SECRET SEED SOCIETY / TASK 3

http://www.slideshare.net/secretseedsociety/chrissie-insidepack

Those illustrations are eye-catching, simplistic very colourful and include real images of vegetables. Every page has sustainable look and feel.

Appealing to young audience as well as enjoyed by adults. Clear Typography as well as line spacing allows easy and pleasant reading.

Educational and enjoyable series of books that introduce children to healthy way of living: ex.

"Mingo Mung Story & Seed Pack"

This book introduces children to: a cycling mung-bean, a firm fenugreek mother, a cheesed-off cauliflower, a broad-bean barista, a chicken-tending marrow, and a stir-fry of other veg-characters.

.................

Before looking at that secret seed society website I already had in mind mixing real images with drawn pictures to form a collage.

MY IDEAS FOR THE TASK:


How to grow Strawberries?


....initial idea....

....turned into this:

How to Grow Carrots?

In both designs I have considered :

-balance between image and text, continuity and flow across those two spreads, the age group of the audience as well as appropriate type of illustrations

I have created simple step-by step guide on how to grow strawberries and carrots with an educational aspect of the guide by adding some facts about strawberries and carrots. Next pages would contain simple recipes followed by other fruits and vegetables to make a collection. The font I have used is Sassoon San Slope 12pt. for the body and Chalkboard for titles giving visual hierarchy. 

Enlarging the word: GROW emphasises its meaning.I have kept balance without overwhelming on information. Adding real images gives the information more appealing look for the audience between 5-7 years old. Bright colours will catch the eye of a child and it fits with the theme also. 

TECHNIQUES OF REPRODUCTION BETWEEN 1780 - 1920

GROUP EXCERCISE - KASHKA AND ALAN

Don't bother Ben! by Ladybird

Does the style complement the illustrations?

Does the design of the type use any any visual 'tool' (bold text/ colour/movement?) to enhance the information/story. Is this succesful?

Choose one spread that works well and one that doesn't.

The style of the font does work because the type complements the illustration. It gives the feel of the movemnet, curveness, and slightly chaotic.

there are speech bubbles with different font wich is easily recognizable by young  children. Some spreads are overwhelmed with too much text it seems almost illegible also black text on darker background does not work well. The spacing is to narrow and too much text on one line.

what works? Speach bubbles work very well heping children to engae with thenarrative and be part of reading

Phonics Splat Cat by Ladybird

Does the style complement the illustrations?

Does the design of the type use any any visual 'tool' (bold text/ colour/movement?) to enhance the information/story. Is this succesful?

Choose one spread that works well and one that doesn't.

The story does complemet illustration. Illustartion fits with the text. Educational story. Font in the first story fits with the simplicity of the story, highlights the phonics - which helps children to recognise them - as well as it intensifies books purpose .

It is succesfull apart from the book's title font. Splat Cat title perhaps could be in smoother, more rounder font like Kirsten font which would fit with the word splat.

Spread in Jam-Packed story doesn't work; colour blends in and is almost invisible from previous stories. The purpose is defeted.

What works? 

Posh Pets title's font works well; elongated font with its descenders and ascenders giving impression of elegance associated with the word posh.

ART, CHILDREN PSYCHOLOGY

I HAVE READ VERY INTERESTED ARTICLE FROM 

http://www.users.totalise.co.uk/~kbroom/Lectures/children.htm. 

"Art, Design and Psychology	Children's Art
Introduction Children explore the world around them through intellectual, physical and emotional methods All these factors play a part in their art. Psychological studies have established a series of stages of development in this process - simply stated as: SCRIBBLE - LINE - OBSERVATION Restriction in Expressive Skill Withdrawal
Two Models: Similar, but different (ages are approximate)	Viktor Lowenfeld Creative and Mental Growth 1978 First Stage of Self Expression (Scribbling Stage) 2 - 4 years First Representational Attempts (Pre-schematic Stage) 4 - 7  years Achievement of a Form Concept (Schematic Stage) 7 - 9 years Dawning Realism (Gang Age) 9 - 11 years Pseudo-naturalistic (Stage of Reasoning) 11 -13 years Herbert Read Education Through Art 1966 Scribble 2 - 4 years Line 4 years Descriptive Symbolism 5 - 6 years Descriptive Realism 7 - 8 years Visual Realism 9 - 10 years Repression 11 - 14 years Artistic Revival 14 years
A general outline  (taken from several sources) Scribble around 14 months shapeless, purposeless The primitive cell from which all graphic art grows wavy (like a waive of the hand) little muscle control needed sweeping movements of the arm from elbow or shoulder tangled movement like a pen attached to a pendulum or string
Lowenfeld (1978) 4 stages of scribble	a) Disordered - uncontrolled markings that could be bold or  light depending upon the personality of the child. At this age  the child has little or no control over motor activity. b) Longitudinal - controlled repetitions of motions.  Demonstrates visually an awareness and enjoyment of  kinesthetic movements. c) Circular - further exploring of controlled motions  demonstrating the ability to do more complex forms. d) Naming - the child tells stories about the scribble.  There is a change from a kinesthetic thinking in terms  of motion to imaginative thinking in terms of pictures.
Scribble and control around 18 months Gradually change to including circular movements, interspersed with lines - basic lessons are being mastered Initially chance, watching another child drawing, slowly brought under control of mind and body control of muscles in hand, wrist and arm collaboration of mind and body	Illustrations from  David  Lewis & James  Greene (1983) Your Child's  Drawings:  Their Hidden  Meaning
Scribble and Precision around age 2 more demanding lines, angles, zigzags and crosses use of arm, wrist and finger muscles challenges to perception, memory and co-ordination of hand and eye movement building of a store of knowledge about motions and products with varying results can continue alongside gradual increasing skill in formal, recognisable pictures
Beginning of Precision More restricted - doesn’t spread across page, isolated lines sometimes named - “a flower”
Pre-Schematic Stage Announced by the appearance of circular images and lines which seem to suggest a human or animal figure. During this stage the schema (the visual idea) is developed. The drawings show what the child perceives as most important about the subject. There is little understanding of space - objects are placed in a haphazard way throughout the picture The use of colour is more emotional than logical Lowenfeld
Two ways toward realism Observation - watching others - copying movements (not the drawings) Experimentation - haphazard - similarity recognised - repetition of success Often human figures, but also animals and plants Humans and animals remain popular, plants decline
Human Forms Primitive and tentative - Head and body only (tadpole drawing) full face parts added as skill and perception increase - feet, noses, eyes, mouth feet, arms, body and head Animals drawn in profile
Symbolism and Schema Around 4/5 School starts - social world broadens regular repetition of schema Circle used for heads and tree tops Drawings don’t look like they should appear to adult eyes figures look alike (no differences between male/female) conceptual understanding rather than visual observation close attention to detail - distortion and exaggeration simple geometric forms Illustration from Kellog, Rhoda (1970) Analysing Children's Art
Human Figures Preceded by consistent shapes Hundreds of them! Eventually the shape becomes a man/mother/sister/brother Very individual, may vary considerably Figures in the child’s experience which impress determine the subject matter people = socialising process lines represent arms and legs
The Schematic Stage - around 7 to 9 years Easily recognized by the demonstrated awareness of the concept of space. Objects in the drawing have a relationship to what is up and what is down. A definite base and sky line is apparent. Items in the drawing are all spatially related. Colours are reflected as they appear in nature. Shapes and objects are easily definable. Exaggeration between figures (humans taller than a house, flowers bigger than humans, family  members large and small) is often used to express strong feelings about a subject. Another technique sometimes used is called "folding over" this is demonstrated when objects are  drawn perpendicular to the base line. Sometimes the objects appear to be drawn upside down. Another Phenomenon is called "X-ray". In an x-ray picture the subject is depicted as being seen form the                                      inside as well as the outside.
In between stages (transition) Neck and shoulders are run together in a continuous outline arms ‘open out’ into the body segment hand and fingers appear feet are in a different schema clothing takes the place of the body neckline and cuffs forming distinct boundaries arms and trunk run together by 7 the average drawing should have most of these	Twainese Children  playing  with kites
Still Geometric Ovals, triangles, squares, circles, rectangles, or irregular shapes are used as body schema All kinds of shapes are used for legs, arms, clothes, etc. When separated from each other, these shapes are meaningless in isolation	Twainese Woman
Meaning Through Exaggeration Arms are often longer, hands enlarged Changes in shape are accompanied by added details or, leaving things out altogether e.g. eating = mouth bigger extended arms if touching or picking up and object Indicates expanding interests and awareness Not copying, concept forming Process: thinking, awareness of feelings, perceptual developments	Picking Flowers
Use of a base line Indicating space relates everything else on the page at 3 - 1% use baseline at 8 - 96% use baseline Conscious relationship is between child and environment outdoors: base for things to stand on character of landscape surface flowers, trees, buildings, machines, animals and people all stand on this base	A visit to the Zoo
Lowenfield accounts for the multiple use of the baseline: Obvious (to children) that people/things line up this is based on a kinaesthetic (movement) experience the child experiences movement in lines its natural, things come, one after another in a line therefore two sides of a street - two base lines Hence, different events can be portrayed: steps, hills, streets, railway tracks	Two neighbours  waiving
The use of a baseline in problem solving: drawing a house on a hill - experienced as climbing up but arriving at a flat area with a house at the top is solved by using two base lines each with the character of the experience The same would apply to drawing: inside a cave, underwater, an animal burrow, etc. Solution - xray or cross section Also seen for inside buildings; house, school, rooms, etc.
Social Experiences Less drawing of single figures - more groups more major objects; children and adults, buildings, landscapes, trees and animals beginning of composition The child at this point holds onto a life when the inanimate object has a relationship with the child e.g a child can give a rock a “good telling off” for hurting their foot!
The Gang Stage - 9 to 11 (Lowenfeld) Dawning realism as process becomes important Group friendships of the same sex are common and self awareness to the point of being extremely                                                                                                  self critical Realism - not in the photographic sense, more an experience with a particular object first time that the child becomes aware of a lack of ability to show objects the way they appear in the                                                                                                                                                        surrounding environment. The human is shown as girl, boy, woman, man clearly defined with a feeling for details often                                                                                                     resulting in a "stiffness" of representation. Perspective characteristic of this stage: an awareness of the space between the base line and sky line. Overlapping of objects, types of point perspective and use of small to large objects are evident in this stage. Objects no longer stand on a base line. Three dimensional effects are achieved along with shading and use of subtle colour combinations. Because of an awareness of lack of ability drawings often appear less spontaneous than in previous stages.                                                                                                                (Less vital and lively.)
Transition A symbolic world is created, lived out on paper, where ordering and arranging relationships can take place This helps the child to become objective and no longer tied to subject-object interpretations If you ask the child to tell the story, their meaning of the story will unfold
Pseudo-realistic Stage In this stage the product becomes most important to the child, marked by two psychological differences. Visual: the individual's art work has the appearance of looking at a stage presentation. The work is inspired by        visual stimuli. Nonvisual: the individual's art work is based on subjective interpretations emphasizing emotional relationships  to the external world as it relates to them Involvement Visual types feel as spectators looking at their work form the outside. Nonvisually minded individuals feel involved in their work as it relates to them in a personal way. Colour The visually minded child has a visual concept of how colour changes under different external conditions. The nonvisually minded child sees colour as a tool to be used to reflect emotional reaction to the subject at hand. NB This accounts for a personal reluctance for students to study colour as separate, without a context of  external conditions, visual or social, in which to set their study.
Some other considerations: When things are difficult... Art Therapy and Visual Metaphor  "…invisible monsters that gnaw away at the inner self, creatures that destroy self esteem and leave in their wake anxiety and pain. For children from violent homes, the monsters can be an abusive parent, neglect, incest, and severe emotional trauma." Kathy Malchiodi 98:4 "In all creativity, we destroy and rebuild the world, and at the same time we inevitably rebuild and reform ourselves." Rollo May 1985:144	Monster Drawing by  a 6 yr  old in a Battered  Woman's Home Source: Malchiodi,  Kathy (1997)  Breaking the Silence:  Art Therapy with  Children from  Violent Homes
When things are different.... Nadia born 1967, of Ukrainian émigré parents, second of three children (other children normal development) Language development problems, diagnosed as on the Autistic Spectrum at an early age Internationally famous Proportion and Perspective understood, not normal until adolescence draws from memory	Horse and Rider by  Nadia (6) Source: Selfe,  Lorna (1977)  Nadia: a case  of extraordinary  drawing ability in  an autistic child
Stephen Wiltshire born 1977, of British parents 1987, when Stephen 10, he was the subject of a QED programme (BBC) Stephen also draws from memory having studied or ‘watched’ a building for 15 mins or so The beginning point of any drawing is random and lines appear “like a sewing machine”, the line spinning from the pencil point until finished. Series of drawings of buildings around London has gone on to have an agent, and many visits to major cities all over the world, leading to several publications	The Albert Hall (10) Source: Casson,  Sir Hugh (1987)  Stephen Wiltshire  Drawings
And finally, for those that have an ability to draw Adolescense Can draw with accuracy and detail Have to acquire perspective, light, shade, depth, solidity, texture Until that is the adult artist wants to draw like a child again! Examples are: Paul Klee, Dubuffet, Kandinsky, Miro, and Russian Futurism	Paul Klee (1905)  Girl  with a Doll brush and  watercolour  behind glass Source:  Fineburg, J. (Ed)  (1998)  Discovering Child  Art:  Essays on  Childhood,  Primitivism  and  Modernism

TASK 2

Choose one art style that you feel would be appropriate for each of the following books:

• Information / Reference title aimed at 9-11 years olds
• Baby / Toddler - First Objects Book
• Picture book aimed at 3-6 year olds

...

INFORMATION / REFERENCE 9-11 yr.old

style: Children at that age cope very well with more text and less images, yet when it comes to portraying information the images are very helpful in order to grasp a concept or an idea and to be understood. Non-complicated visuals are best as children at that age learn basic yet fundamental information so they can develop them in the future. The information should be eye-catching and interesting especially for reluctant readers.

Diagrams would be helpful as well as real imagery for greater understanding would be beneficial.

For example:

World History through ages with pictures. Easy to read. 

Another example which is an information  / referencing book a s well a s kind of  a fiction :

Fantastic books appealing to children of that age or even slightly younger. History told with humour and funny illustrations. Learning that will be never forgotten. Simplicity and comic like style helps children to understand and educate about the history.

I wish those were published when I learned history! 

BABY / TODDLER FIRST OBJECT BOOKS

style: very simplistic illustartions appropriate for babies and toddlers in order for them to associate pictures with the world around them. Familiarity, repetitions of words and  illustrations helps the to engage. Bright colours are more appealing to them. 

Books with flaps, pop-ups, shakers, m

ade of soft, colorful cloth are perfect for toddlers since they’re easy to carry around, flip through and even snuggle with.

Books that babies “touch and feel” are very interactive and help them build vocabulary and language skills. 

For example: 

those books about animals whose parts of body like fur are made of an actual fabric.

multi sensory books like shaker and teether book are perfect for babies!

Board chunky books are most suitable for toddles and babies which allows them on handling them much better.

I have found few illustartions which would be suitable for toddlers. It is not  a book but carpet which hangs in Kidderminster library:

 bright colours and simplistic illustrations appealing to young audience as well as 3-6 year olds. 

other examples:

I found in a newspaper forms of geometrical shapes; this style would appeal to toddles and babies:

PICTURE BOOK AIMED AT 3-6 YR.OLDS

Narrative and illustartions tend to be inseparable in the world of picture books. Words and pictures always should work together, so they can lead children through the story and explore their imagination. Some books have a few words on each page or non at all, others have several paragraphs.

With regards to artistic style, those books range from cartoonish to more sophisticated styles. I think this is the most variable category, they entertain as well as educate.

Style of those books help for communication with a young child; the story can be talked about and explore their feelings and emotions as well as help widen vocabulary and most of all enjoy spending quality time together.:

In this book for young readers, illustrations tell the story, fill the pages almost overwhelm the narrative; which allows children to engage and develop their imagination also.

I have found interested recent McDonalds tray cover; cut-outs and folklore style, yet simple:

other examples are based on my daughters recent drawings on the computer; realistic, filling the whole page and bright: