LOT'S - A day in the life of illustrator Marc Martin

Lots

By Marc Martin

Published by Big Picture Press

£12.99

We absolutely adore this unique whistle-stop exploration of the world! Hours were spent uncovering some of our wonderful worlds most magnificent and mind-boggling secrets. An inspiring read for the young and curious. An essential addition to every bookshelf be it home, school or library. An illustrative masterpiece created with unbridled passion and enthusiasm. 

WELCOMING 
MARC MARTIN 
to Book Sniffer Towers

A day in the life... 

A typical day for me involves a mix of computer work and hands-on illustration. I’ll spare you all my pre-morning coffee photos and get straight to the good stuff. The majority of the time I’ll ride to the studio (about 30 minutes away), but if it’s raining or if I’m feeling lazy, I might catch the train in. 

I find riding to and from work is a great way for me de-stress and enjoy the outdoors. Here’s a picture of the bridge I ride across most days. Don’t look down:

I share a studio space with about 15 other people. There’s a mix of photographers, designers, artists and writers all working from the space at various times. Our studio above a tyre shop:

This is my desk… you can tell I’ve been at my current studio about for about 7 years because, yes, there’s a lot of junk. It’s funny because at home I’m very neat and minimalist, but in the studio I’m pretty messy. 

Having a studio so close to the city means there’s plenty of food and drink options close by. I’ll usually grab a coffee (and try to resist getting a chocolate brownie) from our local cafe across the road before getting stuck into work:

While I’m sipping a coffee I’ll usually sit down and go through my emails. I like to try and get all my admin and emails sorted as early as possible so I’ve got the rest of the day to focus on illustration. Because I spend a lot of time at my desk, I’ve built myself a standing desk with a high stool so my back gets a bit of relief from being hunched over all day (commonly known as 'illustrators back’ amongst illustrators!) - this also gives me the option of sitting (often when I’m typing emails), or standing. I use the smaller desk on the right for computer work, and the larger desk on the left for illustration.

Some of the tools I use for illustrating - pencils, gouache, watercolours, hair dryer (for drying paint fast)!

One the best things about having a studio is being around people and feeling like you’re actually ‘at work'. During lunch I’ll usually sit down at the communal table and chat with other studio members. Looks like no one wants to talk to me today

One of the worst things about the studio - the communal fridge. BEWARE! A place where leftovers and bananas go to die

Back at my desk, if I ever need a little bit of inspiration, I might consult my poorly ordered library. Note, I definitely don’t use the Dewey decimal system

Most days are mix of illustration for larger projects or books, and maybe some smaller jobs on the side

The thing I love about being an illustrator is having the freedom to explore my ideas. It’s a rewarding profession that challenges me to keep progressing and find new ways to tell stories

With HUGE thanks to Marc for taking the time to help us with this post and to the kind folk at Big Picture Press (especially Antonia). 

Don't forget to pop over to Book Lover Jo for the next stop on the LOT'S blog tour : ) 

TOTO'S Apple - BLOG TOUR

ORDER HERE 

Toto’s Apple has become a firm favorite in our house, an instant hit with reader and listener alike both barely able to stifle cheek aching laughs at the predicament of a poor (ambitious) worm and a large juicy apple in a valuable lesson in seizing the day.. no matter what… well almost!

With salutes to the likes of the great Eric Carle and Tomi Ungerer and more recently Jon Klassen and Chris Haughton this beautifully designed boldly illustrated tale is deliciously and unexpectedly subversive. 

A complete treasure of a book and one which little book worms will delight in sharing and taking a bite out of again and again. 

A Day in the Life with Toto’s Apple author-illustrator, Mathieu Lavoie.

This is a typical September day in my life. 7 am: the house is awake. By 8am we are all walking to school (the kids, the dad, the mum, the dog, a 13 year old Jack Russell Terrier named Camion [French for truck]). 8:01, Camion's first stop at a tree. 8:02, Camion's second stop at a lamp post. 8:03, Camion's third stop at a fire hydrant. By 8:06, the kids and their mum are in the school yard while I'm dragging the dog to get to school before the kids get in! 8:14, I’ve made it and kiss the kids goodbye.

The mum, the dog and I are heading back home where we both work and the dog sleeps. By 9am, we have had breakfast and are ready to start a fresh day. I founded Comme des Géants with Nadine Robert in 2014. Since then, we have both worked from our own house. Twice a week, we see each other, the rest of the time, we are magically connected via the internet! With Comme des Géants, I handle graphic design, press communications and a few other little things.

On a typical September day, I would probably be working on the layout of a book that would come out in the next winter season. That means collecting the illustrations done by an illustrator and putting them together with the text written by an author, in a layout program, on the computer. Since we publish around 8 titles a year, I work on one book at a time (most of the time). Nadine and I make the graphic decisions together (choice of fonts, size of the book, endpaper, cover design, etc.). When I'm not spending a full day on the layout of one book, I can be working on updating our website, taking photographs of advanced copies from an upcoming title, sending press releases, or working on my OWN upcoming title. And this is exactly what I will be doing tomorrow as I am writing these lines.

Back to the day schedule, come noon I have lunch with the mum (or a friend, or by myself) at home or at our favourite dumpling restaurant a few blocks away. If you ever come to Montreal ask me and I'll tell you the location. The food is amazing, cheap and the owner is very nice. We head back home and work (the mum writes and illustrates her own books, so that's probablywhat she's doing) until 3:30pm. 

By Marianne Dubuc 

At that time we go back to school to pick up the kids. They're happy, excited and we walk back home with friends and their parents. On beautiful September days, those moments are memorable.

I am back home around 4 where I keep working until 5 or 6. If we're in a crunch with deadlines, I could be working after supper, as late as 1 or 2 am. But in September, it would be most improbable. The kids are in bed at 7:30. We alternate daily, the mum and I, for the sleeping routine. After reading 2 or 3 books to kid #2 (kid #1 reads his own book unless I'm reading something very funny), we turn the lights off and I tell a made up story. And once in a hundred, I come up with something that can be made into a book, like Toto’s Apple for example. And then I'm very happy. If not, we laugh at the silly, boring story I’ve just told.

Well, that's typical!

www.mathieulavoie.blogspot.co.uk

 Toto’s Apple is published by Phaidon 13 September.

With HUGE thanks to Phaidon and Lorraine Keating! 

Don't forget to visit https://picturebooksblogger.wordpress.com  

for the next stop on this blog tour! 

Lock up your valuables! there's a master criminal in town...

Shifty McGifty & Slippery Sam

 The Diamond Chase 

By Tracey Corderoy and Steve Lenton 

£10.99 HB Published by Nosy Crow

Our beloved well-meaning dough-wielding dog detectives are back on the case when a valuable diamond tiara belonging to non-other than Lady Kate goes missing in this fabulous penguin filled romp. 

A perfectly rhyming text written by Tracey Corderoy will tickle your funny bone while the luscious illustrations by our next guest will have you reaching for the nearest bun. A fantastic story to read aloud and one which will no doubt be enjoyed over and over again. But for heavens sake keep hold of your jewels...just in case.

Let's sit down and have a chat and a cup of tea with illustrator 
Steven Lenton!

Do you have a favourite cake recipe? 

Lemon Drizzle or Coffee and Walnut are my absolute favourites to make.  As far as 'shop bought' goes we are very lucky/unlucky that our studio is next door to the Hummingbird Bakery in Soho and the chocolatey waves of deliciousness waft in through our windows every morning and afternoon - they bake the MOST DELICIOUS Red Velvet cupcakes.

Do you have a favourite penguin fact?

I love the contemporary classic fact that Benedict Cumberbatch can't pronounce the word penguin correctly. My favorite, more educational fact is that Penguin’s black and white plumage serves as camouflage while swimming. The black plumage on their back is hard to see from above, while the white plumage on their front looks like the sun reflecting off the surface of the water when seen from below. Isn't nature just AMAZING?!

Whats your favourite pantone colour? 

I prefer PANATONE (especially at Christmas), but my favourite PANTONE color would have to be ORANGE 021 C, because it is the orange featured throughout our premier Shifty and Sam fiction title 'The Spooky School' publishing in September, which Tracey and I are really thrilled about. 

Which is your favourite spread in the book? 

It has to be the reveal of the 42 Penguins in the ballroom scene - when Tracey and I have read the story at events and schools the audience always gasps when they see all the dancing dogs surrounded by waiter penguins - but which one is Sidney Scarper?!

Tell us about your three favourite book shops in London. 

Pickled Pepper is my local children's books shop in Crouch End and has a wonderful selection of classic and contemporary picture books and fiction titles.  They also allow me to create lovely window displays for my books and throw lovely book launches too - Steve and Urmi who own and run the business are lovely and BIG Shifty and Sam fans.

Waterstones Piccadilly and Waterstones stores in general have been incredibly supportive of our Shifty and Sam series and I LOVE to spend as much time as possible exploring the floors (maybe even sometimes the cocktail bar on the way 5th floor, ahem!) chock-full with beautiful tomes.

One book shop which I hope to visit soon is the beautiful Tales on Moon Lane - I think that shop could possible become a new favourite too!

Which spread was the trickiest to complete? 

There is a lot of plot going on in the Shifty and Sam picture books, so keeping the illustrations simple yet full of detail and humour is generally quite tricky!  In this one I think again the ballroom scene as there were so many penguins and dogs to draw! I think my favourite bit in this spread is the two bull terriers dancing the tango!

What would your dog Holly make of Shifty and Sam? And who would she be if she was in one of their adventures? 

WELL it's funny you should say that as Holly does feature somewhere in all three picture books so far - can you spot her?  She is a miniature Jack Russell!  In real-life Holly likes to be the centre of attention so I think she would be MILDLY disappointed that she doesn't have a main role in any of the books.....so far!

Do you collect anything? 

I'm sorry/not sorry to say that I am slightly obsessed not only with collecting picture books, but also Jem and the Holograms merchandise...

See my studio desk as proof! I had a secret obsession with the cartoon in the 80's!

Whats on the drawing board? 

I am working on a top secret picture book just now which will tell you more about as soon as I am allowed!  Also Tracey and I are working on the 4th and 5th Shifty and Sam picture books along with the 2nd and 3rd fiction titles! I am also currently writing my second picture book with Nosy Crow. 

Where can we catch you and lovely Tracey on tour over the next few months? 

We have been very lucky this year and have been invited along to all the major festivals and Tracey has been touring literally HUNDREDS of schools up and down the country with The Diamond Chase! Catch us together at the Edinburgh Festival, Bath Festival, The Cheltenham Festival which we are launching again this year.

BUY A COPY HERE 

With HUGE Thanks to Steven 

for taking the time to join us, 

and to 

Nosy Crow and *Dom* for 

sending us a copy of this book! 

FOLLOW Steven on Twitter @2dscrumptious 

Be sure to check in with Picture Books Blogger for the final stop on this blog tour!