Initial proposal & written reflection
An MA Masters Stage Project worth of analogue work
Initial project proposal
During the previous modules I was so focused on constructing well working sequences that my developmental work did not influence my end product as much as it could have. In the Masters Stage I want to purposely explore, and let my process inform, my artwork. I especially want get to know my characters better to make them more convincing. This new approach is implemented in my first sequence about a spoonbill named Billiam that loves to scoop up ice cream with his beak. I really want to know what makes Billiam tick before I further develop the storyline.
The second sequence I am working on is about nightmares. During my research on scary picture books I found a lot of children are scared to go to sleep. I had the same problem as a child. Therefore I am planning to draw from these personal experiences and try to make them into something universal that speaks to readers facing this difficulty. I’m also interested to see how I can use colour to convey an uncanny nightmarish world instead of relying on more traditional black and white imagery. Finally I’d like to strengthen my sense of design with this sequence and work on making simple, strong compositions that communicate clearly.
Reflection Masters Stage Project
At the start of this module, I felt I had it figured out. I devised two projects to show my originality and width as an illustrator/author, exploring humour as well as horror. Furthermore, both projects were perfect to obtain the goals I set for myself: to focus more on the process (because the first project was fuelled by endless observational drawing) and to create more authentic work (because the second project came from my own experiences). Unfortunately, after a few months I found I had created a lot of imagery without meaning. It just didn’t feel inspired.
Turning point
I decided to use the summer to get to know myself better as an artist, instead of someone who just creates images for the sake of telling a story. I started playing around with different materials in my sketchbooks (which because of the pandemic, I finally felt I had time for), then made prints from these sketches. I painted on bigger and bigger canvases. The picture book ideas I felt truly excited about, and connected to, started to come (Midnight Monster) or further unfold themselves (The Heiress). This way of working - or better said exploring - has really enriched my process and changed how I appreciate my own work as an illustrator.
Midnight Monster
Growing up I was obsessed with scary stories. Interestingly enough, it wasn’t until my research on horror picture books during the Diploma Review that I realised most of the books I analyzed featured female - and quite helpless - victims (Arninkhof, 2020). The only exception being a modern day Little Red Riding Hood (Van de Vendel and Vandenabeele, 2003) who decides to slay the wolf herself. As an act of empowerment this really resonated with me. Later however, I came across an essay insisting contemporary female protagonists within the horror genre express a lot more agency than they used to (Subrimanian and Lagerwey, 2018). Is this then just not yet the case in horror picture books? Though I do not regard myself as a feminist, I do believe in offering children books that explore a wide variety of experiences - amongst which young girls braving (unnatural) threats. I decided I would create such a character myself. Thinking back to my personal archetype for the female victim, Dracula’s (Stoker, 1897) Mina Harker, I wanted to create a young girl that would be her namesake and do all the things the original Mina would never have dreamed of.
As part of the Diploma Review I also created a basic framework for making horror picture books (Arninkhof, 2020). This meant Midnight Monster would have to contain an unnatural threat, i.e. a menacing monster that clearly does not belong, and elements that would help me build up tension such as darkness, shadows and glimpses of the monster - before an actual reveal. The setting of Midnight Monster in which a fantastical being roams a dark historic structure, lends itself perfectly for a more Gothic approach (Smith, 2013). For visual inspiration I turned to contemporary interpretations of Gothic horror such as The Woman in Black (2012) and the The Haunting of Bly Manor (2020). This inspired me to amplify the horror by exaggerating the grotesqueness of the house, situating the story during nighttime and to add a doll sized version of the house to Mina’s bedroom interior to stress the strangeness of her surroundings.
However, having the right ingredients does not result in a perfectly executed dish on the first try. I found it challenging to build up and retain tension in a fresh way. I made endless alterations to my storyline and tried to study Hitchock’s Rebecca (1940), which takes place in a Gothic setting as well, to create more suspense. This resulted in the use of more suggestive shadows over glimpses of limbs. Though I am quite happy with my final version, there is still a lot to learn to further refine my use of horror. Therefore, as a learning experience, I am already pondering my next horror picture book project about a small village terrified of experiencing fear...
The Heiress
For The Heiress I’ve chosen a very colourful and multimedia approach. This has been a direct result of both my experimentation over the summer and looking at the work of Laura Carlin. After reading Carlin’s illustrated version of The Iron Man (Hughes and Carlin, 2010), I felt confident to strive for a picture/chapter book hybrid that combines various techniques and materials. Carlin has managed to do this successfully while still maintaining a unified look through her use of colour.
I, on the other hand, really wanted to use different techniques as well as colours to emphasize the many sides of my protagonist Olivia de Beaufort - being an heiress, adventurer and artist. It wasn’t until I designed a cover for The Heiress, overlaid with a grainy texture, that I knew how to tie this project together. I decided that textures, which were already omnipresent, would be the common denominator and had to rework a few images accordingly.
For now I am quite pleased with the first chapter of this project. Come January I am enrolled in a short course on children’s fiction to start writing the actual story, which might really influence the feel of the project. I am excited to find out either way.
Other influences
I realised I need to practice regularly and feel part of a community. Therefore I’ve started joining weekly online life drawing sessions. This keeps my muscles supple, encourages me to work quicker and more intuitively. My drawing has really improved and I feel more confident. Another invaluable addition to my practice is the series of weekly online meet-ups with three of my fellow students (Louise McKeon, Nicola Davison and Olu Oke). Each week we discuss each other’s work and boost confidence if needed. Being part of this group has made me feel more in charge of my own growth and practice and I’m sure we’ll carry on long after we graduate from the MA.
Reference List
Primary Sources
Hughes, T. and Carlin, L. (illustrator), 2010. The Iron Man. London: Walker Books Ltd.
Rebecca.1940. [DVD] Directed by Orson Welles. Available through: YouTube [Accessed 13 October 2020].
Stoker, B., 1897.Dracula. New York: Modern Library.
The Haunting of Bly Manor.2020. [film] Directed by Mike Flanagan. Available through: Netflix [Accessed 15-20 October 2020].
The Woman in Black. 2012. [film] Directed by James Watkins. Available through: Netflix [Accessed 14 October 2020].
Van de Vendel, E. and Vandenabeele, A. (illustrator), 2016. Rood Rood Roodkapje. Wielsbeke: Uitgeverij De Eenhoorn.
Academic Sources
Arninkhof, A., 2020. Where are all the scary picture books?: Horror as a noteworthy genre for picture books and how to apply it appropriately. MA. Anglia Ruskin University.
Smith, A., 2013. Gothic Literature. Edinburgh: University Press.
Subrimanian, J. and Lagerwey, J. 2020. Teen Terrors: Race, Gender and Horrifying Girlhood in The Vampire Diaries. In: McCort, J.R. ed., 2018. Reading in the Dark : Horror in Children's Literature and Culture. Jackson: University Press of Mississippi. pp.180-200.
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