FEATURED ILLUSTRATOR Laura Jeffcote
Laura Jeffcote is a 2D Animation Designer and Children's Illustrator. She designs props, backgrounds and characters for animation and her debut picture book, Spider Hair, was published recently!
Personal Path
Call me a late starter. I was 48 years old when I decided to jack in my public/voluntary sector career and retrain in animation.
Laura on her way to a new career.
I’d always drawn, was a prolific picture maker as a child but was encouraged to pursue a “proper” job. But by middle age, I had an epiphany much to the chagrin of my husband and that was it. I was going to work in animation, or die trying.
An early felt tip creation.
To test the waters, I did a foundation in Art & Design at De Montfort University in Leicester and then carried on with Animation, gaining a First Class degree, thank you very much.
However, the tide turned. My elderly parents became ill, Dad died and as a family, we upped sticks and moved to the coast to look after my Mum. Any dreams of breaking into the animation industry were stomped on. Then Covid happened and it’s all a blur.
We came out the other side and returned to Leicester. Traumatized by the last few years and scrabbling around for some direction, I took a book illustration course and produced some nice bits for my portfolio, and then I saw a post from ScreenSkills UK about an Animation Trainee program for people experiencing barriers to the industry. I applied and gained a place along with nineteen other animation trainees, all but one, half my age.
Hence, I worked at Lupus Films in London, first as a trainee and then as a junior designer. We made a beautiful animated children’s series based on a children’s book. It is absolutely gorgeous. I designed most of the props, costumes, some minor characters and also some backgrounds. However, the show is under an NDA so we are unable to talk about it, nor show the work in our portfolios. Frustrating? Yes. However, I am looking forward to the day it is released and more importantly, I learned loads from the most wonderful animation professionals. I’d found my people.
When I left Lupus, I got a gig with Mosaic Films and designed backgrounds and props for a BBC Teach History animated series called Famous People From History. This was released and can be seen on the BBC Teach History website. Hurrah!
Vincent Van Gogh portrait prop for BBC Teach: Famous People From History.
And then, a long spell of “The Nothing” ensued, see The NeverEnding Story (1984).
The animation industry retracted and jobs became scarce, especially design jobs. I took casual work and did another book illustration course, this time with The Good Ship Illustration. Can you see a pattern? Make books Laura, make books!!
Then, an author called Pip Greasley approached me to create the illustrations for his book Not Another Pit Stop!, about a racing driver called Bob Gerard. It’s an hilarious book.
A young Bob Gerard illustration in Not Another Pit Stop!
Inspired by Pip’s book, I dreamt up the story of a little boy called Bear who wanted more hair and my first author/illustrator book, Spider Hair, was born. I quickly thumbnailed the story on napkins in a coffee shop in Uttoxeter. Having learned so much from the animation industry and the book courses, I decided to have a crack at writing and illustrating the book myself. It was now or never. My husband acted as editor, (ruthless, just ruthless) and I bounced work off my old art director at Lupus, my childhood friend and my game-head of a son. It took around three months.
Ever the optimist, I then sent the book to five publishers accepting submissions. Two came back and one went with it. That was TinyTree Books, an indie publisher. And Spider Hair is out there in the wild now, living its best life.
Spider Hair, Laura's debut picture book.
So that’s my story. It started late but I’m not going to stop. Book number two is on its way!
Influences
I am a child of the 1970s and was raised on Roobarb and Custard, Peanuts and The Banana Splits. Children’s television and comics were fantastic back then and I practiced drawing in all the styles. Bob Godfrey and Terry Gilliam were my gods. It was felt tips a go go.
I do have a penchant for watercolour illustrations too. I am particularly fond of illustrations by Quentin Blake and Jules Feiffer. Quentin Blake illustrated my favourite children’s book, Mortimer’s Tie and Jules Feiffer illustrated The Phantom Tollbooth. Both are absolutely brilliant.
Other picture book illustrators I am drawn to are Oliver Jeffers, Russell Ayto, Estrela Lourenco, Catherine Raynor and David Tazzyman. In animation, Joanna Quinn is Queen.
Process
I am a digital illustrator. Don’t judge me. I LOVE working digitally. Once I discovered digital drawing tablets, I was hooked. I think it’s because we use them so much in animation.
I am a badly behaved artist, in that, I don’t fill up sketch books or go to life drawing sessions (which we were encouraged to do at uni). Though I do doodle a lot. I usually formulate a design in my head and approach it like that. I will start with shapes and mould them roughly. Then I will start to add detail. Add colour, texture and shading. It’s a bit like sculpting. I use real life for reference, poses and facial expressions, perspectives, objects, scenery and backgrounds.
The line work usually comes last. My old uni lecturer used to be exasperated with me as I couldn’t draw a straight line. I can now!
Tips or Advice
I would say that doing a couple of book illustration courses was key to creating my own picture book. There are quite a few technicalities I was unaware of and the picture book courses provided that essential information.
My other tip is to go with your gut. If you have something to say through illustration, go for it!
*All Images: Laura Jeffcote
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You can follow and see Laura's work here:
Website: https://laurajeffcote.com/
Email: hello@laurajeffcote.com
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Ell Rose is the Illustration Features Editor of Words & Pictures.
Find their work at fourfooteleven.com
Contact them at illustrators@britishscbwi.org
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