WIA
WIA


Enter NowWIA The AOI Di
2024 | Longlist + Shortlist | Children's Publishing
  • Why did you create this work?
    Who’s Afraid of the Light? is a narrative nonfiction mystery picture book set in the depths of the ocean. I wanted to create it because I find the deep sea fascinating & my son & I spent a lot of time watching footage of the deep sea during lockdowns. There's a lot of recent nonfiction about the deep sea, so I set myself the challenge of creating a re-readable, dramatic, & engaging fiction.
  • How were your illustrations used?
    Since the story begins on an entirely black page, I used the endpapers to guide readers gradually from the ocean's surface to the depths of the Midnight Zone. Illustrated typography provides visual interest on the otherwise stark black pages & contrasts with the serif type of the narrator's voice. The deep sea 'monsters' appear to glow with my use of digital textured brushes & neon Pantone inks.
  • What materials and techniques did you use?
    I work mostly digitally, beginning my drawings in Procreate on the iPad and finishing them in Photoshop on the computer. I also incorporate scanned textures. The sun and clouds on the endpapers were made using an airbrush with the cap still on, giving a spattered, spray-can effect.
  • Was this project commissioned?
    Commissioned
  • Commissioner Name
    Miriam Rosenbloom
  • Commissioner Company
    Scribble
  • Commissioner Instagram
    @scribblekidsbooks
  • Personal Website or Portfolio Link
    annamcgregor.com.au/
  • Instagram
    @annamcgregorau
  • X (formerly Twitter)
    @AnnaMcGregorAU
  • Biography
    Anna McGregor’s driving purpose is to delight & entertain children through timeless storytelling. She explores evergreen issues through a child’s lens & allows children to gently interpret the stories in their own way. Anna is curious about nature & finds ideas by turning the mundane on its head, merging ideas or exploring wordplay — but always with a story that connects to the human experience.
  • Where are you currently based?
    Australia
Anna McGregorannamcgregor_whosafraidofthelight_image1
Anna McGregorannamcgregor_whosafraidofthelight_image2
Anna McGregorannamcgregor_whosafraidofthelight_image5
Anna McGregorannamcgregor_whosafraidofthelight_image4
Anna McGregorannamcgregor_whosafraidofthelight_image3