Illustrators and content creators: creating drawings is key to influencing children
Illustrators and artists specialising in children's book illustrations confirmed that images are an essential element in attracting children and deepening their understanding of the text, pointing out that drawings not only translate the story, but also adds an emotional dimension that enhances the reading experience. They highlighted the importance of understanding child psychology and the impact of colours and nature in stimulating their imagination and building an ongoing relationship with books.
This took place during a dialogue session entitled ‘The Impact of Comics on Storytelling,’ as part of the sessions organised by the 16th Sharjah Children's Reading Festival, which was attended by Dr. Abdullah Al-Sharhan, director, artist, educator and creator of content aimed at Emirati children; Baraa Al-Awar, a Palestinian illustrator and author who has written and contributed to more than forty children's books, and Rahat Kaduji, a best-selling author and illustrator of children's books, whose books include ‘I am not scary,’ which has been translated into several languages. The session was moderated by Tasneem Ziad.
Relationship with books
Dr. Abdullah Al-Sharhan spoke about the great impact of images and clear words on children's psyche, mentioning a set of examples from his environment and his inspiration from the world of children to write and create influential content, describing them with words that reach children's hearts more quickly, pointing out the importance of experimenting with interactive books to create a continuous relationship between children and books, because a child either loves a book at first sight or dislikes it completely.
Al-Sharhan, founder of the art company ‘Ajyal’ and creator of the character ‘Hamdoon’ in the cartoon series of the same name, pointed out that combining art and education is a responsibility, noting the importance of evoking the local environment and the child's original culture to present a message and leave an impact.
Colour psychology
As for painter and writer Baraa Al-Awar, she highlighted the importance of drawing inspiration from folk tales, but said: ‘The child himself is the first source, so the painter must discover his world, his environment, the colours that attract him, knowledge of colour psychology, and realise the privacy of the stories and add something to them, because the painter should not only translate the story through their drawings, but should add to it through art and the emotional impact on the child. Drawing is an addition to the text and not a translation of the text, and every painter should pay attention to that, because children are intelligent readers.’
She added: ‘The illustrated book offers ample space for exploration, and with the growing role of comics and their importance in the world of contemporary children's literature and the intense competition to attract children, the importance of visual elements in storytelling is increasing, so the illustrator must know how text and image work together to create an integrated narrative experience rich in the power to convey meaning and explore how drawings can express feelings, events and characters in ways that text alone cannot.’
Learning experience
Rahat Kaduji spoke about the impact of nature on the world of children's books and his experience as a passionate personality in the world of nature, where his childhood travels with his father had a great impact on him. He still carries his pencil and white paper with him to draw initial lines inspired by nature, explaining his interest in textbook drawings and their impact on children and their education. ‘The different artistic elements of images further enhance understanding of the story, attract children's attention, develop visual reading skills, and help them understand and absorb events more deeply and quickly. They also stimulate imagination and creativity, and can introduce new vocabulary and diverse linguistic contexts that support the child's educational experience,’ he said.
