Oliver Jeffers
I immediately came face to face with something I did not like. Jeffers' website has a photograph as a background. Whilst I like the photograph I don't like that it clutters the background and makes the text difficult to read which is of a very similar colour.
There is also a contradicting arrangement to the site, you're given headers/buttons to click on and chose what pages you want to view but also you're presented with a section of text that I found confusing as I was unsure if I'd clicked on a page already or what it was I was reading.
The next section I chose to look at was the "About me/Info" section of a website listed 'INFO' on Jeffers' website. The page enters more of what I was expecting from an illustrators website with a clear white background, almost like a gallery, but again I found the page confusing to read. There are various subheadings in the page and I found finding out actual information or contact information difficult.
I lastly chose to look at a gallery/portfolio section, which on Jeffers website is listed as "PICTURE BOOKS". This section of his website is more of what I was expecting from an illustrators website, he had images of his products presented nicely against a white background with a title and a little information and the pages were easily navigable. This is something I may take into my own website.
Quentin Blake
I found Quentin Blake's website very impressive. It was exactly what I
had hoped and expected to see from an illustrators website. His headings
and type were in his signature handwritten typography which I enjoyed
and if I had my own would like to have done for my own website. There
wasn't a cluttering background but it was like a gallery with a white
background and black type. The sections of the website were clearly
labelled and navigable at the top of the page also.
As before, I checked the contact info/about me section of the website, listed as "Contact". This section was very useful and provided you with multiple platforms to contact from. As well as being resourceful and providing you with information the page also has a small illustration to keep the business of business fun.
And lastly the gallery section was again very well presented. Split into categories and sections to find different types of illustrations and very easy to operate and find what you're looking for. I couldn't fault Quentin Blake's website.
Stuart Kolakovic
The final illustrators website I chose to look at was Stuart Kolakovic's. I quite liked this website however there were a few minor details I would change. When you first open up the website you are immediately thrown into a viewing gallery with no explaination as to what it is you're looking at. There is also both an up and down scroll bar and a left to right scroll bar which I felt made the whole website difficult/annoying to navigate.
Finding what you're after is simple enough at the top of the page listed very clearly in black and white are the pages. The contact page was easy to find and use but I did feel that the actual information, his email and telephone were less important on a page which should mainly promote this. Instead we are presented with a long list of clients he's worked with previously and a fun piece of artwork which adds a splash of colour to the page.
Whilst I liked the simplicity of the white background to view the artwork against in his gallery page I did not enjoy once again the up and down and left to right scrolling system to operate it. There was also no description of what the pieces were.