Tor Freeman's Blog, page 26
July 11, 2013
Tattoo you
A few transfer tattoo designs for a friend's seaside wedding, trying different colours.
July 9, 2013
2B or not 2B? And Latitude Festival!
I'm sketching big spreads for a book at the moment, and have been blown away by the rediscovery of non-2B pencils. It sounds ridiculous, but having been using them for so long I'd just accepted that giant smudged pictures and hands were an inevitable by-product of pencil use, rather than down to excessively dark leads... cue rediscovery of H and all is clean and lovely and exciting! I get very stuck in my ways.
Also, I'm going to be at Latitude Festival in Suffolk in two weeks' time, on the 20th and 21st July. I'll be doing a reading/workshop on the Saturday and Sunday about The Toucan Brothers, probably involving some worksheets and expression drawing!
So if by any chance you are there with children and would like to stop by, that would be super! Or if you are there without children and want to come watch anyway, I'm guessing that would be fine too. Extra points for dressing as a toucan. I'm not sure which tent I'll be in yet, but I'll put up more info here when I get it.
Also, I'm going to be at Latitude Festival in Suffolk in two weeks' time, on the 20th and 21st July. I'll be doing a reading/workshop on the Saturday and Sunday about The Toucan Brothers, probably involving some worksheets and expression drawing!
So if by any chance you are there with children and would like to stop by, that would be super! Or if you are there without children and want to come watch anyway, I'm guessing that would be fine too. Extra points for dressing as a toucan. I'm not sure which tent I'll be in yet, but I'll put up more info here when I get it.
July 3, 2013
June 27, 2013
Reviews are in from cousin Georgie!
It's been a lovely week of reviews for me, and I want to link to two that are so nice.
But today I want to concentrate all on the letter I got yesterday!
The most exciting post came, from my cousin and longterm reviewer, Georgie (aged 11)! Of course I was nervous about her responses - as she mentions in her letter she is a busy person! In my request letter I was, of course, respectful of that... But she's come up trumps! And glad to see she's got her priorities straight re the Morpurgo/Freeman issue.
I love these reviews so much! I very much hope that Georgie's deal about the Morpurgo books goes through, and I must say I personally think she went just about the right amount of deep in her reviews - I love them!! Thank you so much Georgie! xxx
But today I want to concentrate all on the letter I got yesterday!
The most exciting post came, from my cousin and longterm reviewer, Georgie (aged 11)! Of course I was nervous about her responses - as she mentions in her letter she is a busy person! In my request letter I was, of course, respectful of that... But she's come up trumps! And glad to see she's got her priorities straight re the Morpurgo/Freeman issue.
I love these reviews so much! I very much hope that Georgie's deal about the Morpurgo books goes through, and I must say I personally think she went just about the right amount of deep in her reviews - I love them!! Thank you so much Georgie! xxx
June 20, 2013
Toucans are for eating
My friend Cecilia sent me these lovely photos of my goddaughter Bea and her little sister Eleanor reading/eating the toucans!
Yum yum yum!
I love these pics, thank you guys!
Yum yum yum!
I love these pics, thank you guys!
June 19, 2013
Toucans at Kingston Library
Today I headed back to my old university stomping ground of Kingston, to do a reading of The Toucan Brothers at Kingston Library. It was organised by the very welcoming and helpful Mike Treacy, and was attended by the lovely, funny reception class from St John's Primary School in Kingston.
We talked about what being an illustrator is about, and what pictures add to books. Then I talked about how much I like drawing animals, and how important expressions are to show their characters and what they are feeling. That, and reading from the book, took up the rest of our session!
See monkey draw monkey!
Everyone had a go at pulling expressions and filling in the blank animal faces.
An excellent rendering of a surprised pig!
I am being a sad guinea pig in this picture, with plumbing outfit!
Part of the lovely display Mike Treacy made for our visit!
All done! But still time to pose as Dennis and Gnasher on the way home!
Thank you to the really lovely reception class from St John's, to Mike Treacy, and to my friend and editor at Macmillan Children's Books, Emily Ford!
We talked about what being an illustrator is about, and what pictures add to books. Then I talked about how much I like drawing animals, and how important expressions are to show their characters and what they are feeling. That, and reading from the book, took up the rest of our session!
See monkey draw monkey!
Everyone had a go at pulling expressions and filling in the blank animal faces.
An excellent rendering of a surprised pig!
I am being a sad guinea pig in this picture, with plumbing outfit!
Part of the lovely display Mike Treacy made for our visit!
All done! But still time to pose as Dennis and Gnasher on the way home!Thank you to the really lovely reception class from St John's, to Mike Treacy, and to my friend and editor at Macmillan Children's Books, Emily Ford!
June 14, 2013
Toucans Pipesheet
Happy Friday! Here is a downloadable worksheet with Sammy and Paul, from The Toucan Brothers!
(To download: Alt-click if you are using a Mac, or right-click on a PC - this should download an A4 printable worksheet.)
Save Maurie - help Sammy and Paul turn off the right pipe!
June 13, 2013
Library auction
Here's a mixed media owl! Pen, pencil, collage and digital - and I found the nicest wooden frames in Muji.
June 12, 2013
June 4, 2013
Olive and the Bad Mood
I am very happy to have my second book about Olive the cat publishing this week.
Following on from Olive and the Big Secret, here comes...
Olive is in a bad mood - today is not a good day. And look at all her friends, getting in her way! No, Olive does not want to play with Molly, she doesn't like Matt's hat and Joe is rubbish at throwing balls.
Nothing's so good for a bad mood as passing it around. But when Olive's cheered up by some jelly worms, why are her friends suddenly so grumpy? And who's going to turn their frowns upside down?
With enormous thanks to Amelia, Amy, Daniel and of course David and Brett.
Olive and the Bad Mood is published this week by Brubaker, Ford & Friends, an imprint of Templar Books, and by Candlewick Press in the United States.
