Elements of Illustrations in Picture Books Presentation by Dr. Shirley Pauler ENG 360, Children’s Literature

Line Most basic visual element Suggests direction, motion, energy, mood Kinds of Lines: Their Meanings Vertical/Horizontal-stability; manmade structures Diagonal-movement, instability Jagged-danger, breakdown Curved-human & animal elements Evaluation: Are the lines appropriately suggestive of the setting, characterization, plot developments, mood of the text?

Color Combines with Line Conveys Mood and Emotion Connotations of Colors Reds, Yellows, Oranges Blues, Greens, Some Violets Evaluation: How well does the artist’s use of color contribute to the mood, atmosphere, or setting of the text?

Shape Created by Line and/or Color Kinds Organic: Irregular, Curving Geometric: Exact, Rigid, Usually mechanical in origin Evaluation: Do shapes reinforce mood of story?

Texture Results from manipulation of line, color, and shape Children’s prior experiences enhance their interpretation/appreciation of texture in pictures Evaluation: Do the illustrations… Depict well the texture(s) of the subject? Evoke a tactile (touch) sensation in the viewer?

Other Aspects to Consider in Picture Books Design within Illustration Organization of Visual Elements (line, shape, color, texture) Does it emphasize what is most important? Does it help the viewer follow a visual sequence in looking at picture? Page Design Formal or Informal? Borders? Appropriate to content and level of formality of story?

And Don’t Forget… Artistic Media Used Medium=singular form Media=plural form Keeping the above straight is “Pauler’s Pet Peeve” Media Refers To: Artistic materials and methods used to create the original illustrations