Guest Blogger
Meet Mandy France!
(for more information on how
to submit a post for consideration click
here)
© copyright Mandy FranceMy name is Mandy France and I am children's book illustrator. I work
part time as a graphic designer for the Walt Disney Company in Florida
and the rest of my time is spent illustrating in my studio at home.
What inspires me most is travel. Whether I actually travel someplace
new, read about exotic lands, or watch a documentary, I am truly
inspired by travel. It's just something about new places and spaces
that get my creative juices flowing. When I think of traveling to
distant lands, I just want to get my sketchbook out and start drawing.
My husband and I trekked the Inca Trail in Peru this past September,
and when I got back I filled 3 sketchbooks!
I do all of my illustrations digitally using my Cintiq. I have been
painting in oils and acrylic for years, but now that I have moved to
the digital realm, I feel like I have a lot more options with my
painting style. I paint in Photoshop and I never have to wash my
brushes or figure out a way to store my unused paint! And did I
mention the undo button?
There are a lot of ups and downs in this field of work. I'm a rather
new illustrator, so trying to find an agent and sending samples to
publishers takes up most of my time. Something that has really helped
my transition from graphic designer to illustrator has been joining
SCBW: The Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators. I
recently returned from the SCBWI conference in New York City where I
met a lot of fantastic illustrators and au
Guest Blogger
Meet Kristi Valiant!
(for more information on how
to submit a post for consideration click
here)
© copyright Kristi Valiant
Lean in and I'll tell you a secret. Digital illustrating has come a long way, baby!
Years ago in art school I took a digital illustration class and learned that 1990s-airbrushy-absolutely-made-with-a-computer illustration style. Now I work completely digitally and some of my art directors have no idea that I do so. It's so much faster to move around my characters, resize, and play with color on my computer than if I were to use regular art supplies. And I don't have to worry about my toddler, or more likely clumsy me, knocking my dirty painting water over.
I'm blessed to be illustrating a fun series of chapter books for Random House right now called LITTLE WINGS about Willa Bean, a cupid with a crazy mess of curls. When I visited Random House in New York, I had a hard time convincing one person that all the illustrations were indeed drawn on my computer. My publisher for a picture book called CORA COOKS PANCIT didn't realize that I created all the illustrations digitally until she read an interview I did after the book was out.
How do I make even my sketches look like they were drawn with a real pencil? By customizing Photoshop brushes and using a tablet and pen instead of a mouse. The pencil tool in Photoshop is abysmal. Instead of that, open the Brushes palette, choose a brush with some grit to it, size it down to a pencil line (I use 8 to 12 points), and play with the Shape Dynamics, Texture, and Other Dynamics. I like to control both my Size Jitter and Opacity Jitter with my Pen Pressure. There are also a host of free Photoshop brushes online to download. But even those I play around with in the Brushes palette to make them my own. If you get a hankering to give it a try, there are also loads of YouTube videos to watch for technique hints.
Hope you enjoyed my geeking out post about digital illustration.
5 Comments on I Work in the Children's Book Field & Happy To Do So!, last added: 2/10/2012
I feel like a huge weight has been lifted. This week I completed my 3rd book for Dover, a 65 page activity book that I have written and illustrated.
I had a very hard time getting started on it but once I did, it was great fun!
I have literally spent months sitting here with my 3 favorite things-
Photoshop, Netflix and Words With Friends. Draw a little, play a few tiles, "listen" to something good.
Awww, Netflix, I heart you. I completed the " A Touch of Frost" series, then started "Midsomer Murders". I have 12 seasons to go through of this lighthearted British murder mystery series, so you know what I will be watching through my next project.
And there is a "next" project, I'm tickled to say. Dover has hired me for a fourth book. This one will be less pages and more focused on illustrations. I'm rolling right into that project so you know where I will be. Right here at my desk!
And heck- if you want to keep me company, look me up on Words with Friends. I'm always up for a game! ;o)
Our first guest!
Meet Jane Heinrichs:
(for more information on how
to submit a post for consideration click here) 
© copyright Jane Heinrichs
Hello readers! I'm Jane Heinrichs and I'm a globe-trotting children's book writer and illustrator. I grew up in Canada, studied in England, and now I’m living in South Africa with my husband.
The one thing I love about working in children’s books is the ability to open young minds to all sorts of new and exciting ideas. Children are more able to suspend disbelief than adults, and as a result, so much more is possible (rather than impossible) in their world.
For the past year I’ve been working to illustrate new curriculum picture books in South Africa. This has been an amazing challenge. The absolute key to the survival of South Africa is the education of the next generation. These books will go into every elementary school, and hopefully inspire a whole new generation of children. A tall order for an illustrator!
It’s been such a rewarding and challenging project, and I so happy I was invited to be involved.
I do all my illustration work from my studio at home, which overlooks our garden courtyard. When I’m stuck for an idea I look out the window to the top of Table Mountain and inspiration always returns.
Since I work from home most of the day, I love to read blogs and chat with other illustrators via Twitter. It’s like a window on the world from my small studio in Africa. Please drop me a line, or pop my blog to say hello!
X
Jane
© copyright Alicia Padró
Hi there!
Are you a children's book writer and/or Illustrator or perhaps an editor, librarian, art director or agent and would like to be featured on the
PBjunkie's blog?
We will have a special feature all the month of February and maybe if we get many wonderful entries we will extend it to March as well. Every Friday we will post about a special writer or illustrator and that could be you!
If you want to contribute to our special
I work in the children's book field and I'm happy to do so posts just send us your post along with one image (only one please). In that post you can tell us a little about you, how you work? What inspires you? What are the ups and downs of working in this field? If you could change one thing is this business what could it be?
Your call. Be creative.
Anything related with children's books and always appropriate please. Of course you can include a link to your website or blog as well.
We reserve the right to choose the entries that will get posted. Please email me your ready-post. You can find my email here under "contact me".
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Thanks for the plug Roz! Maurice may be next on deck...or that Panda Bear I am so fond of....
;-)