Saturday, February 28, 2009

Awards: Parents vs Children

2009 Parents’ Choice Awards Call for Entries:
Book Awards
February 9 - March 20, 2009
Click here to see a favorite past Silver Medal winner, illustrated by Matt Phelan.

And click here for news about The Children’s Book Council 2nd ANNUAL CHILDREN’S CHOICE BOOK AWARDS

Thursday, February 26, 2009

Thursday, February 12, 2009

Patrick McDonnell's wonderful minimalism


SOUTH

School and Library Visits



Photo by Jody Sitts



Pre-K through Grade 6 and Library Presentations



Presentation Description:

Most children have never imagined what a picture book story sounds and looks like without the illustrations. I show a picture book layout and read the words so that audiences can imagine how they would illustrate the story.  I ask for suggestions about which words require illustrations, so the students can better put themselves in the role of illustrator. 

I also demonstrate how I create a character by using a flip book of a changing face. Just an angle change of two simple lines (the eyebrows) can signal a character’s emotion going from surprise to anger. (Students are encouraged to make their own drawings and characters at this point in the presentation.)

Additionally, I read a couple of short picture books and explain the difference between illustrating someone else’s words and illustrating my own words—showing early drafts and galleys from both THE ARTIST AND THE KING (which I wrote) and PIRATE BOY (written by Eve Bunting).





Contact: fortenberryillustration@gmail.com



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This week I read Pippa at the Parade to a wonderful group of first graders at the Field Library. Thank you to all of the students and teachers for being so welcoming and on the ball. Your questions and answers were great!



A special thank you to the Field librarians and photographers, Sally Bentley, Jody Sitts, Cookie Stein, and the director Sibyl Canaan.

School and Library Visits


Photo by Jody Sitts

Pre-K through Grade 6 and Library Presentations

Presentation Description:

Most children have never imagined what a picture book story sounds and looks like without the illustrations. I show a picture book layout and read the words so that audiences can imagine how they would illustrate the story.  I ask for suggestions about which words require illustrations, so the students can better put themselves in the role of illustrator. 

I also demonstrate how I create a character by using a flip book of a changing face. Just an angle change of two simple lines (the eyebrows) can signal a character’s emotion going from surprise to anger. (Students are encouraged to make their own drawings and characters at this point in the presentation.)

Additionally, I read a couple of short picture books and explain the difference between illustrating someone else’s words and illustrating my own words—showing early drafts and galleys from both THE ARTIST AND THE KING (which I wrote) and PIRATE BOY (written by Eve Bunting).


Contact: fortenberryillustration@gmail.com

-------------------------------------------
This week I read Pippa at the Parade to a wonderful group of first graders at the Field Library. Thank you to all of the students and teachers for being so welcoming and on the ball. Your questions and answers were great!

A special thank you to the Field librarians and photographers, Sally Bentley, Jody Sitts, Cookie Stein, and the director Sibyl Canaan.

Thursday, February 05, 2009

Art for cats

"My Cat Clicked Magnify!" by Calef Brown
Starting bid: $100

Available on eBay -- February 20-26. All proceeds will go to Anjellicle Cats Rescue operations. Preview Auction here.

(Victoria Roberts, Adam McCauley, Roz Chast, Kathy Osborn, George Booth, Greg Clarke, Julliette Borda, Sam Gross, Mark Ulriksen, Danny Shanahan, Mel Odom, Calef Brown, Susan Hunt Yule, Joe Ciardiello, Jean-Philippe Delhomme, Liza Donnelly, Cynthia Von Buhler, Nick Dewar, Tatsuro Kiuchi, Jordin Isip, Melinda Beck, Catherine Lazure, Jessie Hartland, Rutu Modan, Holly Roberts, Emiliano Ponzi, Maureen Burdock, Noah Woods, Scott Menchin, Robert Neubecker, Brad Mossman, Barbara Ensor, Marc Burckhardt, Valeria Petrone, and many more.)

Wednesday, February 04, 2009

GDEX 320 research
& royalartlodge.com

The Royal Art Lodge was an art collective from 1996-2008.
The Royal Art Lodge was founded in 1996 by Michael Dumontier, Marcel Dzama, Neil Farber, Drue Langlois, Jonathan Pylypchuk, and Adrian Williams in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Hollie Dzama and Myles Langlois have also been members.