Jonathan Leach was commissioned by Still-Moving DJs to illustrate a promotional piece of artwork to celebrate their seven year anniversary.
The fantastical image features the two DJs riding on the backs of dinosaurs – one of their favourite things. The DJs can often be found surrounded by toy dinosaurs on the decks at their gigs so naturally they loved Jonathan’s portrayal of them. Still-Moving DJs are currently preparing for The Larmer Tree Festival in Salisbury.
Following an award studded 2014 for Bright star Nicola O’Byrne - including the coveted Waterstones Children’s Book Prize - this year was already set to consist of gleaming prosperity. The BookTrust‘s Booktime story for 2015 – that is to be gifted to 700,000 reception-aged children in UK – is Nicola O’Byrne’s debut picture book, Open Very Carefully (Nosy Crow).
The book with bite, which was brokered by Bright M.D Vicki Willden-Lebrecht, has been a seemingly huge success with children of all ages, their parents & schools the world over. Kate Wilson, Managing Director of Nosy Crow,aptly describes why the book has been received so well by young readers -
‘With its invitation to interactivity, its humour and its stylish but accessible illustration, Open Very Carefully seems to have really wide appeal’
The Nosy Crow book, which is to be distributed to all UK school children aged 4-5, will be accompanied by a Booktime pack that provides guidance & notes for parents aimed at installing the importance of reading with their children.
With a reach of two million children & families, the BookTrust is Britain’s largest reading charity. As the organisation’s 10th Booktime story to be gifted to every reception child in UK, Open Very Carefully will no doubt continue to grace the shelves of more and more young readers this year – especially with the availability of 13 languages.
See Nicola O’Byrne’s Literary Portfolio HERE for previous titles, awards & upcoming projects.
Have you authored a children’s book? Are you looking for a special illustrator to match the style of your story? Perhaps you’re looking to commission an artist privately, for something you’d like to have in your home or workplace.
As illustrators' agents, we receive a great deal of enquiries for this particular area, and whilst we understand most people are generally interested in the bottom line, and what the job will cost, in order for us to provide you with an accurate quote there is a series of information we require to do so. In addition, having this guide will provide everyone working on the project with clarity and understanding, which is vital when communicating creatively.
The following questions, although pertinent to publishing clients, are similar to those required for most illustration briefs.
How to write perfect illustration briefs when commissioning illustrators
Illustrators and animators eventually reach a point of curiosity about agency representation. Whether you’re a seasoned pro or just starting out, applying to agencies for inclusion on their roster can be a daunting task. At Illustration Ltd, we receive an extremely high volume of requests for representation from artists all around the world, and our success stems from a careful method of selection.
Here’s 7 simple tips to help you stand out from this rather large crowd.
7 things agents look out for in an illustration portfolio
This one is for all you type fans out there, HF’s Martina Flor has recently started a small collaboration with online broadcasting channel Creative Live. Martina will be designing wallpapers based on a particular month’s theme that you lovely internet people can download for free from the CL website – https://blog.creativelive.com/lettering-love-desktop-wallpaper/
The first theme is ‘Lettering Love’ and if the free download wasn’t enough you can view a little video about the making of process too. Check that out here- https://vimeo.com/123647384
They broke the mould when they made this issue’s cover star Jimmy Edgar.
Larry Rostant's portrait of Jimmy Edgar is psychedelic, freaky, funky — and that’s not just his music. With a life well lived that’s reflected in the extraordinary scope of his albums and DJ sets, he’s not afraid to be different — and celebrates that difference.
A celebration of creativity, freedom and diversity is something that dance music should be about, but is something all too often lost in the chase for filthy lucre. Jimmy’s a star like they used to make, someone with something to say, and it seems that now more of us are listening than ever.
Geoff Hunt’s impressive painting “Unknown Shore” is featured in April 16'ths edition of the Daily Mail in the Life section on an article promoting “The Wager Disaster: Mayhem, Mutiny and Murder in the South Seas” by Rear Admiral C. H. Layman
Geoff Hunt RSMA - (Royal Society of Marine Artists) is a internationally renowned artist, represented by Artist Partners, and famously connected to the complete series of Patrick O’Brian book covers for Harper Collins that have now become iconic
David has hit the ground running at Bright securing his first picture book deals in both the UK and the US. His distinctive style mixes colour and drama to inspire an incredible atmosphere which creates a huge scale from which to entertain his readers.
David's début Picture Book - The Bear and the Piano (published with Frances Lincoln), is available for pre-order now!
David first began drawing when he was very young, creating Star Wars & Indiana Jones mash-up comics for his older brother and sister. His illustration heroes and biggest influences are Albert Uderzo, Sylvan Chomet, Jon Klassen and Shaun Tan. He uses a variety of techniques to create his illustrations and considers himself to be a mixed media artist as he usually combines all the elements together in Photoshop.
Australian illustrator Christopher Nielsen worked on a series of surfing images with Winkreative. The bold illustrations accompany an article about Munich River Surfer Carsten Kurmis in Mini International – a free magazine for Mini drivers and admirers around the world.
Chris Garbutt's long-awaited debut picture book, It's a Groovy World, Alfredo! written by Sean Taylor, is published by Walker on 4th June.
Poor Alfredo is a frog who just can't dance. No matter how hard his best friend Marty (a smooth talking fly) tries to teach him all the fancy dance moves - all he ever does is Jump! Jump! Jump! It's just not cool! Or… is it?
Chris' use of rich colours with subtle washes, combined with his simple yet expressive characters gives this heart-warming story a really unique feel. Here's a preview of his gorgeous illustrations.
