Wednesday will be my fourth class teaching seniors at RISD in the Illustration department. While advising them on building their portfolios, I’m also supposed to give them some business guidance and bring guest speakers to the classroom. This week I’ve invited my friend, an art director at Random House’s Schwartz and Wade imprint, Rachael Cole, to come tell the students what’s what. She’ll be talking about the process of picture books and how to propose ideas. I figure I’m going to learn something too. Writing/illustrating a kid’s book has always been on my bucket list and I was hoping to cross that one off sooner than later.
In lieu of all this, I pulled this book off my shelf to brush up on what’s happening in the world of picture books right now. Although it’s a little over a year old now, it collects some of the freshest, most contemporary styles and trends in illustration for kid’s books. From Blex Bolex to Camilla Engman, there’s a real range in technique, mediums, and conceptual ideas from artists around the globe. Looking through this book is like taking a stroll through the best children’s bookstore ever. I’m planning on sharing this book with my class to give them ideas on where their work could lead. And looking through it now has gotten me excited about some thoughts I have brewing for creating my own books. You should get a copy here and get inspired yourself.
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