tale of gentle Marushka who is sent out into the freezing winter forest to bring back impossible things for her cruel stepmother and bullying step sister. First they crave violets, then strawberries, and finally apples. Each time the frozen girl is helped by one of 12 brothers in the woods, each representing one of the 12 months, who change the seasons to give her the items. Needless to say, it all ends badly for the evil step-mother and sister when they go seeking the fruits themselves.

The book, released by Miki House in Japan, has been through several reprints already, and a new edition is to be released later this year. Drawn in a very traditional style, this is one of my biggest selling titles in Japan. Sadly, no release in the West though.

Cracked

2009-05-22T18:49:00.002+01:00

Another children's book illustration that fits this weeks Illustration Friday theme "cracked". This was from Hoppy no Atarashii Uchi (Hoppy's New House), one of my own stories published by Fukuinkan Shoten in Japan.

Nasty!

2009-05-21T09:55:00.001+01:00

The latest book I've been working on is a new edition of Children's Laureate Michael Rosen's "Nasty" for Barn Owl Books in London. First released in the 1980's, this new edition will run with 25 black and white text drawings by yours truly, plus colour cover.

All will be revealed in August when the book is released, in the meantime here's a sneak preview of the cover design.

Parade

2009-05-08T18:37:00.003+01:00

Here's something from the cupboard that matches this weeks Illustration Friday brief "Parade". It's from the picture book King Smelly Feet, written by Hiawyn Oram, released in the UK by Andersen Press a few years ago.

Escapism

2009-05-05T10:57:00.004+01:00

Here's a very recent doodle. I seem to be drawing a lot of fantasy towns lately, I think it's all part of the way my mind works with escapism.

Strange to say, much as I love the natural world my imagination tends to be most energized when I'm in a crowded, urban city environment. I love the country, exploring forests and craggy landscapes, but if I spend too long away from the city my imagination is dulled. My mind perhaps feeds off the surroundings but rarely goes beyond, I become relaxed and inspired by oneness with nature, but that's as far as it goes.

In the city however I'm always mentally escaping, my imagination is constantly finding ways to soar beyond the concrete or seeking escapism within it. It's that switching-off from reality, a yearning to escape the shackles of the town that really motivates my fantasy vision.

It's a paradox that although my art is closely connected to the natural world I need the city for my creative vision to soar. In essence I need both - no trees: no vision, but no city: no escapism. The more concrete, the more inhuman the environment, the more I seek humanity in my art. Many of the greatest fantasy artists are often from very urban backgrounds, it can be said that city dwellers really appreciate the fantastic properties of the natural world because they yearned for these things when they grew up. Fantasy for them is a magical release from the humdrum.

SCBWI British Isles Featured Artist

2009-04-28T15:58:00.004+01:00

My work for children's literature is currently being showcased by SCBWI British Isles, having elected me the current Featured Artist. The website spotlight runs until July.

Many thanks to the organizers.

St Georges Day

2009-04-23T21:57:00.003+01:00

Well I'm not what anyone would describe as much of a patriot, but it seems in my long absence from the UK that celebrating the patron saint of England is nowadays acceptable. Actually I'm only half English (the other being Welsh), but any excuse to celebrate. Here's something I did for the George & Dragon pub in Florida a while back.

Happy St.Georges Day!

Doodling

2009-04-21T16:50:00.006+01:00

My thanks to Desdemona McCannon for querying the subject of doodling for a feature she's writing for Varoom (AOI magazine). I'm repeating my response here:

I always carry a small sketchbook with me everywhere I go, sometimes I use it to sketch, sometimes to practice, sometimes to work out ideas for jobs, and sometimes just to doodle. Doodling is a distinct activity for me. It's never sketching, it's not preparative drawing, and never has any deliberate connection to work, were it so it would cease to be a doodle. Doodling is something unto itself.

A typical day's rambling

For me it's all about flexing of the boundaries, going outside parameters of what I think my professional style should be. All of the baggage of career can be put aside for a while. Doodling can be an exploration of texture on the page, often in my case it's an exploration of grotesque, which is perhaps odd as my professional work is rarely grotesque at all.

I remember in younger years I would often get into trouble with my parents for defacing photos of celebrities in Radio Times etc, you know, adding goggle eyes, goatees and afro hairstyles. Mum and Dad could never see the creativity in it all. I think my doodles can be an extension of that pleasure.

It's an antidote to the need to please others, I doodle purely for my own enjoyment. Doodling is emotional therapy. It has no forced point to it, I never sit down and think "okey, I'm going to doodle about this" so, relieved of the weight of the commission or need to explain itself, the drawing follows it's own course, it soars, it breathes as it expands, and through that it connects with creativity in an unforced, natural manner.

Half way through a "serious" sketch I often reach a point when I think - "hey, this is quite good" and that's the time to stop. But with a doodle often I don't stop, I carry on, seeing it through to the bitter end, fill the page or push it so the drawing is overweight or ruined. It's not important, because sometimes the act of doodling is more important than the final product. For me sketches and working drawings are often quite light, doodles on the other hand can be heavy or laden.

Are doodles art? I think they can be, if, as they unravel themselves, they touch on your emotional state, or other subconscious thoughts, and can connect with the viewer. But it doesn't always happen, and the more self conscious you become, the more you feel you need to make a pleasing drawing, somehow the less personal it becomes. Great doodles should create themselves, they should meander from the end of your pen almost without command. Ideally anyway.

Family Reminders images

2009-04-09T12:00:00.006+01:00

Here's a sneak preview of some of the drawings from the book.

One of the most interesting things about working on historical fiction is researching the period. I've always been fascinated by history, I often think if I wasn't an illustrator I'd have become a researcher or archaeologist, nevertheless I have to admit my knowledge of 1880's Colorado was limited. Nowadays the internet is a great help in finding accurate period references, but the publishers also kindly sent me a package of material to give me a very clear idea of the setting. For book illustrators it's important to be able to use the details of reference material to place yourself right in the location and time period. Often the pursuit of visual reference takes you in paths completely unrelated to the book. Thanks to Family Reminders I've learned a great deal about the gold rush, Colorado, and the late nineteenth century frontier in general.

Although the book is fiction, the location, the furniture, costume, hair styles and outside scenes are all based closely on actual references from Cripple Creek at the time, so I'm quietly confident that although I've never visited the town, my drawings fit accurately. If you see any slip ups however do let me know!

Family Reminders

2009-04-08T11:46:00.004+01:00

My next book out in America will be Family Reminders. Written by Julie Danneberg and published by Charlesbridge, with black and white illustrations by your's truely.

Mary McHugh has a nearly perfect life in the frontier town of Cripple Creek, Colorado, but all that changes when her father suffers a serius mining accident. He no longer whistles, plays the piano, or carves the intricate wooden "Reminders" that mark the milestones in the family's life together. Mostly he sits in silence at the kitchen table or sleeps. As winter's chill gives way to spring's thaw, Mary tries to remind her family of how much they have to live for - namely, each other. (From the jacket copy).

The book is officially released on 1st July, though you can pre-order on Amazon. Here's the cover

sketchbook fantasies

2009-03-27T16:04:00.005Z

Some more pen on paper meandering from the pocket sketchbook. Where is it leading? Who knows, like most quests of discovery the journey is often more important than the destination.

Nichiban artwork

2009-03-25T10:35:00.003Z

Last year I was commissioned to create the illustrations for a web-only pop-up book "Mori no Yosei Monogatari" to celebrate the 60th Anniversary of Japanese Sellotape manufacturer Nichiban (you can still see the book by clicking on the book icon here).

It was an advertising campaign more than a children's book commission. To emphasise the eco-friendly policy of the company I was asked to create the images in a deliberately traditional style. It's difficult to see some of the detail in the web book, so here are a few scans of the artwork.

Skylark

2009-03-23T13:17:00.013Z

Here's a sad story of our times. A couple of years ago I was commissioned to work on a brand new logo to revamp the dated image of Skylark, a well known but financially troubled family restaurant chain, with branches all across Japan. Hard did I work, well did the designer pitch the designs, but unfortunately the presentation was cancelled, as so often happens in advertising today.

I presumed we'd just been defeated by a rival design, but I see that Skylark is still today using the original old 1970's logo. Facing a financial crisis perhaps the company felt they simply couldn't afford to change it's public image now. I'd have thought changing the image should be a priority! Last August the company sacked it's boss.

Oh well, my images may not be plastered all over Japan's highways, but at least I can show them here.

Children's books in the Recession

2009-03-20T10:36:00.008Z

No I'm not panicking, but all the bleak news of recession, failing industries, belly-up banks and job losses make it well to shore up the defences against whatever may loom on the horizon. So Spring cleaning this year for me is all about polishing up my business as an illustrator, updating my website, focusing on work, hopefully getting some new children's stories on paper. Publishing is getting tougher by the week we hear, if the public has less money to spend then book sales will suffer.

And yet I'm not quite so convinced by all this. Sure, people will be less willing to buy unnecessary items, but to what degree does it affect book sales? My daughter's after-school teacher tells me that in her house at least she's buying fewer toys but more books, as they seem better value for money (she's talking about discounted titles), they last longer and are more educational. She seems to be worried that her kids are not developing the skills to equip them to face harder times. Strange how it takes fears of a recession to see these things.

My great bone of contention with publishing in the UK is the practice of discounting. In Japan there is no discounting at all. Books have a price printed on the cover and that's what they are sold for, never a yen less, where ever you go, whatever shop. If they're not sold the books are returned to the publisher and pulped, but they usually have quite a long shelf life before that happens. Authors and illustrators are paid a fee based on a royalty percentage of the entire print-run, whether books sell or not, it's straightforward and I think pretty fair.

In the UK however many books are offered at 3 for the price of 2 in the big chain stores, they're discounted through supermarkets, they're sold for a fraction of their original price in discount bookshops, and, worst case of all, last years children's books can be bought on my local market for £1 each, a mere 10% of the cover price. Naturally when times are hard the general public will go for the cheapest option, so sales of full price books will evitably suffer. Sadly, little if any of the funds from sales of heavily discounted books find their way to the author and artist. As one well known illustrator in the UK admits to me, even if your books sell, it's becoming almost impossible to earn enough from children's books alone to survive.

However in comparison to many jobs under threat there is still some hope for artists and writers, at least we have our talents, we have options to pursue, even though it may take us in different creative directions. I for one am not putting all my eggs into the basket of publishing, though I'm working hard in the field, I also have my commercial illustration career in Japan, for that I'm very grateful. In times like these nothing is to be neglected.

Doodle

2009-03-18T18:19:00.004Z

Passing the time on a train journey.

All I need is my trusty pocket sketchbook and I'm a happy man.

Japanese language blog

2009-03-10T11:10:00.002Z

I've decided to try running a Japanese language blog for my clients and friends in Japan. I expect some of the material may repeat themes in this blog, and I'm not sure how often I'll be able to update it, but if you read Japanese please have a look.

In the vain hope not too many people will laugh in derision at my kanji construction, all comments are welcome!

Nutmeg Award

2009-02-22T18:24:00.006Z

I’ve just learned that a novel I illustrated a few years back, MVP: Magellan Voyage Project by Douglas Evans, has just won an award in the USA, the Nutmeg Award in Connecticut.

As the award is for the book, not just my drawings, most of the kudos must go to author Douglas Evans, nevertheless an award is an award!

MVP is a great read, packed full of fun and adventure, as the hero joins in a race across the world pursued by various villains and rivals. Here's some of my contributions.

Exhibition images - original work

2009-02-15T11:08:00.005Z

I don't usually sell my picture book illustrations when I exhibit, as I don't like breaking up sets of artwork. A picture book might contain 20 or more pieces of artwork, if I were to sell just one piece it would break up the set. I'm reluctant to do this, especially with my Japanese published books as there's always the chance I might sell the reproduction rights to a publisher in the West for an English or other language edition, and it's always better to have the original artwork available. If however someone were to buy the entire books worth of originals it would be a different story, I'm always up for offers!

Artwork for single book covers, editorial etc was available for sale however (some examples are on my page at Children's Illustrators.com).

As I didn't want to sell a large proportion of my published work I also created a number of original unique pieces especially for the show. Here they are, some are still available for sale or prints, contact me for prices.

Exhibition images - The House of the World

2009-02-15T10:52:00.005Z

But what about the pictures? I hear you say.

A lot of work on display was from my published books etc, especially my last two picture books The Boat in the Tree (Front Street, USA) and The House of the World (Benesse, Japan). The latter title is part of the Benesse Worldwide Kids series in Japan and is not available in the shops, so here's a couple of spreads that were on display.