Emma Richardson
Illustration 2024
Her chosen career path comes from a lifelong passion for picture books. Emma loves the way a picture book uses imagery and text to complement each other and convey a narrative that just pictures or text alone could not achieve. Emma created both the story and illustrations for her final degree project, which is her second picture book project.
Having previously studied Fine Art, Emma started in illustration using traditional media, such as pencil, ink, watercolour and acrylics. Excited by the freedom and opportunities of mixing traditional and digital media, she developed her skills in using digital applications. She is now skilled in using Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign to create her books, and has a good understanding of commercial industry standards for publication. She still likes to start with pencil sketches, drawn from life. She then uses ink or digital brushes to create line drawings. Next, she uses Photoshop to paint colour and texture, bringing her illustrations to life. Influenced by illustrators she admires such as Raymond Briggs, Penny Weber and Ruth Palmer, and the analogue quality of their work, Emma now uses digital applications to produce work that looks traditionally illustrated. She has developed her own style, although she continues to learn and progress every time she illustrates.
Throughout university, Emma has undertaken a wide range of briefs, including advertising, editorial, reportage, book covers, and children’s books. Although not all directly related to children’s books, the other briefs showed she could illustrate other commercial work imaginatively, allowed Emma to develop her illustration style, and proved that she could work to commercial specifications. With strong time management and good organisational skills, she has never missed a deadline throughout university. In modules where Emma could choose the brief, she has always been drawn to children’s books. She also learnt and applied other techniques associated with books such as book-binding which she applied in her degree project.
For her Final Major Project, Emma created a children’s picture book, aimed at 6- to 8-year-olds, about an autistic child facing a major challenge of moving house and school. The book aims to relate to children who are autistic, as well as helping neurotypical children have a better understanding of autism. She takes an ethical approach to all projects, researching the portrayal of autism for accuracy and integrity, and also including a diverse range of characters. The subject is very close to Emma, as having grown up with autism, she understands the challenges it can bring. However, Emma also recognises that her autism brings a unique strength and viewpoint that she uses in her illustration work. Emma is particularly passionate about nature and animals, which comes across in her illustrative work.
After graduating, Emma will pursue a career writing and illustrating her own books, as well as illustrating the stories of other authors. She will be approaching publishers and is also interested in representation with the right agent.