ILLUSTRATOR / AUTHOR

For over 20 years, Geoff has managed to do what he loves best; draw funny pictures every day for a living. It's called being a 'Freelance Illustrator' and although it's not the most secure job around, he thinks it up there as one of the most satisifying.

Previously in advertising, Geoff fell in love with the idea of illustrating children's books while reading to his own kids - and he hasn't looked back since. His work can still be found on billboards, T-shirts, in supermarkets and magazines, but he finds children's books the most rewarding part of his work. Having the chance to do workshops with students has been an unexpected bonus.

Geoff's latest publication is called HOW TO DRAW KRAPPY KARTOONS REALLY WELL. He describes it as a tongue in cheek spoof on 'How to Draw' books and says it was inspired by his school visits!

Geoff can talk about:

Advertising / Graphic Design
Using a 'show and tell' of products the kids might recognise, Geoff briefly talks about the dreaded 'Commercial Art'

Making a book
The concept, idea, writing, rough drawings, character design, dummy, finished illustrations, layout design, type and production. Phew! Geoff discusses all of these stages examples from his books.

Drawing (The fun part)
With occasional help from the audience Geoff goes through a number of drawing exercises to demonstrate certain tricks and tactics that students can employ in their own work. This can be a hit or miss affair but the idea is to have a go and take a chance, which is really what Art is all about. Anyway, there's nothing like seeing the visiting speaker make a dork out of himself to get the kids buzzing happily.

If required, he can also do a full colour drawing while talking about colour and the use of light and shade. As this adds 15 minutes to the presentation, it may not be suitable for every session. Although he now produces all his artwork by computer he always brings along lots of original paintings, dummy books, sketches, even some sculptures (his latest passion) that can be viewed and passed around.

"We were thrilled with the way he was able to adapt to the needs of the students and engage them without overwhelming them with language they couldn't understand. We had a great reponse from the kids, who produced cartoons, class talks, journal entries etc. We highly recommend him for similar settings."
-Mal Heath, Western English Language School.

"Geoff provided a wonderful experience for all the children. He brought many illustrations of his work, kept the children from Prep to Grade 6 enthralled. A wonderful day."
- Jackie Henry, Galilee Catholic Primary School.

"Children from prep to grade 6 were enthralled. Geoff was just fantastic, well prepared with a wealth of ideas and topics to relate to. His style of delivery was friendly, confident and humorous."
- Marjie Tkatchenko, Fairfield Primary School.