CHILDREN S LITERATURE
THE ILLUSTRATOR S BRIEF PRESENTERS Mrs. Allison Hall Green Mr. Kerrith Watts Media Services Unit Ministry of Education, Youth and Information Presented at the USAID/LAC Reads Capacity Program Second Writers Workshop Venue: The Jewel Dunn s River Beach Resort and Spa Date: October 31, 2017
What is an illustrator s brief? It is a terms of reference that serves to inform the illustrator about the style, size and target audience of the artwork (illustrations or photography) that will be used in the particular project. It also include other information such as the timeline.
The Book (Manuscript)
What is the book all about? Always consider the following: Setting Characters Type (E.g. fiction or non-fiction) Culture Use
How many illustrations will be needed? This depends on the publisher s needs. E.g., a typical picture book has 32 pages with 28 or less dedicated to illustrations. However a publisher or author may need 3 illustrations on a page. Image Caroline Binch, Amazing Grace
What are the specifications for the book? Measurement e.g. 8 ½ x 11 Layout e.g. portrait or landscape
Target Audience
Target Audience These are the persons who will read the book. They can be further segmented in various groups. For example, if the target audience is children; this group can be segmented into:
Children 0-3 Children 4-5 Children 6-8 Target Audience
The Style of Illustration
Which style is the most suitable for this book? 1. Painting (realistic or semi-realistic) Water colour Oil Acrylics Image Kadir Nelson
2. Pencil Illustrations Coloured pencils Crayons Chalk
3. Papercraft Collage Image David Wisniewski
4. Scratchboard 5. Photography 6. Woodcuts Image Brian Pinkney
7. Photography 8. Cartoon Style Image Will Terry (Cartoon Style)
9. Computer-generated Art This style of art can be made to look like cartoon, realistic or semi-realistic. Image ArtofMervin
Always provide the illustrator with a description of each scene, or character the artwork should depict. The description should include information on: the main character the setting other information which will add value to the scene e.g. clothing of characters, items to be included in the scene
Sample Illustration Description Sheet Page # Content Description Sample Illustration/s 12 People call me dundus or yellow girl, but I am an albino. I have very, very, fair skin. I love the colour of my skin. 13 a. Mother says it makes me look very beautiful. She calls me her fair princess. An image of the little girl in her room looking at her self in a mirror. The mother is at the door of the room. An illustration of the little girl and her mother looking in the mirror.
Sample Illustration Description Sheet Page # Content Description Sample Illustration/s 13 b. She says all skin colours are beautiful. An image of children of varying shades.
The Specifications and Media
The illustration size varies depending on its use. The following should be considered: Layout of book (landscape or portrait) Dimensions of the book
Media/Medium, for example, Print (book, poster, brochure) or Digital (apps, website, e- books/interactive books) or Other Media (toys, stationery). Publishers usually want exclusive rights to use the illustrations. Resolution of final images Format of submission
Timeline
The deadline for the illustrations is dependent on the following factors: Style of illustration (Realistic illustrations may require more time than cartoon style). Experience of the illustrator
Availability of the illustrator Budget Deadline of the project
Timeline should include: Date for drafts e.g. preliminary sketches/line drawings (story board) Date for first submission Date for second submission Date for final submission
Rights of the Illustrator
Rights of the Illustrator Non disclosure contract with friends/associates Type of Contract What can be copyrighted?
Reviewing the Illustrator
A children s book, A Birthday Cake for George Washington, published by Scholastic was pulled, after an outcry over its depiction of slavery in post-revolutionary America.
Reviewing the Illustration Does it complement the text? Does it flow logically? Does it accurately portray the character and setting? Is the style suitable for children?
Is it culturally appropriate? Is it loved by the target audience? Does it incorporate the curriculum theme and objectives?
Is it placed correctly on the page? Does the scene require 1 illustration or 2? Do you need less words (when the illustration is completed)?
The Brief Please see handout for an example of a publisher s brief for illustrators.