Characters for portfolio

In my one to one tutorial for the extended practice module we talked about the trend of character based children’s books and it was suggested to me to create some character sheets to add to my portfolio. Publishers at the moment are looking through portfolios and picking out characters to use as the basis of books so it seems that in some cases it is better to have a range of characters than developed books, I have mentioned before that publishers want to be involved in the development of books from the early stages and by working this way they can be involved from the very start. I have been working on one off characters, mostly animal characters as that’s is something I feel suits my work. I have been creating a range of characters some by themselves and some as part of more detailed compositions. At this stage I feel it would be a good idea to look at the current trends in children’s publishing, specifically based around anthropomorphised characters, human characters and subject matter. Through these character sheets I want to be able to demonstrate my ability to communicate through my illustrations, especially simple narratives, actions and movement and emotion. I think creating a portfolio in this way will allow me to showcase a broad range of work demonstrating my skills, rather than just showing a finished book that is all completed in the same format, media and aesthetic. The characters need to have exactly that, CHARACTER! I don’t want to create generic animal characters, I want to develop them further putting them into appealing and interesting scenarios to inspire ideas and possibilities in anyone viewing them. The character sheets are effectively a menu for publishers and the illustrations should stimulate the imagination but not be so specific that they limit their possible uses. I want to play with interesting situations, humour and emotions through these characters.