Using geometric shapes to represent characters in a picturebook: a practice-based exploration

This paper uses a semiotic framework to examine, from the perspective of an illustrator, the use of minimal information in the visual depictions of characters and their emotions in a picturebook. In Picture This Molly Bang explores using triangles, rectangles and simple colours to depict scenes from the fairy tale Little Red Riding Hood. Drawing on this, I made a picturebook, Sammy the Fish, in which visual representations of the characters and his environment are based on simple geometric shapes: ovals, rectangles and triangles. The aim was to explore ways of showing Sammy’s emotions without using facial expressions: his emotions are implicitly implied by his placement on the page and suggestive use of other visual elements. Through this, Sammy becomes a blank canvas for the reader / viewer to project on to and, potentially, to begin to relate to him. When working with minimal images, the subtleties and nuances of creative decisions have a greater impact on the artwork. By taking a practice-based approach, this paper describes the process of creating the character and the successful and failed attempts to show his emotive state.