Graphic Art
Mrs. Leavitt
Plascticine Illustration Assignment
Barabara Reid is a Canadian illustrator, born in Toronto, who attended the Ontario College of
Art and Design, focusing on illustration. Her first picture book in plasticine illustration was
called The New Baby Calf by Edith Newlin Chase. Barbara has illustrated over 20 books.
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Your assignment:
You are to choose a passage or page from a favorite book, song or other source to
create an original illustration in plasticine.
(Or, if you have another idea, please come and see me I am open to suggestions!)
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We will take a look at how Barbara Reid creates her illustrations and follow her process,
creating our own images to illustrate the text or passage we have chosen.
Once you have chosen your text, get it approved by the teacher. Write your text in your
sketch book and begin to draw out a rough plan for your illustration.
Our aim for this illustration is to visually communicate the text.
In this passage from Dennis Lee’s Alligator Pie
“Alligator stew, alligator stew,
If I don't get some I don't know what I'll do.
Give away my furry hat, give away my shoe,
But don't give away my alligator stew.”
Dennis lee is describing a stew made from Alligators, and desperate character willing to give
away a furry hat and a shoe.
An illustration of this would logically include these things mentioned in the text.
How the character, the stew the furry hat and the shoe are created, and are arranged would be
up to the illustrator to choose!
What will the character look like? Girl or boy? Adult or child? You could make up a hybrid
character like Dr. Seuss sometimes creates. What about the hat? The shoe? How will the
illustrator convey the feeling of desperation for the stew?
Ready, Set, Go!
When you think you are ready to move to your good copy, show your rough ideas to the teacher
and get your illustration board.
On one side of the illustration board – Write your text
On the other side of the illustration board - Create your illustration as we saw in the lesson by
Barbara Reid. (Begin by sketching out your illustration. Then move on to your first layer, the
background layer, or the setting of your scene. Next will be the foreground, your subject matter.)
You will be marked in the following manner:
10
8
6
4
2
Image/Illustration
Thoughtful,
original, well
planned,
creative,
communicative
of text, excellent
composition.
Original, shows
planning,
communicative
of text.
Complete, seems
to reflect some
of the text.
Complete, but
random and
does not fit the
message in the
text.
Incomplete.
Use of plasticine.
Technique
Follows the
techniques
learned in class.
Variety, texture
and detail.
Mostly follows
the techniques
learned in class.
Little attention
to variety,
texture and
detail.
Does not follow
techniques used
in class. No
attention to
variety, texture
and detail
Sloppy; hastily
done. Does not
follow
techniques, no
attention to
variety, texture
or detail.
Incomplete.
Total
/20