Frances McKay Illustration

The Play’s the Thing or The Problem of What to Draw

2012-02-10T18:28:35+00:00

I was always told that I should keep a sketchbook; it is a discipline, a resource, a vital tool. Good advice, no doubt, but I have never kept one. I’m not confident, I can’t lose myself enough, to stand and draw on the street corner, or even in the middle of a field. I am rarely motivated to draw the stuff around me and I don’t like drawing in books, it feels restricted and precious. To bang on about it, I don’t even really like the word “sketch”; it suggests a certain way of drawing; a sort of short hand. I do like life-drawing, there’s an intensity to it and I’m happy to draw in a class where everyone is striving to get it right. I like drawing animals too for the challenge of getting that instant recognition of shape and movement.

Stories, poems, words, are what really motivate me to draw. This is about looking inside the stuff of everyday life. I take cues from words and phrases. People ask, “Where do you get your ideas from?” Well, from the text. If I do a character ‘sketch’, (in this sense, of course, the word refers to a brief portrayal of someone,) from a description rather than from a story it tends to be straight on and a bit static. Given the story though, I have the character’s thoughts and predicament; there is already drama; I have his viewpoint or the reader’s view of him. As much influenced by cinema as by painting and drawing, I begin also to form ideas about angles, panoramas, mid-shots or close-ups, movement, lighting and use of space. Somebody once said that all illustrators are frustrated actors. Well, I’m not a performer but there’s something in that; I often strike a pose, pull the face or act the part I’m drawing. (The old lady who lived opposite my London flat thought I was a lunatic.) Understanding the drama, knowing the character’s thoughts and actions, is part of illustrating a story.

I’ve drawn almost every day of my life since I was child; yet I recall myself as a child saying “But I don’t know what to draw!” I need to draw, but I need a narrative; perhaps I need to act too. So what else could I do? Illustration solves the problem of what to draw.

Alan Marks

The Shakespeare book jacket illustrations in this post are by Alan Marks and published by Franklin Watts.

Bee Willey's Rory McRory

2012-02-02T17:18:53+00:00

Bee Willey shares with us some of the artwork for the re-launched book 'Rory McRory'.

The story by Sandra Horn, and illustrations by Bee, was originally released by by Hodder Wayland in 1998.

It will be re-launched by Clucket Press on February 15th, and available on Amazon and www.tattybogle.co.uk

There will be a small edition of signed copies available after this date so don't miss the chance to get your hands on one.

RINGO THE RAVEN

2012-01-24T11:49:09+00:00

A new Year and a new book illustrated by Henning Lohlein.

This cute little story is by the author Manfred Mai and published by the suitably named Ravensburger in Germany.

Ringo the Raven is different from the other Ravens in his family.

His brothers are learning to fly and explore the world, as every raven child does.

But Ringo stays in the nest and observes them from a distance.

His parents are getting worried, what will happen to little Ringo?

Finally Ringo shows them what he wants to do...he flies off to the highest tree and sings his little heart out!

A great story perfectly suited to Henning's 'chirpy' style.

Donough O' Malley

Happy New Year !

2012-01-06T22:12:58+00:00

Happy New Year All !

Illustration by Henning Lohlein

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-21T15:44:20+00:00

It's that time of year again in case you hadn't noticed, so all of us here at Frances McKay want to wish you a merry Christmas and a happy New Year with a selection of seasonal illustrations.

These beautiful illustrations were created in order by: Jane Eccles, Jill Latter, Bee Willey and Alan Marks.

Wishing you all a great Christmas and look forwarding to bringing you more amazing ilustrations in 2012.

Tom Morgan-Jones' War on Terror, the iPhone app

2011-12-13T11:27:30+00:00

For the last five years TerrorBull Games have published board games - specifically satirical and subversive board games. Last year we met a French vegan anarchist and artificial intelligence specialist and things took a turn. David Partouche suggested we make an iPhone version of our international cult hit 'War on Terror'. We chuckled because programmers had approached us before with the idea but then realized it was a bit too difficult, telling us it just wasn't possible. I'm pleased to say David has just proven those other programmers it can be done.

On the 25th November 2011 we launched War on Terror the app. Forbes tempted fate a few days prior to this by publishing the article 'Will Apple Ban The 'War On Terror; iPhone Game?'. But so far, so good (just to clarify, this means we haven't been banned yet). This little electronic baby of ours has been a joy to work on, we've put a lot of blood, sweat and tears into it and I hope it shows.

The game is an absurdly addictive and wickedly satirical strategy game of global liberation. Imagine a darkly comedic alliance between Risk, Monopoly and Settlers of Catan and you're halfway there.

Our good friend Rob Taliesin Owen created the amazing music and all the sound effects which bounce beautifully around in your skull. And as a special treat, as if Rob's music wasn't enough, we managed to cap in hand, crowd fund cash for licensing a song by Jarvis Cocker. So you get a bit of Jarvis too.

Andrew Sheerin , the brains behind the whole operation, is not only the designer of the game itself and all of it's addictive game play, his legendary work load extends to graphic designer, video maker, writer of wit within the game and all round publishing machine. He's looking forward to some sleep, I think sometime next year. Maybe. It was a joy for me to see my illustrations boing around the screen and add an inky element to the game. It was great to work on drawings knowing they would be animated which I hadn't done before. A particularly rewarding set of illustrations went to form the 'Torture School' where I had my wicked way with Andrew, David and myself in a credit page like no other I've seen. If you've got an iPhone and get to play it, be nice to us. Within reason. Andrew even did all the colouring in of my drawings, which I don't usually let others do. Trust is a beautiful thing. The crazy man says he's simply a pixel pusher, everybody who works with him knows better than this. and knows no one better to know.

If you fancy you can watch the teaser trailer here, and our official trailer here. It's even got a real life horse in it. So it's a work of art in itself. Fellini would be proud of that trailer. And here's our TerrorBull Games web page with a few more details to put you off the game. But if you've got this far, why not just go to the Apple store and buy the thing? Terror has never been so globally available.

Henning's handsome Mr Fox

2011-11-29T09:03:53+00:00

Julia Donaldson, children's laureate and author of the Gruffalo, chose "My name is Mr Fox" written by Shen Roddie and illustrated by Henning Löhlein, amongst her top ten favourite recent picture books, as published in The Guardian Saturday 22 October 2011.

Even so the book has been published 5 years ago by Macmillan, it is nice to see that it still lingers in people memories.

"It's the night of the hens' fancy dress ball, but there is a mystery guest - the handsome Mr Fox.

Will the hens discover his identity before they become chicken pie?"

Amazing praise for an amazing book, well done Shen and Henning!

Donough O' Malley

The People's Book Prize 2011/12

2011-11-21T11:40:59+00:00

Bee Willey's The Mouse who saved Egypt written by Karim Alrawi and published by Tradewind Books has been entered into the children's books section of The People's Book Prize.

Here's a message from Bee - Please vote guys, if you like what we've done.This book took a long time but it's publication is at a perfect time! Voting is till the end of November. Bee. xx

You can vote for The Mouse Who Saved Egypt here, and see more of Bee's work here.

Congratulations and best of luck Bee, Karim Alrawi and Tradewind Books !