University of California Irvine Illustrator Study Project

An Illustrator Study will allow you to explore in-depth the work of a well-known children’s illustrator. By reading at least five of the illustrator’s books and learning about the illustrator’s life, you will make connections between their lives, their work, and the children that are their audience. As an expert on the illustrator you choose, complete a project that connects to his/her life and relates to children and integrates the information that you have learned this quarter about children’s literature. The steps below describe how you will complete the Illustrator Study. The attached rubric shows the grading criteria (20 points project).

1. Sign up for an illustrator. Bill Peet
2. Read and study at least five of the illustrator’s picture books paying attention to artistic elements and media.
3. Write a 4-5 page paper in which you, research the illustrator, locate biographical information about the illustrator and information about how children relate to the illustrator’s work. Be sure to include:

• • • What are the major influences in the illustrator’s work?
    • How do events from the illustrator’s life influence his or her illustrating?
    • How and why do children relate to the illustrator’s work?
    • What are the key elements in the illustrator’s work? For an illustrator you will focus on art elements and media.
    • Describe how your original piece of art reflects the style of the illustrator.

1. Create an original piece of art reflecting the illustrator’s style and use of media (not a copy of a book page). This piece of art may take any artist form that is relevant (paint, pencil, collage, sculpture, etc…)
2. Prepare a list of the illustrator’s significant works including year of publication. (For prolific illustrators you need only to include their top 20 books.)
3. Bibliography must be included: (not counted in page total).
4. Present a summary of your Illustrator Project

Illustrator Study Project

Rubric