Anne-Marie Watts

I have just received the London Art College Illustrating Children’s Books Diploma which I passed with Distinction, amazingly, and want to thank Maggy Roberts for all her patience, instruction, feedback and for keeping me on the straight and narrow. My work would never have improved, or progressed, without her expert and uplifting guidance.

I would also like to thank Melanie for going out of her way to answer my queries and to reassure me at appropriate times – her encouragement and enthusiasm was very inspiring and so much appreciated.

As well as learning the importance of line, tone, texture, colour, pattern and rhythm etc, I’ve gone from drawing characters dotted about all over the place to knowing how to compose an overall scene, arranging characters in groups etc, and allowing the whole image to lead the viewer to look at the main character.

I have become more creative where I can set the appropriate mood and atmosphere required.

I am able to establish a relationship between an image and text because, apart from other things, taking this course has definitely strengthened my compositional ability.

I have learned to try and simplify my artwork for the relevant audience and feel able to tell a story in a single visual image, when necessary. Before reaching this point, I discovered the importance and benefit of reducing pressure on myself by doodling and exploring characters first and not just diving straight into producing a completed project.

Being limited to producing artwork within page sizes, formats and text areas can be difficult but I was tutored efficiently in the technical areas of gutter, bleed and trim etc and finally adjusted to what was needed. I feel I am capable of being creative within the confines of a condensed summary and of understanding how to respond to a brief which a publisher might commission.

I have established how to self-evaluate without being too inclined to look for faults and defects and to search out positivity and areas for improvement, now, within my artwork.

Thanks to having completed this course, I no longer fear any problems posed and am becoming more self-assured.

I really enjoyed doing this fun and very stimulating course and have learned so much and know there is so much more for me to discover which is why I am considering taking up the LAC Illustrating Children’s Books Follow-On Course.

If you would like to receive a roundup of all of our blog posts once a week to keep you inspired in your inbox, why not sign up to our newsletter. You can access our sign up at the top of our page. If you are a London Art College student and you would like your artwork featured here, drop us a line at any time.