In choosing an image to write a brief I connect with I am selecting an illustration by Margaret Tempest. Please see below a write up on Wikipedia providing information about Margaret Tempest.
As a child I vividly remember being guided to books by Alison Uttley in the local library and being charmed by the round illustrations on the front covers by Margaret Tempest. Just to write briefly here about the author Alison Uttley (1884 – 1976) with information again from Wikipedia. Alison Uttley (an English writer of over 100 books) is best known for a children’s series about Little Grey Rabbit. She lived initially in Derbyshire and then in Cheshire. She trained as a scientist, studying physics and became a teacher. Then in 1929 she published her first book and tended to write stories about animals. Interesting in 1938 the lived in Beaconsfield in the same neighbourhood as Enid Blyton.
In 1970 the University of Manchester awarded Uttley an honorary degree of Doctor of Letters in recognition of her literary work.
Alison Uttley as author and Margaret Tempest as illustrator collaborated on children’s books for approximately 40 years.
The illustration below by Margaret Tempest is called “What O’Clock?”. I particularly like this example of her work as it is so complete as a story of mice telling the time by a dandelion.
The summary of the brief could be: To produce an illustration of mice telling the time by a dandelion clock. Then the additional brief details could be as follows:-
- Purpose – to be used as a post-card or picture for young children/families to enjoy. To educate about the life cycle of a flower using the dandelion as an example.
- Context – for a small number of mice (eg 3 or 4) standing on tiptoe beneath a dandelion directing and watching another mouse climbing up the stem of a dandelion seed head to shake or puff at the seeds to tell the time.
- Stylistic aspects – the mice to be dressed in vintage clothes eg pinafores, smocks, coats and suits. The mice to look cute however competent and mature in nature.
- Aspect of distortion – to create a large dandelion in proportion to the mice so the plant leaves are above the heads of the mice and dandelion flowers almost 3 times as tall as a mouse.
- Perspective – to create the design so the viewer feels involved as part of the story as though they too were a mouse observing the process standing nearby.
- Materials – bright colours especially of the dandelion flower and to bring attention to the mouse climbing the stem. Perhaps use watercolour and highlight with crayons and felt tip pens.
- Education – the dandelion plant to be displayed at all stages of growth, in bud, in flower, in seed and seeded (in the process of making new life).
On reflection of this exercise I may be too detailed in writing the brief eg indicating that the mice to be standing on tiptoe and that the dandelion flowers need to be 3 times as tall as a mouse. It would depend on how exact and clear an image is required. It may be helpful to have listed criteria for some briefs however too restrictive a brief would not allow for new ideas to be generated from the illustrator.
However I have not specified how the mice need to be standing at the base of the dandelion, whether individually or as group together so this would allow for some creative thought.
Adelaide Art 