Art of Children's Literature handout from the presentation of Carin Barwick at the 2012 KASL, KAECT & KSDE Conference.

1. Art of Children’s Literature
I. Visual Elements
In many children’s books the story is told through both text and pictures. (Not only “picture” books)
Picture Story Book
Pictures and text equally important and the total format reflects the story’s meaning.
Illustrated Book
Includes pictures, but they are merely extensions of the text. Enrich but are not necessary.
Decorated Book
Includes small pictures or designs, often at beginning or end of chapter.
II. Different purposes accomplished through illustrations:
• Convey Meaning
• Convey Feeling or Mood
• Provide Aesthetic Dimension- Pleasure
• Define/develop characters
• Reinforce or enhance text
• Establish setting
• Interesting Asides
III. Visual Elements
A. Line: The stroke marks that form part of a picture and often define its outline.
• Defines objects
• Suggests motion, direction, energy or mood.
• Thin, wide, feathery, jagged, curved, straight.
• Leads the viewer’s eye
• Vertical—Stability
• Horizontal—Tranquility, rest, peace
• Diagonal—Motion
B. Color: Visual element of a book observed for its hue, lightness, and saturation.
1. Hue: Cool or warm end of the color spectrum
2. Lightness: diaphanous to opaque
3. Saturation: intense or pale colors
4. Lack of color
C. Shape: Spatial forms of a picture. Carries a mood or message.
May be evaluated for:
• Simplicity or complexity
• Definition or lack of
• Rigidity (geometric shapes) or suppleness (organic shapes)
• Size
• Negative (blank) Space
D. Texture: Tactile surface characteristics of objects (Impression of how it would feel)
• Rough/slick
• Firm/spongy
• Jagged/smooth
E. Composition: Arrangement of the visual elements in a picture, and the way the elements
relate to each other.
• Focal point
Carin Barwick KASL 2012
CWBarwick@gmail.com

2. • Proportion/Balance
• Harmony/Disharmony
IV Artistic Styles
A. Realistic Art
• Natural forms
• Accurate Representation
• Without idealization
• “Looks like what it looks like”
B. Impressionistic Art
• Renders fleeting visual impressions with the use of light
• Primarily concerned with properties and proportions of light and color
• Often places dots or slashes of unmixed color next to one another to simulate natural light
• Not concerned with minute detail
• Often dreamlike
C. Expressionistic Art
• Communicates an inner feeling/vision by distorting external reality.
• Shocking colors
• Rough, rapid brushwork
• Leans toward abstraction
• More undisciplined than realism, impressionism
• Concern for “essence” of subject, not details
D. Abstract Art
• Emphasizes form and surface qualities
• Little/no direct representation of objects
• Emphasis on mood or feeling
E. Surrealistic Art
• Presents incongruous dream and fantasy images
• Sometimes juxtaposes unlikely objects
• Often highly romantic or fanciful
• Often used meticulously detailed realism to make scene believable
• Combines colors, textures, forms in unique ways
F. Primitive/Folk Art
• Style reminiscent of a particular era/culture.
• Artistic expressions of folk cultures from every part of the world.
• Often represent rural, peasant communities, ethnic groups
• Motifs, symbols, decorative patterns of the culture used
• Often a simplification of line, color, space and volume
• “Untrained” or “naive” art
• Child-like quality
• Disregard for anatomy, perspective
G. Cartoons
• Exaggerated, rounded figures
• Popular with Children
Carin Barwick KASL 2012
CWBarwick@gmail.com

3. • Lively line creates movement
• Object is humor
V. Artistic Media
A. Drawing: Pen & ink, colored pencils, pastels, pencil (graphite)/charcoal
B. Collage: Real objects, assorted textures
C. Print Making: Woodcuts, linoleum prints, block prints, lithography
D. Photography
E. Painting: Oils, acrylics, watercolors, gouache, tempera
F. Mixed Media: Combination of 2 or more media (watercolor and collage)
G. Computer
Carin Barwick KASL 2012
CWBarwick@gmail.com