Assignment: Picture Book
For this assignment you have two choices (choose one):
• Find an illustration: analyze the details of visual narration from an existing illustration from a children's picture book.
• Create your own illustration: draw/paint/create your own illustration for an imaginary children's book, and write an analytical reflection that explains the reasons behind the choices you made in the illustration.
Option I: Illustration Analysis
For this option you will have to do some research: either go to the children's section in a public library and find yourself a picture book, or you can use the web to find one. Choose one or two images from the book and closely examine the choices the illustrator made in terms of: colour, size, style, lines, space, perspective, representations of characters, etc. Consider all their choices with regard to the 4 elements of effective visual narration that we learned last week.
Fill out the worksheet below analyzing and discussing your opinions on why the illustrator made these choices and illustrations this way. Read closely into small details and speculate as to how these choices might make this illustration "effective" for a child to see, according to what we learned last week about the 4 qualities that make a visual narrative effective.
Option II: Creative
Create an illustration for an imaginary children's book using any artistic form you'd like. You can do this by hand and take a photo of your work or you can use a free illustration software like Canva if you'd like to. Make sure you are making intentional choices in colour, size, style, lines, perspective, space, representations of characters, etc. Consider all your choices with regard to the 4 elements of effective visual narration that we learned last week.
• Fill out the worksheet below analyzing and discussing why you, the illustrator, made these choices and illustrations this way. Read closely into small details and speculate as to how these choices might make this illustration "effective" for a child to see, according to what we learned last week about the 4 qualities that make a visual narrative effective.
If you choose this option, you will not be graded on your artistic skills, but rather the effort you put in and the meaningful decisions you make about how something should be illustrated in order to be an effective visual narrative.
Picture Book Assignment: Outline
*Be sure to upload a photo of the illustration you chose or created with your written submission
*You must write your responses in a cohesive, unified paragraph for each quality
• Authenticity: what details from the illustration [small choices the illustrator made] make the illustration authentic? Point to and describe at least three details and explain WHY they may create an experience of authenticity for a child reader.
• Relevance: what details from the illustration [small choices the illustrator made] make the illustration relevant? Point to and describe at least three details and explain WHY they may create an experience of relevance for a child reader.
• Sensation: what details from the illustration [small choices the illustrator made] make the illustration sensory? Point to and describe at least three details and explain WHY they may create a sensory experience for a child reader.
• Archetypes/ Familiarity: what details from the illustration [small choices the illustrator made] make the illustration archetypal? Point to and describe at least three details and explain WHY they may create an experience of familiarity for a child reader.