Piet Grobler
One of South Africa’s leading children’s books illustrators, Piet Grobler, recently joined forces with Marita van der Vyfer, who translated some of the best-loved Grimm fairytales into Afrikaans for her latest book, Die Mooiste Sprokies van Grimm (Human & Rousseau, R275).
“There’s lots to work with,” says this veteran in the field, who also teaches illustration in the UK. He has been suffering from a frozen shoulder for a while, not the ideal affliction for an illustrator, but these stories gave him a chance to set his mind free with some imaginative drawings.
A sense of humour is one of the most important elements when sketching embellishment to such iconic stories. It’s about using and playing with the caricatures and, for Piet, it is about a particular style. “I have developed specific tools like birds that are used to bring a message of many different kinds.” And these Grimm tales were an easy task. Because of the nature of the stories selected by Marita, the aim was to entertain the kids and not add more layers and dimensions to already well established stories.
That’s something he enjoys, though – the different demands on an illustrator. Sometimes it is simply as an illustration, but, at other times, his drawings play a much larger part in the telling of the tale.
He has teamed up with his brother, fine artist Diek Grobler, who among other things creates and produces animated movies. They use some of Piet’s illustrations, like the letters of the alphabet illustrated by the artist, to tell a particular story for kids who are taught the alphabet in a fun manner.
But when joined to the hip with someone in the sense of illustrating a book, Piet believes it is important that they have a similar vision and that one doesn’t try to outshine the other. They should be on the same page about the way the illustrations will be used. With these Grimm tales, the drawings were simply an extension of the stories.
But when you study a Piet Grobler illustration, it’s seldom that simple. His style is so unique and distinctive that when his work is used with a particular story, he can’t help slipping in a thought or two.
Through the years he has developed a very distinct style. Once you are familiar with his work, it is easy to distinguish his particular illustrations.
He has been a festival artist at the Klein Karoo Arts Festival.
Whether it is illustrating something from his own initiative or invited to contribute to the creative writing of someone else, it is unthinkable that a Piet Grobler illustration won’t stop you from turning another page.
This one won’t be available in English, as it is already a translation, but if you want to see some of the best children illustrations out there, have a look. It is an enchanting experience.
Rosalind Stockall
For ILLUSTRATOR Rosalind Stockall it was always clear that she wanted to do illustrations for children’s books, but her road was not an easy one.
She studied graphic design and began freelancing for a number of local publishers, mostly in the educational field, but for an adult rather than kids’ market. “During those years I continued to adapt, change and develop my technique to become more accessible to the children’s market in South Africa. Even though it was a struggle, I persevered, as I knew my work was positively received in Europe and Japan,” she says.
She finally returned to Stellenbosch to complete an honours degree in illustration in 2002, where she met and was encouraged by Piet Grobler (see story). Since then she has freelanced as an illustrator and taught art to children in her community. “Teaching young children has had a positive influence on my own work. I often allow them to interact with my paper characters as they can be picked up and ‘played with’. I observe which characters do or do not appeal to them and ask them the reasons for their choices.”
Ros illustrates with collage, which she explains she stumbled across. She remembers collecting paper with interesting colours, patterns, shapes and textures from a young age. “It was probably all there, I only needed some direction to bring it out of me. I also remember how I would naturally pick up a pair of scissors rather than a paintbrush, pencil or pen!”
When commissioned to illustrate, she often has very little initial contact with the author, and has worked primarily with the manuscript and editor. “This was so with Rondomtalie (in which her illustrations are featured). I think I would have felt inhibited if I’d met the writers first before I began creating the images. I was able to enjoy the characters and so make them my own.”
Working in such an unusual world, Ros spends a fair amount of time studying other illustrators who inspire her. “For example, I will study Piet’s drawings. I look at how he creates the soul of the character and how he brings humour into his images.”
When she begins a new character, she starts by sourcing textures, colours or shapes that inspire her from a large (“very large!”) paper collection. This material varies from interior decorating magazines to old textbooks – anything that grabs her attention. She also paints and textures her own papers.That’s what makes her pictures so unique. It’s a blend of different colours, textures and patterns which then becomes its own artwork.
“I cut out a form and use it as my starting point. I try not to force this shape into a predetermined image, but rather allow it to dictate its outcome to me.”
Talking about inspiration, she points to her favourite illustrator, Shaun Tan. His picture books, such as The Rabbits, The Lost Thing and The Red Tree, deal with serious subjects such as colonisation, bureaucracy, depression and loneliness. “He combines his unique characters and landscapes using mixed media in a way which evokes powerful emotion,” she says.
She also admires Wolf Erlbruch, who uses printmaking techniques to create his own patterned papers, and combines these with found imagery and mixed media.
One of the reasons she loves illustrations is that it draws children into the story, and so captures their interest and desire to read. “They are more likely to become adult readers.
“The children are so stimulated by the images and the words that they become one with the characters.”
For the moment, Ros is working towards creating her own books, even though she is much more a visual than words person. “I have many ideas floating around in my head and scribbled in notebooks! It’s happening, slowly!”
Something she does encourage is that parents allow children to choose their own books and not be prescriptive.
“This will encourage the child to choose different genres and to develop a personal reading style. It amazes me when the children I teach interact with my characters with delight. They don’t only look at them, they pick them up like paper dolls and begin to play.
“And so a new story begins.”
l Rondomtalie published by Human and Rousseau, R180.