"Have a look - a picture book"
"The aim of the project is to promote the idea of openness, international cooperation, and exchange of pandemic experiences. The starting point for joint creative activities is an illustration for the book "Have a Look", which will be made by 2-person teams (student-master), online. Students are motivated to find, through social media and individual contacts, illustrators from around the world, with whom they will work in duo on a book cover.
The project, awarded in the third edition of the "Wena" Grant Program competition, was preceded by thorough organizational and logistical preparations. A schedule of activities, promotion and communication plan were developed. An invitation to participate in the project was prepared, as well as a google questionnaire for recruiting students. In parallel, talks were held with partners invited to participate in the project.
The problems posed in the publication, the starting point of which is a WINDOW - are to encourage the search for diverse ways of perceiving reality." - say the teachers of the Leon Wyczółkowski Visual Arts School Complex in Bydgoszcz, who lead the project.
Two internationally known and award-winning invited illustrators could not confirm their participation: Felicita Sala and Puño,. The school successfully established contact and collaboration with Joanna Concejo, Luciano Lozano, and Bruno Nunes Coelho - illustrators of books published all over the world.
In a questionnaire sent out to students, 30 people applied for participation in the project. Then a series of meetings with the authors took place. The first, regarding a picture book analysis, took place on October 4th and 11th and was led by Magdalena Sikorska, Ph.D., an expert and enthusiast of picture books. The item analyzed was "Little Red Riding Hood". On October 12th a meeting with book illustrator Joanna Concejo took place. The participants talked about the creative process, the books created by Concejo, and the way of interpreting texts. On October 25th the students held an online meeting with the TAKO Publishing Team. During the meeting, the participants were introduced to the possibilities of cooperation and, above all, learned how to publish one's own book and understand the rules on the children's book publishing market. The students had a unique opportunity to learn about the entire publishing process, from the preliminary design, through the actual design, typesetting, preparation for printing, printing, and ways to promote the book. The publishing house donated books with children's literature to the participants of the project.
On November 9 and 16 classes on visual interpretation of literary texts took place. The "workshop" included the already mentioned "Little Red Riding Hood" with illustrations by Joanna Concejo. A website presenting examples of various interpretations of the "Little Red Riding Hood" story was created. The website presents examples of various interpretations of the "Little Red Riding Hood" story and is entitled "1000 Ways to Interpret a Literary Text Visually”. During the meetings, students analyzed materials obtained from the gallery website www.picturebookmakers.com
On November 23, a meeting and analysis of the book titled "I am the Island" by the outstanding and award-winning Brazilian author Bruno Nunes Coelho were held. On December 1, the participants of the project held a remote conversation with an illustrator about the creative processes that occur during the creation of visual works that illustrate literary texts.
In late November, students focused on creating a personal sketchbook to promote the habit of keeping daily visual notes. Using paper scraps from the print shop received through a collaboration with the Polish Army, students created blocks and designed banners. This resulted in sketchbooks in a variety of formats, with a variety of paper types. These activities will continue in a content-developed series of meetings, promoting daily sketching as an idea for developing creative sensitivity and creativity.
In January 2022, the last of the planned meetings with illustrators and book authors took place. Luciano Lozano, a well-known Spanish illustrator, talked about his creative process and his books. The effect of the project is to sensitize students to the openness of interpretation that is contained in a good illustration. The project will help its participants to design books using InDesign, a graphic design program.
There is one more task ahead of the students. The project will create a know-how brochure as a collection of information, recommendations, and good practices concerning the development of the illustration profession. The school library will be enriched with a unique set of artistic illustrated books, selected on the basis of young people's interests and current trends in the international publishing market.
Dorota Lipowska and Alicja Witkowska, co-leaders of the project, librarian teachers at the Leon Wyczółkowski Visual Arts School Complex in Bydgoszcz.
Łukasz Wiese, co-leader of the project, head of the artistic and vocational subjects section in the Leon Wyczółkowski School of Visual Arts in Bydgoszcz.
Monika Pyszczyńska, project supporter, a graduate of the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw, interior design teacher, and bookbinding enthusiast
Dr. Agata Ciesielska-Shovkun, project supporter, graduate of graphic design at the Faculty of Fine Arts at the Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, doctor of fine arts and art conservation. She works in graphic design, painting, photography, new media, and installation.
Franciszek Otto, project supporter, graduate of the Academy of Visual Arts in Kraków, graphic design teacher at the School of Fine Arts in Bydgoszcz, graphic designer, typographer, typeface designer.
