#hcaillustration

FINISHED!

I am really pleased with the project. It did challenge me but I feel that it’s strengths are that it has kept to the aims of the self written brief. It does visually and through the story provide a positive role model that happens to be a child with special needs and it does empathise with how autistic children see the world around them.

The start of the story...... Nell is drawing the creatures that she hopes to see in her role as a pretending to be a famous explorer. She can’t play outside as it is raining. Basil the grumpy cat is her loyal and less enthusiastic assistant. Chaos is not far away when Nell’s creatures come to life . They are very noisy and are out of control wrecking the house and terrifying Nell’s Grandma.

Interview with Dr Conn.

Dr Conn is a writer, educationalist and authority on Autism.She has worked with the illustration students at HCS previously in relation to her own publications.I discussed my ideas about writing and illustrating a book on the subject of Autism.I explained that my central character is a child with Autism and asked if she could give me any information on how children with this condition relate and interact socially.

I also asked if she could identify certain characterist that are typical of children on the spectrum. I explained that this project has come about as a development from research from my dissertation.I found that children from different ethnic minorities and those with special needs were poorly represented in mainstream education. I also clarified that the book was intended for an audience of 7 to 10 year olds the aim of which is to educate and empathise how children with Autism or on the spectrum see the world. It is also my aim to dispel the negative myths that surround this condition and to ‘normalise’ it in childrens books.

We discussed my ideas for an appropriate style for the book that best reflected the theme. Dr Conn expressed that she felt that a gothic theme was approprite as it would best reflect the lack of interaction of the child with their every day environment. She felt that it was important to empathise this with black and white illustrations and using colour for the girl and creatures suggesting her retreating into her head. 

Dr Conn suggested that a non generic book format would be better if I wanted to include the Autistic child among my audience with the interactive element of flaps etc.