Sophie Blackall Illustration

Drawings and Snippets and Breaking News, (but more snippets than breaking news).

Saturday, August 7, 2010

Illustratour, part 1


For the next week I am in Valladolid which is a small town North of Madrid, for Illustratour, an international children's book illustration workshop. I will be teaching 20 Spanish students. I sincerely hope they speak English because my Spanish is "flojo". I am in excellent company; there are illustrators from Spain and France and Argentina and Japan, and last night over dinner, when language failed us, we resorted to pencils and paper napkins and found our common tongue.
So this is my course description:
Foxes, Handkerchiefs and Storm Clouds"
In this workshop we will explore Style and Character and Setting in Children's Books. We'll play games like "Exquisite Corpse" and "Beast, Bird, Fish" and "Foxes, Handkerchiefs and Storm Clouds" and we'll make big drawings together and then cut them up and share the pieces. We'll tell stories and draw pictures from them and share techniques and cake. We'll describe things from our lives and laugh a lot, (hopefully), and draw a lot, (definitely), and be surprised by all sorts of things in ourselves and each other (almost certainly) and at the end we will each make one beautiful, serious painting, and take home the seeds of a hundred more.
I am going to try and document the week because I think it's going to be quite...well...amazing.
Here is my first view of Spain...
and this is my first calamari with aioli and first tinto de verano which is my new favourite drink.

I'll get to drawing soon. And storks! I mustn't forget to tell you about the storks.

12 comments:

Dean Grey said...

This sounds like an amazing adventure, Sophie!

Let us know how it all goes....and continue to take lots of pics!

-Dean

Yoli said...

Lived in Spain for 5 years; still have family in the north. It sounds like you are going to love your time there.

jAn said...

Great to see your blogg alive again and I missed it!! Cheers....>>...

carol barclay said...

Please, oh please, describe the games with the intriguing titles- such lucky kids...

Nuria said...

Hi Sophie, i met you today, at the talk you had. I just want to thank the positivity and the closeness you transmit. I didn't know your work and I liked it. Which was the name of the new york library you mentioned?

i'm sure you will have success in the workshop. i will follow you.

Have a nice week Sophie

-Nuria-

McMGrad89 said...

Sound like fun and I am sure you will be enjoying some wonderful meals.

We just got back from Norway and I photographed almost everything I ate. It was a great trip.

Have a nice time.

Lara Meana said...

Sophie,
I can´t find the words. Just got home and couldn´t wait to take a look.
It was such a nice weekend, so great to share it with you...
I´ll keep in touch. Have fun!

Lauren Castillo said...

Sounds amazing, Sophie! Those are some lucky students. Have an awesome time, and looking forward to your trip re-cap :)

Delphine Durand said...

This was nice to meet you Sophie. Have a good week in valladolid ! :)

Marie said...

Very happy find food here :-)Looks and sounds delicious.

tanjawilmot said...

document away, i'm listening with rapt attention - am home in london looking for some ways to be playful with children's book illustration for my own work and this sounds perfect. as does some lovely food and collaboration. enjoy every minute, and thanks for letting us share your time there.

Sandra ·PENCIL Ilustradores said...

Shopie llegó, habló y nos conquistó a todos. Qué descubrimiento!