Saurus Street update

Saurus St is hitting the mark! One reviewer compared "Falk and Flowers" to "Dahl and Blake"! What a comparison…. Younger readers are loving the frequent and humerous illustrations, loving the amusing stories, the childlike logic of clocks (time) and any old machines making a working time machine, the juxtaposition of an enormous dinasour with a lovely little dog – fingers crossed for a successful series… The book can now be printed online in Braille, I’ve enquired to see if there can be any illustrations adapted for blind people, some blind people can still see contrast so perhaps I can redraw some pictures if I know how to – advice from the community on this one? If I drew in clear silhouette would it be suitable? Interesting.

The Spider and the Scraper board

One of my current projects is making an image for ‘the School Magazine’ (New South Wales, Australia). I have been working on an image for a story by Barry Smith about a 7 legged spider. For the illustration I have chosen to use scraperboard as it had a nice spidery feel about it. The process is simular to my approach to working in chalks when doing street art. I plan the drawing by working stages from dark to light. The scraperboard is black and when you scratch the surface it reveals the white underneath. To ensure that my image comes out as I plan, I start with a pencil sketch onto the surface to the scraperboard. Then using a sharp tool I start scratching away at the black where I want it to go white. You can see how the illustration of the spider and web progresses from the image here. I should explain that I have no formal training with this medium, like most things I just play around with it until I am comfortable using it.

The Melbourne Children’s Book Festival

24th of March, 10am to 4pm I will be in Melbourne on the 24th of March as a part of the Melbourne Children’s Book Festival (http://www.slv.vic.gov.au/event/childrens-book-festival-family-day). You will be able to find me at the Random House marquee (located on the lawn in front of the State Library of Victoria). Through the day there will be a number of author talks, including Nick Falk, author of Saurus Street. I will be running a how to Draw-a’saur – How to draw dinosaur (Saurus street style). As well as talking about creating the 3D model of ‘What the Raven Saw’.