Friday 19 December 2008

Tales from Porth

Last August I was contacted to do a set of books to help people learn to speak Cornish. This time last year I had begun working on them, they were finished in April this year, and yesterday I finally got my set of books through.

cover.jpg

covers1.jpg

dyskadores.jpg

goraswonnek2.jpg

kador2.jpg

lester.jpg

I drew the characters, and the other illustrator, Brian Hoskin, drew the backgrounds and coloured everything. Some of my ideas and sketches for the project are blogged here.

I am pretty chuffed with these. It's one of those rare instances where you get the finished product through all those months later and you're not completely embarrassed by it. I love how they come in a little box, and there's an interactive CD, too, but I haven't tried it out yet. The website for the books is pretty awesome, too.

It was a pretty interesting project to work on. Not only because I was working in a small team with another illustrator colouring my work and that was all new and exciting, but because I had my "breakthrough" while doing it - rediscovering my on-going love of the dip-pen. Not that it wasn't incredibly difficult at times. I nearly resigned twice, but I'm glad I stuck with it. It taught me that I can use sketchbooks and I can work out ideas over pages and pages without the "Oh-my-God-I-have-to-have-a-proper-finished-idea-NOW!" feeling. The way I draw things now - like birds for example - is totally influenced by how I worked here. But it's turned out really well. There are plans for another set, but it all depends on budgets and costings and all that other complicated stuff.

I have to say, the thing I remember most about the end of the project, when the deadline was drawing closer and closer and things were really moving, was the dread that Amy Winehouse would do something stupid and our Goraswonnek ("Celebrity") would have to be completely redone!

The best thing of all about this project is that it gave me the money and the freedom to move into my own place, and I love it just for that.

5 comments:

Wibbo said...

The books look great! The website shows them off really nicely too.

Anonymous said...

I am so proud! This was before the happy glow of the "now" just after we found each other again. I would online text chat with you when you where in the old house and you would tell me about what you where working on. That reminds me, you promised to take me the Eden Project at some point (hint, hint!)

<3 U

x Boyfriend

Gretel said...

Looks brilliant Emmo, your work is so energetic and funky. You even made Amy look halfway decent, which is some achievement.

GOW.

Catherine Hayward said...

It looks fabby :D

natural attrill said...

I love the characters Emm! Its interesting working with other artists isnt it, I think the person who did the colouring on yours and the backgrounds have done a really good job, it all looks great!
I have worked the other way around for Disney, colouring someone elses drawings, I really enjoyed it.
Penny.