Minds On

Let’s get started!

Notice and think

Let’s explore a few illustrations from the book The Snowy Day illustrated and written by Ezra Jack Keats.

  • What do you notice about the way the artist created their artwork?
  • What do you think the story is about?

What is illustration?

Illustration is a piece of art that focuses on telling a story. It focuses on the subject more than the form (how it appears).

A carousel of three images. Image 1: This is page 6 and 7 of Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats. There is a child, named Peter wearing patterned pajamas looking outside the window from his bed. Outside there is lots of buildings covered in snow. The text on these pages say “One winter morning peter woke up and looked out the window. Snow had fallen during the night. It covered everything as far as he could see.”. Image 2: This is page 14 and 15 of Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats. On page 14 Peter is outside wearing a red snowsuit and red hat. Peter is holding a stick and looking up at the tree covered in snow. On page 15 Peter is poking the tree with the stick and snow is falling from the tree. The text on these pages says, “It was a stick…a stick that was just right for smacking a snow-covered tree.”. Image 3: This is page 8 and 9 of Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats. Peter is wearing a snowsuit and hat and is standing right in front of an open gate. There are huge piles of snow on the street blocking the view from buildings in the background. The text on these pages says, “After breakfast he put on his snowsuit and ran outside. The snow was piled very high along the street to make a path for walking.”

Next, let’s explore a few illustrations from the book Orange Pear Apple Bear. This book is written and illustrated by Emily Gravett.

  • What do you notice about the way the artist created their artwork?
  • What do you think the story is about?

Press ‘Definition’ to access a reminder of what illustration means.

Illustration: a piece of art that focuses on telling a story. It focuses on the subject more than the form (how it looks).

A carousel of two images. Image 1: This is 2 pages from Orange Pear Apple Bear by Emily Gravett. The first page has a green pear which is stacked on top of an apple that is half green and half red. Under that the text says, “Apple, pear.” The second page has an orange bear that has one paw pointed towards his chin and one paw down. It’s body language suggests that it is wondering something. Under that the text says, “orange bear.” Image 2: This is a page from Orange Pear Apple Bear by Emily Gravett. There is a brown bear with his paws stretch out wide. Floating above it is an apple that is reddish-green, an orange and a green pear. The text says “Apple, bear, orange, pear.” Each word in the text is on its own line forming a ladder shape.

Student Success

Similar and different

Respond to the following question using a method of your choice and share your thoughts with a partner, if possible:

What is similar and different about the illustrations by Ezra Jack Keats and Emily Gravett?


Action

Get ready, get set…

Exploring illustrations

One of the ways artists share their artwork is as illustrations in picture books.

Illustration: a piece of art that focuses on telling a story. It focuses on the subject more than the form (how it looks).

The art in picture books helps people to imagine what is happening in the story. The art, or illustrations, often match what the author has written.

Sometimes the author draws or paints the pictures.

Sometimes the author and the illustrator are different people. This means that one person writes the story and another makes the art.

In the Minds On, we explored the illustrations by Emily Gravett and Ezra Jack Keats. They each have different styles of creating the art for their books.

Explore the following page again from Ezra Jack Keats’ book and answer these questions:

  • How did Ezra Jack Keats make the illustration interesting for the reader?
  • Did the illustration help you understand what this part of the story is about?

The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats, pages 14-15

This is page 14 and 15 of Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats. On page 14 Peter is outside wearing a red snowsuit and red hat. Peter is holding a stick and looking up at the tree covered in snow. On page 15 Peter is poking the tree with the stick and snow is falling from the tree. The text on these pages says, “It was a stick…a stick that was just right for smacking a snow-covered tree.”

Press ‘Answer’ to access a possible answer you may have had to check your understanding.

Ezra Jack Keats used contrasting colours in his work to make the character appear more noticeable.

For example, in the image the child wears a red coat and hat that contrasts with the snowy background. The tree is also a dark brown which contracts with the snowy background.

The background is also plain, the only two items in the image are the tree and the child.

Ezra Jack Keats also created texture by using collage in his illustration.

He used things like old wallpaper, construction paper, and paint to bring his story to life.

Contrast, background, and texture

Explore the following definitions to learn important terms used in this learning activity.

Contrast: A principle of design. Contrast is the use of opposite kinds of art elements. Contrast can be created by using rough and smooth textures. Contrast can also be created by using dark and light values.

Background: The part of an artwork that appears to be the most far away from an audience. A background is often behind the other shapes.

Texture: An element of design. The feeling and appearance of a surface. Texture examples could be smooth, rough, furry, or soft. Texture can be the illusion of texture or real texture.

Now explore the following page from Emily Gravett’s book and answer the following question:

  • What kind of materials does Emily Gravett use to create her artwork?

Orange Pear Apple Bear by Emily Gravett

This is 2 pages from Orange Pear Apple Bear by Emily Gravett. The first page has a green pear which is stacked on top of an apple that is half green and half red. Under that the text says, “Apple, pear.” The second page has an orange bear that has one paw pointed towards his chin and one paw down. It’s body language suggests that it is wondering something. Under that the text says, “orange bear.” The background of both pages is white.

Press ‘Answer’ to access a possible answer you may have had to check your understanding.

Emily Gravett uses watercolour paints to illustrate her book Orange Pear Apple Bear. She uses contrast by outlining her illustrations with a darker colour and by keeping the background empty. This helps her characters stand out.

Go!

Compare and contrast

Compare the following two illustrations and answer the following questions:

  • What does each illustration tell you about that moment in the story?
  • How are the illustrations similar and different?

Record your answers using a method of your choice.

A carousel of two images. Image 1: This is page 8 and 9 of Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats. Peter is wearing a snowsuit and hat and is standing right in front of an open gate. There are huge piles of snow on the street blocking the view from buildings in the background. The text on these pages says, “After breakfast he put on his snowsuit and ran outside. The snow was piled very high along the street to make a path for walking.” Image 2: This is 2 pages from Orange Pear Apple Bear by Emily Gravett. The first page has a green pear which is stacked on top of an apple that is half green and half red. Under that the text says, “Apple, pear.” The second page has an orange bear that has one paw pointed towards his chin and one paw down. It’s body language suggests that it is wondering something. Under that the text says, “orange bear.”

Consolidation

Putting it all together

Book illustrator

You have just explored how 2 different authors illustrate their books.

They each have a different artistic style and use different materials.

Imagine you are an illustrator for a picture book.

What kind of materials would you use to create your artwork?

Portfolio

Review your learning

Explain why you would use the materials you chose. Would you choose to use other materials that were not included in the list provided?

You may create a sentence, draw a picture, record an audio clip, or share your ideas with a partner.

How might an illustrator use artwork to share ideas from the story in different ways?

Reflection

How do you feel about what you have learned in this activity? Which of the next four sentences best matches how you are feeling about your learning? Press the button that is beside this sentence.

I feel...

Now, record your ideas about your feelings using a voice recorder, speech-to-text, or writing tool.