Illustration by Andrew Hall

This new book by Andrew Hall who is the course leader at Central St Martin's is just published by Laurence King and will be added to our reading list this year. I advise all years to get a copy if you can.
At first glance I was not immediately taken with the layout and selection of work particularly. However I persevered and actually read it in three sittings. I think this is a really excellent introductory text for illustration students.
The content here is very good indeed and whilst some of the selection of images is not perhaps to my own taste, they illustrate the points Andrew Hall is making very well. Illustration is a rapidly changing marketplace and it is difficult to keep up with the pace of change particularly in new media. But I think this broadly introduces these developing markets in a concise and easy to understand manner.

Not only does it tackle these emerging markets but it introduces key practical theories, such as colour and perspective, it looks at the main commissioning areas with illustrated examples and takes you through the commissioning process too.

In the opening chapter it says:" The illustrator's job is to create something from nothing, to encapsulate an idea that communicates to an audience in an innovative way that is also articulate...The training for an illustrator requires that they explore key areas of their subject, both practically and intellectually until they can competently reassemble them in a fashion that is peculiar to them, that carries their authorship and that is imprinted with their own particular artistic and intellectual vision."
Having struggled to summarise exactly what I think illustration is to potential new students I don't think I could put it better myself. Buy this book it is an excellent introduction to the practice, context and business of illustration.

(Advertisement ha ha i should get some cash!)

Forgotten Illustrator Esme Eve

Recently I was lent a childrens' book Mother Goose Nursery Rhymes by a colleague, beautifully illustrated by Esme Eve and published by Blackie of Glasgow about 1958 I think? Absolutely stunning two colour illustrations throughout, and hundreds of them too, an astonishing amount of work each vignette is beautifully designed. Having never heard of her I did a little web digging Florence Olive Esme Eve studied at the RCA 1941 - 44 just after Bawden, Ravilious et al. I shall try and find out more! She illustrated quite a few children's books it seems.

Degree Show 2011

Degree Show 2011 Private View Night

Unleashed 2011 at Mr Thomas' Chop House Manchester

Up and coming illustrators will be showing at this year's Mr Thomas' Chop House Art Fair event in the well known public house of the same name. This year it is called: Unleashed: The Best in the North 2011 will open for three weeks on the 23rd June. A total of 196 works were submitted from 13 colleges and universities: Blackpool and the Fylde College | Edinburgh College of Art | Hull College of Art & Design | Kirklees College | Leeds Metropolitan University | Liverpool John Moores University | Manchester Metropolitan University | Sheffield Hallam University | Stockport College | University of Chester | University of Huddersfield | University of Salford 

and of course University of Central Lancashire. 

The calibre of artwork this year is said to be excellent and it's certainly going to be a difficult one to judge. On which note, the following are confirmed as the judges:

Lise Brian (Chair) - Associate Director, The Chase http://www.thechase.co.uk/homepage/

Andy Cheetham - Partner and Creative Director, CheethamBell JWT http://www.cheethambelljwt.com/

Tom Richards - Creative Director, BJL Advertising http://www.bjl.co.uk/

David Hughes - Illustrator http://www.davidhughesillustration.co.uk/

Peter Horridge - Type, Lettering, Calligraphy and Crests specialist http://www.horridge.com/

Wendy Levy - Creative Agent and Gallery Owner http://www.wendyjlevy-art.com/about.php 

It is worth noting that the poster image you see here was produced by Alex Barrett a recent graduate of UCLAN!

V&A Illustration Awards 2011

French illustrator and regular contributor to the Guardian Olivier Kugler has won the V&A Illustration Award 2011.

Kugler's reportage/diary illustrations of a truck driver's journey across Iran have won the top prize at the V&A Illustration awards.The illustrations were created for French quarterly reportage magazine XXI and were based on his his own travels in Iran with the truck driver Massih. Kugler and his driving companion took a four-day journey across Iran carrying bottled water to the Persian Gulf.
His winning illustrations were described as a "...stunning work. This is where drawing can top photography and copy," said judge Rob Ryan. Kugler won £2000 first prize for editorial illustration as well as an additional £2000 as the overall winner.
Laura Carlin was awarded the prize for best illustrated book for her work on The Iron Man, praised by judges for "her sophisticated approach to colour and scale" in what they said was "a stunning example of book illustration and production".

 Their artwork will be displayed for free in the V&A's 20th-Century Galleries until 17 December.

Astrid Lindgren Memorial Prize 2011

As reported in The Guardian Review on Saturday; Australian illustrator Shaun Tan has been presented with The Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award in Stockholm last week. The prize is worth nearly half a million pounds and is awarded to authors, artists, and illustrators for their lifetime achievements in the spirit of Lindgren's famous illustrated heroine Pippi Longstocking.

Tan follows in an illustrious lineage including Maurice Sendak, and Phillip Pullman who were previous winners. He was commended as "a masterly visual storyteller who combines brilliant, magical narrative skill with deep humanism".  A justifiable award for a great, and innovative illustrator, who all in all has had a pretty good year - his picture book "The Lost Thing" was adapted into an animation and won the Oscar for best animated short film earlier this year.