Picture this

Since VISI loves all things eyecandy, we chatted to two kids book illustrators – Emily Gravett and Alex Latimer – who are participating in the Open Book Festival, on until Monday 24 September.  

Emily Gravett

Based in Brighton, England, Emily published her first picture book, Wolves, in 2005. She writes and illustrates all her work.

How did you get into illustrating children’s books?

It didn’t occur to me that I would be interested in becoming an illustrator until after the birth of my daughter when I was 24. She was a really difficult baby and cried all the time. We were living in rural Wales miles from anywhere. It rains a lot in Wales, so we were often stuck inside the cottage. I soon realised that reading with my daughter was the one thing that would keep her entertained. We accumulated hundreds of picture books and I fell in love with them. I decided I wanted to become an illustrator. So after a lot of planning and worrying we moved to my home city of Brighton so that I could study illustration at university.

I entered a competition in my final year that was run by Macmillan publishers looking for aspiring illustrators. To my amazement I won with Wolves and was offered a publishing deal. It was a dream come true.

Describe your process; do you start with words or pictures?

Each book starts differently. I’d like to say that I have a process that’s set in stone, but I’m afraid I don’t. I often forget how I went about previous books, and each new book presents it’s own challenges. I always do a lot of working out in my sketchbook. I find it essential to be able to see how the book will flow.

Where do your ideas come from?

I really wish I knew! Getting ideas is the hardest part of the process. Sometimes months go by without any inspiration and I start to consider that my career as an illustrator may be over. Then I’ll hear something on the radio that can be played with or wake up with an idea running around my head. It’s always a big relief!

What makes a good children’s book? 

Each reader is an individual, so books that work for one child won’t necessarily work for another. When my daughter was tiny there were books that I thought of as unsuccessful because I hated reading them, but she loved. So I suppose that a ‘good children’s book’, could be considered one that the child loves. But really I think that a ‘good children’s book’ should be one that both adult reader and child love, as picture books are mostly a shared experience.

What is your favourite children’s book?

My favourite picture book as a child was The Giant Jam Sandwich by John Vernon Lord. It is the story of a village invaded by wasps, and tells how the villager solved their problem by making a giant jam sandwich to trap the wasps. It’s brilliant to read aloud (it rhymes), and John’s illustrations are beautiful and intricate, with loads of fun details to spot.

Alex Latimer 

A South African, Alex is based in Cape Town and his first book, The Boy Who Cried Ninja, came out in 2011.

How did you get into illustrating children’s books?

Before I started illustrating, I was a writer and during the down times in my freelance work I tried my hand at writing a few children’s stories, just for fun. After a few attempts, I settled on a story that I really liked. But I struggled to find an illustrator who was keen to commit the time required to complete a whole book without the guarantee of it being published. So I dusted off my old pencils from school and gave it a go myself. A few months later I had the finished book in my hand and began showing it to agents.

Describe your process. Do you start with words or pictures?

I always start with words first. Good childrens books must have good stories. I spend a lot of time making sure my stories are as polished as I can make them before I start with a single drawing.

Where do your ideas come from?

Anywhere but from my desk. Most of my ideas come during walks up mountains, or on long drives.

What makes a good children’s book?

I think a good children’s book is one that appeals to both adults and kids. Parents are after all the ones buying and reading the books. I like to add humourous elements to my books that parents will appreciate. 

What is your favourite children’s book?

Probably Lost and Found by Oliver Jeffers. Oliver’s work has had a major influence on my style. Lost and Found made me want to create my own books. 

On Saturday 22 September, the Open Book festival dedicates an entire day to comic book artists and illustrators. Also read our interview with organiser Andy Mason, a legendary comic book artist himself.