Lauren

...is an Illustrator from Bristol. I live and work in a tiny house in Southville with family and two yappy Jack Russells. I work as a children's book illustrator and usually list my hobbies as drinking tea and procrastinating. I have an allotment and can be relied on to escape to it whenever i can. so if i am unavailable....thats probably where i am with my phone abandoned by the compost heap.

Homepage: http://www.laurentobia.com

Posts by Lauren

Brillustration at Blackwells Bookshop Bristol

Oct 8th

Posted by Lauren in 100 Days of Drawing

1,414 comments

We all had a fab if totally exhausting day at Blackwell’s bookshop today.

The illustration social group that i am involved in (Brillustration ) were celebrating the BIG DRAW.

We had a nutty day drawing in the shop window and Badgmaking with children.

we also sold a lot of our books and had a fab day.

here are a few pictures.

Brillustration and the Big Draw

Sep 30th

Posted by Lauren in 100 Days of Drawing

3,076 comments

As part of an illustrators group called Brillustration I thought I would post up the window display by the lovely people at Blackwell’s bookshop on park street Bristol.

we will be taking over their window next saturday 8th of october for the big draw event.

Brillustration will be drawing live in their window, encouraging people to draw making badges and generally encouraging people to join in the fun.

so if your about do come by and visit .

As they have a three for two offer on all Brillustration books (including mine , he , he. ) come and stock up,. you can always save them for the impending winter festival that I won’t yet mention!

we will even sign them for you !

Apologies for the rubbish photography it was a very sunny day.

Curve Ball

Sep 29th

Posted by Lauren in Uncategorised

852 comments

Every now and again someone asks you to do something completely different.

here’s my attempt at producing fantasy creatures .

(rather a strict brief)

sadly not to go any further .

so thought I would let them have a little life on my blog

run free nibbles.

happily no confidentiality agreement signed (name changed too)

Illustrating Anna Hibiscus the Reader.

Sep 12th

Posted by Lauren in Uncategorised

1,948 comments

Apart from the next picture book for anna I am also working on another set of her adventures in the reader series (that’s number 5) so I thought I would blog a little bit about the process.

This is how the book comes to me for illustrating, I also get a backup copy digitally but this is the one I work from.

To get to the finished illustration for a page, I first have a look at the page and what is suggested by the designer (who is very good at this)

and importantly what I would like to draw and how it would work with the text on the page.

I sketch it out on layout paper with my trusty propelling pencil ..and sometimes to help the design work on the page layout put the text under the sheet of paper I am working on just to see if it fits.

then I scan it into my mac and work on the page using Photoshop. It is a tool i find very handy when I want to remove lines or blotches or change the contrast of the line.

but I really try to do as little as possible with the line, otherwise it starts to look a little flat and computery really quickly ..so in my world less is more.

when I have sent these sketches off we discuss the pages and I may adjust the drawings to take into account things I havent noticed or that come up after discussion between the team, that is the Designer, the editor, and the near the end of the process the author. when we have all agreed I “go to artwork” although in these books that sounds a little grand .

as they are black and white I just tidy up the smudges on Photoshop and lay a tone layer over the whole page and with the rubber tool I remove what I don’t want .

This is because I like to keep these images quite simple and try not to detract from the drawing.

it is also because when these sort of books are printed the tonal work can get a little heavy (due to how the ink and the paper works) I wont get too anoracky .

so I know if it’s an even tone it will come out how I want it.

anyway for those who want to know how the pages are done

thats about it.

so heres a peak at a brand new drawing for the latest book.

sneekely titled anna hibiscus 5 ( for the moment )

hope you like it.

illustrating. black and white book, photoshop.

The Big Draw Events.

Sep 7th

Posted by Lauren in 100 Days of Drawing

2,342 comments

http://brillustrationbristol.blogspot.com

Brillustration is a group of writers and Illustrators that meet up in bristol once a month for a social drink and a gossip.

We are organising a couple of group events for the big draw this october so I thought I would big them up a bit on this page too!

here are the details that are on the big draws websight:

http://www.campaignfordrawing.org/bigdraw

Venue:	Blackwells’s Book shop
Address:	Blackwell’s Book shop, 89 Park Street, Bristol, Bristol BS1 5PW Tel: 0117 927 6602 Website

Event title:	“Brillustration At Blackwell’s”
Description:	Brillustration: A group of children’s Illustrators, Authors, Artists. invite you to come along , join in with badge making ,doodling and watch us draw in the window of the bookshop.
Audience:	All ages This event is open to the public
Dates:	October 8 we will be their most of the day., 11.00-3.30
Cost:	No admission charge Event: a contribution would be nice if you make a badge.


Venue:	Foyles Bookshop
Address:	Foyles Bookshop, 6 Quakers Friars,, Cabot CircusBristol, Bristol BS1 3BU Tel: 0117 376 3975 Website

Event title:	“Brillustraton at Foyles Bookshop”
Description:	Come and join Brillustration (bristol based children’s Illustrators and Authors) in an afternoon of drawing and badgemaking at foyles bookshop.
Audience:	All ages This event is open to the public
Dates:	October 29 , 12.00 -15.00
Cost:	No admission charge Event: Free