A CHILDREN’S illustrator paid a visit to pupils at a Buckland Newton school who were able to learn the tricks of the trade.

Buckland Newton Primary School children, aged between four and 11, took part in drawing workshops and were able to fire questions at the Dorset-based illustrator Jane Chapman.

Alison Chant, acting head teacher at the 84-pupil school, said all four classes took part in the day where Ms Chapman demonstrated how she drew certain characters.

The children were then able to draw their own characters from the advice they had been given.

Miss Chant said the children were all inspired by the illustrator and thoroughly enjoyed the morning.

She said: “It was a great opportunity for the children to meet a real life illustrator and ask her questions about her work.

“Jane worked with developing their drawing skills and after the workshop finished the children were so enthused.

“All of the children were able to receive and produce great drawings – it really improved their skills and also gave them confidence in their own abilities.

“The children in my class have talents in different areas but Jane came in and she gave every single child in my class confidence about drawing and being able to improve which was brilliant.

“They were absolutely overwhelmed.”

Miss Chant said that the workshops for the children in reception class up to year three mainly consisted of a Q&A session where they were also able to look at the author’s professional illustrations.

The older children in Years 4 to 6 were able to get more hands-on experience during a drawing workshop.

Miss Chant added: “The children were asking lots of questions, such as what inspired her to become an illustrator.

“It was a real success.”

Ms Chapman, who lives in the Piddle Valley, said: “It was good fun and the children seemed engaged and did some really nice drawings.

“They were quite interested in what I did although there were some bizarre questions – someone asked if I earned a million pounds a year which I wish I did.

“As a child I drew all the time so it was lovely to watch them draw and then be proud of it.

“It was also nice to go into a school and talk to the kids about methods you can use to make it look better.

“We had a lovely time.”