Take A Look Sunday – Jill Iversen

LOOKING FOR ILLUSTRATIONS AND POEMS TO HELP CELEBRATE THANKSGIVING & CHRISTMAS
Please email your poems and Illustrations to Kathy.temean (at) gmail.com and put Thanksgiving Special or Christmas Special in the subject area. JPG’s must be at least 500 pixels wide.

CHRISTY: The chickens in these illustrations are very well drawn. I especially like the detail and expression on the black chicken in the second image. It’s clear what’s going on there, and they are mad! Lifelike, yet their emotions are coming through loud and clear. I am a little confused about the perspective in the 2nd illo, as I see the cloud next to the angry birds, and read that as dust they are kicking up in their anger. They look much closer to the viewer than the hen with the eggs, but they are kicking up dust right next to her. It’s playing tricks on my eyes a bit, and I can’t tell – are they flying above her, or causing a stir next to her?

The little vignettes in the first illustration are telling a good story – she is stealing other chickens’ eggs?! When she’s revealed with so many under her in the next image (and is surrounded by angry hens!), you know that that’s exactly what she was doing. I like the vignettes! It’s a nice way to show story and focus on important details. 2 things to think about, however: can chickens “grab” eggs like that with their claws? And do they lay blue eggs? If there was ONE blue egg, I’d assume that it was special (and a main character of the story!) but there are several in there with the brown and white eggs that we normally see in chicken coops. It’s a nice pop of color, but the scenes have a “realistic” feel to them, and I’m not sure that blue chicken eggs exist. Perhaps she stole a Robin’s eggs?! In any case, children will notice that – and question it!!

CHRIS: This is a good example of a ‘market educational’ style of illustration.  The line work, color and more realistic style are often quite popular in the school markets.  These are well done…showing a comfort with drawing and watercolor (assumingly).  There is little anthropomorphizing of the chickens but we do feel the emotion of the ‘attack’ from other chickens and the ‘mother’s’ pleasure at doing her job in the resting images. 

These 4 images do tell a story and would illustrate the text of the little semi instructive book the artist is perhaps illustrating. It’s lacking the ‘push’ of the more trade book possibilities of illustration that might also accompany the text of such a story:  telling more than reality; adding humor maybe; showing it in thought provocative colors and perspectives, etc.   But these are well drawn and clear for a child’s eye, and helpful in the learning process of the visual young learner.

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Jill Iversen writes and draws from memories made raising her family and animals while living in the Sierra Nevadas.   She has worked in preschool and elementary school classrooms for over 20 years.  Jill is now enjoying making new memories as she resides in Western Washington with her husband and ponies. She is an Art Center College of Design graduate and member of SCBWI.   Ever thankful for the natural creation around us, Jill loves animals, books, teaching, and art. Website: http://www.jilliversen.com

 

Thank you Chris & Christy for taking the time to share their expertise with us. It helps so many illustrators and is very much appreciated. Here is the CATugeau Agency website link: http://www.catugeau.com/

HERE IS HOW TO PARTICIPATE:

For the next few months illustrators can submit two consecutive story illustrations for critique by CATugeau Agency.

If you do not have an agent and would like to be featured and hear what you should do or how it could be tweaked to help you sell your work, then please send Two SEQUENTIAL illustrations – not just 2 pages of illustrations, but two with the SAME “story/characters‎” to:

Kathy.temean (at) gmail.com. Illustrations should be at least 500 pixels wide. Please put ILLUSTRATOR PORTFOLIO in the subject area and include a blurb about yourself that I can use to introduce you to everyone.

Each Sunday one illustrator will be chosen.

If everyone likes this, we will continue until the end of the year.

CALL FOR ILLUSTRATORS: Remember I’m always looking for illustrations I can use with articles I post. Send to: Kathy.temean (at) gmail.com. Put ILLUSTRATION FOR BLOG in the subject area. Remember all illustration need to be 500 pixels wide. Include a blurb about yourself, too.

Talk tomorrow,

Kathy