Picture books! And other lovely illustrations for kids.
Agent:
James McGowan & Sophie Sheumaker
Why BookEnds?
James, Sophie, and the BookEnds team seemed so lovely and genuine and I just felt really excited to work with them! I love lots of their other artists too, and thought we’d be a great fit. (Also, James had me at “professional snacker & sarcasm” from his bio!)
Tell us a bit about your illustration process. Where do you draw/write, and how often?
I have a little studio in my garden where I skip off to every day to draw when my kids are at school (while listening to music very loudly and hoping nobody can hear me singing through the windows). Writing is a bit unpredictable – my favourite ideas tend to crop up out of nowhere when I’m walking, or about to fall asleep, so I rush to capture them in my notes app and then try to work them up when the idea has percolated a bit more!
Where can readers find you on the web and social media?
My main illustration portfolio is at http://bryonycrane.com and I’m @BryonyCrane on everything else… I mostly hang out on Instagram (http://instagram.com/bryonycrane/) where I post new work, some sketchbook stuff, and process videos. (Although I mostly lurk on stories posting silly jokes that make myself laugh way too much, and unmissable, thrilling updates about my garden…)
Do you have any drawing/writing rituals? (e.g. burning a candle if you’re having trouble getting started at the computer or writing longhand first if you’re feeling uninspired.)
For drawing, music is really important to stop my brain getting distracted and to get into a good creative flow state. I also have a lovely hourglass in the studio that I turn over if I’m having trouble getting started in the morning – I brainstorm ideas, or draw from animal reference photos/online maps until the sand runs out. Timing yourself is a great way to get going – short, timed warm-up drawings tend to get the ‘bad’ sketches out quickly first! If I’m stuck in a rut or feeling rubbish I usually put on a fun creative podcast to turn my mood around, like ‘Creative Pep Talk’ with Andy J Pizza or Steve Lenton’s ‘Studiomate Steve’.
With writing or things like pacing and storyboarding for a book, I need quiet and time to focus without distractions, so I make myself a coffee (with several biscuits, obviously), put my phone away, and get some quiet instrumental music on.
What do you love about writing/drawing picture books?
They’re just so fun and beautiful. I love working on a character and bringing it to life. I have a huge collection of picture books at home and I love how an illustrator’s voice can always bring something new and surprising to a familiar theme, or add a light touch to a tricky topic to help kids. I really enjoy working on the interplay between the text and art – so much can be said in the illustrations.
Why did you choose the genre you’ve chosen?
I’m just in love with picture books! My mum always read to me a lot as a child so I developed a love of books early on, and I want to be part of instilling that enjoyment in children as I think a love of reading is so important in developing so many skills – from obvious writing and vocabulary improvements, to empathy, healthy escapism, and just a wider understanding of the world.
What is the hardest part about writing picture books?
Actually finding that new way of approaching something – how to create something interesting or surprising. It all looks so simple, but the best picture books are actually so refined – everything boiled down to create great storytelling that will keep a child interested. I’m always fascinated by what actually engages my kids in a picture book – I find that children are looking for strong characterisation that allows them to connect with the character’s personality even if they’re drawn very simply, great page-turns and pictures that make them giggle, even if the story isn’t specifically funny. And that’s all much harder to do than it sounds!
Do you get inspiration from any TV shows or movies? If so, which ones?
Not intentionally, but I think it’s all slowly fed into my love of character and storytelling. I grew up watching a lot of Pixar movies so I’ve always enjoyed studying their concept art books with the wealth of amazing preliminary character and location work, which I guess turned into an interest in Studio Ghibli, Cartoon Saloon etc. Growing up I also watched a lot of classic 90’s shows with stop-motion puppets like Postman Pat and Noddy, and things like Moomins, Animals of Farthing Wood and Watership Down which have lovely storytelling with a bit of a darker twist. These days I do love to watch David Attenborough documentaries like ‘Our Planet’ which are beautifully shot, if I want to feel inspired.
If money were no object, what would be your dream writing location?
Somewhere beautiful and inspiring with great scenery… I love the Pembrokeshire Coast in Wales, which is a mix of lovely golden sandy beaches, hilly countryside and stunning clifftop walks. So maybe some amazing lighthouse or fancy treehouse retreat nestled away somewhere there!
Do you belong to any writing organizations?
I recently joined SCBWI so I’m looking forward to their virtual Summer conference!
What was the most important question you asked when interviewing agents?
I wanted to know how involved they would be and whether they would have the level of interest in my work as a whole that I wanted, but luckily I’d already stalked the BookEnds YouTube channel so had heard that they were really relationship-focused and repeatedly mentioned words like ‘partnership’ and ‘shared vision’ which reassured me.
Name:
Bryony Crane
What you Write/Draw:
Picture books! And other lovely illustrations for kids.
Agent:
James McGowan & Sophie Sheumaker
Why BookEnds?
James, Sophie, and the BookEnds team seemed so lovely and genuine and I just felt really excited to work with them! I love lots of their other artists too, and thought we’d be a great fit. (Also, James had me at “professional snacker & sarcasm” from his bio!)
Tell us a bit about your illustration process. Where do you draw/write, and how often?
I have a little studio in my garden where I skip off to every day to draw when my kids are at school (while listening to music very loudly and hoping nobody can hear me singing through the windows). Writing is a bit unpredictable – my favourite ideas tend to crop up out of nowhere when I’m walking, or about to fall asleep, so I rush to capture them in my notes app and then try to work them up when the idea has percolated a bit more!
Where can readers find you on the web and social media?
My main illustration portfolio is at http://bryonycrane.com and I’m @BryonyCrane on everything else… I mostly hang out on Instagram (http://instagram.com/bryonycrane/) where I post new work, some sketchbook stuff, and process videos. (Although I mostly lurk on stories posting silly jokes that make myself laugh way too much, and unmissable, thrilling updates about my garden…)
Do you have any drawing/writing rituals? (e.g. burning a candle if you’re having trouble getting started at the computer or writing longhand first if you’re feeling uninspired.)
For drawing, music is really important to stop my brain getting distracted and to get into a good creative flow state. I also have a lovely hourglass in the studio that I turn over if I’m having trouble getting started in the morning – I brainstorm ideas, or draw from animal reference photos/online maps until the sand runs out. Timing yourself is a great way to get going – short, timed warm-up drawings tend to get the ‘bad’ sketches out quickly first! If I’m stuck in a rut or feeling rubbish I usually put on a fun creative podcast to turn my mood around, like ‘Creative Pep Talk’ with Andy J Pizza or Steve Lenton’s ‘Studiomate Steve’.
With writing or things like pacing and storyboarding for a book, I need quiet and time to focus without distractions, so I make myself a coffee (with several biscuits, obviously), put my phone away, and get some quiet instrumental music on.
What do you love about writing/drawing picture books?
They’re just so fun and beautiful. I love working on a character and bringing it to life. I have a huge collection of picture books at home and I love how an illustrator’s voice can always bring something new and surprising to a familiar theme, or add a light touch to a tricky topic to help kids. I really enjoy working on the interplay between the text and art – so much can be said in the illustrations.
Why did you choose the genre you’ve chosen?
I’m just in love with picture books! My mum always read to me a lot as a child so I developed a love of books early on, and I want to be part of instilling that enjoyment in children as I think a love of reading is so important in developing so many skills – from obvious writing and vocabulary improvements, to empathy, healthy escapism, and just a wider understanding of the world.
What is the hardest part about writing picture books?
Actually finding that new way of approaching something – how to create something interesting or surprising. It all looks so simple, but the best picture books are actually so refined – everything boiled down to create great storytelling that will keep a child interested. I’m always fascinated by what actually engages my kids in a picture book – I find that children are looking for strong characterisation that allows them to connect with the character’s personality even if they’re drawn very simply, great page-turns and pictures that make them giggle, even if the story isn’t specifically funny. And that’s all much harder to do than it sounds!
Do you get inspiration from any TV shows or movies? If so, which ones?
Not intentionally, but I think it’s all slowly fed into my love of character and storytelling. I grew up watching a lot of Pixar movies so I’ve always enjoyed studying their concept art books with the wealth of amazing preliminary character and location work, which I guess turned into an interest in Studio Ghibli, Cartoon Saloon etc. Growing up I also watched a lot of classic 90’s shows with stop-motion puppets like Postman Pat and Noddy, and things like Moomins, Animals of Farthing Wood and Watership Down which have lovely storytelling with a bit of a darker twist. These days I do love to watch David Attenborough documentaries like ‘Our Planet’ which are beautifully shot, if I want to feel inspired.
If money were no object, what would be your dream writing location?
Somewhere beautiful and inspiring with great scenery… I love the Pembrokeshire Coast in Wales, which is a mix of lovely golden sandy beaches, hilly countryside and stunning clifftop walks. So maybe some amazing lighthouse or fancy treehouse retreat nestled away somewhere there!
Do you belong to any writing organizations?
I recently joined SCBWI so I’m looking forward to their virtual Summer conference!
What was the most important question you asked when interviewing agents?
I wanted to know how involved they would be and whether they would have the level of interest in my work as a whole that I wanted, but luckily I’d already stalked the BookEnds YouTube channel so had heard that they were really relationship-focused and repeatedly mentioned words like ‘partnership’ and ‘shared vision’ which reassured me.
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