Illustrating People with Sara Ogilvie & Jane Buckley – Virtual and In Person

Learn how to create authentic and convincing characters from real life scenarios with well-known illustrator Sara Ogilvie (Dogs Don’t Do Ballet) and Simon & Schuster’s Art Director Jane Buckley (winner of 2021’s British Book Awards Designer of the Year).

Over two half-days you’ll learn how to capture detail from body language to develop your characters and evolve your illustration style.

No matter how simple or complex your illustration style, observation and capturing detail from body language is vital in making authentic, convincing characters and narratives that readers can emotionally connect with. Over two half-days of playful exercises and real-life assignments you’ll explore facial expressions and body language, draw from life and memory, and evolve characters, interactions and scenes with humour and empathy. Involves homework between sessions. All you’ll need to bring is a sketchbook!

During the first session of this Masterclass, you will learn:

• About the picture book process with two experienced professional collaborators
• The value of keeping a sketchbook and gathering unique first-hand reference
• The benefits of observational drawing to improve capturing facial expressions and body language through in-class drawing practice.

During the second session of this Masterclass, you will learn:

• How to understand techniques to further develop expression and relatable personality qualities for characters in a picture book context
• How to effectively use observational study (from your homework task from the first session) to create believable characters – e.g protagonists, adversaries, sidekicks
• How to bring your character to life, grow their world and develop interactions within a scene or action sequence.

If you are unable to join the first session in-person, Pathways are happy to accommodate online attendance. Please email [email protected] if you wish to join online once you have purchased your ticket.

Tickets £110

To book or for more details click here.