upcoming Workshops & EVENTS
Character Design Workshop
Date/TIME uk GMT
Sat 20th Feb 1-4PM
SOLD OUT
Tuesday 23rd March 10-1PM
SOLD OUT
Tuesday 23rd March 4-7PM
SOLD OUT
NEW DATE
Saturday 8th May 1-4PM
SOLD OUT
Venue
Online, Zoom
FEE
£45 (INCLUDES booking fee)
This workshop will give you the knowledge and insight to begin creating characters for your picture book projects. Illustrator and author, Maisie, will guide you through why characters are so important for stories, what makes a good character and more. Maisie will also share her own approach to character design. This will include how she works on character, from the ideas stage, through to the final artwork. Ness will discuss some of her industry experiences working as a designer with illustrators on character.
The workshop is split into three sections:
A lecture and Q&A session
A character drawing exercise
Small group discussion
From this workshop you will:
Learn skills to move forward with your own character design
Feel inspired by the examples shown
Have a greater understanding of a characters role within a picture book
Have the chance to ask two industry professionals questions
After the workshop you will have the opportunity to send in one character you have created and receive individual written feedback on this.
The workshop is open to ALL (whatever your level). It could be your first time creating a character, you might be a student, graduate, or currently working on a project that you feel you’d like character development help with. If so, this is the workshop for you!
Katie harnett
Author/illustrator
Date
Thursday 15th April
Time
7-9.00PM (UK GMT)
Venue
Online, Zoom
FEE
£12 (INCLUDES booking fee)
Katie Harnett is an illustrator and author from Sheffield.
She has written and illustrated three picture books, these include the 2017 Greenaway Medal nominated Archie Snufflekins Cat. She is the illustrator of the Franklin’s Flying Bookshop series. There are three books in this series and they have gained 10 co-editions, the second book, Franklin and Luna Go To The Moon won a Gold Made For Mums award 2019. Katie also illustrates children’s fiction book covers and older fiction.
Her awards include:
Selection for The Illustrators Exhibition at the Bologna Children's Book Fair 2012 & 2015
Recipient of the Bologna Children's Book Fair ARS IN FABULA Grant Award 2015
Shortlisted for the Independent Book Week Book Award 2019
Katie is represented by Andrea Morrison of Writers House, U.S.
Join us to hear Katie talk about her publishing career so far, working in picture books and illustrated fiction, her use of materials, inspirations and process. After Katie's talk there will be a Q&A and a live workshop.
Picture Books:
Insides Layout Design Workshop
Date
17th April 1-4PM SOLD OUT
NEW DATE
27th May 10-1PM SOLD OUT
Venue
Online, Zoom
FEE
£45 (INCLUDES booking fee)
This workshop will give you knowledge and information into designing the insides of picture books.
Art director and designer Ness will guide you through various examples and different approaches to laying out the inside of a picture book.
Maisie will share some of her industry experience of working as an illustrator on the insides of picture books.
The workshop is split into three sections:
A lecture and Q&A session
A picture book insides design exercise
Small group discussion
From this workshop you will:
Learn about different approaches to picture book design
Further your understanding of working with text and image
Be inspired by examples of picture book inside designs
Receive feedback on work created during the workshop
Have the opportunity to ask two industry professionals questions
After the event you will have the opportunity to send in work created from this workshop and receive individual written feedback on this.
This workshop is open to anyone at any level. It could be you have written a text and want to try and lay it out with illustrations or you could be currently working on a picture book which needs work on the pacing or layout.
Picture Book Cover Design Workshop
Date
27th April
tIMe
4-7PM (UK GMT)
Venue
Online, Zoom
FEE
£45 (INCLUDES booking fee)
This workshop will give you knowledge and information into creating a cover design for your book. Covers are the first thing your readers will see, and so creating a successful cover is very important.
Art director and designer Ness will guide you through the different approaches and key elements to consider that are often used when creating a cover.
Maisie will share some of her industry experiences working as an illustrator with designers on her book covers.
The workshop is split into three sections:
A lecture and Q&A session
A cover design exercise
Small group discussion
From this workshop you will:
Learn skills to move forward with your cover design
Be inspired by a variety of cover design ideas from other illustrators
Receive individual feedback on one of your cover ideas
Have the opportunity to ask two industry professionals questions
After the event you will have the opportunity to send in one picture book cover design and receive individual written feedback on this.
This workshop is open to anyone at any level. It could be your first time designing a cover, you might a student, graduate, or currently working on a project that you need cover design help with.
Date
Thursday 6th May
Time
7-8.30PM (UK GMT)
Venue
Online, Zoom
FEE
£2O (INCLUDES booking fee)
Jodie Hodges is the literary agent for children’s authors and illustrators at United Agents, where she has worked since the company’s inception in 2008.
She develops new talent across writing and/or illustrating books for all ages and manages clients’ careers once published. She has a large list with a particular focus on picture books and younger fiction representing talent such as Jim Field, Rob Biddulph, Kate Hindley, David Tazzyman, Britta Teckentrup and Harriet Muncaster.
Jodie will speak about whether you need an agent, finding an agent, the agent-illustrator relationship, career strategy and the publishing process, with time for Q&A.
There will be a live Q&A and you will receive a hand out after the lecture which summarises key points.
LECTURE WITH JODIE HODGES
Literary Agent Insight
Jarvis
Author/illustrator
Date
Thursday 13th May
Time
7-9.00PM (UK GMT)
Venue
Online, Zoom
FEE
£12 (INCLUDES booking fee)
Jarvis is the author and illustrator of Alan’s Big, Scary Teeth, Tropical Terry, and This Little Piggy, among others. He had lots of different jobs before creating his first children's book in 2015, including bingo caller, bouncy castle painter, record sleeve designer, and animation director.
Jarvis just loves telling stories with pictures. Here are some highlights-
Victoria & Albert Museum Winner of best illustrated book 2017
Kirkus starred review for 'Pick a Pine Tree’
“The witty Jarvis makes all the right moves” New York Times
Jarvis lives in Manchester with his wife, Jenna and their little ball of fluff, Milo.
Join us to hear Jarvis talk about working in picture books, his inspirations process and more! After Jarvis's talk there will be a Q&A and a live fun workshop.
Date
Thursday 3rd June
Time
7-8.30PM (UK GMT)
Venue
Online, Zoom
FEE
£2O (INCLUDES booking fee)
Maisie Paradise Shearring is an international award-winning and published author-illustrator. In 2015, Maisie received the prestigious Bologna International Illustrators Award in recognition for her graphic novel, Susan's School Days. Her first picture book, The Happy Prince, was nominated for the 2017 Bratislava Biennial of Illustration. Maisie's picture books include, I'm Actually Really Grown-Up Now and Anna & Otis, both published by Two Hoots. Maisie has also recently illustrated, The Boy Who Loved Everyone, a picture book story written by Jane Porter and published by Walker Books. This book was awarded The Little Rebels Children's Book Award. Maisie has post-graduate lecturing experience, having worked on the MA in Children's Book Illustration at Cambridge School of Art. Currently Maisie is a mentor for the Picture Hooks scheme.
Join Maisie to hear her talk about how she makes the connection between her sketchbook work and her final artwork. The lecture will look at the importance of experimentation, drawing from life, playing in your sketchbook and how all these things inform Maisie's final illustrations.
There will be a live Q&A and you will receive a hand out after the lecture which summarises key points.
LECTURE WITH Maisie paradise shearring
Observation to Illustration
Birgitta Sif
Author/illustrator
Date
Thursday 10th June
Time
7-9.00PM (UK GMT)
Venue
Online, Zoom
FEE
£12 (INCLUDES booking fee)
Birgitta Sif is an award winning children's book author and illustrator.
She was born in Iceland, lived in and around Scandinavia and America while growing up, and worked as a graphic designer in New York City before graduating with a Masters in Children's Book Illustration from the Cambridge School of Art.
She is the creator of the Kate Greenaway shortlisted picture book, OLIVER, which was also shortlisted for the Nordic Children's Book Literature Prize. Her books Frances Dean Who Loved To Dance and Dance and OLIVER were both endorsed by Amnesty International. Birgitta has written and illustrated numerous picturebooks that have sold all over the world. Her most recent picturebook HUGO is published by Walker Book UK. She is currently working on a book series with Candlewick Press in the US.
Join us to hear Birgitta talk about her career so far, her inspirations, process and what she's currently working on. After Birgitta's talk there will be a Q&A and a live fun workshop.
Sara OGilvie
Author/illustrator
Date
Thursday 22nd July
Time
7-9.00PM (UK GMT)
Venue
Online, Zoom
FEE
£12 (INCLUDES booking fee)
Sara Ogilvie is an award-winning illustrator and printmaker from Edinburgh, based in Newcastle upon Tyne.
After many years working primarily as a printmaker her first steps into the world of picture books resulted in Dogs Don’t do Ballet, with writer Anna Kemp, published in 2010 for Simon and Schuster.
Since then her picture book collaborations have made numerous shortlists including The Roald Dahl Funny prize (3 times), Sainsburys Picture Book awards (twice) and the Waterstones Children’s Prize. In 2011 she was one of Booktrust’s Best New Illustrators, and in 2016, in collaboration with Julia Donaldson, The Detective Dog won the Books are my Bag award in the picture book category.
In 2018 her illustrated commission for Dodie Smith’s The One Hundred and one Dalmations, for the Folio Society won a D&AD pencil in the Book Design category.
Her Illustrated books have been adapted for the stage by The Little Angel Puppet Theatre in London, and New Writing North in Tyneside, while animated pages have been created for TV on the Bookaboo series. Her latest picture book collaboration with Julia Donaldson, The Hospital Dog was published in October 2020.
Sara has taught illustration and printmaking for over 20 years at many colleges and universities both in the UK and abroad. She currently teaches part time on the Graphic Design course at Northumbria University.
Join us to hear Sara talk about her publishing career so far, working in picture books and illustrated fiction, her use of materials, inspirations and process. After Sara's talk there will be a Q&A and a live workshop.