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Sledding, Sleighs and Sleds in Storytelling and Illustration
Sleds, sledges, sleighs and toboggans in art and illustration (and what is the actual difference?)
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Two Weeks With The Queen by Morris Gleitzman Novel Study
Two Weeks With The Queen is an Australian middle grade novel by Morris Gleitzman. My edition is copyrighted 1989, though other places on the web will tell you this book was first published in 1990 or 1991.
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Tips For Using Alcohol Markers
Alcohol markers dry quickly, blend smoothly and are slightly transparent, so are used by professional artists, crafters and hobby sketchers alike. Unlike the water based markers typically used by children, alcohol markers do have a bit of a stink.
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What is literary modernism?
I keep saying that Katherine Mansfield is a standout example of a Modernist short story writer, but what does ‘modernist’ really mean? “Make it new!” EZRA POUND, 1934 The Modernist Timeline In Wharton and in James, we see the formal precepts of realism taken to their absolute limit—the breaking point before modernism. The traditional nineteenth-century…
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Utilising The Foreground of Illustrations
One way to add depth to an illustration: Plonk something big and interesting into the foreground. Extend the picture as far back as the situation allows, all the way back to the hills, with detail in the middle distance. Utilise aerial perspective. This illustration of a sleeping cat is a perfect example:
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Long Shots Of Tall Buildings With Many Windows
What are the tropes associated with windows, specifically the windows of tall buildings in the distance? They feel multivalent to me — windows can be cosy and sinister: cosy because they remind us that we are surrounded by people, and ominous because, well, they remind us we’re surrounded by people.
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Bicycles in Illustration
In Year 10 art class, one project set by our teacher was to render a part of a bicycle using black biro. If you’ve ever done an exercise like that, you’ll know how many details comprise a bike.
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Illustrated Borders In Golden Age Illustration
If you’re creating a bordered artwork here you may find inspiration?
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Skiing in Illustration
A collection of skiing illustrations. Pair with Illustrating Slopes.
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What is mystery boxing?
Mystery boxing is a storytelling technique which has only been accepted by popular audiences since about the year 2000. Back in 2000, the technique didn’t yet have a name. A BRIEF HISTORY OF MYSTERY BOXING It is better to know some of the questions than all of the answers. James Thurber In 2007 J.J. Abrams gave a now-famous…
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What is an illocutionary act?
In The Office skit below, Michael Scott is attempting to imitate a Southern American accent for a game. He tries to sound Southern by saying “I do declare” at the end of each sentence. As Michael Scott is using it, “I do declare” is an exclamatory embellishment rather than an illocutionary act. The character of…
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Excess, Hyperbole and Pestilence In Illustration
We love stories of excess. examples of excess and visual hyperbole can be seen all across children’s literature. Literally any item can be turned into a visual gag by creating a large number of it.
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Collage Sheet Illustration In Picture Books
Crafters sometimes talk about ‘collage sheets’ and we can use this term to describe a certain type of picture book illustration. Basically, I’m talking about a piece of art which looks a lot like a sticker sheet, or, if you’re a generation older than modern adhesive, like a sheet of paper dolls, yet to be…
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Afternoon in Linen by Shirley Jackson Short Story Analysis
Kristen Roupenian joins Deborah Treisman to read and discuss “Afternoon in Linen,” by Shirley Jackson, which appeared in a 1943 issue of the New Yorker magazine. I count this story as a perfect example of the dark carnivalesque.
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The Poky Little Puppy by Sebring Lowrey and Tenngren Analysis
The Poky Little Puppy is a classic Little Golden Book by Texas writer Janette Sebring Lowrey, illustrated by Gustav Tenngren. This story was one of the first 12 Little Golden Books, first published in 1942.