0:00:02 > 0:00:04- We push our rookies hard. They see the good...- How cool is this!
0:00:04 > 0:00:06..the bad...
0:00:07 > 0:00:10..and the downright astonishing.
0:00:10 > 0:00:11We give them glamour.
0:00:12 > 0:00:14Show them excitement.
0:00:14 > 0:00:16Get their hands dirty.
0:00:16 > 0:00:17Put them under pressure.
0:00:17 > 0:00:19No, no!
0:00:19 > 0:00:21Make them laugh.
0:00:21 > 0:00:24All so they can experience their dream jobs.
0:00:25 > 0:00:27Today's rookies will have their pens,
0:00:27 > 0:00:31pencils and crayons at the ready as they try to doodle into the world of
0:00:31 > 0:00:33professional illustration.
0:00:33 > 0:00:35Let's go all over the workplace!
0:00:57 > 0:00:59Who wouldn't want to be an illustrator?
0:00:59 > 0:01:02Not only do you get to draw for a living but you get to dive into your
0:01:02 > 0:01:05imagination and create fantastical worlds.
0:01:05 > 0:01:08You can dream up mountains, forests,
0:01:08 > 0:01:13castles and rivers and populate them with dragons, unicorns,
0:01:13 > 0:01:16spaceships and giants.
0:01:16 > 0:01:18The possibilities are endless.
0:01:18 > 0:01:21Hi, I'm Kirsty and I want to be an illustrator.
0:01:21 > 0:01:26I love drawing gymnasts, because I do gymnastics.
0:01:26 > 0:01:31My favourite illustrator is definitely Nick Sharratt.
0:01:31 > 0:01:32Hello, my name is Tamira
0:01:32 > 0:01:35and my dream job is to become an illustrator.
0:01:35 > 0:01:39The absolute dream for me is to be at a book signing
0:01:39 > 0:01:41with beaming children smiling at me
0:01:41 > 0:01:44and having a line that goes out the door and just...
0:01:44 > 0:01:45that's my dream.
0:01:46 > 0:01:50It's a local one for Tamira today in her home city of London.
0:01:50 > 0:01:53Kirsty's travelling there to join her, and Alex of course.
0:01:54 > 0:01:57So Kirsty and Tamira, I hear you want to be illustrators.
0:01:57 > 0:01:59I want to be an illustrator that
0:01:59 > 0:02:03- illustrates children's books and magazines.- What about you, Tamira?
0:02:03 > 0:02:06Greeting cards and books but also non-fiction books as well.
0:02:06 > 0:02:10So Kirsty, was there a moment where you thought, "Yes, that's it,
0:02:10 > 0:02:12I want to be an illustrator?
0:02:12 > 0:02:14Well, I like reading Jacqueline Wilson,
0:02:14 > 0:02:18books and as soon as I finished reading Diamond,
0:02:18 > 0:02:21Nick Sharratt's illustrations were just amazing and I thought,
0:02:21 > 0:02:22that's what I want to be.
0:02:22 > 0:02:24Right, I see. And Tamira,
0:02:24 > 0:02:27what skills do think a successful illustrator would need?
0:02:27 > 0:02:30Well, creativity and imagination.
0:02:30 > 0:02:31You have to be resourceful and just use
0:02:31 > 0:02:34all the materials you have to make something amazing.
0:02:34 > 0:02:37Let's see what your parents think about your artistic ambitions.
0:02:37 > 0:02:41Whenever she has time, she makes lots of mess around her room.
0:02:41 > 0:02:45She's cutting, drawing, painting, colouring.
0:02:45 > 0:02:49I think she needs to learn how to organise her works, because, yeah,
0:02:49 > 0:02:51it's quite messy.
0:02:51 > 0:02:52Kirsty's really active.
0:02:52 > 0:02:54She really loves gymnastics and swimming.
0:02:54 > 0:02:56She'll play any sport going.
0:02:56 > 0:02:59So to get her to sit down for a few hours and actually concentrate and
0:02:59 > 0:03:03finish a project, she's going to find that challenging.
0:03:03 > 0:03:07Right, so, Tamira, you're quite messy, and quite disorganised.
0:03:07 > 0:03:10How's that going to work when you become a professional illustrator?
0:03:10 > 0:03:12I think all illustrators can be messy
0:03:12 > 0:03:15at some times but it's just the mess
0:03:15 > 0:03:16creates the art, I think.
0:03:16 > 0:03:20Really? Kirsty, you have trouble finishing things off.
0:03:20 > 0:03:22I think if it's really, really, really important,
0:03:22 > 0:03:24I would finish them off.
0:03:25 > 0:03:28- If you're getting paid! - Yes, if I was getting paid.
0:03:28 > 0:03:31OK, well, shall we get on with our first assignment, then?
0:03:36 > 0:03:39Illustration has been around as long as books.
0:03:39 > 0:03:43Take the Lindisfarne Gospel, produced around 700 AD.
0:03:43 > 0:03:46by a monk called Eadfrith from Northumberland,
0:03:46 > 0:03:49its posh title is An Illuminated Manuscript.
0:03:49 > 0:03:53It's doesn't light up, it means it incorporates elaborate lettering,
0:03:53 > 0:03:56drawings and borders on every page.
0:03:56 > 0:03:58Not your average picture book, then.
0:03:58 > 0:03:59They didn't use paper.
0:03:59 > 0:04:03It was made from parchment, which is dried animal skin.
0:04:03 > 0:04:04Stinky!
0:04:06 > 0:04:09It was German goldsmith Johannes Gutenberg
0:04:09 > 0:04:11that really cracked the process, though,
0:04:11 > 0:04:14when he invented the first printing press in the 15th century.
0:04:14 > 0:04:16This led to mass production of books,
0:04:16 > 0:04:18meaning ordinary people could
0:04:18 > 0:04:20own them for the first time and the monks
0:04:20 > 0:04:23like Eadfrith could rest their pens.
0:04:25 > 0:04:27It's time to meet our first mentor.
0:04:27 > 0:04:30Ruth Jackson is a greetings card illustrator.
0:04:30 > 0:04:34She uses pencil shavings to sharpen up her designs.
0:04:34 > 0:04:37She's been illustrating greetings cards for five years.
0:04:37 > 0:04:39That's a lot of pencils!
0:04:39 > 0:04:41Today just happens to her birthday.
0:04:41 > 0:04:42Happy birthday, Ruth.
0:04:42 > 0:04:45- I've got you a little card there. - Oh, that's so kind.
0:04:45 > 0:04:46Thank you very much.
0:04:46 > 0:04:48- Look.- I just wanted to get your professional...
0:04:48 > 0:04:50- Oh! Oh, goodness... - Your professional...
0:04:50 > 0:04:52- Careful!- 'Happy birthday, have a paw-some day.'
0:04:52 > 0:04:53- I love it.- It's a cat.
0:04:53 > 0:04:55Yeah. Very clever, that's very clever.
0:04:55 > 0:04:57Paw-some. It sounds like awesome.
0:04:57 > 0:04:58- NARRATOR:- Yeah, stick to the day job, Alex.
0:04:58 > 0:05:00So what's our assignment?
0:05:00 > 0:05:04OK, well, today you're going to be making some of your own greetings cards
0:05:04 > 0:05:06and you're not going to be using pencil shavings.
0:05:06 > 0:05:08You're going to be using...
0:05:09 > 0:05:11Beach glass, or sea glass.
0:05:11 > 0:05:14It's glass that's been turned around and washed around in the sea.
0:05:14 > 0:05:17And the cards that you're going to be making today are going to cover all
0:05:17 > 0:05:20different occasions, so you have to see if you can think of some ideas.
0:05:20 > 0:05:22- Shall we get started, then?- Yes.
0:05:25 > 0:05:27So, have you had any first thoughts?
0:05:27 > 0:05:32So, I'm thinking about having them like balloons,
0:05:32 > 0:05:35and having these as the actual balloon
0:05:35 > 0:05:38and then having the string going down.
0:05:38 > 0:05:39That is a really nice thought.
0:05:39 > 0:05:41You should definitely try that.
0:05:43 > 0:05:46Kirsty and Tamira can let their imaginations go in this task
0:05:46 > 0:05:48and turn the glass into almost anything.
0:05:51 > 0:05:54I did this one, "Happy Mothers' Day to a classy lady."
0:05:54 > 0:05:55Oh, yeah. That's so nice.
0:05:55 > 0:05:56And such lovely writing.
0:05:56 > 0:06:01- Thank you.- Shall we start putting some of them down onto actual cards?
0:06:01 > 0:06:03OK, so let's get started.
0:06:12 > 0:06:14Hi, guys. It's me, Ricky, the Art Ninja.
0:06:14 > 0:06:17I'm going to give you my three top tips on how to become a good
0:06:17 > 0:06:19illustrator or artist.
0:06:19 > 0:06:22Now my first tip is observation.
0:06:22 > 0:06:24Look around you and really take everything in.
0:06:24 > 0:06:26The more you learn about the stuff that you're doing,
0:06:26 > 0:06:29the more you know about the objects that you're painting,
0:06:29 > 0:06:30the better your art will become.
0:06:30 > 0:06:33The second thing is to have fun.
0:06:33 > 0:06:35As long as you're having fun, it will be a good piece of art.
0:06:35 > 0:06:38And finally, you've got to do it and you've got to finish it and you've
0:06:38 > 0:06:39got to start showing it to people,
0:06:39 > 0:06:42because you're going to get it all back, get a bit of praise.
0:06:42 > 0:06:44Make you feel happy, and that's what it's all about.
0:06:44 > 0:06:46- Shall we have a look?- Yes.
0:06:46 > 0:06:51- OK, shall I start here?- It's really clever to put them all together and
0:06:51 > 0:06:53almost like a mosaic.
0:06:53 > 0:06:57That's very sweet, so we've got a little boy crying tears, massive,
0:06:57 > 0:06:59massive glass tears!
0:06:59 > 0:07:01And then the really cute earrings.
0:07:01 > 0:07:02I love that. That's so nice.
0:07:02 > 0:07:05I think your mum would be very happy with getting that.
0:07:05 > 0:07:07They're great. Shall we have a look at yours as well?
0:07:07 > 0:07:10Now that is such a different thing to do, isn't it?
0:07:10 > 0:07:14So you've got the sea glass and you thought about how it's translucent and
0:07:14 > 0:07:17you've tried to see if you can read through it, and you can.
0:07:17 > 0:07:19And that's great. So this one,
0:07:19 > 0:07:23I think it's interesting that you've tried drawing on the sea glass and I
0:07:23 > 0:07:25think perhaps you need to try different pens,
0:07:25 > 0:07:28cos they are bleeding a bit, aren't they? This one's really sweet and simple.
0:07:28 > 0:07:30And I think this one, which is really,
0:07:30 > 0:07:33really pretty but would take a long time to make and it's quite heavy,
0:07:33 > 0:07:36you could perhaps think about photographing that.
0:07:37 > 0:07:38- NARRATOR:- Great range, rookies!
0:07:38 > 0:07:40Cards for almost every occasion.
0:07:41 > 0:07:43I thought the assignment
0:07:43 > 0:07:45was a great way to introduce myself to illustrating.
0:07:45 > 0:07:49I never really realised that designing cards was actually
0:07:49 > 0:07:51illustrating, so now that I know that,
0:07:51 > 0:07:53I think I'm going to give it a go.
0:07:53 > 0:07:56I think the best part was making our own cards
0:07:56 > 0:07:57and just experimenting with
0:07:57 > 0:07:58all the different materials.
0:07:58 > 0:08:01Tamira, I think you're obviously totally natural at this
0:08:01 > 0:08:04and your designs are really, really nice,
0:08:04 > 0:08:06really effective, really simple.
0:08:06 > 0:08:08Kirsty, I loved your designs.
0:08:08 > 0:08:10I thought they were really fresh and you really looked at it
0:08:10 > 0:08:11in a different way.
0:08:13 > 0:08:16With a better idea of how to illustrate greetings cards,
0:08:16 > 0:08:18the rookies head for the zoo.
0:08:18 > 0:08:20The zoo? This is about illustration, Alex!
0:08:22 > 0:08:24Now I bet you're wondering why I've brought you to the zoo
0:08:24 > 0:08:26- when you both want to be illustrators.- Yeah.
0:08:26 > 0:08:29Yeah. It's all to do with a piece of advice that we've received from
0:08:29 > 0:08:31somebody who you both admire.
0:08:31 > 0:08:32So have a look at this.
0:08:34 > 0:08:35Nick Sharratt.
0:08:36 > 0:08:38As well as drawing from the imagination,
0:08:38 > 0:08:40try drawing from real life.
0:08:40 > 0:08:43It's a really good way to improve your drawing skills
0:08:43 > 0:08:46and to learn how to observe the world around you.
0:08:46 > 0:08:47Excellent advice there.
0:08:47 > 0:08:50Now a lot of children's books obviously feature animals in them,
0:08:50 > 0:08:52so where better to come than London Zoo
0:08:52 > 0:08:54to find loads of different animals
0:08:54 > 0:08:56that you can sketch?
0:08:56 > 0:08:58A self-confessed doodler, our next mentor,
0:08:58 > 0:09:02Nadia Shireen, always aspired to draw for a living.
0:09:02 > 0:09:05After studying law and working as a music journalist,
0:09:05 > 0:09:08she finally took the plunge and now she's a fully fledged children's
0:09:08 > 0:09:10author and illustrator.
0:09:10 > 0:09:11Time for her top tips.
0:09:13 > 0:09:17So my first top tip is to have fun,
0:09:17 > 0:09:20because if you're not enjoying yourself when you draw,
0:09:20 > 0:09:21you can kind of tell in the drawing.
0:09:21 > 0:09:25It's all stiff and horrible. Which leads me onto my second top tip,
0:09:25 > 0:09:28which is draw lots, all the time.
0:09:28 > 0:09:30Always have a sketchbook with you and a pencil.
0:09:30 > 0:09:32I use mine so much that mine's broken.
0:09:33 > 0:09:35And my third top tip,
0:09:35 > 0:09:38you need to do some other jobs as well to earn a living!
0:09:39 > 0:09:41Don't be afraid to be diverse.
0:09:41 > 0:09:43By that, I mean, think about
0:09:43 > 0:09:47using your illustrations in lots of different ways,
0:09:47 > 0:09:51maybe in packaging, or maybe in newspapers, magazines,
0:09:51 > 0:09:52so think big.
0:09:53 > 0:09:56Nadia illustrates her tips for being, well,
0:09:56 > 0:09:58an illustrator, of course.
0:09:58 > 0:10:00Have fun.
0:10:00 > 0:10:03If you don't have fun drawing, it'll show in your pictures.
0:10:03 > 0:10:06Draw lots and lots and lots!
0:10:06 > 0:10:08Always have a pencil and sketchbook with you.
0:10:10 > 0:10:13Be diverse. Have another job up your sleeve.
0:10:13 > 0:10:16Think how else you can use your illustrations, like on packaging.
0:10:17 > 0:10:20How do you get inspiration if you're having one of those days?
0:10:20 > 0:10:25It's a good idea to put my pencil down, go for a walk, clear my head,
0:10:25 > 0:10:27and maybe I'll get an idea or just, you know,
0:10:27 > 0:10:29it goes back to that top tip
0:10:29 > 0:10:31of being in a really relaxed frame of mind.
0:10:31 > 0:10:34What's the order of drawing?
0:10:34 > 0:10:38Do you do it on paper first then do you do graphic design?
0:10:38 > 0:10:40Everything starts on paper for me.
0:10:40 > 0:10:44I'll draw up characters in my sketchbook and then maybe later on,
0:10:44 > 0:10:48I'll experiment with different materials, coloured pencils, paints,
0:10:48 > 0:10:52on the computer and kind of mesh everything together.
0:10:52 > 0:10:54What's our assignment?
0:10:54 > 0:10:57We are going to wander round London Zoo and observe
0:10:57 > 0:10:59the animals. In your head,
0:10:59 > 0:11:02you might think you know what a penguin looks like
0:11:02 > 0:11:04and you just draw a penguin, but actually,
0:11:04 > 0:11:09we're just going to look at the penguins and notice how they move,
0:11:09 > 0:11:12and just try and take some notes, visual notes, in your sketchbook.
0:11:14 > 0:11:16Taking inspiration from the penguins,
0:11:16 > 0:11:19the rookies are diving straight into their sketchbooks.
0:11:19 > 0:11:21Look at me, all clean, all clean.
0:11:21 > 0:11:25Oh, wow! Look at that. Look at those amazing shapes.
0:11:25 > 0:11:26He's not shy, is he?
0:11:26 > 0:11:29But when you actually come and see them in real life,
0:11:29 > 0:11:32you see them interacting, it might spark off a story idea.
0:11:35 > 0:11:38We are all looking at our sketchbooks a lot.
0:11:38 > 0:11:39Just look at the penguins a bit more.
0:11:39 > 0:11:43Else it's so easy to start drawing what we think a penguin looks like
0:11:43 > 0:11:46as opposed to what a penguin actually looks like.
0:11:46 > 0:11:49- NARRATOR:- Now the rookies are at the comedy pelicans.
0:11:49 > 0:11:50How funny!
0:11:50 > 0:11:52Oh, it's shivering.
0:11:52 > 0:11:54Looks like Elvis.
0:11:56 > 0:11:59Oh, they're all coming in for a snuggle.
0:11:59 > 0:12:03This is the cosiest thing I've ever seen.
0:12:03 > 0:12:05You know, when I sometimes draw cartoon lions,
0:12:05 > 0:12:07the whiskers are coming out like this.
0:12:07 > 0:12:09What's interesting about that,
0:12:09 > 0:12:12is you can see how the whiskers have kind of got this curve.
0:12:12 > 0:12:13So I'm literally just jotting that down.
0:12:15 > 0:12:17Female lions do all the work.
0:12:17 > 0:12:18Oh, here we go!
0:12:19 > 0:12:21- Here we go.- Get all the food.
0:12:21 > 0:12:24Ah! Look at that.
0:12:24 > 0:12:25Hello, camels.
0:12:28 > 0:12:30No sketchbooks allowed for at least a minute.
0:12:30 > 0:12:31Let's not have our sketchbooks out.
0:12:31 > 0:12:33- OK.- Let's just watch the tigers.
0:12:33 > 0:12:35Great advice, Nadia.
0:12:35 > 0:12:39Illustrators need to have good observation skills so they can notice how
0:12:39 > 0:12:42animals move and translate that behaviour into their sketches.
0:12:42 > 0:12:44OK, we are allowed to open sketchbooks.
0:12:47 > 0:12:49- Oh!- He's very cute, isn't he?
0:12:49 > 0:12:50Little cheeky!
0:12:53 > 0:12:55- You're missing the cub. - He's going to climb up the tree.
0:12:55 > 0:12:57- Don't worry about that. - Look at the cub.
0:12:57 > 0:12:58Too fast to draw, though.
0:12:58 > 0:13:00Too fast to draw, but that doesn't matter.
0:13:00 > 0:13:02The important thing is to look at it
0:13:02 > 0:13:05and notice how it moves and its characteristics.
0:13:05 > 0:13:09Do think they have to wear scarves in the winter?
0:13:09 > 0:13:11Be a lot of knitting. Aw!
0:13:11 > 0:13:14- It's coming out to say hello. - Come and say hello.
0:13:14 > 0:13:17So this is what I quite like doing. When I don't feel like sketching,
0:13:17 > 0:13:20just kind of looking at them and imagining what they feel like.
0:13:20 > 0:13:22Making up little stories for them.
0:13:24 > 0:13:25But if you really look at each spot,
0:13:25 > 0:13:27you can see a bit of black in the middle.
0:13:27 > 0:13:29Yeah. And they go lighter on their legs.
0:13:29 > 0:13:31Yeah. If you don't have any coloured pencils on you,
0:13:31 > 0:13:34you can always just write that down and say, brown spots,
0:13:34 > 0:13:37black in the middle. They are just the strangest.
0:13:42 > 0:13:44This is so much fun. I would like to be here all day.
0:13:47 > 0:13:49Why don't we have a little look through our sketchbooks?
0:13:49 > 0:13:52This can be a bit of a scary moment, because you kind of want to go,
0:13:52 > 0:13:55"No, this is rubbish, don't look at this, don't look at this one."
0:13:55 > 0:13:57But try and remember, there's no such thing as a bad drawing.
0:13:57 > 0:14:00Even a drawing that doesn't look how you want it to look,
0:14:00 > 0:14:02you still have learned something.
0:14:02 > 0:14:06Your kind of brain and your hand has learned how to deal with a shape.
0:14:06 > 0:14:11So, what we need to do, really, is just flip through our sketchbooks,
0:14:11 > 0:14:14have a think about which animals you've enjoyed drawing
0:14:14 > 0:14:16and we can look at developing those a bit more
0:14:16 > 0:14:18into characters that we can use in the book.
0:14:19 > 0:14:22The rookies are illustrating away and developing their sketches from
0:14:22 > 0:14:25earlier into characters that could be used in a book.
0:14:25 > 0:14:29You're already drawing animals doing funny things, which is brilliant.
0:14:29 > 0:14:30I love it.
0:14:30 > 0:14:32Is that a penguin doing pull-ups?
0:14:32 > 0:14:33Yeah.
0:14:35 > 0:14:38Professional illustrators often work in much the same way,
0:14:38 > 0:14:40refining their doodles as they go.
0:14:43 > 0:14:47Can I have a nosy and see what you guys have been doing?
0:14:47 > 0:14:50- I've done those.- Ah, brilliant.
0:14:50 > 0:14:53Some kind of penguin sports day going on.
0:14:53 > 0:14:56It was funny to see them hanging about.
0:14:57 > 0:14:58And...
0:15:01 > 0:15:04Penguin surfers. Love it!
0:15:04 > 0:15:05Is it like the penguin Olympics?
0:15:05 > 0:15:09- Yeah.- How about you, Tamira?
0:15:09 > 0:15:14Winter scene and a penguin in a tux and a schoolboy lion,
0:15:14 > 0:15:16and cooking pelican.
0:15:16 > 0:15:20- That's fantastic.- And a giraffe being a tree,
0:15:20 > 0:15:26acting as a tree and a giraffe, fanning with a scarf in the wind.
0:15:26 > 0:15:28Because you were wondering about
0:15:28 > 0:15:31how long it would take to knit a giraffe scarf. Quite a while.
0:15:31 > 0:15:33The pelican, looked like it couldn't move around very well.
0:15:33 > 0:15:35So I thought a scooter probably...
0:15:35 > 0:15:39- Wow!- It could go and get fish from the fish shop
0:15:39 > 0:15:44- in the little basket there.- This was a lemur, playing a little guitar.
0:15:44 > 0:15:47I think you've all done a great job.
0:15:47 > 0:15:49Very impressed and I have to say,
0:15:49 > 0:15:52I've noticed that you both naturally put your characters in a kind of
0:15:52 > 0:15:57narrative position, by which I mean, yours is surfing,
0:15:57 > 0:15:58your penguins are in a winter scene,
0:15:58 > 0:16:00you're actually creating stories
0:16:00 > 0:16:02without having to write any words and
0:16:02 > 0:16:03that's a huge part of what
0:16:03 > 0:16:05children's book illustration is about.
0:16:05 > 0:16:06So well done.
0:16:06 > 0:16:09I think the hardest part was trying to draw the animals,
0:16:09 > 0:16:11because they were moving about like...
0:16:13 > 0:16:16They didn't stand still, apart from the penguins, which were posing.
0:16:16 > 0:16:19The hardest part of the assignment was
0:16:19 > 0:16:23when we had to adapt what we drew at the zoo
0:16:23 > 0:16:27to make our own characters, but if you really tried to put some
0:16:27 > 0:16:30life into them, you could successfully do it.
0:16:30 > 0:16:32Tamira, you're such a natural storyteller
0:16:32 > 0:16:36and I really enjoyed seeing that in your drawings. I'm so impressed.
0:16:36 > 0:16:38If I had any advice at this stage,
0:16:38 > 0:16:41it would be don't be afraid to look up a bit more.
0:16:41 > 0:16:44You spent quite a lot of time today looking at your notebook.
0:16:44 > 0:16:47Kirsty, I really loved the way that when you saw the penguins,
0:16:47 > 0:16:52you almost immediately saw this gang of gymnastic penguins.
0:16:52 > 0:16:54It was hilarious. Have a bit more confidence in yourself,
0:16:54 > 0:16:57cos you're doing some really great stuff.
0:16:58 > 0:17:00Time up at the zoo but the rookies are
0:17:00 > 0:17:02staying in London. Goldsmiths, to be exact.
0:17:02 > 0:17:06They've come to this prestigious college to meet their next mentor.
0:17:06 > 0:17:09So now you've designed some fantastic characters.
0:17:09 > 0:17:11What are we going to do with them?
0:17:11 > 0:17:14What about putting them in an actual children's book?
0:17:14 > 0:17:16- Yeah, yeah.- Pretty cool.
0:17:16 > 0:17:19And even better, to mentor you through the whole process,
0:17:19 > 0:17:22we've got one of the best loved children's authors in Britain,
0:17:22 > 0:17:25Michael Rosen and he's worked with some of the best illustrators in the
0:17:25 > 0:17:28business, including Nick Sharratt, Quentin Blake.
0:17:29 > 0:17:33Michael Rosen is Professor of children's literature at Goldsmiths.
0:17:33 > 0:17:36He's also a poet, performer, broadcaster,
0:17:36 > 0:17:39scriptwriter and author of over 170 books
0:17:39 > 0:17:44on everything from farting fish to Spollyollydiddlytiddlyitis.
0:17:44 > 0:17:45Whatever that is!
0:17:48 > 0:17:50Michael, speaking from an author's point of view,
0:17:50 > 0:17:53what would your three top tips be for illustrators?
0:17:53 > 0:17:56Well, the first would be to take risks.
0:17:56 > 0:17:59Don't think that you've just got to do exactly what the words say.
0:17:59 > 0:18:02Here's a picture Quentin Blake did for me.
0:18:02 > 0:18:07I did a poem about a little boy who drops a baby.
0:18:07 > 0:18:10Now, you know, that's a bit sad, maybe, or a bit awful,
0:18:10 > 0:18:12but in actual fact, you see what Quentin's done.
0:18:12 > 0:18:16The baby's ended up with his face down in some dog food.
0:18:16 > 0:18:19Now all that comes from Quentin. It's nothing to do with me.
0:18:19 > 0:18:20That's just his joke.
0:18:20 > 0:18:22So I love that. I love that that's what happened.
0:18:22 > 0:18:24The second thing I'd say is
0:18:24 > 0:18:27that it's really difficult but you have to
0:18:27 > 0:18:32make the character be the same person all the way through the book.
0:18:32 > 0:18:34So if you take The Tiger Who Came To Tea,
0:18:34 > 0:18:38you got to have it so that the tiger doesn't turn white in the middle of
0:18:38 > 0:18:40it, you know, it's an orange tiger
0:18:40 > 0:18:44and then I think my third one is keep the eye busy.
0:18:44 > 0:18:48So here we've got Look Back by Trish Cooke and Caroline Binch.
0:18:48 > 0:18:53Look, that's a whole page there and one, two, three, four, five.
0:18:53 > 0:18:58There's five pictures, so every time you open the page,
0:18:58 > 0:19:00you don't know where the pictures are going to be.
0:19:00 > 0:19:05That keeps the person looking at interested.
0:19:05 > 0:19:09Michael's top tips are, one, take risks,
0:19:09 > 0:19:13illustrating the details which the author hasn't mentioned can add an
0:19:13 > 0:19:17extra twist. Two, keep your characters consistent.
0:19:17 > 0:19:20Your audience need to recognise them after all, and finally,
0:19:20 > 0:19:22keep the eye busy.
0:19:22 > 0:19:24Think about how you lay out your pages
0:19:24 > 0:19:26and the journey they take you on.
0:19:27 > 0:19:30How do you choose an illustrator for your book?
0:19:30 > 0:19:31Mostly, I don't.
0:19:31 > 0:19:34In the end, the publishers decide.
0:19:34 > 0:19:36If you're a writer, you have to accept that.
0:19:36 > 0:19:39So how close do you have to work with the illustrator?
0:19:39 > 0:19:41I don't.
0:19:41 > 0:19:45I hand it over, so with We're Going On A Bear Hunt, they said,
0:19:45 > 0:19:48Helen Oxenbury would be just right for that.
0:19:48 > 0:19:51People say to me, why is the bear sad?
0:19:51 > 0:19:54And I say, I don't know.
0:19:55 > 0:19:58I didn't do the bear.
0:19:58 > 0:20:01All that comes from the shape of the bear.
0:20:01 > 0:20:03People say the bear looks sad.
0:20:03 > 0:20:05Just by drawing somebody going...
0:20:06 > 0:20:09Except it isn't a person, it's a bear, which seems to me incredible.
0:20:09 > 0:20:11How can you make a bear sad?
0:20:11 > 0:20:13Well, if you're an illustrator, you can.
0:20:13 > 0:20:15OK, what's our assignment?
0:20:15 > 0:20:17Well, it's really a bit like the bear.
0:20:17 > 0:20:25Can you draw something or somebody or an animal that has got feelings?
0:20:25 > 0:20:26Happy?
0:20:26 > 0:20:28Sad?
0:20:28 > 0:20:30Angry?
0:20:30 > 0:20:32NARRATOR: To help, Nadia has a pot full of emotions
0:20:32 > 0:20:36for Alex to act out and the rookies to draw.
0:20:36 > 0:20:38- Amused.- Amused.
0:20:43 > 0:20:45- NADIA:- What do we notice about his face?
0:20:47 > 0:20:50Oh, good eyebrows. You're looking at the eyebrows there.
0:20:52 > 0:20:53- Sad.- Sad.
0:20:56 > 0:20:57OK, hold it, hold it.
0:21:01 > 0:21:05- Bored.- Shouldn't be too difficult!
0:21:06 > 0:21:08Now have a look at Alex's head.
0:21:08 > 0:21:10Is it straight or is it at an angle?
0:21:10 > 0:21:13It's kind of tilted onto his hand, isn't it?
0:21:15 > 0:21:16Embarrassed.
0:21:18 > 0:21:21What are you noticing about these different emotions?
0:21:21 > 0:21:23What bits did you find you're changing?
0:21:23 > 0:21:24It's the eyes, isn't it?
0:21:24 > 0:21:25So much is in the eyes.
0:21:25 > 0:21:26- Yeah.- Angry.
0:21:27 > 0:21:28Argh!
0:21:33 > 0:21:34I'm so angry.
0:21:34 > 0:21:36I'm angry about this whole thing!
0:21:38 > 0:21:39- MICHAEL:- How you doing?
0:21:39 > 0:21:42- Oh, hi.- Pull up a chair, have a look see what you're up to.
0:21:43 > 0:21:45Lovely. Happy.
0:21:45 > 0:21:49Angry. I like embarrassed, where the lip...
0:21:49 > 0:21:50Out the side, like that, isn't it?
0:21:50 > 0:21:54A lot of eyebrow work you've done here, I can see.
0:21:54 > 0:21:57You've got slanty eyebrows up and around the eyebrows.
0:21:57 > 0:22:00This one, he looks bored and sad at the same time.
0:22:04 > 0:22:06Very good. Lovely.
0:22:06 > 0:22:07- Can I see yours?- Yeah.
0:22:07 > 0:22:11Yeah. Sad, pool of tears.
0:22:11 > 0:22:14Yes, oh, smoke coming out of your ears.
0:22:14 > 0:22:15That's obviously taken from you.
0:22:15 > 0:22:16Yeah, I think so.
0:22:16 > 0:22:20A little bit of face flushing here, very embarrassed.
0:22:20 > 0:22:22Even better, you've managed to spell it right.
0:22:22 > 0:22:24That's the hardest bit about embarrassed, I always think,
0:22:24 > 0:22:26is how to spell it! Oh, well done, folks.
0:22:26 > 0:22:27Really good.
0:22:33 > 0:22:34Hi, I'm Axel Scheffler,
0:22:34 > 0:22:39I'm an illustrator and my top three tips would be, number one,
0:22:39 > 0:22:41to draw a lot and to practise a lot.
0:22:41 > 0:22:42Number two,
0:22:42 > 0:22:45to be curious about other people's work and to look at lots of
0:22:45 > 0:22:48books and paintings and art, and number three,
0:22:48 > 0:22:51is to be patient and to be courageous,
0:22:51 > 0:22:54to show your work to the people and to the world.
0:22:56 > 0:22:57So what we're going to do is,
0:22:57 > 0:23:00you know all those brilliant animal drawings
0:23:00 > 0:23:02that you did and we went to the zoo?
0:23:02 > 0:23:06We're going develop them and give them each a spread.
0:23:06 > 0:23:08A spread is two pages.
0:23:11 > 0:23:15The rookies need to think about the drawings in the context of a book,
0:23:15 > 0:23:17visualising how they'll sit on the page,
0:23:17 > 0:23:20what Nadia called the spread.
0:23:21 > 0:23:23What colour should the penguins' feet be?
0:23:23 > 0:23:27This is the fun bit. This is where you get to decide what your penguin
0:23:27 > 0:23:29looks like so it's up to you. They could be pink,
0:23:29 > 0:23:31or blue or yellow.
0:23:31 > 0:23:35Remember, the rookies' artwork will be made into their very own books,
0:23:35 > 0:23:37so there's lots of concentration at the table.
0:23:37 > 0:23:39So are you ready to show me what you've done?
0:23:39 > 0:23:43Have you ever seen Gymnastics Penguin?
0:23:44 > 0:23:46'Everyone else was the same.
0:23:46 > 0:23:49Old and boring!' Sounds like me!
0:23:49 > 0:23:50Gymnastics, penguin.
0:23:50 > 0:23:53I love it. Great character.
0:23:53 > 0:23:56The butterflies presented the medals.
0:23:56 > 0:23:57Yes, they would.
0:23:57 > 0:23:59He won gold.
0:23:59 > 0:24:01The others look a bit sad.
0:24:02 > 0:24:04The beak down, that's right.
0:24:04 > 0:24:06Lovely, well done, brilliant.
0:24:06 > 0:24:10Collected and calm Gerald and he's a sort of lion man.
0:24:10 > 0:24:13- Yeah.- NADIA:- He lives in an amazing place, by the looks of it.
0:24:13 > 0:24:16Am I allowed to run my fingers on the corrugated sky?
0:24:19 > 0:24:25Lovely. And here, we have two sides, one giraffe.
0:24:25 > 0:24:26I can't fit myself.
0:24:27 > 0:24:29Oh, golly,
0:24:29 > 0:24:31so he's a giraffe with sort of problems with his personality.
0:24:31 > 0:24:33- Yeah.- There's a lot going on here.
0:24:33 > 0:24:39We've got a pelican who is setting his sights on distant parts.
0:24:39 > 0:24:42Lovely, well, there's some incredible scenes there.
0:24:42 > 0:24:45Will they perhaps live together at some point?
0:24:45 > 0:24:47- Later, do you think?- They might cross paths.- They might cross paths.
0:24:47 > 0:24:51It's good isn't it? Very good, the pair of you.
0:24:51 > 0:24:54The hardest part of the assignment was trying to convey some
0:24:54 > 0:24:58emotion into the characters when all you can do is just do a few marks.
0:24:58 > 0:25:02I've never actually done a storybook or a storyline before
0:25:02 > 0:25:05with my drawings in, so I think that went really well.
0:25:05 > 0:25:08Well, Kirsty, I think you did a fantastic job.
0:25:08 > 0:25:11I loved the characters and you've got a nice story there.
0:25:11 > 0:25:14I suppose it could have been a little bit of tension,
0:25:14 > 0:25:15a moment in the Olympics,
0:25:15 > 0:25:19where we wondered a bit more as to whether our hero penguin
0:25:19 > 0:25:20would win or not.
0:25:20 > 0:25:22Tamira, your book is amazing.
0:25:22 > 0:25:25It's quite deep in a mystical sort of way
0:25:25 > 0:25:27and there is always a place for that.
0:25:27 > 0:25:30Now if you were thinking about a book,
0:25:30 > 0:25:32maybe you would want to get a link somewhere,
0:25:32 > 0:25:34just to link them up bit more.
0:25:35 > 0:25:39The rookies have been on a creativity campaign,
0:25:39 > 0:25:40illustrating greetings cards,
0:25:40 > 0:25:44and meeting top mentors who trained them in drawing for observation and
0:25:44 > 0:25:46developing characters.
0:25:46 > 0:25:48But after this emotional roller-coaster,
0:25:48 > 0:25:51have they got what it takes to make it as top illustrators?
0:25:58 > 0:26:01Tamira, I think this comes so naturally to you
0:26:01 > 0:26:04and I'm sure you'll be a very good illustrator.
0:26:04 > 0:26:06Tamira, I think you really could be
0:26:06 > 0:26:09an illustrator of a very special kind,
0:26:09 > 0:26:13somebody who paints things that aren't immediately obvious.
0:26:13 > 0:26:15They make us ask questions.
0:26:15 > 0:26:16That's terrific.
0:26:16 > 0:26:19I definitely think you could make it as an illustrator.
0:26:19 > 0:26:21You've got a really bold, confident approach.
0:26:21 > 0:26:24Work a little bit on expression, and you're there.
0:26:24 > 0:26:26Kirsty, I thought you had such a fresh approach
0:26:26 > 0:26:29and I'm sure that if you chose to pursue it,
0:26:29 > 0:26:30you'd be a great illustrator.
0:26:30 > 0:26:33Kirsty, you could be an illustrator.
0:26:33 > 0:26:38You've got a great sense of how the pictures go on a page.
0:26:38 > 0:26:41Kirsty, I think you could definitely make it as an illustrator.
0:26:41 > 0:26:44You've got a really innate sense of storytelling.
0:26:44 > 0:26:47It just comes really naturally to you.
0:26:47 > 0:26:52So, Kirsty, do you still want to be an illustrator?
0:26:52 > 0:26:57Yes. Now that I've seen everything, I really want to do it.
0:26:57 > 0:26:59- Tamira, what about you? - I don't think so.
0:26:59 > 0:27:01I'm joking! Of course, of course I want to be one!
0:27:01 > 0:27:04I think there's nothing else for me to do on this earth.
0:27:04 > 0:27:06- Really?- Yeah.- Fantastic.
0:27:06 > 0:27:07Oh, hang on. What's this?
0:27:10 > 0:27:12Oh, look! It's your books!
0:27:12 > 0:27:13Thank you.
0:27:13 > 0:27:15Thank you.
0:27:15 > 0:27:16How about that?
0:27:16 > 0:27:19All the rookies' hard work has paid off.
0:27:19 > 0:27:22Their characters have made their way into an actual book.
0:27:22 > 0:27:25They're good, aren't they? And they look very impressive.
0:27:25 > 0:27:28So would you like me to sign them for you?
0:27:28 > 0:27:29Um...
0:27:31 > 0:27:32- Wouldn't mind, honestly.- No.
0:27:32 > 0:27:34No trouble at all. It's OK, it's OK!
0:27:34 > 0:27:36I've got a pen and everything.