Formal writing. Single topic.

Thoughts on Essay.

An Essay is a short piece of formal writing around a single topic. The essay aims is to persuade the reader using research evidence. I know this because I googled “what is an essay.”

By this definition, my newsletters are mostly esssays. Sort pieces of writing with a single topic.

Illustrations also start out as essays. The brief of an illustration might be considered an essay. Formal. Writing. Single topic. As an illustrator our first task is to interpret that brief. That’s thinking. And the best form of thinking is writing. If illustration starts out as writing could we assume that good illustration emerge from good writing? I think it’s worth a try.

I’ll try this on the next illustration piece I make which will be a portfolio piece that’s a double page middle grade picture book spread. I’ll start the illustration process by crafting an essay of the scene.

This essay was crafted on the essay app. I wonder if using the app makes writing unnecessarily complicated. I think it’s worth the risk for better writing.