Missbeecrafty recently caught up with children's book legend Gavin Bishop. They chatted about board books, Bruiser, and the picture book creation process.
Missbeecrafty: Am I right in thinking that board books are a relatively new thing for you? I think Mihi was your first one? (I love Mihi, by the way, I gave a copy to my baby Grandson, a Kiwi living in Australia, because I thought it would be wonderful way for him to connect with his Kiwi heritage).
Gavin Bishop: Yes, babies' books are relatively new to me. Most of my previous books have been for much older children.
MBC: So, my first question is, what prompted you to start creating board books?
GB: They weren't my idea. They were a commission from my editors at Gecko Press. In fact all of my books from the last 10 years have been commissioned. It seems to be my new way of working. My two publishers are good at finding gaps in the children's book market that they then ask me to fill.
Obviously, the intended audience of Titiro / Look is the very young (and the big people who read to them), but did you have a specific little person in mind when you created this book?
Not at all. All of my grandchildren are well beyond reading board books.
I’m curious about your actual creation process. Was it different working on a book without a story? How did you choose which words to include?
I think I came up with some basic ideas for words to use and then my editor had her say and suggested some others. These little books were quite collaborative. We tossed ideas back and forwards throughout the process of putting them together.
I thought the juxtaposition of faces and toys was interesting. What inspired that layout for the book?
Again, as with the words, I drew lots of rough drawings to get the ball rolling. Lots of discussion went on over many weeks. One thing we all agreed on was that we wanted a range of racial types in the pictures.
When you are working on a new book, do the words or the images usually come first, or does it depend entirely on the book?
Mostly the words come first. If you don't get the words sorted out from the start, so you know how much space they will take up on the page, you can't really start to plan the pictures.
How does the process of illustration change when you’re working on someone else’s story?
Again, the words have been sorted out so that I know where the pictures are going to go and how big they will be.
Your board books have quite a unique art style compared to your other work. I enjoy the vibrancy and texture of the illustrations. How do you choose which techniques and media to work with for a particular book?
Simplicity is the most important thing in a board book. And to keep the faces, toys and so on uncluttered, I use collage - cut out the shapes and glue them onto the paper.
Do you have a favourite art medium?
I particularly like scratch board and I love working with water colour because it takes me by surprise as it dries.
You’ve mentored several up-coming illustrators through the Storylines Gavin Bishop Award. What has that experience been like for you?
Very rewarding. We have discovered some very talented young artists over the years.
What advice would you give to anyone considering working as an illustrator?
A person generally knows if they are an artist or not. They won't be able to help themselves. They will draw all the time. Any advice I might have would only endorse what they already know or feel.
Are there illustrators or artists whose work you particularly admire?
Yes. They tend to be old fashioned like me and still draw with a pencil on a piece of paper. Maurice Sendak and Virginia Lee Burton are two that spring to mind.
Did you have a favourite book when you were a child?
Cole's Funny Picture Book No 1 from Australia was always by my side when I was little. My grandmother bought it for me when I was about 3 or 4. I still have that copy.
My son was a big fan of Bruiser when he was young. Do you think we might see more books featuring him one day?
I would very much like to make another Bruiser Book. I have a few ideas for one.
And finally, I wonder if you can tell us what you’re working on at the moment?
I have just finished the illustrations for a new Joy Cowley Snake and Lizard story called "Twigs and Stones". It should be out next year. It is being published in the USA.
Note: A reissue of the perennial classic Snake & Lizard comes out this November.
Titiro Look is an arresting board book of first words in both Māori and English by award-winning Gavin Bishop, NZ RRP $24.99 (Gecko Press)
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