A beginner's overview of the visual devices and characters bringing children's books to life. A wide range of picture books is presented, documenting the process of children's illustration from visual concept to bound volume--from storyboards and book dummies, to finished artwork suitable for reproduction.
These pages started out as the student handouts for a class taught in realspace. What's lacking in the cyberspace-only version is seeing the actual books mentioned, with a chance to examine up-close the illustrations discussed. As it turns out, the strain of carting across town as many as seventy books per lecture was a major reason for discontinuing the class.
As a partial substitute for the irreplaceable experience of holding and perusing actual paper-based books, I am providing links to secure your own copies across the Internet (limited, of course, to the titles still available for sale). Another alternative (securing the rights to reproduce the most significant images on this site) is currently out of the question for obvious reasons (way too much time and expense involved, considering that this site earns no money).
It is possible that the realspace class may be resurrected in a more hospitable venue. If that should ever happen, you'll read it here first.
Textbook
The choice of textbook was meant to provide a wide selection of visual samples illustrating the topics covered--all in one package. References to the appropriate chapter(s) are listed throughout these notes.
Shulevitz, Uri. Writing with pictures: how to write and illustrate children's books. New York: Watson-Guptill Publications; ISBN: 0823059359.
Available now in a new paperback reissue.
At Amazon.com you can also browse a vast selection of children's books to inspire you in your creative efforts.
Shulevitz, Uri. Writing with pictures: how to write and illustrate children's books. New York: Watson-Guptill Publications; ISBN: 0823059359.
