Retreat Programmes

17–19 OCTOBER 2012

SCBWI SA WRITER & ILLUSTRATOR RETREAT (Gauteng)

THE FUNDAMENTALS OF CHARACTERIZATION

The presentations by Doug Cushman will be of great value to illustrators and writers of children’s books. There will be ample opportunity for writers and illustrators to apply his ideas in the breakaway sessions.


PROGRAMME

WEDNESDAY 17 OCTOBER:   Travel to Lama Lama Game Reserve and Conference Centre. See www.lamalama.co.za for directions.

13h00:  Finger lunch

14:30–16h00: Presentation by Doug Cushman
Doug Cushman will be revealing his thoughts about how to tackle and analyse a manuscript and how to recognise and extract the visual information from the text needed to create the characters. He will be looking at aspects like physical appearance; clothes and accessories; props (toys or blankets carried with all the time or even food); accompanied animals/creatures/characters (not necessarily in the text)

16:00: Tea

16:30–17h00: Questions and discussion on practical assignment (Character creation)

19:00: Dinner

After Dinner – Informal Creativity Group Discussion


THURSDAY 18 OCTOBER

08:00:   Breakfast

09:00 – 11h00:   The Secret of Characterisation
Doug Cushman will be sharing his thoughts on how to find and recognise the characters’ rhythm. He will look at the characters’ actions, speech, and behaviour – What does a particular character do? How does the character behave? What does the character say?  How can the character be visualised through body language, mannerism, facial expression and interaction with others? Where is the character’s world? What are the character’s relationships with other characters in the story?

11:00:   Tea

11:30–13h00:    Practical Sessions for Illustrators and Writers

13:00:   Lunch

14:00–15h30:   Presentation by Doug Cushman (The basics of characterisation – how to build on these)

15:30:   Tea

16:00 – 17:30:    Practical sessions for illustrators and writers (Character development in a story)

19:00:   Dinner

After Dinner – Informal Creativity Group Discussion


FRIDAY 19 OCTOBER

08:00:   Breakfast

09h00 -11h00:   Revealing all – Characterisation
Doug Cushman will talk about how to analyse types of characters and look at danger areas like predictable, underdeveloped flat shallow stereotype characters. He will show examples of some his own work and some of the work of illustrators and writers who have influenced him.

11h00:   Tea

11h30 – 13h00:    Feedback, questions and discussion

13h00:   Lunch

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What to bring

Illustrators

Tracing Paper Pad – A3 size 90gsm
A sketch pad – A3 size 190gsm
A few graphite HB drawing pencils
Fineliner pen
Pencil sharpener, eraser, putty eraser
Scissors, NT cutter & steel ruler
If you have a journal bring that along - If not, A4 or A5 Artist ring-bound sketch book that you can use as a journal
A notepad and pens to make notes.
Any art material you usually work in (watercolour paints/pastels/inks) and at least two sheets of a good quality art paper
A board to lean on (hardboard or thick card board – at least A3 size) & bull clips.
A jar for water & art paint brushes & a roll of toilet paper
A hand mirror (to test facial expression)
Stapler, needle and thick thread to create dummy books
Modelling clay or Plasticine
(see http://www.amtcomposites.co.za/products/tooling-materials/modelling-clays - Gauteng 011 392 4232)
OR
(http://www.artistwarehouseonlinesa.co.za/Sculpture+and+Modelling  - Customer Service:
011 6083180)
Laptop or camera or ipad

Writers 

If you have a journal, bring that along
A notepad/examination pad (to make notes)
A number of pencils & pens (variety of colours)
Eraser, sharpener, scissors, glue stick, stapler etc.
A hand mirror (to look at your facial expression)
A folder with resources – newspaper or magazine cuttings of interesting events/news, Pictures of interesting characters or your own notes about interesting persons or animals)
Laptop or camera or ipad

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26–28 OCTOBER 2012

SCBWI SA WRITER & ILLUSTRATOR RETREAT (Western Cape)

THE FUNDAMENTALS OF CHARACTERIZATION 

The presentations by Doug Cushman will be of great value to illustrators and writers of children’s books. There will be ample opportunity for writers and illustrators to apply his ideas in the breakaway sessions.


PROGRAMME

FRIDAY 26 OCTOBER:  Travel to Fynbos Estate in Malmesbury (See www.fynbosestate.co.za  for directions.)

10:30: Tea

11:00–12:30 – Presentation by Doug Cushman
Doug Cushman will be revealing his thoughts about how to tackle and analyse a manuscript and how to recognise and extract the visual information from the text needed to create the characters. Looking at areas like physical appearance; clothes and accessories; props (toys or blankets carried with all the time or even food); accompanied animals/creatures/characters (not necessarily in the text)

12:30–1300:  Question/discussion

13:00–14:00: Lunch

14:00–16:00    Practical workshops running concurrently (the writer groups will be in one venue and the illustrators will be in a separate venue with tables): (Illustrators: Visual characterisation / Wriiters: Verbal characterisation)
The practical workshops will consist of a mix of exercises and discussions on how to do a character breakdown and drawing (starting from rough character sketches)

Writers will do practical writing exercises and discuss how to develop a character. This will include building the profile of the character using description and dialogue.

16h00–16h30: Tea break (just tea/coffee)

16:30–17:30: Practical workshops continue

19:00: Dinner

After Dinner – Informal Creativity Group Discussion


SATURDAY 18 OCTOBER

08:00:   Breakfast

09:00 –11:00:  The Secret of Characterisation
Doug Cushman will be sharing his thoughts on how to find and recognise the characters’ rhythm. He will look at the characters’ actions, speech, and behaviour – What does the character do? How does the character behave? What does the character say?  How does the character use voice, gesture and expressions? How can the character be visualised through body language, mannerism, facial expression and interaction with others? Where is the character’s world? What are the character’s relationships to other characters in the story?

11:00:   Tea

11:30–13h00:    Practical sessions for illustrators and writers

13:00:   Lunch

14:00-15h30:   Presentation by Doug Cushman (The Basics of Characterisation – how to build on 
             these)

15:30:   Tea

16:00–17:30:    Practical sessions for illustrators and writers (Character development in a story)

19:00:   Dinner

After Dinner – Informal Creativity Group Discussion


SUNDAY 19 OCTOBER

08:00:   Breakfast

09:00–11:00:   Revealing all – Characterisation
Doug Cushman will talk about how to analyse types of characters and look at danger areas like predictable, underdeveloped flat shallow stereotype characters. He will show examples of some his own work and some of the work of illustrators and writers who have influenced him.

11:00:   Tea

11:30–13:00:    Feedback, questions and discussion

13:00:   Lunch

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

What to bring

Illustrators

Tracing Paper Pad – A3 size 90gsm
A sketch pad – A3 size 190gsm
A few HB graphite drawing pencils
Fineliner pen
Pencil sharpener, eraser, putty eraser
Scissors, NT cutter & steel ruler
If you have a journal bring that along - If not, A4 or A5 Artist ring-bound sketch book that you can use as a journal
A notepad and pens to make notes.
Any art material you usually work in (watercolour paints/pastels/inks) and at least two sheets of a good quality art paper
A board to lean on (hardboard or thick card board – at least A3 size) & bull clips.
A jar for water & art paint brushes & a roll of toilet paper
A hand mirror (to test facial expression)
Stapler, needle and thick thread to create dummy books
Modelling clay or Plasticine
(http://www.amtcomposites.co.za/products/tooling-materials/modelling-clays  Western Cape 021 511 2669)
OR  
(http://www.artistwarehouseonlinesa.co.za/Sculpture+and+Modelling  - Customer Service:
011 6083180)
If you have - Laptop or camera or ipad

Writers 

If you have a journal, bring that along
A notepad/examination pad (to make notes)
A number of pencils & pens (variety of colours)
Eraser, sharpener, scissors, glue stick, stapler etc.
A hand mirror (to look at your facial expression)
A folder with resources – newspaper or magazine cuttings of interesting events/news, Pictures of interesting characters or your own notes about interesting persons or animals)
Laptop or camera or ipad

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~