Creating Narratives with Visual Enhancements: Illustration
Anne Catharine Blake, a renowned illustrator known for her work in children's books, comics, and illustrations, juggles several projects at a time. With a knack for meeting deadlines, she moves seamlessly between her various creative endeavours.
Blake's portfolio can be found on her website, annecatharineblake.com, and she can also be followed on Instagram. Her career in the illustration industry began backstage during her father's theatrical work, where she found inspiration to pursue her passion for art.
One of Blake's earliest published works was a comic about grandparents, distributed by Senior Wire News Service. She has since developed two new courses for the BFA in Illustration program: ILL 302 Visual Storytelling and Storyboarding, and ILL 304 Special Topics.
Blake's workflow begins with brainstorming ideas in the morning, followed by organizing and sorting them into project files or boxes. She employs a combination of traditional and digital media to finish her illustrations.
When illustrating someone else's book, Blake works closely with editors and art directors for three to six months. This collaborative process involves creating a set of thumbnails in a storyboard format as a first draft, which she doesn't show to clients. Once the thumbnails are approved, she enlarges and sets up an InDesign file of the book or project.
Blake is also working on an updated version of her comic strip about grandparents as a collection. In addition, she is developing a new series inspired by her train travels across the United States and Canada, intended for kindergarten to third-grade readers.
The final book cover is usually due after sketches are approved, as publishers like to start promoting the book before it's published. It takes months or even years to put a book proposal together, including the story, two finished illustrations, and a storyboard to pitch to a publisher.
Blake stays current in the industry and promotes illustration for the next generation by being a member of the Society of Illustrators in New York. She also gained insights into the inside business of children's book publishing by joining the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators.
For those interested in pursuing a career in illustration, information about Sessions.edu's online BFA in Illustration program is available online. However, specific details about Blake's career and teaching assignments in the BFA Illustration program at your institution could not be verified due to a lack of institutional sources.
Anne Catharine Blake's interests extend beyond illustration, as she enables sustainable living through her home-and-garden hobbies.
In addition to teaching, Blake actively explores topics such as online education and learning, particularly in the field of education-and-self-development.
Artificial intelligence has intrigued Blake, and she imagines its potential role in the future of sustainable-living and home-and-garden practices.
Blake maintains a lifestyle that combines the visual arts with other passions, such as home-and-garden, and seeks to incorporate technology, including artificial intelligence, to improve both her work and daily life.
