Drawing inspiration from Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec’s artistic style and Julia Donaldson’s signature writing style, the final picture book will be a juxtaposition of the past and present. The combination of both styles will aid in creating a fresh narrative with a timeless illustration style to complement the story. Strategically combining the two will ensure the overall message of sustainable practices is communicated in a meaningful manner that thoroughly engages the readers. Developing a new story with an equal balance between the two influences will encourage the progression of a whimsical experience. Meaningfully developing a limited yet vivid colour palette will ensure Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec’s artistic style shines through in a contemporary way, combining this with his use of bold outlines will pay tribute to the minimalistic style of contemporary design. The colours and linework will emphasis pivotal moments in the narrative, ensuring the reader seamlessly engages in the visual journey from start to finish. Experimentation with unbalanced compositions will aid in creating dynamic and engaging scenes that may not adhere to traditional artistic laws, communicating Toulouse-Lautrec’s humorous style. The final story will adopt Julia Donaldson’s signature rhyming style, weaving the past and present together to create an engaging story that encourages children to actively participate in predicting the messaging throughout the book. This technique will also aid in boosting children’s confidence in English language lessons. Combining Julia’s writing style with Toulouse-Lautrec’s typographical style will help depict atmospheres, sounds, and visual stories throughout the book. Experimenting with hand-drawing lettering at certain parts of the story will also pay a crucial part in communicating dynamic scenes, acknowledging Toulouse-Lautrec’s style. Utilising various strokes and weights will enrich the storytelling experience.   References Au concert; Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec (no date) The British Museum. Available at: https://www.britishmuseumshoponline.org/au-concert-henri-de-toulouse-lautrec.html (Accessed: 27 October 2023). Grandidier, G., Grandidier, A.G. and founder, G. is T.B. (2021) The Gruffalo Book Review: Why is my favourite business book, Official Tidy Books UK Store. Available at: https://uk.tidybooks.com/blog/gruffalo-favourite-business-book/ (Accessed: 03 November 2023). Henri Toulouse Lautrec artworks (2019) RetroGraphik. Available at: https://retrographik.com/henri-de-toulouse-lautrec-artwork/ (Accessed: 27 October 2023).

Introduction to Julia Donaldson a Children’s Book Author The books below are examples of Julia Donaldson’s most famous publications. Julia Donaldson is an immensely celebrated and cherished British author, known for her captivating children’s books. Julia has enchanted readers of all ages with her publications, poetry, songs and, plays. In 2019 she was awarded the CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) for services in literature. Julia regularly performs at book tours and in theatre, where she enjoys getting children involved with stories and songs, encouraging them to act and read aloud, (Donaldson, 2022). Initial Research/Educational Resource BBC Maestro Julia Donaldson’s course in Writing Children’s Picture Books – Requires a paid subscription. https://www.bbcmaestro.com/courses/julia-donaldson/writing-children-s-picture-books/trailer?autoplay=true The Magic Paintbrush Introduction ‘The Magic Paintbrush’, written by Julia Donaldson and illustrated by Joel Stewart was chosen for analysis as the books distinctive oriental literature and illustration style complements the artistic approach of Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, who drew inspiration from Japanese prints. ‘The Magic Paintbrush’ Narrative Analysis “The Magic Paintbrush” is a captivating cultural Chinese children’s book that transports readers into a world where a seemingly ordinary paintbrush possesses unusual powers. Character development can be seen throughout the journey of the protagonist, Shen. The main character Shen, is a humble painter who is gifted the magic paintbrush. The paintbrush has the power to bring to life whatever Shen paints. Although Shen must only paint for the poor and not for the wealthy. The opening narrative seen throughout the first 2 images below allows for endless possibilities to be explored throughout the book.   Rooted in Chinese folklore, the story offers young readers an enriching cultural experience. Providing an insight into a vibrant world of Chinese traditions, such as the Chinese Dragon. The progression of the narrative explores themes of creativity, responsibility, and the potential impact of personal choices. Elements of the narrative teach children valuable moral lessons and understanding of diverse cultures. The moral themes explored throughout the narrative of ‘The Magic Paintbrush’ resonate closely with the topic of my final major project. It is important to share the negative impacts of careless personal choices when it comes to plastic pollution and climate change. The children’s book I intend to develop will have a large focus on sustainable responsibility when approaching the topic of environmental preservation. Therefore, inspiring children to make educated sustainable choices. Further, analysing the narrative there is a distinct rhyming style that can be seen throughout many of Julia’s books. The rhyme alternates slightly whilst telling the story. The rhyming technique she uses maintains consistent rhythm and flow throughout her work, engaging young readers in an enjoyable way. The predictability of her stories aid in English language lessons and encourage active participation from children and their imaginations. References Donaldson , J. (2022) Biography, Julia Donaldson. Available at: https://www.juliadonaldson.co.uk/about-me/biography/ (Accessed: 22 October 2023). Donaldson, J. (2021) Storytelling, Julia Donaldson. Available at: https://www.juliadonaldson.co.uk/storytelling/ (Accessed: 21 October 2023).  Donaldson, J. and Stewart, J. (2017) The magic paintbrush. London: Macmillan Children’s Books.  Maestro , B. (2021) Introducing: Julia Donaldson – Writing Children’s Picture Books – BBC Maestro, Youtube . Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=koRLe9kQYRo (Accessed: 03 November 2023).

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec Introduction Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec was a pioneering graphic designer, painter and illustrator known for his influential, post-impressionist cabaret posters during the 1890s. His distinctive style observed and documented the diverse Parisian nightlife of Montmartre, Paris. Toulouse-Lautrec worked alongside singer and comedian, Aristide Bruant and many more celebrities, producing promotional posters for shows and events. Colour Palette Analysis Inspired by Japanese prints, Toulouse-Lautrec used organic shapes and a striking, limited colour palette for most of his posters. The juxtaposition of colour created depth and contrast amongst designs with complementary bold outlines. This technique was used to emphasis features and aspects of his subjects and their surroundings, as demonstrated in the second image below. Composition and Layout Toulouse-Lautrec defied conventional laws of perspective, deliberately placing his subjects in an unbalanced composition in relation to surrounding objects and structures. This design approach allowed ample space for typography and intricate visual storytelling throughout his posters. As observed by Birnholz (2023), Toulouse-Lautrec frequently used a technique of concealing subjects’ legs through composition and layout, while some interpreted this as a tribute to the artist’s physical condition, the technique ultimately creates abstract movement throughout his work. Emphasizing the essence of natural motion. This observation can be seen throughout his work, which also contributes to a sensation of close-up focus and intensity. Typography and Lettering Analysis Toulouse-Lautrec was innovative in his use of typography in the 1890s and incorporated lettering seamlessly into his posters. Typography and lettering were considered an integral part of the finished product, which would either make or break the overall design. The hand-written style of sans serif and serif lettering observed across Toulouse-Lautrec’s posters feature varied strokes, weights and font sizes. Typography and lettering will be integrated meaningfully throughout the illustrative pages of the final picture book. Experimenting with hand-drawn lettering and typography throughout the development phase will ensure harmonization between the narrative and illustrations. References Birnholz, A.C. (2023) Legacy of Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Encyclopædia Britannica. Available at: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Henri-de-Toulouse-Lautrec/Legacy (Accessed: 18 October 2023). Covenantarthistory (2016) Degas and the influence of japonisme, Degas and the Influence of Japonisme. Available at: https://covenantarthistory.blogspot.com/2016/04/degas-and-influence-of-japonisme.html (Accessed: 18 October 2023). Cushman, E. (2016) Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec | Moma, MoMA. Available at: https://www.moma.org/artists/5910 (Accessed: 09 October 2023). Suzuki, S. (2014) The Paris of toulouse-lautrec: Prints and posters | moma, The Paris of Toulouse- Lautrec: Prints and Posters. Available at: https://www.moma.org/calendar/exhibitions/1450 (Accessed: 09 October 2023).

Introduction In our current era, heightened environmental awareness is essential for many reasons but also due to the urgent issue of plastic pollution. The ever-increasing production of disposable plastic items has overwhelmed the world’s capacity to manage them effectively (Parker, 2021). In response to this, my project endeavours to bridge the gap between the realm of children’s picture book literature and the urgent demand for sustainable practices, focusing on plastic waste reduction and the ‘reduce, reuse, and recycle’ approach to environmental preservation. My project will involve an analysis of the two-dimensional design compositions found in Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec’s post-impressionist cabaret posters from 1864-1901 and a study of Julia Donaldson’s narrative techniques as demonstrated in ‘The Magic Paintbrush’ (2003). With these influences in mind, I am working to create, develop and market a children’s picture book that draws inspiration from these sources. References GIRET, A. (2019) Photo by Antoine Giret on unsplash, Garbage near forest photo – Free Plastic Image on Unsplash. Available at: https://unsplash.com/photos/garbage-near-forest-7_TSzqJms4w (Accessed: 24 October 2023). Ocean, O.S.T. (2021) Photo by OCG saving the ocean on unsplash, Man in teal t-shirt and white shorts sitting on brown sand near sea during daytime photo – Free Ocean cleanup Image on Unsplash. Available at: https://unsplash.com/photos/man-in-teal-t-shirt-and-white-shorts-sitting-on-brown-sand-near-sea-during-daytime-SIg-qmg9NHw (Accessed: 24 October 2023). Parker, L. (2021) Plastic pollution facts and information, Environment. Available at: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/plastic-pollution (Accessed: 11 October 2023).