Blog by Clemens Birsak
Thoughts on stories
Understanding illustrated stories: Videos, essays and articles on illustration and storytelling. On this blog I aim to explain how illustrated stories work, what we can learn from them and how we can create them ourselves. You’ll find articles on illustration history, as well as picture book analysis and input from my own experience in illustration and storytelling.
War Picute books: All you need to know about German picture books during the first world war.
All Posts
Composition vs. Sketch: How to build an image
After reading the book “Picture This” by Molly Bang I had the idea of using compositions with simple shapes instead of sketches, as the basis for my book’s artwork. This is how it went.
Sketching digital artwork
If you’re a digital artists like me, you love control. But control only gets you so far, because some technical skills outside of digital illustration is absolutely essential to the creative process of illustration.
How to turn Shapes into Characters
Create a character from simple geometrical shapes in 8 easy steps. This video will give you a brand new perspective on character design.
War picture books – Picture books in times of war
Learn about german picture books from the first and second world war. Everything you need to know about war picture books.
Stinky Cheese Man: Picture Book Analysis
An analysis of Jon Scieszka’s and Lane Smith’s picture book “The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales” – art style and content.
This Is Not My Hat: Picture Book Analysis
An analysis of Jon Klassen’s picture book “This is not my hat”. The moral of the story, how image and text interact and Klassen’s art style.