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The Illustrators Journal

The Illustrators Journal

Tag Archives: childrens books

ARe wE craZy enOUgh Yet?

15 Monday Jan 2018

Posted by Illustrators Journal in EDITORIAL

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artist as brand, artwork, childrens books, digital media, digital painting, illustration, levinland, this week in digital media on blogtalk radio


Getting work as an illustrator is an art in itself. I read this article today “Majority of illustrators don’t earn enough to live from, new survey shows” http://www.digitalartsonline.co.uk/news/creative-business/majority-of-illustrators-dont-earn-enough-live-from-new-survey-shows/

I realized this fact for myself back in the early 80’s when I made the switch to being an art director, all the while creating art for my job and my own pleasure. This went on for 2 decades until I left my job as Senior Creative Director and art department head at Warner Bros Syndicated TV. I banked enough money to pursue my goal of being an illustrator. However it still is not an easy task. I continue to struggle with this daily. Along the way I bought, renovated and sold homes in Los Angeles which ultimately led to becoming a real estate agent…albeit a creative one which now supports my artistic endeavors and frees me up to explore art and illustration deeply.

What I’ve come to terms with is there are very few illustrators who can support themselves on art alone, and there’s nothing bad about that. In fact it may even help them become more rounded as a business person and more social.

 

Happy Birthday Rosalind Allchin!

25 Saturday Mar 2017

Posted by Illustrators Journal in ARTICLES, CHILDREN'S BOOK

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artist as brand, artwork, childrens books, illustration, illustrators journal, innovation


Rosalind is a terrific illustrator and storyteller as her book The Frog Princess can attest to.

The creator of The Frog Princess, a delightful fractured fairy tale, Rosalind Allchin describes herself thus: “I think I’m an illustrator who writes stories. I start off with some kind of visual image, probably of a character. Although I’ve never had any formal art training, I’ve always been interested in the visual arts. When I was in my teens, we used to go family camping in Europe, and visiting the art galleries in Italy was a wonderful introduction. However it’s only relatively recently that I’ve taken up a brush myself.”
Although presently a resident of Ottawa, Ontario, Rosalind was born in West Sussex on the south coast of England on March 26, 1949, the second of four children and the only girl. “We all went to the local primary (elementary) school, and those years I remember as a lovely period in my life, full of painting and reading stories.

In talking about her approach to illustrating, Rosalind says, “I tend to complete each picture before moving to the next one. Sometimes there are perspectives that I can’t work out. For example, the picture on page 14 in which the Frog Princess is jumping down from the royal balcony took me ages. I actually made little sculpture clay heads of the prince, his bodyguard and the queen. Faces look so different from different angles. I’ve learned of the magic of mirrors. Sometimes a drawing just doesn’t look quite right, but it ‘s difficult to see quite where the error lies. But viewing the drawing differently, through a mirror, magically jolts the perceptions and the problem is revealed.”
Picture books, even fractured fairy tales, require research. “Out of interest, I borrowed a lot of library books on costume. Over five hundred years of medieval life, styles changed dramatically, not to mention differences between classes and between countries. I’ve actually mixed periods.”
“I work a lot, but I guess I’m really slow. I go up to my desk every day except one day a week when I pot, a wonderful therapy. I rent space in a studio which is nice because I meet other people. I have a wheel and am hoping in the near future to buy my own kiln. It’s good to have something constructive to do when I’m having problems writing or drawing. I have a lovely attic space where I work. I’m gradually acquiring all sorts of amazing things, like a scanner which will make sending off manuscripts easier. I used to photograph the art or get color copies made which is very expensive.”
“I have four or five stories more or less written up. I find the writing quite hard in terms of creating language that is clear and simple and yet interesting. It’s so easy for it to fall flat. My initial writing tends to be much too long winded, and I am getting better at ruthless cutting. As soon as I’ve got the story idea worked out, I play around dividing it into pages and thinking about the pictures and how I can have a different action or setting on each page. Right from the start really, I’m working the two things together.”

Source: Profile by Dave Jenkinson/Canadian Review of Materials

For More

Hello, It’s 2017

01 Wednesday Mar 2017

Posted by Illustrators Journal in CHILDREN'S BOOK, EDITORIAL

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abstract art, artist as brand, childrens books, digital painting, drawing, illustration, kidlitart


destructo-cubes

Wow…has it been this long since I last posted on this site?? Yes is the answer. Why? Well to explain that would be long and boring. So I’ll skip it and post some art, because while I was in posting hibernation I was busy creating. And that’s the key I have come to see for me. No matter what else is happening I need to create. Those of you who are like me know what it’s like to feel compelled to create something. Whether that’s a sculpture, drawing or painting we have to do it. So I’m back in the saddle and ready to impart new art, insights, article, stories and more. I hope you all will follow because I promise it’ll be an interesting journey.freebird-inky kitty 3-eye-4

Laura Carlin : Children’s Book Illustrator

18 Monday Jan 2016

Posted by Illustrators Journal in CHILDREN'S BOOK, EDITORIAL

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art director's club, Bologna Ragazzi Award, ceramic art, childrens books, design, illustration, innovation


In an effort to find and spotlight the finest and most innovative children’s book artwork, the Illustrator’s Journal will bring to our readers the IJ Children’s Book Spotlight. 

Presented here is the artwork of Laura Carlin.

carlin_lge_03

Laura lives and works in London. She graduated from Buckinghamshire University and the Royal College of Art, where she received a Masters and won the Quentin Blake Award. During her MA she was also awarded the Uniqlo Fashion Illustration Award, which enabled her to travel to Shanghai and Tokyo. The drawings from her Tokyo trip were published in a book entitled Ten Days in Tokyo.

Laura has illustrated many children’s books for Walker Books, including The Iron Man by Ted Hughes, winning a V&A Award and an honourable mention in the Bologna Ragazzi Award. In November 2014 another Walker Books title illustrated by Laura ‘The Promise’ was selected by The New York Times as the best illustrated title of 2014. For The Folio Society Laura has illustrated four collections of Anton Chekov stories and Le Grand Meaulnes by Alain Fournier. She illustrates a weekly column in the Financial Times as well as being a regular contributor to Condé Nast Traveller, The New York Times, The Guardian and The New Statesman. She has worked on advertising campaigns for American Express and British Airways as well an identity for The Dorchester’s Coworth Park Hotel.

laura-carlin-page-23In addition to her commercial work, Laura currently works with Quentin Blake in advisory role for the development of the House of Illustration.

Laura has been voted, by the Art Director’s Club of America an ADC Young Gun, one of the 50 most influential creatives under 30 years of age.

Alongside her illustration career, Laura also works as a ceramist. Her work is for sale at The New Craftsman and Yorkshire Sculpture Park as well at privately hosted sales.

In October 2014 her book A World of Your Own was published by Phaidon, her first work as an author. Using a gentle chronological narrative of one day, the book encourages looking, drawing and making – initially from life and then from imagination.

For more info or to hire Laura click here http://www.lauracarlin.com

Interview with Ted Lewin

17 Sunday May 2015

Posted by Illustrators Journal in CATCH-ALL, CHILDREN'S BOOK, INTERVIEW

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art, artist as brand, childrens books, creativity, Ted Lewin


As I move forward doing more “realistic” illustration I am fascinated and I relate to perhaps one of our greatest contemporary artists, Ted Lewin. Here in this interview Ted talks about his a children’s book about Gleason’s Gym in New York. The paintings are superb. His mastery of watercolor makes the imagery vibrant and alive. More of Ted’s work can be found here http://www.tedlewin.com

REAL ESTATE, HOMES AND CHILDREN’S BOOKS

16 Monday Mar 2015

Posted by Illustrators Journal in CATCH-ALL

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art, artist as brand, cats, childrens books, creativity, REAL ESTATE


These three new books reviewed in the LA Times cover areas of a child’s life that are unique and very appealing. AS a real estate agent this is certainly a book I’d give to my kids or grandkids.

Screen Shot 2015-03-16 at 6.22.22 AM

Aside

Happy Holidays

25 Thursday Dec 2014

Posted by Illustrators Journal in CHILDREN'S BOOK, EDITORIAL, illustration

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artist as brand, artwork, cartoon, cartoonist, childrens books, Christmas artwork, innovation, Kwansa, New Year's artwork, Saint Nick, Santa Claus


HOLIDAY'15

The Illustrators Journal/Spring Edition 2014 is out!

15 Tuesday Apr 2014

Posted by Illustrators Journal in ARTICLES, cartoon, EDITORIAL, ILLUSTRATORS JOURNAL E-ZINE, INTERVIEW, PHOTOGRAPHY, REVIEWS, SKETCH OF THE DAY

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artist as brand, cartoonist, cartoons, childrens books, digital media, digital painting, drawing, illustration, illustrators journal, innovation, xanate media


Xanatemedia is proud to bring you the spring issue (volume 6) of the “illustrators Journal”. It’s gotten a whole new look and design as well as all new articles and interviews! We sit down with children’s illustrator, Bob McMahon, take a look at legendary gaming creator/writer Christy Marx and talk with master of lighting art Bruce Munro. In addition, LPIK, our photography magazine debuts with three new interviews; James Vaughan, Justin Rosenberg and Tony Donaldson. Please let us know what you think and offer any suggestions you like to enhance our upcoming issues. We are always on the look out as to how we can make a better read!   Editor

The Illustrators Journal

The Illustrators Journal

Icons Have Lives Too

16 Tuesday Jul 2013

Posted by Illustrators Journal in cartoon

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cartoon, cartoonist, cartoons, childrens books, graphics, icons, innovation, lon levin, technology


I’m not talking about celebrities or sports stars I’m talking graphics. Here they are “The Icons”
ICON CARTOON #9

ICON CARTOON #8

ICON CARTOON #7

ICON CARTOON #6

ICON CARTOON #5

ICON CARTOON #4

ICON CARTOON #3

ICON CARTOON #2

ICON CARTOON #1

SNEAK PEEK: PARK DOGS OF SILVERLAKE

03 Thursday Jan 2013

Posted by Illustrators Journal in PHOTOGRAPHY

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Tags

artist as brand, childrens books, design, digital painting, dogs, golden retrievers, illustration, illustrator, innovation, levinland, Levinland studio, lon levin, PARKS, puppies


HARLIQUIN_3736.lr HOUND_3777.lr TWO WHITE RETRIEVERS_3781.lr STARING OFF_3782.lr 3 RUNNING_3795.lr WET GUY STARES_6284.lr ITS MY BALL_7042.lr SING DOGS_7044.lr HOUND DASH_1987.lr BRIARD JOG_2195.lr BULLDOG DRINKS_2197.lr BORZOI#1_2241.LR

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Editor’s Note

Visit www.levinlandstudio.com and see the portfolio of the editor Lon Levin

The Spring Issue '17 of the Illustrators Journal will be out in April with all new interviews with cartoonist Mark Stamaty, Fantasy artist and Society of Illustrator's Hall of Fame artists Kinuko Y Craft and some artwork from Millenial sensation MollyCrabtree.

The issue will focus on protest and the arts from Daumier to Ingram Pinn.

Levinland Studio

Levinland Studio

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