This is the illustration style that appears in my children's books and is based on the simple paintings that I did in Africa during my childhood. The simple colour palette of just two or three bright colours, teamed with black and white, to make the colours sing, is also typically African in inspiration. Even the very simple textured paper background, in particular my favourite brown parcel/Kraft paper represents something African - the colour of earth.
I use mostly acrylics and sometimes household emulsion paint. I use cheap brushes and a dry-brush technique to achieve textures such as fur or fuzz. Even on flat areas of colour, I think it is good for the brush strokes to show up and give the image some energy and life. I like to leave plenty of space around images too, which is useful for the text in my books.
Movement, energy, colour, texture and simplicity are the hallmarks of these illustrations.
