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Wednesday 18 February 2015

Visiting Illustration Lecturer - The Wonderful Jill Calder

One of the nations' finest professional illustrators Jill Calder, paid a welcome return visit to The University of Cumbria recently.



Jill commenced her art studies with us here in Carlisle many years ago (see above) when we were simply called Cumbria College of Art & Design. Since then she's gone on to forge a successful international career as a freelance illustrator.

Apart from giving a guest talk to our students in a packed lecture theatre, Jill also found the time to hold one-to-one tutorials with our Year 3 Illustration students.


Jill is represented by Central Illustration Agency in the UK and by Friend and Johnson in the USA.


Jill gave lots of advice on the pros and cons of having an illustrator's agent.



One of the biggest projects Jill has ever worked on, her illustrated 'Robert the Bruce' was published to great acclaim last year. Jill spent a year working on the illustrations for this book, producing over 174 large sheets of ink drawings and lettering and 5 sketchbooks of notes, drawings and ideas, bringing the final illustrations together digitally.


One of the 'Bruce' sketchbooks...

Jill talked about the process of developing her final illustrations...

De Bohun attacks Robert - first version

De Bohun attacks Robert - second version


De Bohun attacks Robert - as used in the book




Jill has recently been creating a lot of experimental artists' books.

After her lecture students spent time looking at Jill's sketchbook and development sketches





Here are a few of the slides that Jill showed during her talk...

 'Lion Food' (digital print)


 Sound advice...


 Spot any famous faces?


 Murals for The Royal Brompton Hospital, London


 'Forest Deer' a bronze award winner from AOI Images 35

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