research results: mixed media picture books
as i mentioned last week, i'm on a search for examples of mixed media picture books. i thought i'd share the results so far. i went to the library and scanned a few pages of various books. i've kept the images fairly large so the detail would be preserved.
so, be warned:
book: the very quiet cricket, by eric carle
when i mentioned my mission to a colleague, she cited eric carle as a staple of kids' mixed media books. i thought "okay", and wrote his name down. when i got to the library and saw that he is the author of the very quiet cricket, i immediately recognized the style and thought to myself, duh!". his books are so ubiquitous, and i have often admired the style.
book: it's mine, by leo lionni
again, the images are bold, and the texture is nice, but i think that this style is too simplistic for my tastes.
book: red leaf, yellow leaf, by lois ehlert
the pictures are all cropped because the pages were too big for my scanner, but ehlert's work is an interesting example of how a variety of materials can be included in what ends up being a 2-dimensional page. she also includes facts about birds, gardening, trees, soil, and such in the back of her books, which is a nice informative bit for the kiddies.
book: boom chicka rock, illustrated by suzanne tanner chitwood
i must admit that the style of this book appeals to me less, visually, but it's interesting to see the jagged edges and patterned/printed papers used for a blanket/fabric. inspiration can definitely be drwan from this.
book: knuffle bunny, by mo willems
i like the contrast between the black & white photographs and the colorful pictures. it's an interesting technique, even if the style of drawings isn't totally my thing. funny, when i showed this one to dan, he commented on how this shows how little effort you can put into the visuals, essentially implying that using photographs is the easy way out.
book: wolves in the wall, illustrated by dave mckean
these pictures also use some photographs and a lot of layering. they're much darker than the other children's books i've found, and i like that.
the picture is a bit dark, but note the texture in the girl's sock and leggings: they are real/photographed.
again, the socks are real.
book: the museum at purgatory, by nick bantock
i've been a fan of nick bantock's work for quite a while now. griffin and sabine captured my heart, imagination, and love of correspondence years ago. there are online galleries of his works in the links i've included above, plus this one for the nick bantock collection. i've included the pictures that i did scan because they're good examples of 3-dimensional pieces incorporated into artwork that is represented 2-dimensionally.
this picture is bantock's as well, but it's from the book the venetian's wife
i also want to mention sara fanelli's work (thanks for the tip-off, goyascats). i couldn't find anything at the library with her stuff, but there's a portfolio in the link. i'm definitely inspired by the whimsical nature of her work.
dan mentioned that the trick to photographing 3-dimensional objects is to set up lights coming from 2 different angles on the side, and (optionally?) layering a plate of glass over the pieces when photographing. so, there might be a learning curve and equipment involved, but it can definitely be done.
so, be warned:
book: the very quiet cricket, by eric carle
when i mentioned my mission to a colleague, she cited eric carle as a staple of kids' mixed media books. i thought "okay", and wrote his name down. when i got to the library and saw that he is the author of the very quiet cricket, i immediately recognized the style and thought to myself, duh!". his books are so ubiquitous, and i have often admired the style.
book: it's mine, by leo lionni
again, the images are bold, and the texture is nice, but i think that this style is too simplistic for my tastes.
book: red leaf, yellow leaf, by lois ehlert
the pictures are all cropped because the pages were too big for my scanner, but ehlert's work is an interesting example of how a variety of materials can be included in what ends up being a 2-dimensional page. she also includes facts about birds, gardening, trees, soil, and such in the back of her books, which is a nice informative bit for the kiddies.
book: boom chicka rock, illustrated by suzanne tanner chitwood
i must admit that the style of this book appeals to me less, visually, but it's interesting to see the jagged edges and patterned/printed papers used for a blanket/fabric. inspiration can definitely be drwan from this.
book: knuffle bunny, by mo willems
i like the contrast between the black & white photographs and the colorful pictures. it's an interesting technique, even if the style of drawings isn't totally my thing. funny, when i showed this one to dan, he commented on how this shows how little effort you can put into the visuals, essentially implying that using photographs is the easy way out.
book: wolves in the wall, illustrated by dave mckean
these pictures also use some photographs and a lot of layering. they're much darker than the other children's books i've found, and i like that.
the picture is a bit dark, but note the texture in the girl's sock and leggings: they are real/photographed.
again, the socks are real.
book: the museum at purgatory, by nick bantock
i've been a fan of nick bantock's work for quite a while now. griffin and sabine captured my heart, imagination, and love of correspondence years ago. there are online galleries of his works in the links i've included above, plus this one for the nick bantock collection. i've included the pictures that i did scan because they're good examples of 3-dimensional pieces incorporated into artwork that is represented 2-dimensionally.
this picture is bantock's as well, but it's from the book the venetian's wife
i also want to mention sara fanelli's work (thanks for the tip-off, goyascats). i couldn't find anything at the library with her stuff, but there's a portfolio in the link. i'm definitely inspired by the whimsical nature of her work.
dan mentioned that the trick to photographing 3-dimensional objects is to set up lights coming from 2 different angles on the side, and (optionally?) layering a plate of glass over the pieces when photographing. so, there might be a learning curve and equipment involved, but it can definitely be done.