LS 5603 Picture Books - Talking With Artists

Bibliographic Data
Cummings, Pat. 1995. Talking With Artists Volume Two. New York: Simon & Schuster. ISBN 0027242455

Plot Summary
Talking With Artists is a three volume series compiled and edited by Pat Cummings. The books have interviews and information on a variety of children's literature illustrators set up in an informal as well as educational manner.

Critical Analysis
Talking With Artists Volume Two is a great introduction to the lives and methods of several children's book illustrators. Each profile begins with a short autobiography by the artist followed by a brief interview. The artists write to the children that compose their audience by concentrating on the interesting and fun facts about how each of them became artists. One artist in the book sold his first painting at nine years old (to a family friend), and others spent years trying to get work.

Each artist profile is accompanied by a photograph of the artist as a child as well as a current photograph. In addition, a drawing, painting, or other art form from the artists' childhood accompanies the text along with an image from a published picture book. This visual representation of where each artist began their journey to becoming a professional illustrator is wonderful to see.

One unique section of Talking With Artists is the "Secret Techniques" area at the end of the book. Each artist describes simple ways to create some of the looks of their artwork as well as helpful hints to aspiring artists.

Each artist uses different media and methods to create their own unique illustrations. The text is interesting and keeps the readers attention, and the artwork shown is wonderful. It is too bad that more samples from books that the illustrators discussed are not represented; each illustrator only has one illustration sample shown. Despite this, the overall information and artwork are terrific.

Review Excerpts
BookList "Cummings' selection of artists is especially good this time, demonstrating a great diversity in artistic style and choice of media. Kevin Henkes, Floyd Cooper, Denise Fleming, and Vera B. Williams are among the 13 included. A special treat for budding artists and wonderful for teachers."

Connections
This is one of three in a series of Talking With Artists books by Pat Cummings.
Cummings, Pat. 1992. Talking With Artists. ISBN 0027242455
Cummings, Pat. 1999. Talking With Artists Volume Three. ISBN 0395891329

Other related books
Preller, James. 2001. The Big Book of Picture-Book Authors & Illustrators. ISBN 0439201543
Kovacs, Deborah & Preller, James. 1999. Meet the Authors and Illustrators:Volume 1. ISBN 0590490974
Cummins, Julie. Wings of an Artist. ISBN 0810945525