Books Illustrated Print Displays for Hire

These digital giclee prints of original illustrations represent the work of picture book illustrators from around Australia and can be viewed on the Books Illustrated website.
Displays may be especially suited to libraries and schools looking for a way to promote an interest and engagement with picture books; small gallery spaces - waiting rooms, foyers etc.
Prints can suit events or themes eg. Book Week celebrations; Units of work focussing on illustrator studies; Media and techniques used in picture books; Environment. Please contact us if you are interested to find out more information. 

Freya Blackwood

Anna Walker

Felicity Marshall

A Scritchy Scratchback Success!

We had a lovely day yesterday with two groups of kids at Gasworks Arts Park doing scratchback workshops - what a talented bunch!

Here's one way to create scratchback artworks if you would like to try these at home. *And please feel free to comment on this post if you have other tried and tested recipes!

Materials: A4 or A3 paper, oil pastels, black acrylic paint, a scratching instrument like scissors

How to:

- Practice the design (in ours they used reference material about animals to practice drawing characters/creatures)
- Make sketches for the design using your drawings as inspiration
- Cover all of a new sheet of white (cartridge) paper with a good coating of oil pastel (pretty dense)
- Either:
- Paint whole surface with black acrylic paint
- or
- Only paint your creature as a silhouette onto the surface
- Then... leave it to dry
- Using a sharp instrument, scratch through the black paint to create patterns or lines that bring through the colours of the oil pastels below!

Enjoy! And remember it takes a bit of practice but once you've got the hang of it this style of artwork can be beautiful!

Scrathback in action!

An example where the silhouette of the creature was painted on in black and then scratchback was used to create texture and pattern. 

This is an example of where the entire page was covered in black paint and the shape of the creature was scratched out. 

Mirror Exhibition in WA

Jeannie Baker, View from a window, Morocco | View from a window, Sydney (both 2010) 

Mirror – by Jeannie Baker

Books Illustrated has been managing the touring of this wonderful exhibition around Australia since 2010. It will be shown at the State Library of Western Australia from July 5 and runs to Sept 28, to find out more visit their website here. 

The Lost Thing exhibition at Central Goldfields Gallery, Maryborough

The Lost Thing by Shaun Tan
From Book to Film: The Art of Story
Central Goldfields Gallery,
Old Fire Station, Neill Street, Maryborough, Victoria
www.visitmaryborough.com.au
July 14 to August 26

 This exhibition, curated by Books Illustrated Gallery, begins with sketches, dummy book and final original illustrations for the picture book The Lost Thing and then moves through the collaborative process, with members of the film team at Passion Pictures, to create the animated film – a ten year creative journey.The Lost Thing is multi-award-winning – most famously, the Academy Award (Oscar) for best Short Animation, 2011. Shaun Tan is the award-winning author and illustrator of many books including The Arrival, The Red Tree,Tales from Outer Suburbia and The Bird King. Central Goldfields Shire extends a warm winter invitation to the opening of this exhibition on Saturday July 21, at 2pm. Curators Ann Haddon & Ann James will introduce the exhibition. 

Signed book, prints and DVD's available for sale throughout the exhibition. You might also like to visit Shaun's website: .http://www.shauntan.net/

Photographs from the Metropolis' opening night

We had a great time yesterday evening at the opening of the Metropolis Gallery's The Art of Children's Books exhibition. 

For those who love children's book, this is a great exhibition to visit for the whole family - and especially aspiring and emerging illustrators. The exhibition will be on from July 7 until July 21 at the Metropolis Gallery, Geelong. 

Here's a quote form Ann James'  opening speech:

So, our work is our mark.
My peers are celebrated on lots of levels – they’ve created books that are family favourites – some over a few generations!
They’ve broken ground – working across genres – sculpture, film, painting, theatre, printmaking… Art for adults, art for anyone.
We know the value of being an adult choosing to create works primarily for children. But our art has to feed the adult in us as well. 
So we hone it to suit us. Whatever our projects, our love of story seems to have led us to narrative.
Often a derogatory term when used in relation to the arts 
But in fact it’s been our making.
We hope you like what we’ve made here.

Director, Robert Avitable (centre), introducing the guest artsts, from left, David Miller, Ann James, Anne Spudvilas and Leigh Hobbs

Ann James gave an opening address

Anne Spudvilas and Leigh Hobbs

Robert asked Ann to sign an old family favourite picture book, Dial-a-Croc (written by Mike Dumbleton)

Guests admiring Elizabeth Hobey's illustrations

Guests looking at paper sculpture illustrations by David Miller

Illustrations by Leigh Hobbs

Leigh Hobbs signing one of his books

Visitors looking at the work of Shaun Tan

Join us for the opening night of The Art of Australian Children's Books exhibition

The Art of Australian Children's Books
Metropolis Gallery 64 Ryrie St, Geelong
July 7 to July 21
Opening night July 7,  5 to 7pm
64 Ryriw Street, Geelong
Open 9 - 5.30pm weekdays, 10 - 4pm Saturdays.


For those who love children’s picture books, Metropolis Gallery will present The Art of Australian Children's Books, an exhibition of original book illustrations, character sketches, etchings and prints by some of Australia's top book illustrators: Terry Denton, Leigh Hobbs, Elizabeth Honey, Robert Ingpen, Ann James, David Miller, Anne Spudvilas, Shaun Tan, and Anna Walker.


This exhibition will coincide with Geelong City Library’s In Conversation with exhibiting artists Leigh Hobbs, David Miller and Ann James on Sunday 15 July, celebrating The National Year of Reading

School Holiday workshops with Ann James at Gasworks Arts Park

Kids Holiday Program with Ann James 

Workshop: Scritchy scratchback 
Dates: Wednesday 11 July
Times: 10am to 12noon (6 to 9 years)
Venue: Gasworks Arts Park
1pm to 3pm (8 to 14 years)
Cost: $30

Create scritchy, screwball characters in scratchback technique in this fun hands on art workshop with Ann James, award-winning illustrator of Lucy Goosey, Little Humpty and the Audrey of the Outback series. Participants need to wear an art shirt and bring a drink and snack. To book online visit Gasworks Arts Park or call on (03) 8606 4200.