I thought i would post up a few pictures of the event that me and my fellow Brillustrators got up to last weekend. We were asked by the lovely people at Waterstones Bristol to do one of our drawing events.  these usually consist of a gang ( or a gaggle) of authors and illustrators taking over a window and spending the day drawing! (fun times) we also do a bit of book signing and celebrating the fun of drawing on walls! you can see more photos of our day on the brillustration blog. http://brillustrationbristol.blogspot.co.uk/ but i have a few images from my camera phone so sorry for the quality and photography skills! in my defense the windows were shiny:-) This is Illustrator Sarah Warberton preparing the background. http://sarahwarburton.blogspot.co.uk/ and me being no help at all. Mark Sperring and http://www.s291999326.websitehome.co.uk/mark_sperring.html Donaugh o' Malley http://www.pencilrobot.net/ .as the windows progress. the other side of the window with Sean Julian http://www.seanjulianillustration.com/ and Sam Church http://samchurch.blogspot.co.uk/ we also did a bit of shameless self publicity. and here's a section of the finished window with some of our books...it was such a huge window that i could not take a full view of it ..now who wants to get me a panoramic camera for Christmas ..?        

  Well hello again! I have been away from this blog for a while in order to shake off some of the spammers. but i am back now ! well the first thing i should say is phew its been a hectic few months with the work rolling in ..hurray. always denotes peace of mind for the impecunious illustrator. so first of all i thought i would post a little image from some self directed work i am doing (writing a childrens book!) and the rest of what i have been up to .. well i shall let you know over the next few weeks . i must say its been a long time and am still flexing my blog muscles .. :-)  

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Hi people The websight is going to come down very soon as i have been somewhat swamped with spam and trackbacks. it will arise again soon with lots of new work (super busy at the mo) but it may or maynot have the blog attatched to it due to all the rubbish! well i may just have a news page ... anyway T.T.F.N.  

Anna Hibiscus Song By Atinuke and Illustrated by Lauren Tobia (woop) Published by Walker Books. has been shortlisted in the Picture book section of the Sheffield book awards. to have a look at the whole line up click the link below . http://sheffieldchildrensbookaward.blogspot.com/ https://www.sheffield.gov.uk/libraries/tots2teens/scba/shortlist2012.html to see more of Atinuke's work ..or mine for that matter have a look at our agents websight. http://www.milesstottagency.co.uk/ Here are a few spreads. and a link to the new paperback version. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Anna-Hibiscus-Atinuke-Tanya-Akinyemi-Sears/dp/1406338419/ref=sr_1_cc_1?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1331128030&sr=1-1-catcorr happily Anna Hibiscus song is coming out in paperback this summer! (shh!!! but there may be more anna news soon)          

I thought i would post up a few images for a recent commission for Driver Dan's Story train that aired on cbeebies monday night. If your not a regular watcher of Driver Dan (and why not) it probably means you don't have any under 5's in your house, otherwise there is no excuse! The show ends with a story time segment where live action kids listen to the story then are filmed against a green screen interacting with the illustrations. anyway the best thing to do is have a look yourself. http://www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/driver-dans-story-train/ well this weeks episode had my images in it (made into a snazzy CGI book) The story is called Elephant Jump. [caption id="attachment_1311" align="alignnone" width="630" caption="© 2010 Story Train Distribution FZ-LLC© 2010 Story Train Distribution FZ-LLC© 2010 Story Train Distribution FZ-LLC"][/caption] [caption id="attachment_1312" align="alignnone" width="630" caption="© 2010 Story Train Distribution FZ-LLC"][/caption] [caption id="attachment_1313" align="alignnone" width="630" caption="© 2010 Story Train Distribution FZ-LLC"][/caption] Well there it is, its a story about a rather glum elephant that cheers up when he learns to jump....with a little help from his friends :-)  

Well its now offical. How to find a fruit bat  Written by the wonderous  and talented Michelle Robertson. and illustrated by me. is out on july the 5th of july. so you can pre order from your favorite bookshop! published by the lovely folks at Orchard books. ISBN 9781408308547 Here are some links to read more about Michelle. https://twitter.com/#!/laurentobia http://www.celiacatchpole.co.uk/authors/robinson-michelle.ht http://www.michellerobinson.co.uk/ and very funny twitterer. https://twitter.com/#!/micherobinson Always worth a follow on twitter , she keeps me laughing. Oh I am also on twitter , but more prone to talking about the environment or banging on about my allotment..you have been warned! https://twitter.com/#!/laurentobia    

Phew christmas over then and back to work :-) i have emerged from a mince-pie and sherry induced coma and have tons of work to get on with . And i really think that the websight could do with a little new year revamp have so much drawing to do it may be a bit slow! but thought i would post up a few doodles using my new and lovely pen. and I hope to get the gallery images changed soon .

We all had a fab if totally exhausting day at Blackwell's bookshop today. The illustration social group that i am involved in (Brillustration ) were celebrating the BIG DRAW. We had a nutty day drawing in the shop window and Badgmaking with children. we also sold a lot of our books and had a fab day. here are a few pictures.  

As part of an illustrators group called Brillustration I thought I would post up the window display by the lovely people at Blackwell's bookshop on park street Bristol. we will be taking over their window next saturday 8th of october for the big draw event. Brillustration will be drawing live in their window, encouraging people to draw making badges and generally encouraging people to join in the fun. so if your about do come by and visit . As they have a three for two offer on all Brillustration books (including mine , he , he. ) come and stock up,. you can always save them for the impending winter festival that I won't yet mention! we will even sign them for you !    

Apart from the next picture book for anna I am also working on another set of her adventures in the reader series (that's number 5) so I thought I would blog a little bit about the process. This is how the book comes to me for illustrating, i also get a backup copy digitaly but this is the one i work from. To get to the finished illustration for a page, I first have a look at the page and what is suggested by the designer (who is very good at this) and importantly what I would like to draw and how it would work with the text on the page. I sketch it out on layout paper with my trusty propelling pencil ..and sometimes to help the design work on the page layout put the text under the sheet of paper I am working on just to see if it fits. then I scan it into my mac and work on the page using Photoshop. It is a tool i find very handy when I want to remove lines or blotches or change the contrast of the line. but I really try to do as little as possible with the line, otherwise it starts to look a little flat and computery really quickly ..so in my world less is more. when I have sent these sketches off we discuss the pages and I may adjust the drawings to take into account things I havent noticed or that come up after discussion between the team, that is the Designer, the editor, and the near the end of the process the author. when we have all agreed I "go to artwork" although in these books that sounds a little grand . as they are black and white I just tidy up the smudges on Photoshop and lay a tone layer over the whole page and with the rubber tool I remove what I don't want . This is because I like to keep these images quite simple and try not to detract from the drawing. it is also because when these sort of books are printed the tonal work can get a little heavy  (due to how the ink and the paper works) I wont get too anoracky . so I know if it's an even tone it will come out how I want it.   anyway for those who want to know how the pages are done thats about it. so heres a peak at a brand new drawing for the latest book. sneekely titled anna hibiscus 5 ( for the moment ) hope you like it.    

All I can say is eat your heart out JR Hartley. I popped into Blackwell's bookshop on park street yesterday to find Anna Hibiscus song in pride of place. Big thank you!

as the busy picking time at the allotment is in full swing thought I would post up a how its grown picture or two. :-)

I just love drawing imaginary citys.  

    Here's a card I did for "Internal workings" a business advice company. illustrating the business mechanic at work. http://www.internalworkings.co.uk/site/  

  Here's a card i did for "internal workings." Their work is giving business advice. the brief was to illustrate the idea of a business mechanic. http://www.internalworkings.co.uk/site                

Woo! and apologies again for blatent self publicity. well it is my blog :-) and it is a hugely specal day for me. and Atinuke, of course.   Its both Me and Atinuke's first picture book and i am very proud of it       Anna Hibiscus Song hits your local bookshop today ..and of course Mr Amazons emporium of stuff. so do have a look (maybe buy it ) and if you liked it leave a nice comment on mr Amazon.! (obviously if you think it is rubbish please dont :-) Huge gushy thanks to all at Walker Books.

I am aware their has been very few drawings posted lately so i thought i would post up a few very early sketches.

The allotment has been a bit neglected lately ..celebrating , illness, house moving and one thing and another so this week my allotment " oppo " (Bristolian for mate) has been weeding with a vengeance . I wafted about dead heading the flowers and wilting quickly (that's me not the flowers) anyway it's looking a bit more homes and gardens ..sorry  allotments. getting ready for the annual balloon festa picnic/Barbie/gathering.. note the greenhouse has now sprouted bunting!    

Back from Walker books and seeing they have twittered it i sort of think its ok to mention . I am just starting the next Anna Hibiscus picture book . Woopee!!! The picture of my desk looks a bit somber. but actualy its full of exciting new starts and if you look really closely you can just make out my thoughts for page 1!            

sorry if you are scratching your head and wondering what has happened to the websight.... .it has "updated" itself and now certain bits are refusing to speak to each other...rats!.. normal service will be resumed as soon as Mr Chimpanzee (the webmaster) has a window. . apologies for my slightly convoluted "in" joke.  

Thought I would blog the cause of my weekend disappearances. as you may of noticed i am a bit obsessed with my allotment ..but am now just procrastinating before a flurry of jam making. starting with raspberry woooooo!

thought i would post up a little character ...can't say too much about them just now a "thought in progress just now" doggy friday is an idea from the book sniffer. also posted on the booksniffer blog and Facebook page. check it out. http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100002116816783 http://booksniffingpug.blogspot.com/

thought i would post up a little character …can’t say too much about them just now a “thought in progress just now”

doggy friday is an idea from the book sniffer.

also posted on the booksniffer blog and Facebook page.

check it out.

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100002116816783

http://booksniffingpug.blogspot.com/

Anna Hibiscus song at the Kane Miller stand at the ABA. Also good to see Atinuke's other story the number 1 car spotter  in pride of place. Another of Atinuke's great stories, It has made a Richard and judy recommendation ! Congratulations Atinuke.