Commissioned |
ProfessionalWhy did you make this work:
Little Gestalten commissioned me to illustrate a non-fiction children’s picture book which not only accurately represents factual information about these whales, but also reflects these gentle giants’ characters, behaviours, environments and our relationship with them, transporting the young reader into “The World of Whales”, ending with an invitation to help protect them and our oceans.
How was the illustration used: The illustrations were used for a non-fiction, 74-page children’s book, including internal illustrations, endpaper patterns and cover. The book includes whale behaviours from feeding to play, the history of us and whales, and features all species, from the huge blue whale to the hunting orca. It is made up both of complete spreads and smaller, intricate spot illustrations.
How did you make this work: The illustrations were created digitally from start to finish, using a limited range of brushes to keep consistency throughout the book. By working digitally, I was able to create detailed and layered environments and very tactile and textured qualities to each image, making sure to capture the uniqueness of character in each whale and include a sense of narrative, sharing each of their stories.
Commissioner Name :
Little Gestalten
Commissioner Company :
Die Gestalten Verlag GmbH & Co. KG
Social Media:twitter.com/gestaltennews
facebook.com/beckythornsdesigns; gestalteninstagram.com/beckythornsdesigns; littlegestaltenpinterest.de/gestalten/
Personal Website:
gestalten.com/products/world-of-whales
Currently Based:
Germany/Great Britain
Biography:
Becky Thorns is an illustrator and lettering artist based in Cornwall, who specialises in children’s illustration and literary themed works. After graduating from Falmouth University with a Fine Art degree in 2015, she has more than 6 years in creative industries, ranging from illustration to architecture, and has recently been featured on the cover of My Cornwall Magazine.Becky has been working on her first children’s picture book with Little Gestalten. The World of Whales is due to be released internationally in early 2020.When she’s not illustrating, you can find her enjoying the great outdoors or cosy with a documentary, usually true crime or David Attenborough.