Paddy Donnelly is a picture book illustrator and author, originally from Ireland and now based in Belgium. He has over 15 years experience as a designer and illustrator and has won many rewards. He started off by doing the IMD course which was a course available before IXD.
My tutor Paul got us in contact with each other. We thought it would be useful if I talked to Paddy about my project as I am designing a product aimed at children. I also want to incorporate illustrations into my project and there is no better person to go to for advice than him.
Before our meeting, I looked into his work. On his portfolio website, he has both children’s book covers and print illustrations. They are very aesthetically pleasing and beautifully made. I love the use of colour and how it makes important elements stand out. Animals are a common theme in the books and illustrations as this is what entices children. Each illustration tells a story and it is clear what the narrative will be about. I definitely want to look at his work for inspiration, not only for illustration but also typography, colour and storytelling.
We jumped on a Zoom call today and I got to ask him many questions and receive advice on my project so far. As I explained what my product idea was, he seemed very enthusiastic about it. We talked about the importance of children reading and how this product would help with that.
Advice on illustrating
I told him that I want to incorporate illustrations into my product and that I don’t quite know where to start. Illustration is not my strong suit when I don’t have a reference and of course, I want my illustrations to be my own.
He told me that it’s important to not put pressure on yourself when you illustrate and let your ideas flow freely. An exercise he advised me to do is to draw a character, e.g. a fox, in 10 seconds. Then, do this again 30 more times. Each time the fox should be different and have different characteristics. Every fox may not be a masterpiece, but you can take elements you like from different drawings and combine them together. I really liked this idea as it makes drawing less intimidating. I want to try this out and get better at illustrating without a reference.
Feedback on my brand
I wanted to get initial feedback on my brand so far. I am still in the early stages of creating my brand so some things may change.
Wordmark
I got positive feedback on my typeface. He liked how it felt quite whimsical and mystical which ties in with my brand style.
However, he suggested that this typeface should just be used for the wordmark as it could lose clarity if it was scaled down.
To make it more unique, he suggested I add perhaps a book leaning against the letter “A”. This way, people know what the brand may be before interacting with it. However, if my logo can convey this, I don’t think it would be necessary. He advised that any additions shouldn’t be random and they should have a reason to be there.
I showed him some examples of my typeface with texture within it. However, we both agreed that this would take away from the clarity of it. Especially since the typeface is already struggling with legibility when scaled down.
Logo
