Miko’s Author/Illustrator School and Library Visits are fun for me and fun for the children! Here’s how they work:
To talk with all the children at a school and complete a whole picture book is nigh impossible. But by breaking the creative process down bit by bit, it’s surprising and exciting how much can be achieved in one visit.
Here is a break down of my author/illustrator sessions:
- It’s important to bear in mind that a lot of my books are joke books and a lot of my work funny. So my visits are fun and funny, with a lot of laughter. That’s how I like it, that’s how the children like it.
- Always being positive and encouraging to each child. This is so important.
- Showing some of my books and original illustrations, together with the initial rough sketches and ideas, while I talk about how I work at coming up with ideas and how they can, as a group, come up with ideas in a ‘great brain storming session’. It’s a beautiful experience, as one idea develops into another, to the next… it’s never-ending and it’s a wonderful adventure.
- Talking of the importance of notebooks and sketchbooks. I carry a notebook with me at all times. It is no use relying on a memory. It is so frustrating and such a waste, when you know you’ve had a fantastic idea and it’s forgotten! The harder you search for it, the more illusive the idea becomes. So use the notebook.
- Asking for a few characters the children would like me to draw. Sometimes there will be a theme the children will be working on; if so, I could work with that as well . My work is generally humorous, so we’ll talk about creating funny/odd situations for that character. A light elephant, a super fast snail etc. Having been born with a silver paint brush in my hand, I can draw and colour up in pastel lightening fast.
- Demonstrating how to create amazing characters/monsters/animals using very basic shapes, like the triangle, circle or square. The children follow my demonstration step by step and very soon they will have created their very own character. We talk about a name for their creation, what kind of personality does it have, leading on to situations, friends etc.
- Very soon, almost without realising it, they are an artist and author of their very own book. That is very pleasing.
- Some children may not be so happy with words, in which case we will create a comic strip together. With fewer words and more images. This comic strip can easily expand into a larger creative graphic novel.
- My workshops, naturally, vary according to age and ability of the children.
- I like to photograph or scan the children’s work. Maybe some of their work could be scanned when finished later and forwarded to me and I’ll put them up on a Gallery of Children’s Work with a credit to both school and the artist.
- As previously mentioned, I am enhanced CRB checked and have full public liability insurance.
Contact me for costs and availability for Miko’s Author/Illustrator visit to your school.
