26 Jan 2010 11 Comments
in books, Illustration Tags: writer_artist
Miss Fanshaw and the Great Dragon Adventure – written and illustrated by Sue Scullard – is the opposite of a pop-up book – it’s a “pop through” book.
It satisfies on several levels. An unusual heroine, sumptuously detailed drawings and clever “reveals” created by holes cut in the pages. These holes are part of the plot, as you shall see in the examples below.
02 Jun 2008 Leave a comment
in Art, books, Illustration, Inspiration Tags: drawing, Gormengast, gothic, Illustration, Mervyn Peake, Robert Louis Stevenson, Treasure Island, writer_artist
Inevitably I have come to Mervyn Peake. Mervyn Peake! That name casts a shadow. Have you read Titus Groan, or Gormenghast? Did you realise he was well known as an illustrator for such classics as Alice in Wonderland, and Treasure Island?
If you have not read him yet, Mervyn Peake is the master of true, dark goth. His creations live below the page, he sculpts his characters and crosshatches them with words. No one else writes, or draws, like Mervyn Peake.
16 May 2008 4 Comments
in Art, books, Colour, Illustration, Inspiration Tags: charles keeping, children's books, children's illustration, Illustration, josef se plant, joseph's yard, writer_artist
Charles Keeping was a powerful force in my childhood. I was scared and fascinated by his books . The drawings burn on the page, and the stories cut into your heart. I was deeply influenced by his drawing style – that muscular scrawl with ink and wash. In this post I want to share one particular book: “Joseph’s Yard” which I grew up knowing as “Josef se plant”, in its Afrikaans version.
01 May 2008 3 Comments
in books, Illustration, Inspiration Tags: children's books, elizabeth enright, Illustration, writer_artist
Here is yet another children’s author who illustrated her own books.
Elizabeth Enright: the perfect writer for children. Her books create a world of utter joy, salted with enough realism to make it possible for you to link them to your own life.
17 Mar 2008 1 Comment
in books, Illustration Tags: children's books, writer_artist
Cornelia Funke is another favourite author / illustrator. I’ve enjoyed many of her books – most of them for children, like “Dragonrider” and “The Thief Lord”. But I want to write about are her not-quite-children’s books, the “Inkheart” series.
15 Mar 2008 6 Comments
in books, Illustration Tags: children's books, His Dark Materials, Illustration, Northern Lights, Philip Pullman, writer_artist
I couldn’t very well write about Steve Augarde as author / illustrator and leave out Philip Pullman, who has written some of my favourite books: the “His Dark Materials” series.
Masha du Toit 
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