Of the set, the second part is a bigger project, which this time had to be done as a double page spread on an A3 page with both a bleed 5mm and a slug area 50mm, which ends up with a single page measuring 180mm tall and 150mm wide.
The brief went something like this:
Illustrate a double page spread from a story book aimed at 3 to 5 year olds called 'Moving House'. This will be the last page where your chosen character (human or animal) at last finds just the right home. The story is about this character's difficulties in finding a good place to move into. The text, 'At last, just the right home, now he no longer has to roam' will run along the bottom of the page.
Unsurprisingly, due to a furry creature who recently decided that our home was just the right place, and our efforts to dissuade said creature, the character was a possum.
Here are my initial ideas, which had to be scrapped once I re-read the brief and couldn't use a diagonal for the text.
What now? That's a very good question. I'm sending out resumes, and illustration portfolios, hoping for paid employment or an illustration agent - or both. I will also be looking into further studies (perhaps something different like barrista training maybe) and want to give the 52 Week Illustration Challenge a go this year. The best way to find out what happens next is to sign up for my email newsletter, it has been going for 4 years and the 33rd issue is due mid January 2017.