Leeds College of Art BA (Hons) ILLUSTRATION OUIL505 ILLUSTRATION 2: Applied Illustration
Level
05
Credits 30
Module Brief Title: Product, Range & Distribution
STUDIO BRIEF 1: Project Proposal Project Rationale What do you intend to do and why? I intend to produce a set of illustrated scenes from a classic middle-grade children’s book. I have chosen to use the existing text from L.M. Montgomery’s Emily of New Moon (originally published in 1923) as a reissue of the original publication with new visuals. I will illustrate a new front and back cover and at least 6 full page interior illustrations. This project will focus on the relationship between Montgomery’s reality and her works of fiction. My illustrations will bridge the distance between Montgomery’s idyllic stories and her own secretive, dark reality. My intention is to discuss Montgomery’s quiet battle with mental illness and her concealed suicide, an issue that is hugely important in the human condition and that is very close to me. I will be bringing these serious themes into the whimsical narrative; this is a very different approach to Montgomery’s work that has not been attempted before. I hope to produce images that would suit the context of application for children’s publishing and that would also communicate these topics effectively. I have worked on children’s books for pre-reader and early reader children before but this is a chance for me to explore a slightly older audience. I want to challenge myself to tackle a longer, more sophisticated text aimed at children aged 8-12 years. I will take inspiration from illustrators such as Carson Ellis and Julia Sarda who make illustrations that capture the narrative and atmosphere of the texts they sit alongside. I am interested in further developing my skills in character design and sequential illustration. Illustrating an established text such as Emily of New Moon will provide me with the narrative and characters so that I can pay attention to refinement and technical competence of these visual skills which I can then use in my portfolio. The publication will be presented as a hardback book, a special edition or gift edition of Emily of New Moon. Alongside the publication, I will apply the illustrations to relevant merchandise to promote the release, including: bookmarks, a window display for a book shop and a set of prints.
THEMES / SUBJECTS What Themes/Subjects will form the content of your work for this module? This should include theoretical and non-creative based content and concerns. This section should identify your consideration of the social, cultural, ethical and creative concerns of contemporary Illustration practice. THEMES AND SUBJECTS: General: Psychology and mental illness - themes of mental illness in L.M. Montgomery’s life. Specific: ‘Religious Melancholia’ – the mental breakdown of L.M. Montgomery’s husband. L.M. Montgomery’s suicide at the age of 67 in 1942. Recognition of mental illness at the time in contrast to now.
General: The social appearance and status of L.M. Montgomery. Specific: The secrecy around her suicide. Expectations of women at the time. L.M. Montgomery’s ideologies and values. General: Historical contexts – context of production at the time of Emily of New Moon being published Specific: 1923 Canada – politics, federalism, fashion, social attitudes. General: Environment and settings in the book. Specific: Canada, Prince Edward Island - where L.M. Montgomery lived and where the book was set. Adventure, discovery, exploring, rural, landscapes. This story is from a different culture to my own, so I need to be sensitive to their values, traditions and beliefs in retelling Montgomery’s story. General: Physical books and book publishing. Specific: The value and beauty of physical books – the return of classics and attention to production values.
PRACTICAL & CONCEPTUAL APPLICATION What areas of Illustration do you intend to investigate in relation to the practical and conceptual, production/ distribution of work in response to selected briefs? SPECIFIC DISCIPLINARY AREA: I would like to work within children’s publishing after my degree, so this disciplinary area is relevant for me to investigate. This project will be beneficial to me in terms of experience within children’s publishing and building my portfolio with more examples of children’s book illustration. I will be analyzing existing books and publishers to determine what makes a book successful and how to apply illustration for publishing. I will find examples of classic stories that have been re-illustrated and reissued for modern audiences. In order to understand the current perception of Montgomery’s character, I shall look at the original illustrations and other translations of her stories. I need to know what has been done before in order to challenge these perceptions. I will also research into books with a similar topic or that have attempted to discuss these themes of mental illness (either overtly or covertly). AUDIENCE/CONTEXTS: Emily of New Moon is a middle-grade children’s book, aimed at children aged 8-12. The context of my audience has changed since the first publication date in 1923, so I will be challenged to make my this book appealing to a modern middle-grade audience, whose psychographic interests are more likely to be watching YouTube and Netflix than reading or exploring outside. Although my intended audience is children aged 8-12, the actual audience is more likely to be grandparents or relatives who would buy this book for them. The actual audience has disposable income to purchase presents, and shops in high street/local and independent book shops like Waterstones (not the internet). They value the tradition of reading and want to introduce their grandchild to a classic that they enjoyed at that age. This product would be suitable for collectors or enthusiasts of L.M. Montgomery’s work. She has a large following, including those who visit Prince Edward Island to see her hometown, with a huge fan base coming all the way from Japan.
PRODUCTION/DISTRIBUTION METHODS: I will be producing this children’s book to have a traditional, handmade aesthetic. My intention is for this product to look like it belongs with the classics but has a new, darker twist to the kitsch originals. The pages will be printed digitally and I will use a traditional saddle stitch bind, presenting the product as a hardback special/gift edition copy of Emily of New Moon. Alongside the publication, I will apply the illustrations to relevant merchandise to promote the release. The book would be suited for a large book publisher such as Egmont, Penguin, Oxford or Harper Collins. The book would be available at book shops in the UK such as: Waterstones, Blackwells, Foyles and smaller, independent stores. Since Montgomery was Canadian, Canadian book stores might also be interested in stocking the product: Chapters, Indigo, Coles. It would be appropriate for the Prince Edward Island gift shop (Anne of Green Gables Store) since this is a gift shop exclusively selling merchandise related to Montgomery and her stories. I don’t want to convert this to an eBook because it would take away from the traditional values and the art of books and reading, which is supported in the principles of the protagonist in Emily of New Moon.
CONTEXTUAL REFERENCES Identify areas of professional/creative practices that will inform the contextualization of the work that you produce. This should include specific illustrators, studios, practitioners and products as well as broader creative disciplines and methods of Production /Distribution. ILLUSTRATORS / DESIGNERS / STUDIOS: Illustrators: Carson Ellis (Wildwood Chronicles, similar woodland settings and target audience) Julia Sarda (has illustrated re-issued versions of classic books such as The Secret Garden) Jen Hill Ana Varela Kathrin Honesta Katie Harnett Taryn Knight Briony May Smith Chuck Groenink John Bauer Book Publishers: Penguin Classics Flying Eye Books Puffin McCelland and Stewart (first published Emily of New Moon) Virago Modern Classics (published 2013 edition of Emily of New Moon) Canongate (published Wildwood) Makers: Chris Sickels Brian Froud / Toby Froud / Wendy Froud Chris Ryinak Amanda Louise Spayd Belanorqua Karly Perez Mahlimae Willowyn
CREATIVE SKILLS What practical skills do you intend to further develop and apply during your project? What do you intend to use the skills for? Consider extending the use of skills that you already have in order to deliver work of a higher standard as well as identifying new skills that you will need to develop.
Drawing from life and filling sketchbooks with roughs will be a major part of my ideas development and I am aiming to improve my use of sketchbooks during this project. Montgomery enjoyed keeping and making personal scrapbooks of her adventures and experiences, so I want to approach the production of the illustrations in a similar manner, using found objects and assembling the pages as memoirs. I will develop my skills in collage and assemblage. I will be creating the scenes using paper mache, paper, fabrics, wire and clay. I want to capture the physicality, the sense of place in the forests and houses, so I think working in 3-D will help me to create depth and a sense of a magical, physical world. The scenes will be photographed using a DSLR camera before being combined with the text using InDesign. I will learn more about taking professional quality photographs. I need to develop my skills in design, including: typography, composition, page layout and colour theory. KEY TEXTS List a selected number of books, articles and texts that are central to your proposed area of practice. These should include a combination of design and non-practice based books, theoretical texts as well as visual publications. You should include a list of relevant websites.
Emily of New Moon (Book Trilogy) Emily of New Moon (TV SERIES) The Lucy Maud Montgomery Institute Lucy Maud Montgomery’s Biography(s) – Writing a Life / Kindred Spirit L.M. Montgomery’s suicide note L.M. Montgomery’s personal scrapbooks Prince Edward Island The Fringed Gentian (a poem that inspired L.M. Montgomery) Royal Society of the Arts (she was the first woman to join) http://www.slideshare.net/mrbjwalters/1920s-the-roaring-life-in-canada Books for Keeps Brain Pickings Good Reads The Folio Society
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
OUIL 505 - Project Planner 1
2
Module Briefing Studio Brief 1 Research & Proposal Proposal Planning & Research
3
Proposal Submission/Studio Development week
4
Studio Brief 2 Development & Production
5 Studio Development week
Contextual research – work I want to produce (pinterest boards) Look at Public Domain Choose a story Initial research into author Read Emily of New Moon Begin proposal Research into themes Further research into themes and author Finalize proposal Submit proposal Sketching Get roughing Make a mock-up Get making Blog research
6
Progress Tutorials
Prepare questions
7
Group Feedback
Keep making
8
Get feedback and start refinement/construction
9
Studio Brief - 3 Presentation & Evaluation Interim Crit
10
EASTER BREAK
Refinement
11
EASTER BREAK
Test print
12
EASTER BREAK
Design Boards Refinement
13
Group Feedback
14
Assessment Briefing & Final Crit
FINAL CHANCE FOR FEEDBACK Digital Printing (get a booking) Binding the book I want to have EVERYTHING READY, printed and presented for the final crit. Chance to take photos, get some feedback on the product.
15
Module Submission 09/05/2017
Refinement
Submission!