Amanda Gilbert PDP: May 2012

Thursday, 24 May 2012

When given this project I wanted to make a book that gave a true insight into my personality. I planned to create a hard cover book filled with watercolour paper on which I could create my art. I wanted to show my style and how I plan to integrate my art with children's literature. I also wanted to show my love of painting, this became problematic as most of my paintings are done on canvas. I decided to create a set of paintings to accompany my book, several of which I planned to include in the book itself as photographs of the original artwork.

Amanda Gilbert ©

The book is designed to showcase my talents and show the potential my work has for children's book illustration. I used a wide range of research encompassing my favourite artist who work within similar themes of fantasy and mystery drawing upon elements of the natural world. These artists include Josephine Wall, whom I was lucky enough to meet, and John Howe, one of my favourite illustrators.

I wanted to create a small narrative to link my images and began by researching a central character. I used little red riding hood initially but also explored the snow queen concept which became the basis for my story. I used my research to inform my work, exploring ideas and experimenting with techniques to refine my ideas.

I invented several characters; a fox called foxy, a collection of rabbits and my main character Crystal; the snow queen's daughter who cannot live with her due to her having a warm heart and the snow queen living in perpetual winter. I wanted my story to encompass each of these characters and developed a narrative to accommodate this.

Amanda Gilbert ©

I used thick water colour paper and painted each page of the book independently before fixing them together. This was to overcome the problem of painting into a book that was too difficult and impractical.

I created the hard cover from thick card based on the book making workshop given by Mel and some additional online research.

I wanted the cover to be special and interesting and combine several textures. I experimented with screen printing and using flock and foil techniques to create an interesting simplistic cover design. The inside cover both front and back I created using various different inks.

Amanda Gilbert ©

I wanted the book to appear special and bespoke, more interesting than standard books. I also wanted to appeal to my target audience of children. I included small envelopes as part of the narrative to make the book more interactive.

I wanted to create a lock and key to make the book more enigmatic and appeal to a younger audience; to connote the essence of a secrecy and wonderment. This was very difficult and I struggled in creating a clasp on the cover itself. To overcome this I designed a wooden box to house the book which would be lockable through a clasp. I asked my boyfriends grandfather to help me with the making of the box based on my original design.

Overall I am pleased with the final outcomes of this project. I would like to develop the story further as it is quite short and could flow better given more time.

Grimm Book Cover Design

Amanda Gilbert ©

Wednesday, 23 May 2012

A Bit About Me

Amanda Gilbert – Me, Myself and I

· How do I like to work?

I like to paint on canvas with acrylic paints. I like to research an idea and work towards a finished piece of art. I like to create clear stories with my images. I take a lot of photographs of nature which I use as the basis for some of my work.

· Who or what will inspire me?

I love the work of John Howe,, Julie Bell, Josephine Wall, Bente Schlick and Bernhard Vogel. I am inspired by themes of fantasy and magic, dreams, spirits and the natural world.

· What materials do I like to work with?

I like working with water colours, paper, canvas, ink and oil paints.

· Have any other modules/projects influenced my ideas?

I particularly enjoyed the book making workshops, which I have continued to explore in my practice. I also liked the ‘After Song to the Siren’ task and the way in which I was restricted from using black.

· What scale do I like to work at?

Some of my canvas work can be as big as A1, though most of my ink and watercolour work tends to be A4 or A3 size.

· Do I want to make a zine, a sketchbook, a magazine, a portfolio a comic, a unique object, a journal, an altered book…?

I intend to have a portfolio as well as an altered book.

· How could I make my book?

Using a needle and thread I intend to make the pages, which will then be attached to a hard cover. I am also thinking about adding a lock and key.

· How big will my book be?

I am not sure yet, possibly A4 or A3

· How many pages does it have?

I’m not sure. I am working on a storyboard to determine how many pages I will need.

· Does it still function as a book?

It will function as a normal storybook.

· What are it’s contents, it’s themes?

The book is about Mother Nature and the Snow Queen, it is a children’s story.

· Is there Text & Image? Just image? Or Just text?

The book is a children’s book, there will be text to support large illustrations.

· Does it have a visual style?

It will be a sort of fantasy art style

What I Do...

I specialize in children’s book illustration and fine art. I like to exhibit my fine art practices and observe the reaction of people to my work and the context surrounding my ideas. I like to create interesting, emotive pieces of art that convey feelings and ideas. I chose to study Illustration for my degree because I am very intrigued with the natural world and magical themes. Illustration allows me to explore this relation in a way that is accessible for young children. I enjoy working with a range of materials using different methods of print and image making to produce cards, posters and even bespoke books. I aim to capture and evoke feelings of love and soulful beauty, to bring colour and magic to children and adults, to excite and inspire through the wonder of nature and the limitless capabilities of fantasy. I take my visual inspiration from my garden and natural surroundings. Animals feature heavily in my work, I like to explore narratives that follow animals and give an insight into their lives and habits. I was always aware of the difficulties working in such a competitive industry, but studying at Plymouth College of Art has helped me to understand what is needed in terms of skills, self promotion and the importance of being proactive in finding contacts and getting my work seen by as many people as possible. I have been working on my blog and creating a good professional online presence. I would to exhibit as much as possible and get my work to the right people through networking and attending events. I also will try to enter as many competitions as possible. The main problem at this stage is trying to stand out from the crowd, as there are hundreds of illustrators looking for similar work. My plan is to continue working, developing my own style until I find the right contact and make the first step to becoming well known.

Statement 3 - Amanda Gilbert – Me, My Book & I.

Statement 3 - Amanda Gilbert – Me, My Book & I.

Title: Crystal

This book and the surrounding materials explore the way in which I work and my inspiration towards children’s illustration. It is intended to function as a showcase of my work and the themes and ideas which inspire my creative practice. These themes include the magical mystery of fictional worlds and fantasy. Inspired by the natural world and artists such as John Howe and Josephine Wall. These are two of my favourite artists whose work has become a big influence on my style. As well as a story the book will feature some samples of my fine art practice and creative techniques as well as some of the fictional characters that I have been creating. The book is intended to be a beautiful collection of images, a showcase of my style as an artist and the creative world in which I work.

The book itself will feature amongst a range of materials aimed at giving a sense of what my work is about. It is a hardback cover A4 size housed in a wooden box. The box connotes a traditional concept of a secret diary acting as the walls to a secret world within. There is a small padlock and key to gain access to the book itself. This should make the content more exciting and enigmatic as only the holder of the key can enter the fictional world within. The book cover is made of a soft blue material, there are 42 pages including a story and various images of paintings and other work. There are also photos of large canvas paintings and elements of my life. In addition to the book there are 5 canvases, 2 notebooks, some t-shirts and a bag all decorated with my artwork. The content is a kind of promotional package for myself, a range of objects that people can explore.

The book making workshops were very influential in this project especially the use of stitch work, I also wanted to include my love of painting on canvas.