The Art and Craft of Picture Book (2)

A picture book may seem to be a simple proposition – a decorated story. In fact, a picture book contains several modes of expression and can contain multiple layers of meaning.

This course will explore the techniques that illustrators and authors use to create these expressions and meanings. And how different techniques help to spur different narratives, and encourage readers to keep turning the pages to acquire the meanings they suggest.

Whether you are an amateur in picture book or student who has explored the essence of picture book from our fundamental course – “The Art and Craft of Picture Book (1)”, you would find this intermediate course most useful and satisfying. As there is a range of practical instructions prepared for you to pickup the visual story-telling techniques, followed by workshops and tutorials detailing the process of a picture book making and publishing.

For examples, how to create attractive and visually appealing characters; how to use colour and texture to enhance the impact and intention of a story; how to use visual clues to add certain atmosphere or symbolic details to the pages; and in the end, how to utilise design elements to maximise the visual impact of the whole book.

* Students will be informed of the materials needed in the first lesson.

Tutor

Benny Lau

Benny Lau, an award-winning graphic artist, illustrator and product designer. He started his journey of picture book for almost 2 decades. In 2009, he won the silver award at the first Greater China Illustration Award. Apart from practising as a multi-disciplinary designer and entrepreneur, Benny has been teaching and facilitating creative workshops in Hong Kong and overseas.

Since 2017, Benny co-founded the Macau House of Childhood, designed a series of creative workshops and picture books for playful learning. In 2022 he organised “The Beautiful Pages” community project in Shum Shui Po, introduced a series of workshops and activities with other picture book artists. Lately in the Hong Kong Bookfair organised by HKTDC, Benny was responsible to curate the “World of Art and Culture”, selecting and presenting the outstanding picture books around the world.