notes from Bologna

About to leave for a weekend writing workshop, and just pulled out my notes from Bologna Book Fair that I'm finally starting to process!!!! a bit belated....

Notes from the Illustrator's Café- 

Being an Illustrator & the training needed

(Prospects for the Illustrators’ artistic and professional training  Participants: Walter Fochesato, Simone Tonucci, Anna Verducci, Mauro Evangelisti, Carll Cneut Introduced by Eleonora Sarti, La Fabbrica delle Favole Associazione Culturale)

Walter Fochesato: how to find your style

appreciating new trends, technique is impportant but most important is to make characters able to NARRATE (have soul).

Ability to TAKE AWAY- clean up. Not repeat what is already in the text (take as an example Roberto Inoccenti)

Nobody is born as a master unto himself. You cannot be in a vacuum. You drink in images & translate it all into your own style - ability to go back & thread to image references.

Simone Tonucci from Orechio Accerbo 

(publisher's point of view/viewing point)

Now having spent 7 years with graphic artists/illustrators. 

The ARS in FABULA program (which offers short courses & Masters degree in children's illustration)is held in La Fabrica delle Favole

It is excellent because it includes all players and allows them to collaborate to create good projects.

Young people must be exposed to the publishing world  & their needs. You can develop an idea but it may not be what readers want. Price & materials are also very important to consider for marketing purposes.

Anna Verducci- (director of Macerata Academy of Fine Arts for 37 years): says the course has all aspects of research and function. Collaborates with Fabrica delle Favole and Mauro Evangelisti to bring students something beyond the purely academnic and to give prestige to children's illustration as an art form in its own right.

Mauro Evangelisti - As a former student of the school, created this course based on his own experience. In the 1980s, he found the publishing world very closed one with many rules: but says they can be taught. Publishers are looking for a strong stylistic vocabulary. Illustrators must know about text, publishing, materials, etc. NOT JUST ILLUSTRATION.

IT MUST BE A SIMULATION!!!!

Carll Cneut(illustrator and teacher for the short courses) - 

The most important thing to learn: there is NO other way than YOUR OWN way. It must come from yourself and be true to your own style. THAT'S THE ONLY THING I TEACH!!!