Susan Mallory Sherman has been designing children’s books since 1977. She has been Art/Creative Director of children’s books at Houghton Mifflin; Little, Brown; and Charlesbridge Publishing and has run her own book design business, Ars Agassiz. She taught children’s book design at the Radcliffe Publishing Program, has given workshops at the Maine College of Art, and has been a regular speaker at Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators conferences worldwide. She has also been a regular visitor to the RISD Illustration department, working closely with the Picture and Word class.
Susan is fortunate to have worked with some of the most well-known illustrators and authors in the field, including many RISD graduates. She is presently a painter and shows in Massachusetts and New York. Susan received a BFA in ceramics from RISD in 1974 and an MLA in archeology from Harvard University in 2002.
In this class, we will explore the children's picture book as a medium of artistic expression. During the first half of the semester, we will experiment with a number of storytelling techniques and principles while also focusing on different approaches to the format, illustration, and design of picture books. The second half of the semester will be dedicated to the creation of the final project: each student will complete a book dummy for an original children's picture book accompanied by several finished Illustrations.
This is a co-requisite course. Students must register for LAS-E416 and ILLUS-3612.
Elective
This course is designed to help students find their way to the professional marketplace utilizing the best tool available - the portfolio. Be it the freelance advertising, editorial or children's book markets, an animation or gaming studio, a publishing house, gallery or other venue, this course will introduce the components of the portfolio necessary for success. It includes development of both a traditional and online presence, discussions on specific industries, copyright issues, client contracts and pricing guidelines. Each student will create new work to augment their existing portfolio, as well as business cards, a resume, a contact list, invoice and letterhead. The course will also include visiting guest lecturers from a variety of industries. The focus will be to complete a portfolio that serves as a professional tool most suited to each individual's talent and aspirations.
Enrollment is limited to Senior Illustration Students.
Major Requirement | BFA Illustration
