INSPIRATIONS FROM THE BOOKSHELF Alex Crump
Tell us a bit about yourself .
I live in the Wiltshire countryside with my young family and pets. I have previously worked as a zookeeper and teacher - not at the same time, although there are many transferable skills! In 2018 I left permanent employment to pursue my dream of working more creatively. Now Illustration is my ‘full time job’ but I do wear other hats, sometimes a Storyteller, Writer, Animator or Museum Educator (where I get to do all the fun aspect of teaching with none of the marking). I’m a firm subscriber to the theory that while growing older is inevitable, ‘growing up’ is optional.
My family are a great support, my wife and my daughter are wonderful to bounce ideas off and my son (who has autism) loves picture books, he’s a fabulous judge on how well a story keeps its audience engaged! I’ve just reached the milestone of 50 books published and have been fortunate to work with people around Britain, Europe, America and Asia - I have a few more continents to reach (Antarctica might be a tough one to crack!) It’s been a real joy to work with people from different backgrounds and hear the stories they have to tell.
Which genre do you illustrate for?
My illustration work is usually for children’s picture books although I have had the opportunity to illustrate in other varied fields like Ph.D. thesis work, event posters, murals, autobiographies etc. I enjoy the challenge of creating things for different audiences - here’s a selection of books that I have worked on.
What inspires you to pick up or buy a book from the library/bookstore or buy online?
Something quirky and unusual or a book which subverts expectations. With my storytelling work I have the opportunity (or expectation?) to have a wide knowledge of stories from different sources. It’s fascinating finding common themes amongst stories from different cultures and countries that have been passed down through the generations and centuries. Even though the societies may be miles apart, geographically and ideologically, they share something intrinsic. I really enjoy having my expectations challenged and look for that in what I read. I’m currently reading Amy Jeff’s fantastic work on ancient stories from Britain.
Are you inspired by books from multiple genres or those written/illustrated by the same author/illustrator?
I find it vital to experience different genres. It helps me to look at another style of storytelling, the way suspense is built up and how characters interact. I do have particular favourite authors and illustrators in people like Emily Gravett, Peggy Fornum, Chris Haughton, Katherine Rundell, Terry Pratchett, Chris Riddell, Helen Oxenbury, and Philip Pullman, the list goes on…
Do you bring your inspirations into your work?
Yes, I reflect a lot on what I read in my illustrations which is probably why I appreciate the chance to work in different styles and media, whether it be bright acrylic characters in picture books or moody watercolour vignettes for ghost stories.
How much of the inspiration do you bring into your own works?
I’m very character driven. I think a lot about a character’s motives and their life ‘outside of the story’’. I’m really inspired by other illustrators, it’s a real privilege to see the work of other artists and consider the journey, the techniques they used to create what they have. My Instagram feed is full of other illustrator’s work as it’s fascinating to have a window into other creative’s processes and inspirations.
How do you keep your work fresh, original and unique and avoid looking like your inspiration?
By exploring different materials and techniques. One of the great things about the internet is the possibility of finding videos or articles which shed new light on a particular method or materials. The varied nature of the stories that I illustrate gives me the chance to use different media in the visual storytelling to provide a certain atmosphere. A recent commission gave me the opportunity to work for an extended period with charcoal, which was a fantastic experience.
Does your bookshelf house all the books that you love or which have inspired you?
Absolutely, it’s like keeping good friends nearby! I still have my copy of ‘Goblins’ by Brian Froud that I got for Christmas back in the 80’s (I can still remember the cover of the book peering at me in the early morning gloom from the end of the bed where Father Christmas had left it!)
They act as a source of inspiration for me. There may be a turn of phrase, a particular composition, use of colour that is great to have to hand if I ever hit a wall or if I need to solve a way of representing an idea.
Which are the main few books that have inspired your work and yet are not on your bookshelf?
We had the complete set of Tintin when I was growing up and whilst I have some, there are many missing from my own shelf now, Asterix too. Rupert the Bear was magical to me as a young child, Rupert and Jack Frost was one I can still remember but I don’t have any of his adventures on my shelves yet.
Are there any books that have inspired you in such a way that you really wish you'd worked on a text like that or you wish you thought of the unique way of storytelling?
I find Katherine Rundell’s writing really refreshing - the ideas, settings and themes are so unique. I often find taken aback with the sheer originality of characters and environments. If I had to pick one particular favourite it would be The Wolf Wilder. I was given it by a very dear family whose children I had taught and I found some of the themes in the book really resonated with me. I love The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly, how it takes the familiar and gives it a twist. As you travel through the main character, David’s story you become even more disorientated, unsettled and genuinely stuck as to what will happen next.
Terry Pratchett was a real master of storytelling. Clever twists, sheer wittiness and laugh out loud moments exist alongside some incredibly moving events in his books. I'm amazed at the number of times I can come back and read his work again and again and still find something new. His book ‘Nation’ is a standalone story that has everything in it for me, the comedy, the tragedy, truly despicable villains and more than one type of hero, I’m in absolute awe of the ability to write something so unique and magical. It must have been a special feeling to know you’ve created something like that.
His usual commissions are for bold and colourful animals getting up to all sorts of capers in stories, but he’s also been sought after for creating work for educational schemes and older readers.
No comments:
We love comments and really appreciate the time it takes to leave one.
Interesting and pithy reactions to a post are brilliant but we also LOVE it when people just say they've read and enjoyed.
We've made it easy to comment by losing the 'are you human?' test, which means we get a lot of spam. Fortunately, Blogger recognises these, so most, if not all, anonymous comments are deleted without reading.