Brenda Clark: Illustrator

Birth date: February 10, 1955

Married to Robert Courtice with one child.

Home: Port Hope, Ontario

An honours graduate from Sheridan College's Illustration Program in 1977, Brenda began by freelancing for publishers of educational materials. She has also illustrated for Chickadee magazine. Since 1984, Brenda has been spending most of her time illustrating picture books.

She has worked hard to capture a believable character in Franklin and also in his friends, wanting them to show a range of emotions to reflect the mood created in the story. Brenda is a meticulous artist, taking care with every brush stroke and giving life to the illustrations by using light and shadow for a three dimensional effect.

She encourages children to draw every day if possible. Keep your drawings and look back at them over time to see how much you have improved. She also recommends that if you don't know or can't remember how something looks, visit the library and get photo references, but never trace. Just observe carefully with your eyes. That way, your pictures will be the best they can be and you will get practice drawing anything and everything.

To get more information or send Brenda mail, contact Kids Can Press