“Keep making drawings. Keep throwing drawings away. Keep doing better. Always better. And always remember- make it so good they’ll have to want it.” Walt Disney
Escaping to other worlds and telling a story through anothers Escaping to other worlds andto telling eyes is something I strive do a story through anothers eyes is somewith my art. thing I strive to do with my art.
Taking inspiration from the real world as well as films Taking inspiration fromand the fantasy real world as well contrasting as films and fantasy fiction, themes of fiction, imagcontrasting themesoften of blur imagination ination and reality within and reality and oftenpictures. blur within words my words Thismyconand pictures. This contrast is reflected trast is reflected in raw charcoal texin raw charcoal textures that stand out tures that stand out against layersink against layers of brightly coloured of andbrightly paint. coloured ink and paint.
A to draw andand an A natural naturalcompulsion compulsion to draw interest in visual storytelling has un-has an interest in visual storytelling surprisingly led me the road unsurprisingly leddown me down theof illustration. After completing an Art road of illustration. After completfoundation course back in 2011 in my ing ancounty Art foundation home of Surrey, I course applied back for a in 2011 in my home county of Surplace on the Illustration course at the rey, University I applied Bournemouth. for a place onTwo theand IlArts alustration half yearscourse later theatend in sight and theisArts Univerdespite the patches ofTwo uncertainty and sity Bournemouth. and a half chronic indecisiveness, have taken years later the end is Iin sight anda lot from the experience. I have learned despite the patches of uncertainty invaluable lessons, met interesting and chronic indecisiveness, I have people and grown in confidence both taken a lot from the experience. I personally and as a practitioner.
have learned invaluable lessons, met interesting people and grown in confidence both personally and as a practitioner.
“Take your work seriously, but never yourself.” Margot Fonteyn
Growing up on Disney animation, lots of reading, dance lessons and the occasional lucky trip to the theatre, visual storytelling has always played a part in my life somehow. Absorbing characters and their stories encouraged me to create my own ones, and drawing and writing were things I often did (and still do) in my spare time. Drawing, film, reading and dance are my portals to other worlds, and I find that they all interlink and influence each other.
language and reactions of characters in a visual narrative define how they are interpreted, be it on stage, in a film or on the pages of a book. I find the movement and the discipline of ballet in particular very inspiring and I often watch films and documentaries on it as I am working. I also take inspiration from concept art and character designs for film and animation. Making the audience care is fundamental to a good story, so whether I am drawing human characters or an invented creature, I endeavor to make each one intriguing and appealing in their own way.
As a dance and animation enthusiast, movement influences the way I visualise characters and situations. As a drawer I then try to capture this on paper, striving to bring life to pencil lines. Although I work with static rather than moving imagery, I always aim to keep a sense of movement in my drawing. Afterall, the body copyright. Disney
Nature is another driver of my imagination. I have huge respect for nature and being outdoors helps to fuel my ideas, resulting in outdoor settings typically appearing more in my work than urban landscapes. I like to incorporate the vibrancy and colours of flora and fauna within my imagery. For me nature signifies endless possibility, offering a chance for adventure without the restrictions of reality.
The natural world is another driver of my imagination. I have huge respect for nature and being outdoors helps to fuel my ideas, resulting in outdoor settings typically appearing more in my work than urban landscapes. I like to incorporate the vibrancy and colours of flora and fauna within my imagery. For me nature signifies endless possibility, offering a chance for adventure without the restrictions of reality.
“Pride in what and who you are is a strong foundation. But don’t be defined by your oppression. Use your anger, don’t let it use you.” - Dave McKean
each drawing I was making on the way. For the first time I completed something that I was proud of, and as a result my My attitude to my work has changed work and confidence improved hugely. hugely over the past two and a half Still being a thorough worker I take time years. In first and most of second year I over my art, but the pressure of deadwas at war with myself. I was extremely lines has helped me to build a stronger self conscious of my work and none of work ethic and forced me to organise my it ever seemed to be good enough. My lack of faith and extreme indecisiveness time better. I have also tried to be less private with meant I never stuck with one idea and my work and be more open with my consequently nothing was ever finished colleagues which has made a positive to a standard I was happy with. Howevimpact. With advice and encouragement er, the Moving Image project in second from my peers and tutors I have become year forced me to turn things around. more confident in my drawing. ConseInstead of feeling daunted by the task in front of me, I planned out a timetable quently it has become looser and more and got my head down. Knowing exactly expressive whilst keeping the intimate detail. Most importantly my attitude towhat I was aiming for and when it had ward myself and my art has changed for to be done encouraged me to focus on getting there rather than worrying about the better.
The art itself has also changed. At the end of second year I had the results of two very different working styles; simple line drawings in pen and more detailed colourful work with paint and ink. As I enjoy both paint and pencil I began to experiment with using them together at the beginning of third year. The pencil lines and textures contrasted nicely against the bright colours and gave my paintings more depth. It is only in recent months that I have started to realise the potential of my drawing and painting working together. Using a variety of media, my working method involves layering up coloured paints and inks and incorporating pencil drawn elements. I primarily use a combination of watercolour, acrylic, ink and charcoal pencil, sometimes scanning in separate layers to put together digitally. I use this layering process to create worlds for characters to escape to and explore in.
My Final Major Project is a culmination of my visual development, resulting in a picture book called Jacob and Treepig. It presents a short narrative through original words and pictures within a 40 page book format. The main characters have stayed as black and white pencil drawings to make them stand out against the colourful painted world they are exploring. The characters have been laid on top of the painted backgrounds using photoshop and neatened up slightly. For me the computer is a clean up tool and I avoid editing the images too much. It has been a great learning experience for me both artistically and in terms of book fundamentals such as layout and design. It has made me more aware of the children’s book market and where I want to take my work.
“We can foster curiosity. We can start children out on a lifelong dialogue with the world.� Nicola Davies
Storybooks are what I am currently most interested in and I enjoy experimenting with the potential they offer. They are after all not simply about telling stories to children at bedtime, they allow a reader of any age to get lost in another time and place for a few minutes through a deceptively simple format. I have always been fond of storybooks but it is only in the third year of my study that I have begun to focus on writing and illustrating original stories. I am very keen to encourage reading, whether it be through physical or digital books. I am keen to cultivate my drawing and writing skills by continuing to work on my own projects as well as collaborating with authors.
The children’s book market is huge and very competitive. In this digital age they have to work on screen as well as on paper, and their appearance online as well as on bookshelves needs to be considered. Unsurprisingly the majority of them are digitally produced as they are bold and easier to translate into other digital formats such as apps or e-books. Being a traditionalist I personally prefer the hand drawn aesthetic and it seems a shame to me that initial pencil drawings are not used in the final products. For me, the rawness and spontaneity of a sketched character holds so much more appeal than heavily edited final versions. For that reason I am keen to keep hand drawn elements in my own work, although I am open to experimenting more with the possibilities of digital in the future. I am aware that there are strict rules when it comes to publishing picture books, but should I gain enough success I hope to one day be able to create and publish original and distinctive picture books.
I appreciate books by Oliver Jeffers as the subtle paint textures are often visible within the illustrations which I think give so much more character than those with flat colours. His minimalist layouts and use of space do not overpower the pages and the front covers are never too ‘busy’. On the complete opposite end of the spectrum Shaun Tan makes highly detailed pencil drawings that are arranged in a graphic novel style format. Although these artists work in very different ways they have both kept the hand-made aesthetic and they are memorable, not just for the imagery but for the interesting ways that the imagery has been used to convey a narrative.
During my time at AUB I have taken part in events such as the Big Draw in Boscombe, where I had the chance to draw on a large wall space and meet other creatives. I also gained experience of fundraising through setting up silent auctions and putting together stalls to sell work with my peers. Interviewing prospective students with my tutors gave me an insight into what is looked for in upcoming practitioners and brought me to the realisation that I have been lucky to study here. It also heightened my awareness of the strong competition and emphasised the importance of standing out. The silent auctions resulted in my first paid commission and I entered the Macmillan Children’s Book Prize 2014. I also aim to enter the Jerwood Drawing Prize this summer in the hope of gaining some exposure.
In terms of getting my work seen, I currently have a small online presence through my blog, my website, Facebook and Twitter. My website works as my online portfolio, displaying a few images that nicely round up my style in a fairly formal manner. It clearly shows my logo and links to my blog and other pages. Social networks allow me to connect quickly and easily with potential clients and my blog is a place where I can informally post my images and thoughts, keeping followers updated with my work.
Website: www.katherineloosley.co.uk Facebook: www.facebook.com/katherineloosleyillustration Blog: http://katloosley.tumblr.com/
Twitter: @Kat450
I feel it is important to have physical work to show so I have a portfolio book which I can present in interviews. I have made promotional material such as badges and business cards to send out and I intend to personally contact appropriate companies/people in the industry.
After graduating I plan to move back to my hometown in Surrey as it is near London where I feel there will be more opportunities. I plan to work and keep building on my portfolio until I can hopefully get an in-studio job as a storyboard or concept artist. This way I will
“The journey of a thousand leagues begins with a single step.� Laozi Daode Jing Ching - The Way and its Power.
be constantly drawing and improving, money will be coming in and there will be other creatives around me who I can learn from and share ideas with about my personal work. I aim to keep networking, increase my online presence and gain a bigger audience for my own projects. I am aware that it will be a slow process, but by keeping up the momentum I have been working at this past year, getting some work experience, going to creative events, exhibiting work and networking wherever possible, I hope to start gaining some sort of recognition for doing what I love.
“Go and make interesting mistakes, make amazing mistakes, make glorious and fantastic mistakes. Break rules. Leave the world more interesting for your being here.� Neil Gaiman