Natalie Russell

     
Natalie Russell
DJCAD, University of Dundee
n.russell@dundee.ac.uk
www.natalierussell.co.uk


Biography

Natalie Russell’s career encompasses printmaking (DCA & Early Griffin), lecturing in Illustration (DJCAD & ECA), writing and illustrating picture books (Macmillan Children’s Books & Bloomsbury) and promoting literacy skills at book festivals, schools and libraries. Since publishing her first picture book ‘Hamish the Highland Cow’ in 2003, Natalie has continued to develop her practice as an author / illustrator. Her works include ‘Moon Rabbit’ which was nominated for the CLIP Kate Greenaway Medal in 2009 and ‘Brown Rabbit in the City’ which was showcased in ‘Best in Field’ 2010 at the Society of Illustrators Exhibition in New York.

Illustrated Talk

‘Lost for Words’
Having worked within the field of Children’s Publishing for over ten years, I have become all too familiar with the obstacles the composition process presents. I find writing an infectious game of ‘words and pictures’, offering endless creative possibilities, very few instructions and only one universally set rule, ‘a 32 page format’. The process stretches the imagination and can often inflict feelings of uncertainty, confusion and frustration whilst piecing together the picture book puzzle.
To celebrate the forthcoming publication of ‘Lost for Words’ (Macmillan children’s Books. Jan. 2014), I will present an illustrated talk that provides an overview of the publishing project from conception to completion and will demonstrate the different stages involved in composing a children’s picture book. The talk will offer an insight into the evolution of the characters and the issues encountered due to the mature nature of the theme  (overcoming writer’s block and discovering your own creative voice). During the session I will discuss the layout and design of the book and the challenges overcome whilst printing it’s 32 pages. I.e. managing an extensive colour palette, gaining opacity and intensity in colour and instilling emotion, movement and depth into a flat, graphic aesthetic etc.
Through this illustrated talk I aim to encourage the exchange of ideas and opinions regarding the process of writing children’s picture books and provide a greater understanding of the complexity of this creative practice.
‘Lost for Words’ is my fifth children’s title to be commissioned by Macmillan Children’s Books. The popularity of the books is largely due to the colourful silkscreened illustrations, a medium rarely used in children’s publishing. ‘Lost for Words’ was printed at Dundee Contemporary Arts Print Studio in 2011 with the assistance of Ailsa McWilliam and will be published internationally on its release in January 2014.

Open Folio

‘Open Sketchbook’
To demonstrate the rigorous process involved in writing and illustrating children’s picture books, I will present an ‘open portfolio’ or should I say, a large ‘open sketchbook’ that focuses on the exploratory processes of five picture books; ‘Moon Rabbit’ (2009), ‘Brown Rabbit in the City’ (2010), ‘Rabbit’s in the Park’ (2012), ‘Rabbit’s in the Snow’ (2012) and ‘Lost for Words’ (2013) published by Macmillan Children’s Books, London.

This ‘open sketchbook’ will present selected character sketches, words and drawings showing questions, thoughts and intersections in the narrative, layout designs working to publishing formats, separations and the final screen printed artworks.