How to use this Page

Here is Tracy explaining her process:

Below, I’ve included some of the steps I used to draw and paint the “Watermelon Barrette”.

Illustration:

• Draw the design, scan it, and then reduce the drawing to fit the surface.
• Trace the design onto tracing paper.

Paint/Supplies/Brushes:

• DecoArt Americana Acrylics.
• DecoArt Matte Varnish Sealer.
• Krylon Matte Finish Spray.

• Brushes—1/8” and 1/4”      Stipplers, #1 and #3 Round, 3/4” Wash, #2, #4, and a #10 Shader, #6      Filbert, and a #10/0 Spotter.

Wood Surface Preparation:

• Sand the wood barrette with 400 grit wet/dry sandpaper.
• Remove the dust with a tack cloth.
• Apply one coat of DecoArt Matte Varnish Sealer.
• Allow to dry, sand, and then wipe clean.
• Paint the background with at least three coats of paint.
• Center the tracing over the barrette.
• Slip the dark blue dress-maker’s paper under the drawing, and then
• Trace the main pattern lines with a stylus and/or a pencil.

Color Worksheet:

 Drybrush Tips:

• Use a 1/8” Stippler to      drybrush small areas.
• Use a 1/4” Stippler to      drybrush large areas.
• Dip the brush into the      desired paint color.
• In a circular motion,      wipe off the excess paint onto an absorbant paper towel.
• In a circular motion,      applying slight pressure, begin in the darkest area and move toward the      lightest area.
• Follow the above steps      until the desired results are achieved.

 Finishing Touches:

• Let the piece cure (I      wait three days).
• Apply one coat of DecoArt Matte Varnish Sealer.
• Let dry (15 to 30      minutes).
• Lightly sand with a      brown paper bag.
• Apply at least three      coats of sealer, sanding between each coat.
• Spray with Krylon Matte Finish.

Did you go to school for art?
No, not unless you count the “How to Paint” workshops I signed up for in 1991.

What types of things helped you to develop as an illustrator?
In 1994, a published picture book illustrator encouraged me to draw my own designs. So with shaky fingers, I picked up a pencil and gave it a whirl. And voila! The fabric tree and snow mama was my first design, and I painted it on slate.

I continued studying “How to Paint” books, and then with three years of drawing and painting practice under my belt, I designed “How to Paint” pattern packets. During that time, I attended a Tuesday morning group for young moms at a local church. The moms loved my designs, and they invited me to teach on Tuesday mornings. One of the designs I taught them, Noah’s Flying Angels, was painted on a wood piece.

My confidence bloomed like the flowers in my garden, and I decided to sell my expanding portfolio. Without access to the Internet, I packed up my car and traipsed all over Southern Ontario, begging and pleading with store owners to stock my designs on their bulging shelves. Krafty Kennedy’s, a store in London, Ontario, took a chance and purchased my packets. Wait, it gets better. They even asked me to teach workshops. A few years later, I became a “Big Brush” teacher at national painting shows in Toronto and London, Ontario.

Here is a pattern packet design.

What was the first piece of art you did where someone paid you?

A small marketing company hired me to design thirty cards. I recently revamped “Gone Fishing” to create a Father’s Day card.

Did you start out doing interior design work?

It wasn’t until 2004 that I received accreditation as an International Design and Decorating Professional. I then obtained my Staging, Color Consulting, and Professional Organizing designations. While I was running my decorating business, QC Design School approached me to tutor students and, later, to facilitate Color and Professional Organizing workshops. I’ve recently cut back on my decorating services to allow more time to pursue my new love…writing.

What are your favorite art materials?
Hmm…I don’t really have a favorite. I paint on many surfaces—illustration board, slate, tin, wood, and canvas.
Here is a “Musical Angel” I painted on a CD box.

Have those material changed over the years?

Yes, I’ve discovered Copic markers, which I must say are not forgiving. To avoid making mistakes, I test the markers on scrap paper to ensure I choose the correct tint, tones, and shades. The upside, I reduce my painting time in half.

Here is a very rough sketch for the painting below.

Once the idea takes shape, I redraw each figure, scan it, and then enlarge or reduce each element until I’m happy with the placement. I then transfer the final drawing onto Strathmore Windpower^TM smooth finish, acid free Bristol.

How long have you been illustrating?

I seriously began illustrating in 1994, so that means almost twenty years!

I like your note cards. How did you start creating and selling them?

Thank you, Kathy. Some of my three-dimensional wood designs were the inspiration that lead me to produce a line of square-shaped greeting cards, which I submitted to the Thirteenth Uniquely Ontario Creative Arts Show in Toronto, Ontario. My cards were judged on design, workmanship, promotional materials, and saleability. After receiving a score of 92 out of 100, I was invited to participate in the show that assists in the growth of Ontario’s best home-based entrepreneurs. I was disappointed I didn’t receive 100. 

Kathy, I hope you’ll indulge me for a moment. Regal Gifts hired me to create A Country Charm Collection, reproduced on wrapping paper and gift cards.

Here are just four designs.

My confidence soared. I queried a well-known calendar company in Markham, Ontario. Rejected, I sulked, unaware God was still at work. A few months later, I received a call. My name had been passed on to Zebra Publishing. They hired me to design a “baby’s first year keepsake” calendar, and the following year, a “twelve-month folk art” calendar. Both calendars sold like hot cakes in mom-and-pop bookstores, Chapter’s bookstores in Canada, and Barnes & Noble in the U.S.

It looks like you have written and illustrated a children’s book. Can you tell us a little bit about the book?

Our Story—You & Me is much more than a children’s book. It’s also a record-keeping book sprinkled with quaint quotes that will appeal to mommies and expectant mommies who want to capture the milestones of their baby’s first year. The book is unique in that it elevates a record-keeping book to an early-reader storybook a mom can read to her child, and uses a child’s natural curiosity about their first year of life to help interest them in reading. In the years to follow, mom and growing child will giggle together, poring over candid photos of things like a toothless grin, wobbly first steps, the ultrasound, and other special moments. This fifty plus page book mirrors my calendar art and will make the perfect baby shower gift.

Do you have plans to self-publish?

I’m on the hunt for an agent.

Is illustrating children’s books a new direction for you?

It sure is. 

Have you ever illustrated something for a children’s magazine?

I haven’t pursued that avenue yet, but I have been published numerous times in American and Canadian “How to Paint” magazines.

Here are two tear sheets.

The drawing and painting instructions for the “Musical Angel CD Box” are similar to the “Watermelon Barrette”. Below, I’ve listed the differences.

Additional Supplies:

• DecoArt Walnut Gel Stain.
• Krylon Matte Finish Spray.

CD Box Surface Preparation:

• Prep the box as per the previous instructions, paint the base Napa Red, paint the lid Antique White, and then paint the edge Deep Teal (apply at least three coats of paint).
• Drybrush the Deep Teal area with Blue Green, and again with Deep Teal plus Buttermilk to brighten.
• Apply scotch tape 1/4” from the edge, and then paint the border Country Red.
• Paint corner squares Lamp Black.
• Dilute the gel stain with water, and then apply with a foam brush. Wipe the excess stain with a cotton cloth. Let dry.
• Spatter with Burnt Umber and again with Lamp Black.
• Trace main pattern lines onto the lid.

Color Worksheet 1:

 Color Worksheet 2:

What have you been doing to get your artwork noticed?

I have an online whimsical shop over at http://www.tracycampbell.net/shop.html and a website over at http://www.tracy-campbell.artistwebsites.com, where Fine Art America reproduces my original whimsical works of art on metal, stretched canvas, and acrylic. You can also buy unframed prints or framed prints that are ready to hang on your wall or on a friend’s wall.

Have you made picture book dummies to show art directors, editors, and reps.?

Not yet.

Do you have an agent?

I’m hard at work querying agents.

Do you ever use two different materials in one illustration?

Not materials per se, but here’s another style where I used a Micron pen and watered down acrylics.

The above piece was painted on illustration board. The process is the same as painting on wood, except I don’t have to prepare the surface. I just transfer the line drawing, ink the design, and then apply watered down acrylics.

I also paint on Paper Mache items.

Have you seen your style change since you first started illustrating?

Oh my, yes! My earlier drawings and paintings were stiffer than my ironing board.

Have you gotten any work through networking?
Yes, from author extradornaire, Susanna Hill. She purchased designs for her online course—Making Picture Book Magic. Take a peek over at http://www.susannahill.blogspot.ca/p/making-picture-book-magic.html.

Do you do any art exhibits to help get noticed?

Not at present.

Are you open to doing illustrations for self-published picture book authors?

Not at the moment. I’d like to concentrate on illustrating my own books.

Do you use Photoshop?

Yikes! I hear the learning curve is steep and I’m not getting any younger. I do scan my artwork, and manipulate my designs with Microsoft Publisher and Paint. Here’s one I reconfigured.

Do you own a graphic tablet? If so, how do you use it?

Unfortunately not.

How much time do you spend illustrating?

Not as much time as I’d like. Some days I work on marketing, other days I write and/or paint.

Do you have a studio set up in your house? Where do you live?

I have a second-floor studio in my 1841 farmhouse, nestled high on a hill in a secret location. 

Is there anything in your studio, other than paint and brushes, that you couldn’t live without?

My art and writing reference books.

What are your career goals?

My career goals are to find a literary and/or art agent, finish writing two picture books, polish my middle grade novel, and continue creating art that one day will appear on home décor and giftware items. Lord willing.

What are you working on now?

Besides tutoring, I’m querying agents, blogging, writing a rhyming picture book, and adding art to sell on my website.

Are there any painting tips (materials, paper, etc.) you can share that work well for you? Technique tips?

I love dark blue dress-maker’s paper. I lay my line drawings over the transfer paper, and then I use a stylus to trace the design onto any surface I like. The beauty of this paper is that as soon as you add ink or water—poof—the lines disappear.

Any words of wisdom you can share with the illustrators who are trying to develop their career?

Don’t be afraid to try new things, step out of your comfort zone. As Will Rogers once said, “If you want to be successful, it’s just this simple: Know what you are doing. Love what you are doing. And believe in what you are doing.”

Thank you Tracy for sharing your artwork and process with us. We will be watching to see how you develop your style to illustrate picture books.

If you want to see more of Tracy’s work or follow her in the future, her website is www.tracycampbell.net.  Please take a minute to leave Tracy a comment. It is much appreciated. Thanks!

Talk tomorrow,

Kathy

This week I would like to introduce you to Kary Lee. I think you will enjoy hearing about her journey, her watercolors and process. Here is Kary:

I see things in pictures. I always have. It wasn’t until college that I realized not everyone did. It explained a lot. My need to solve problems visually made sense. Being artistic gave me a pass with the linear world. I could show through my art that I do get it. I just go about it differently.

I’ve worked with different mediums and as an art director and designer but it was through motherhood that things began to resonate. I rediscovered the wonder and magic of the world as a child sees it, the ordinary as extraordinary. This and my passion for picture books and my new found love as a watercolorist fueled me. I started out creating personal student work as a traditional fine artist.

That journey brought me to book illustration. Five published books and several awards later personal circumstances caused my work to be inturupted. But in finding my way back, my current successes have come from commercial illustration, creating pieces that visually solve problems for external intities. I now find my work coming full circle, returning to more traditional fine art with a new and  passionate sense of purpose.

My niche is the human figure and more specifically, children. My goal, to capture the innocence, curiosity and sense of wonder for the things adults take for granted. The hidden agenda is to subtily imply that regardless of our ethnic, cultural and physically challenging differences that make us all unique, we’re all the same on the inside. The message may or may not be loud and clear and that’s okay.

My execution involves using light and it’s play on the subject matter to mold my images. I use pure transparent watercolor pigments and whenever possible have them mix and blend on the paper to keep my colors vibrant and alive. These elements are the glue that hold together the feel and personality of the my composition. I work in a realistic style so it’s important to keep my images fresh.

To be successful requires an element of interest that can’t be achieved through a photograph. It has to look effortless even though every brushstroke is calculated. The fewer brush strokes, the fresher the feel. Too many and it becomes overworked, flat and boring.

I prefer displaying my work in public venues over galleries. I like the challenge of capturing the attention of people who may not realize the beauty of my art or any art for that matter. I want to tell a story to someone who didn’t know they were going to care until they see the image.

I love being an illustrator and sharing my stories. It makes everything else in my crazy life fall into place. Some years ago my daughter’s play group was discussing what their parents did for a living. “Well,” my daughter stated, “My mommy colors for a living.” Silence fell over the room. I’m totally cool!

Where did you grow up and where do you live now?

I grew up in sunny Southern California. I spent my early childhood barefoot and in a perpetual bathing suit.  On hot days we would      mix powdered tempera paints with the garden hose and use the sliding glass door as our canvas. On rainy days we would snuggle in the happy chair and read.  My mother’s love for books had a profound impact on me. Now I live in Pullman, Washington, in the South Eastern region of the state and home to Washington State University.

How did you decide to attend Washington State University for Communication and Graphic Design?

I am a fourth generation WSU Cougar (Washington State University).  So, attending WSU was always my first choice. Communications with an emphasis in Advertising made sense because it was a creative career with the hope of job security.

Can you tell us a little bit about the classes you took while at WSU?

WSU has a prestigious communications program; The Edward R. Murrow school of Communications, Murrow’s alma mater.  There were many interesting and informative classes. Ironically, my most practical experience came through my involvement with a volunteer club, National Student Advertising Competition (NSAC).  It mimicked an ad agency campaign and we competed with other universities.  I learned that I loved conceptual thinking, and problem solving I realize now that the process is similar to story telling.  My fine art classes centered on traditional graphic design. It was the early 80’s, before computers were part of any curriculum.  So I learned ‘old school,’ studying traditional typography and layout methods.

You don’t usually think watercolor with Graphic Design. Did WSU have a fine art class that you took?

My final year as an undergrad I took an illustration class from John Christ, an adjunct professor from Atlanta (spelling is to the best of my memory).  He spent extra time with me, taught me to see think critically and really see things before I drew.  He helped me to understand how and why to draw with purpose, to know my subject and the importance of good characters. The experience was wonderful! He was wonderful!  But, my focus at the time was to be an art director.  I turned down his offer to go to a portfolio school in Atlanta. I had no money left.  Hell of a time for me to be practical! But he went back to Atlanta and I lost him. It took years for me to admit that this was a grave career error.  What can I say?  I was barely 21.  I goofed!  John, if you’re out there, it took me 20 years, but I am finally taking your advice and going for the dream!

Did you try other mediums before you decided watercolor was what you enjoyed using?

Not really. Unless you include pencil and ink, because I’ve always loved to draw.  I played around with acrylic, oils and      watercolor in high school, but it was a small school and there was nobody to teach me.  It didn’t come up again until I decided to try book illustration.  And watercolor seemed my natural choice.  I took some classes while my kids were in school.  The instructor was good, but I was the only person under 60 and we spend a LOT of time with flowers and fruit. All humor aside, it was a tough time for me and watercolor gave me an outlet I needed.  I had finally found the my it.       And, as refreshing and empowering as it was, I knew still life’s were not gonna cut it!

How did you find your way from there to Dallas, Texas for an art director job?

It was actually my third job out of college. I was an artist at a local T-Shirt shop the first year. Based on my daughter’s terms, I think I was a hipster before hipsters were cool! It was great. Then I married to my high school sweetheart.  He took a job with Texas Instruments and we moved to Dallas. The art direction job came after six months working for a banner company specializing in Car Dealership Point of Purchase marketing.  Can you say ‘character builder?’  I set type for used car bumper stickers and cut rubylith for vinyl signs. We also had those fun hoola skirt flags that drape every dealership.  It was grueling but looking back, a great experience!  Every designer should have to squeeze Lewis and Clark Auto Sales into a 5” x 2” space that can be read from 40 feet. Ironically the typeface Impact became my best friend!  I could crank out a mean mechanical in nothing flat.  After 6 months of the sweatshop I landed the graphic designer job and worked my way up to art director.

What types of work did you do with that job?

I got to do everything; design, layout, illustration, photo direction and even some AV work. It was amazing. It was the type of environment where I was gonna sink or swim.  The story of my life!  So I swam!  I loved the work, the teams, and creative challenges.  Our team worked with a free-lance illustrator and I soon realized I secretly wanted her job.  She was a mom with a studio in her back yard and among other projects, illustrated kids books.  How cool was that?  We became fast friends and I was very jealous!

What was the first thing you did where someone paid you for your artwork?

It was at an art show during my still life phase.  I did a whimsical painting that involved Hewey, Dewey and Louie and a color wheel (…you had to be there).  But, it sold for $165.  I couldn’t believe it!

How long have you been illustrating for a living?

I’ve been illustrating for about 14 years now.  Once the kids got old enough for me to breathe I made the decision to go for it.  I got the studio in my back yard, balancing my career as a stay-at-home mom. Things were going swimmingly until I suddenly found myself as a single-mom.  All emotions aside, the timing for my career was terrible.  I juggled my first book tour with my newly acquired real estate career! I remember attending BEA and signing books beside Judy Blume by day (I know, right?) and arguing escrow dates and appraisals over the phone with my broker by night. My plate was a bit full. Something had to give. I knew it would be temporary, but I turned down the next book and dug in to real life.  As I said earlier, I swim even if sometimes it’s upstream!  It was so hard to see that project completed without my name on the cover.  I vowed that I would return as soon as it was possible.  And, here am! I’m back on track with a newfound appreciation for everything! What doesn’t kill us makes us stronger, and it’s so true. It also gives me ton’s of subject matter. My passion has only gotten stronger.

When did you decide you wanted to illustrate a children’s book?

I was 8.  Yes, that’s right. I wrote, illustrated and constructed my first children’s book when I was in the second grade. I guess you could say I was self-published.  I had an old typewriter, paper, pencils, and crayons.  I folded an old scrap of material over cardboard, folded it in half for a cover, glued it with Elmer’s, punched holes in spine with my pencil, and tied it all together with some yarn from the junk drawer.  Ta Da… “’Me and My Dog Ralph.’  Written and illustrated by Kary Lamb, grade 2.”

I see you have illustrated and published four books with Perfection Learning. How did you connect with PL?  

I met an editor, Susan Wilner at a local SCBWI workshop and gave her my card.  Much to my surprise, she called me a few months later!

Can you tell us a little bit about them?

They are actually pretty big educational publisher out of Iowa. The early readers I worked on are just one small division.  They do all types of educational books.  My connection was through Susan and when she hired me she owned her division, Lucy’s Letters out of Seattle, Washington.  In the interim, PL bought her out and my connection was lost.  I did one more book with one of their editors but he had his own group of illustrators, and things fizzled out.  All of the books are still in print.  There are links on my website.

Are they 32 page picture books? When were they published?

No, they were early readers; 1-3^rd grade.  They focused on phonics and letters in 8 page simple stories. They were published in 2005 and 2006.

How did you connect with Stonehorse Publishing?

It’s a very small publisher. Usually one book a year.  And, again, I met my publisher through SCBWI.  This time it was at the Winter NYC SCBWI Conference. Dizzy is one of a series of three fiction books.  But all included fun non-fiction facts about the animals the characters were created after. In our case, Pacific White-Sided Dolphins.

Do you have representation from an artist rep or an agent?

I definitely want an agent, but the right agent.  I have recently had some great feedback and a couple positive leads.  I am hopeful that things will come together and I will acquire representation soon.

Do you have any desire to write and illustrate your own book?

Yes. I actually have one of my stories written and blocked into a dummy, The Race.  It’s a historical fiction story (circa 1880; Kansas) based a story by great-grandfather, a published poet. I’ve had positive feedback from critique groups with award winning authors. But, I am focusing on getting established with an agent before I pursue it further.

Have you taken advantage of showing off your portfolio at one of nationals conferences?

Yes, and I won!  Runner Up; Realistic Category at the LA Conference in 2003.  It was amazing!  It was early in my career and I didn’t really know how cool it was. I had been upgraded from still life and fruit bowls but most important, I had found ‘my people.’  From that day on my dream turned to goal: to ‘make a living’ as an author/illustrator.

Not counting your paint and brushes, what is the one thing in your studio that you could not live without?    

Can I say two?  My natural light view and my music! Both are essential.

Do you try and spend a certain amount of hours every day working on your art?

Yes. But it’s always a challenge. It’s like exercise.  If I skip, it shows.  Staying in ‘shape’ is the key to improving skills and perfecting your craft.

Do you take pictures or do any research before you start a project?

Yes, lots of research, in conjunction with sketching and creating characters.  For example, my current book project      involves a deaf girl, so I am trying to learn sign language.  My older work is more realistic and photos were imperative. Now I take photos but try to work more from imagination.  But, even if I’m not using likeness of the model, it always helps to have images, especially with strong light sources because luminosity is sort of my trademark.

Do you think the Internet has opened doors for you?

No question!  Early in my search it was Verla Kay’s website that opened the biggest door.  That’s where I learned about SCBWI, the single most important external impact on my success. That’s a mouthful, but it’s so true!

Are you willing to work with a self-publish author?

No.  It’s a good fit for some, but I choose not to focus my energy there.

Do you use Photoshop with your illustrations?

Yes, but sparingly and at this point only as a production tool.  I love the traditional process of paint on paper, and it’s also what gives my work my look.

Do you own or have you ever tried a graphic Drawing Tablet?

I have an old WACOM from about 7 or 8 years ago.  I was curious when I first got it, but the concept was still abstract and the process seemed clunky.  It didn’t really save me any time.  But the new versions seem amazing.  So, I have it on my wish list.

Do you think your style has changed over the years?

I would describe it as my ‘evolving.’ I find my work loosening up, becoming more ‘painterly.’  The thing that remains constant in my technique is the underlying glazes of primary colors to create the luminosity.  As I said earlier I believe this sets my work apart and gives it the depth and life.  It’s not overly obvious but more like a ‘feel.’  The changes in my style have come simply in my gaining experience and knowledge, hence drawing and painting as much as I can.  It’s      quantity that creates the quality. There’s really not any big secret.  If you want to do this, then do it…. A      lot!

How do you market yourself?

With my graphic design/marketing background, I have been pretty good at creating marketing materials. Although I am a terrible client. I can’t seem to decide on anything for myself.  It’s a good thing I don’t have to pay myself.  I couldn’t afford it! I use social networking and attend conferences as often as I can.  I have a website, blog, and am active on Facebook, Twitter and most recently my girls are showing me the benefits of Instagram. Yikes! There are so many choices.  It can be overwhelming.

Do you have any career dreams that you want to fulfill?

Being able to do this full time, ‘for a living.’   I have so many stories to tell!

What are you working on now?

So glad you asked!  I am very excited to be starting a new book project this month!  A Good Sign for Alice; Guardian Angel Publishing, projected release – early 2014.  Alice is a deaf dog rescued from a shelter by Marie, a little girl who is also deaf and bombarded by two brothers who don’t understand girls.  It is written by Rachelle Burke.  I’m in the thick of research, learning sign language.  The challenge I’m finding will be to ‘illustrate’ deafness.  But hey, it’s the problem solving that I love about this job, right? I’ll be posting progress on my blog if anyone is curious. www.karyleeillustration.blogspot.com .

Do you have any material type tips you can share with us?

Professional grade paint and paper are a must if you’re serious about this medium.  My paints of choice are Windsor Newton and Danielle Smith with little exception.  Arches cold press is my choice for paper.  When trying something else I once found my self frantically waving my paintbrush in the air with one hand, the other propped on my hip and shouting with attitude, “What is this crap? I can’t work this way!” …with a French accent!

It’s not really a material type, but my wonderful new Epson Photo R2880 printer definitely affects how I use my materials.  It is oversized and takes watercolor paper.  I can now take sketches, scan them and print directly on the paper. It saves time and frees me up to try without worrying about ruining anything.

Any words of wisdom on how to become a successful illustrator?

For me this answer has two parts:

1.         Philosophical:  Stop for a minute and think about WHO you are WHEN you are creating.  That’s your muse; the inner voice you should be listening to if you want to be true to your work.

2.         Practical:  Paint or draw EVERYDAY! Go to conferences! Do your research on publishers, art directors and agents.  Find where your work fits best. Ask questions. But remember the answers are based on that person’s situation.
The truth? There is NO RECIPE! And success for one person is different than another.  At first I would ask questions and get a little annoyed when the answer was, what to YOU think. I have received some amazing help from some very well known authors, illustrators and industry professionals, but it’s still my journey.  And yours will be different than mine!

We a have all heard this:  ‘Do what you love and the money will come.’

For me I suggest a slight change: ‘Do what you love and the happiness and success will come.’  (maybe money too….but that’s just a bonus.)

Kary’s work hangs in public venues and private residences throughout the Northwest. She is currently writing and illustrating a historical fiction book entitled, The Race. It is inspired by a poem written by her great-grandfather.

AWARDS & PUBLICITY

In 2009 she was featured in Washington State Magazine for a University of Washington athletic event project, The Windermere Cup. The link is on my website, www.karyleeillustration.com . In 2008, Dizzy the Dolphin received the Mom’s Choice award for Children’s Picture Book Adventure. And, she was a national portfolio finalist at the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) Summer Conference in Los Angeles, CA in 2003.

Thank you Kary for sharing you expertise, process, and journey with us. Please make sure you continue to share you successes with us. We looking forward to following your career.

Taking a minute to leave Kary a comment is greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Talk tomorrow,

Kathy

Shawna JC Tenney has always loved to draw and she has always loved children’s books. She graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Illustration from Brigham Young University and started illustrating as a freelance illustrator a year later. Since then, she has created artwork for 16 books along with children’s magazines, charities, educational materials, religious materials and theater playbills. I love drawing and learning every day.  She works in a number of mediums including acrylics, digital- Photoshop and Painter, charcoal, pastels and watercolor.  

Shawna lives in Utah with two very artistic little girls and graphic designer husband.  Shawna says, “One of my favorite things to do is teach an art class for my girls and other neighborhood kids. I love seeing the beautiful artwork they create!”

Here is Shawna explaining her process:

Process 1: First I draw lots of thumbnails. This helps me decide where to place characters and which angle I want to use. Sometimes I draw the thumbnails in pencil sometimes I use ink or the computer.

Process 2: I always sketch my drawings out first by hand using a mechanical pencil. Then I scan the picture into the computer and adjust lines and shape sizes in photoshop. Often I have to draw more than one sketch to get it right. Then I bring the lines into a new layer by selecting the channels so I can use my original lines and color under them. This also allows me to lock the “lines” layer and change the line colors later.

Process 3: Next I make a grayscale study.

Process 4: Then I make a color study. I usually don’t make this many, but it was fun to explore different color options for my dragon.

Process 5: I lay in the background color in photoshop. I like to use lots of different textures on my brushes. Sometimes I will print out my sketch and throw in some background colors with watercolor, just for fun.

Process 6: I lay in all the foreground color.

Process 7: Then I work in all the details over the top. Sometimes I finish the painting in Photoshop. Sometimes I use Painter because of the fun paint textures you can get. And that’s about it!

How did you end up going to Brigham Young University?

I first went to Utah Valley State College (which is now Utah Valley University) on an art scholarship, where I earned my associates degree. I had a great experience there, but at the time, they offered no Bachelor Degrees. I decided to go to BYU because at the time it had the best illustration program in the state (and also very high ranking nationally). At first I showed my portfolio to one of the professors there, Richard Hull. He thought I had some good potential. Unfortunately, I did not get in the university because of very high admittance standards. Richard Hull wrote a letter to admissions to request that I be admitted into the university to study illustration. Happily, it worked, and I was admitted. I will always be grateful to Richard for helping me get into an amazing illustration program where I learned so much valuable knowledge, which prepared me to working as an illustrator.

What types of classes did you take that really helped you to develop as an illustrator?

I took some awesome figure drawing classes, taught by Robert Barrett, who is phenomenal at figure drawing. I took an amazing (and very difficult) oil painting illustration class from Doug Fryer, where I learned amazing things about mixing color and composition. I also took some amazing illustration classes from Richard Hull, and Bethanne Anderson. Bethanne was my senior project mentor, and she inspired me in so many ways to become a children’s book illustrator and live my dreams. I took a couple  of digital classes in college, but hated them, and vowed I would never be one of those “digital” illustrators. This is very funny if you read on.

What did you do after you graduated?

Funny story. I graduated and had a baby two months later. Then we moved so my husband could go to school at another university. My husband was only able to get a part time job early in the morning working for UPS, and it wasn’t making enough to support us. So I went and got a part time job at JoAnn’s working in the frame shop. I worked there for a while, getting more and more annoyed that I was working at a retail frame shop for minimum wage. I was a well-trained frame shop worker (I had worked at several frame shops prior), and besides, I had a bachelor’s degree in illustration!  All I really wanted to do was be at home with my baby and draw. So I decided to work and pray really hard- take a leap of faith, quit my job and send out my work into the wide expanse of children’s illustration art reps and publishers, and see what happened. I think it was no coincidence that I was in the right place at the right time. Within a month, I got my first illustration job, and I got an art rep.

Did Brigham Young University help connect you to companies that could give you work?

No, but I did learn a lot of valuable information about the business of illustration, and how to start getting work.

I notice that you use a lot of different paint materials. Did you start out with a favorite material and expand to others?

When I graduated from school, my medium of choice for my children’s illustrations was acrylics.  Like I said before, I was scared of the computer. Then I saw more and more how people were able to save a lot of time and money by doing their art digitally. I was still afraid that using it would change my style, and I wouldn’t be able to make my art look enough like a traditional medium. Finally, I decided I wanted to learn once and for all how to paint digitally. So I asked my friend Manelle Oliphant to teach me a few things. I also learned from asking some of my other friends a lot of questions. I decided to jump right in and digitally paint a book I had been assigned. It took a while to really understand how to do things the right way (I am still learning a ton all the time), but eventually I got things to look more traditional than digital. So to answer your question- now I only paint digitally- except for things like watercolor sketches. I have tried a lot of different techniques, which may explain why it looks like I use a lot of different mediums.

What was the first thing you did that you got paid to do?

It was some illustrations for a crossword puzzle for a magazine called The Friend, a children’s religious magazine. My second job was the more interesting one (in a bad way). It was a reader for elementary school called The Case of the Bushy Tail. Because of a misunderstanding I took on the job not realizing that I would only have 10 days to paint the entire book- and take care of a 1 year old at the same time. It was…something I don’t want to do again. But many lessons learned.

What was the turkey’s illustration for?

It was a self-promotion piece I did a few years back.

How long have you been illustrating?

About 8 years.

How  many children’s books have you illustrated?

If you count all the readers and chapter books, 17 all together.

I see that Picture Window Books published The Truth About Ogres that you illustrated.  Can you tell us how that contract came your way?

I got that job through my agent.

Can you tell us a little bit about Picture Window Books?

Picture Window books is an imprint of Capstone Publishing. They mostly publish through the school market. I have also illustrated one of their Read-it Readers, called Allie’s Bike. That was the second book I illustrated- a bit embarrassed to look at it now, but its fun to look back on it and see how my illustrations have grown since then.

How many children’s magazines have you done illustrations for?

The Friend Magazine, Highlights, Spider and Ladybug.

You illustrated a few book with Magic Wagon. How did those books and contracts find you?

That was also a job I landed through my agent.

Tell us about DEADWOOD put out by the new small publisher Pugalicious Press. I assume that it is a middle grade book and you were hired to do the cover. What is the story behind getting this job?

Yes, Deadwood is a middle grade novel written by Kell Andrews. I illustrated the cover, and the book came out November 2012. I also landed this job through my agent. Unfortunately, I recently heard that Pugalicious Press has gone under, and the book is already out of print. But I also heard that they are selling the rights to a new publisher, and trying to see if they can use the cover artwork that I have already created.  I hope that things go well for Deadwood, especially for the author’s sake!

It also looks like you have done a few Christian picture books. Could you tell us about those books, the publishers, and how you landed those contracts?

Yes, I have worked with  Concordia Publishing house on a couple of books (The Parable of the Prodigal Son, and King Josiah and God’s Book) which I got through my agent. I also illustrated a book called, When I Take the Sacrament, I Remember Jesus, through a local publisher called Covenant Communications. I got that job because I met the art director at a couple BYU Alumni events.

It also looks like you have done a few Christian picture books. Could you tell us about those books, the publishers, and how you landed those contracts?

Yes, I have worked with  Concordia Publishing house on a couple of books (The Parable of the Prodigal Son, and King Josiah and God’s Book) which I got through my agent. I also illustrated a book called, When I Take the Sacrament, I Remember Jesus, through a local publisher called Covenant Communications. I got that job because I met the art director at a couple BYU Alumni events.

I notice a lot of illustrations on your website that have a Christmas (Santa) theme. Are they all from one book? Where they published in a picture book?  Same questions for the reindeer illustrations?

The Christmas and reindeer themed illustrations are all from a book I illustrated for an author, Chantell Taylor, called Rosie the Reindeer. The book was finished about 3 years ago, but the author has not been able to publish it yet. That was a fun book to illustrate!

Do you want to concentrate on being a children’s picture book illustrator?

Yes, it is my dream and passion. I have always loved picture books- I love looking at them and reading them to my kids. My big dream is to write and illustrate my own books.

Where were the Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella illustrations, published?

I think what you are referring to is the Beauty and the Beast pictures? I illustrated  a Young Learners Classic Reader version of Beauty and the Beast for Compass Publishing.

Tell us a little bit about the educational books that you have illustrated.

Well, I’ve done a lot of readers for the educational market. They are good bread and butter jobs, but not ultimately what I want to do for my career. Same thing with the religious books. I am really trying to focus my career on getting work in the trade book /big publishers market.

Have you ever tried to write and illustrate a children’s book?

Yes, I have written a few of my own stories, which have failed. I am currently writing a new story, which I plan on finishing soon and then illustrating. I have so many great ideas floating around my head, and I would really just like to write and illustrate my own stories and ideas rather than always illustrating other peoples ideas.

Have you made a picture book dummy to show art directors, editors, and reps.?

I did make one dummy book that I sent to my art rep some years ago. It was a flop, but I learned a lot from the experience and gained a lot of wisdom since then. I hope to have a new dummy out by this fall.

What types of things do you do to get your work seen by publishing professionals?

I’ve been doing a lot of blogging, social media, and sending out my own post cards. Lately I’ve really been focusing on what kind of things I need to do to connect with other illustrators and art directors.  I’ve also been trying to focus my work on the trade book market.

Do you have an agent? If so, who and how long have the represented you?  If not, would you like one?

Yes, my agent is Janet DeCarlo of Story Book Arts Inc. She has been a great agent and has gotten me pretty steady work for the past 8 years.

Do you ever use two different materials in one illustration?

Yes, I’ve used digital with pastels, Photoshop with Painter, watercolor with Photoshop. It’s fun to experiment!

Have you seen your style change since you first started illustrating?

Yes, a lot. When I first started, I only painted in acrylic. My goal was to have as little texture as possible and to finish every single last detail. My colors were very saturated all the time. The end result is that every one thought my illustrations looked too “Disney” and too mass market. So I’ve changed things up quite a bit. Now I use a lot more textures. I realized I don’t need to finish every single little last detail- in fact, it works better when I don’t. I have tried to make the eyes of my characters look less “Disney.” I know better how to use color. I know now that it’s better not to saturate everything with pure color. I also know better how to stylize characters and how to compose an illustration. I think it’s important to be learning all the time- from teachers, from friends, from books, from conferences. I hope my style evolves and changes and improves a ton in the next 10 years!

Have you gotten any work through networking?

Funny enough, no, not really. But I have gotten lots of lifetime friends through networking. And I learn tons from my friends all the time. In fact, I run a local monthly illustration critique group, which I love!

Do you do any art exhibits to help get noticed?

I have participated in a couple BYU Alumni illustration shows. I have also participated in two shows at the Bountiful Davis art center called Illustrators Utah. It is a juried show, and the last  show I was in, I one 3^rd place for my illustration entitled Ghost Watcher.

Are you open to doing illustrations for self-published picture book authors?

As I said before, I illustrated the book Rosie the Reindeer for a self-publishing author. I think since then I’ve learned a few things. I may be open to illustrating for a self-publishing author if they had a phenomenal story and gave me an offer I couldn’t pass up. But for the most part, I would say no. I’d rather write and illustrate my own stories or work with a publisher.

When did you start using Photoshop?

The first book I illustrated in Photoshop was The Parable of the Prodigal Son, which was published in 2008. After my friend Manelle showed me how to paint in Photoshop, and I just jumped right in, hoping to make it look just like I illustrated it in acrylics. Since I was so new to the medium, the process took way longer it would have taken to just do in acrylics. Since then, I have learned a lot of tips and tricks to really speed up the process.

Do you own a graphic tablet? If so, how do you use it?

Yes, I paint all my illustrations in Photoshop and Painter with a Wacom Bamboo tablet. I hope someday soon to be able to get a Cyntiq!

How much time do you spend illustrating?

Well, I’m a mom. So whenever I can fit it in! Both my kids are in school now for a full day, so I really try to get a lot done while they are at school. Sometimes I illustrate late into the night or early in the morning.

Do you have a studio set up in your house?

Yes, I have a studio/office room in the house. It’s pretty small and I share it with my husband who is a graphic designer. I have a computer desk and a drawing desk, he has a computer desk, and we also have scanners, printers, a book shelf, and a supply closet. So as you can guess, it’s a little crowded in here. It is also often filled with my kids and their drawings, so it gets even more crowded! But it serves it’s purpose.

Is there anything in your studio, other than paint and brushes that you couldn’t live without?

Of course, my computer (I used a Macbook Pro which I hook up to a bigger screen). My Epson Scanner (since I draw all my drawing with pencil and scan them in). I also love my Epson Artisan 1430 large format printer. And of course my art books. I am obsessed with children’s books and art books!

You have an illustration you titled Christmas Surprise. Was that used in a picture book? What about the one titled Flying Pig? 

Christmas Surprise and Flying Pig are both self-promotion pieces I illustrated quite a few years ago- when I was still using acrylics. I like Christmas Surprise, but I don’t put it in my portfolio anymore because I often get the comment that it looks too mass market, and I’m going for trade books.

Any picture books on the horizon?

Right now I’m working on a few non-picture book jobs. But I am also working on my very own written and illustrated book –I hope to have a dummy finished and sent out this year.

What are your career goals?

I would love to illustrate more middle grade novels. My ultimate goal is to write and illustrate my own books steadily.

What are you working on now?

I am working on an few illustrations for The Friend Magazine, and I am illustrating a story which will be published by Oxford Publishing house called Harpoona. It’s an under the sea/fish Cinderella story .  And of course, I’m working on my own story!

Are there any painting tips (materials, paper, etc.) you can share that work well for you? Technique tips?

Something that I really like to do is scan textures into Photoshop- such as watercolor textures or gesso textures. This is how to do it. Scan in a texture such as a watercolor texture. Change the mode to gray scale. Play with the curves to make the pattern more contrasted. Select the entire image. Go to the “Edit” menu and choose “Define Pattern” and give it a name. Then your pattern will show up in your brush palette when you double click “texture.” Then set the brush mode on multiply and you can make the contrast go as high as you like. Use this on an already textured brush. Then you can get textures that look like you are using real paint!

I  love the examples of the paper doll illustrations you have on your site. Who did you do these for?

I did some paper doll illustrations for Girl Guiding U.K. (equivalent to Girl Scouts in the U.S.). I also did a fun zombie-ish paper doll for self promotion.

Here are a few examples of Shawna’s black and white illustrations,

Any words of wisdom you can share with the illustrators who are trying to develop their career?

If you are in this field, illustration needs to be your passion. You need to keep finding ways to learn and improve your style every day. Find friends and mentors who will help you and inspire you. Blogging and social networking are important. Never ever give up, no matter how depressed you might feel about where your career is going, or feeling that your art isn’t good enough. The people that make it are the ones that never give up. I don’t even feel like I’ve made it yet to where I want to be, but I’m not going to give up! Remember, you don’t have control over what is happening in the industry, but you do have control over the quality of artwork you are producing– so keep making better artwork. Don’t ever do artwork for free. Don’t take on cheap jobs that pay way too little. Instead, focus on making better artwork, and if you do, the better jobs will come. I keep having to tell myself this every day. I know if I do, good things will happen for me and my art. And I know it will for you too!

Thank you Shawna for sharing your talent and process with us. I see a great future for you and you art and good luck with adding the writing to your achievements. Please remember to let us know when you have new successes. It will be fun following you.

If you would like to visit Shawna, you can go to: www.shawnajctenney.com Please take a minute to leave a comment below for Shawna. It will be  much appreciated. Thanks!

Talk tomorrow,

Kathy

Manelle graduated with a bachelor’s degree in illustration from Brigham Young University Idaho and has been working as an Illustrator since 2005.  She’s illustrated multiple books. Most recently, In the Garden, (spring 2012) In the Woods, (fall 2012) and At the Beach (spring 2013) for Peachtree Publishers.

Some of my other clients include: McGraw-Hill, Friend Magazine, The Empress Theatre, and Blooming Tree Press.

I work with watercolor, prismacolor pencil, pencil, Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign.

Manelle says, “My object in writing and illustrating books for children is: to recapture imagination, rekindle curiosity, and demonstrate the rewards of knowledge and virtue. Pretty good eh? I stole it from Walden Media. Regardless I am creating books and illustrations for children with this in mind. Hoping that others will have a chance to have fun, and learn from the products I create.”

Manelle has sent three panels that describe her process, thinking, and interview answers.

Have you always lived in Salt Lake Utah?

Basically, I did go to school in Idaho. I lived in West Yellowstone Montana one summer and I lived in Provo Utah for about a year after college.

How did you go to college to study illustration?

Well, yes, sort of, I went to college to study art. I thought I wanted to be a gallery artist but then I took an illustration class and the rest is history.

What types of classes did you take that really helped you to develop as an illustrator?

Like I said I took this one illustration class… It was intense and really hard. It seems like during the semester I was just exhausted the whole time but it really gave me the tools I needed to be able to draw the kinds of pictures I always wanted to draw. In the end I took that class three times, twice with the same teacher and once with another teacher. I learned so much in all of them.

What did you do after you graduated?

After I graduated I moved to Provo Utah and got a job doing layout for an educational publisher. I liked it there and I sometime I got to do small illustrations. It was fun learning more about Graphic design and layout there. I still use those skills all time.

What was the first thing you did that you got paid to do?

I think it was an illustration for the Friend magazine.

How long have you been illustrating?

Eight years

What materials did you start out using for your illustrations?

Watercolor and pen, and I also did a lot of digital painting at first.

Have those material changed over time?

Yes. I still use watercolor but now I use colored pencil and pencil more than pen. I just use the computer for prep work now, value studies and things like that. I stopped doing digital after I got a few jobs painting that way and realized I didn’t enjoy doing that as much. And sometimes l like to just try something completely different if I can. That is what Ruby and the Skateboard is, a fun style experiment.

Was the artwork for Don’t be Afraid a self-published book project?

No it was for a small Christian publisher. I think the first book job I got. I was pretty excited about it at the time.

How did you get involved with Familius?

It’s a long story. I’ll try to sum up. The Just In Time books were first being published by another publisher and they hired me. But before they were published the authors decided they wanted to go a different rout than that publisher was going so they pulled out. I had already done some sketches and things for them and I really, REALLY, wanted to do them. Luckily the authors, Cheri Earl and Carol Williams, live in Utah and I had met them at some SCBWI conferences, so the next time I saw one of them at a conference I told her how baldly I wanted to do those books. Later I emailed the sketches I had done and she liked them. She said she would suggest me as an illustrator if they found another publisher. Years later they found Familius and Familius hired me. So I think the moral of the story is be patient, and go to conferences, you never know what will happen.

Will there be other Just in Time books coming out?

Yes, 50 are planned, one for each state.

Can you tell us something about Familius?

They are new as of last year (2012). Christopher Robbins the publisher used to be CEO of Gibbs smith. So far they have been good to work with and we’ve enjoyed getting the Just In Time books ready for publication.

Will you be the illustrator for all of them?

That’s the plan.

Did you do any interior art for The Princess and the Pee or was it just the cover?

Yeah, I did an illustration for each chapter.

I see that you just wrote and illustration your own picture book and are selling it on Amazon for $.99. Was it easy to take the book dummy and turn it into an ebook?

It wasn’t too hard. But like I said I had a job doing layout and I took some deign classes in college. I don’t know that it would have been as easy if I didn’t know how to do that.  After the layout there is just some mechanical stuff to figure out that takes time but isn’t too hard. Julie Olsen has a nice blog post about how to do that. http://jujubeeillustrations.blogspot.com/2012/01/how-to-create-and-publish-ebook-picture.html

How hard is it to get people to notice your ebook?

I haven’t been good at it yet. Gradually I’m selling more and more and I’ve been trying things here and there to market them. Just learning stuff from people online and trying it. No giant success yet but I kind of enjoy the trying.

Do you plan to produce the book and self publish it, so kids can hold it in their hands?

Not at this point. Both of the ebooks I have out right now were just little things I did for fun and for practice telling stories. I think they will always just be ebooks.

What are your thoughts about the acceptance of buying a digital picture book?

I think people are accepting it more and more and that we all aren’t sure what a digital book is exactly. It’s all a process and I just want to be involved in the new fun. I don’t have programing skills or animation skills so my books are just pictures and text but there are so many more things they can be. I plan to keeping learning and telling better stories and just seeing what happens with digital picture books.  And having fun with them as they evolve.

Do you plan to write and illustrate another children’s picture book?

Of course. I think the reason illustration appealed to me in the first place was the chance to tell stories with my art. I plan on doing that until I die and still doing it in the after life. Why stop right? I have some fun manuscripts written and new ideas all the time, and as I said I feel like I’ve just been practicing so far. I plan on getting better at telling better stories.

Are you concentrating on becoming a children’s picture book illustrator?

Um… yes, and no. I like variety I love picture books but that is not all that I want to do. Mostly I just want to tell good stories.

How did you get involved with Peach Tree Publishers and the board book you illustrated for them?

They hired me after I sent sample postcards.

Who is Jeremy D. Miller and how did you work together on a wordless picture book?

Ha ha, good question. Jeremy is my husband and after I had the idea for Ruby and the Skateboard he helped me figure out everything that would happen to her. Then I drew it.

What types of things do you do to get your work seen by publishing professionals?

Postcard mailings, and a website are the main things. Conferences are great also. You never know what is going to happen. I have heard of people getting jobs from twitter but that hasn’t happened to me yet.

Do you have an agent? If so, who and how long have the represented you?  If not, would you like one?

I don’t have one. I would like one but I want them to be the right one so I keep dragging my feet. I’ve submitted to some before and got some offers but they never felt right. I’ve also gotten a lot (and I mean a lot) of rejections. That was a couple years ago though so maybe I’ll try again soon. But not having an agent has been good for learning. I feel like I know my way around contracts and I’m getting better at taking better jobs. It’s hard asking for more money or changes in contracts. When I have to do stuff like that It’s always nerve racking but I like the feeling of accomplishment at doing something hard even if I don’t get what I want. And of course I’m getting better at it the more I do it.

I see you have used your artwork to make t-shirts, cards, ipad, iphone covers, etc.  Can you tell us a little bit about this?

Yeah, I just use the website society6 which is a service where I upload my art and they print on demand. If someone buys something of mine I get a percentage. I think they have good quality from what I’ve seen. It’s been a fun little side thing.

Do you ever use two different materials in one illustration?

Yes. Right now almost all of my color illustrations are a combination of watercolor and colored pencils. Some of my pencil stuff has a grayscale digital under painting. Doing that helps me save time.  Ruby and the Skateboard is ink and digital.

Have you seen your style change since you first started illustrating?

Yes. Although I don’t know how I can explain it in detail.

Have you gotten any work through networking?

Yes. I would say the just in time books are a good example of that.

Have you published any illustration in magazines or newspapers?

Yes. I’ve done a couple jobs for the Friend Magazine, and some other stuff here and there. I’ve also done illustrations for text books and thing like that.

Do you do any art exhibits to help get noticed?

Not usually but sometimes if the opportunity arises.

Are you open to doing illustrations for self-published picture book authors?

No.

Do you ever use Photoshop?

Yes. I use it for value and color studies and all kinds of other stuff. I used to do a lot of my paintings with it but now I just do paintings with Photoshop for fun when I’m doing experiments and the like.

Do you own a graphic tablet? If so, how do you use it?

Yes. I use it  for painting in Photoshop mostly.

How much time do you spend illustrating?

As much as I can I suppose and sometimes more. I just finished the second book for Just in Time. We had a really tight deadline with it and I spent every waking hour illustrating.

Is there anything in your studio, other than paint and brushes that you couldn’t live without?

I suppose I would prefer not ever live without the salt lake county library system. They provide most excellent recorded books for me to listen to while I’m illustrating (It’s not technically in my studio but the books are).

Any picture books on the horizon?

Not right now.  I have some manuscripts I’ve been working on but it remains to be seen if I will turn them into ebooks or try to publish traditionally. Right now I’m just really busy with Just In Time.

What are your career goals?

Be amazing and keep getting better.  I did have the goal to illustrate cover and interiors for beginning chapter and middle grade books. That’s what Just in Time is and they will keep me busy for a long time.  So I met that goal and haven’t made any new ones yet. I suppose my goal would be to not mess them up. I have some personal projects in mind to do while I’m working on those as well.

What are you working on now?

I just finished the second, Just In time and will probably start on the third soon.

Are there any painting tips (materials, paper, etc.) you can share that work well for you? Technique tips?

Every painting needs an awesome composition and the right values.

Any words of wisdom you can share with the illustrators who are trying to develop their career?

Keep moving forward. I still think I’m in development stage but when I look back I can see that I have made progress. It has been slow going but the work is starting to pay off. I just had to be persistent and I have to keep being persistent and believe it’s gonna be great.

Thank you Manelle for sharing you process and journey with us. We look forward to hearing more success stories from you. Please make sure you let us know.

If you would like to visit Manelle you can go to her website: www.manelleoliphant.com And please take a minute to leave a comment here for Manelle. It would be  much appreciated. Thanks!

Talk tomorrow,

Kathy

Hope everyone has been enjoying the long weekend and has a wondderful Labor Day!

After going through my e-mails, I discovered that I missed using a few illustrations sewnt in for August, so I thought I would post them today. Here they are:

Sent in by ROGER MOTZKUS www.motzkusart.com

Navina Chhabria is a keen, observant individual. She sees little creatures pop out at her in marble tiles, hair formations and the negative space around everyday life. A simple shape on the sidewalk can be the start of a frolicking creature in an imaginary world and a visit to the Sanrio store can conjure up unique space adventures. A little something from the corner of the eye is all it takes.

Being a self-taught illustrator for most part of her journey so far, she has experimented with various mediums like watercolors, oils, acrylics, gouache, linocuts and digital illustration. She also loves combining patterns.

A trained Graphic Designer by profession with 12 years of experience, she considers it an advantage because it helps her in the composition and color of her artwork. Navina derives her inspiration from everyday life. Aspiring to be a full time illustrator, she is interested in creating artwork for books, book covers, stationery, invitations, and other print and online material. Find her on: http://www.studiotikli.com

Kim Cady sent this in for August. She is a writer/illustrator. Her current novel is in three parts and the backstory of the first volume is blogged at: http://kimcady.blogspot.com.

I have attached some illustrations that work with a light source. They will be used in my novel “The Abbottsford Cats”. I have just completed the first volume “The Abbottsford Cars – The Tale of Jelenti”. I have written most of my life, primarily songs and am a photographer and graphic artist. The illustrations are photographs which are painted and enhanced in Photoshop and Coral.

She lives in Nashville, TN at this time! (She moves a lot!)

This illustration was sent in by Tracey Berglund – www.tra4art.com

Talk tomorrow,

Kathy

BETSY E. SNYDER is a seasoned illustrator-designer of children’s greeting cards in addition to writing and illustrating children’s books. Her work has been recognized with the Please Touch Museum’s 23rd Annual Book Award, a Silver Addy Award (Cleveland—2006), and has been selected for the Society of Illustrators Annual shows.

Here’s Betsy’s Story:

Once upon a time there was a little girl from Ohio who loved to draw on sidewalks and make wishes on stars. One gray afternoon when she was five-ish, in a spark of creative genius (or rainy-day boredom), she intently scribbled on an old piece of cardboard with a bright orange marker. She titled her masterpiece “The Invisible Lady With One Orange Leg”and dreamt of becoming a REAL artist someday.  

And she did! After lots of marker doodles, the proper schooling and a full-time gig as a designer, illustrator and trend consultant at American Greetings, Betsy made the decision to leave the corporate life and go solo…and she’s been working in her slippers ever since.

Though Betsy is all grown up now (mostly), she loves to create smile-inspiring art for kids and the young at heart. You can see her colorful collages and cute characters on all kinds of things, from children’s books to board games to stickers to greeting cards. Her work in publishing and social expressions has won numerous awards, most recently a place in the Society of Illustrator’s The Original Art 2012 exhibition for her illustrations in the book Tons of Trucks. 

Betsy still lives in Ohio and shares a studio with her graphic-designer husband, where they keep drawing on sidewalks and wishing on stars (because clearly it works).

Betsy creates her art from hand-painted and found textures that she scans into the computer and collages digitally. This process gives her the freedom to mix and match until things are just right.  Here she is explaining how she creates her magic:

My process for illustrating a book begins with ideas. I always start with thumbnail sketches.  Sometimes I just dive in.  Other times I need to do research too, pulling visual reference, inspiration or information about a certain subject. Sometimes the memory of a moment makes it way into my books, like this image that inspired a spread in “Sweet Dreams Lullaby.”

When I have a basic idea for composition worked out, I choose my favorite idea and move on to a full size sketch. If I like the feel and gesture of my thumbnail, I’ll enlarge it to full page size and sketch over it on tracing paper. My sketches start out rough.

I focus on finalizing the composition before tightening up details. Sometimes I cut out the best pieces and parts from different sketches and move them around like puzzle pieces.

During the sketch phase, it’s not just thinking about how each sketch works on its own, but also the sequence of how they all work together to tell a story. Hanging sketches on a wall helps me see the flow of the book better. Doing this helps me see how the pacing and scale works from spread to spread. When I get everything just right, I scan in my sketch and make final tweaks on the computer. When my sketches are approved, it’s time to start final art.

I make my textures first. This is my time to be messy. Using watercolors, dyes, acrylics, gouache, pastels—anything, I paint large textures that FEEL like the things in my sketch—in this case, grass, sky, bark, speckled eggs, blossoms, etc. Then I scan all my painted textures and other found scraps of fabric or paper into the computer.

Next, I use Photoshop to build my collage. With my scanned sketch as a guide, I use the path tool to draw my shapes and block in flat color. I keep every shape on its own layer. With the sketch layer turned on, it looks like this

And with the sketch layer turned off, it looks like this.

When I have all the shapes created and I am happy with the overall color feel, I add my painted textures, using my paths to create texture masks—the effect is like cutting out paper with scissors. I use the brush tool for smaller details and layer in bits of tissue paper to soften edges or add shading. I sometimes play with layer effects and opacity to give the illustration more depth.

Much like a real collage, I end up with many layers (hundreds) of textured shapes. Collaging digitally allows me to change the colors and scale of my textures and handle edits easily. This is the end resul.

This is a thumbnail sketch for a spread about fireflies like nature’s night-lights.

This is the final sketch for the firefly scene. You can see that I made some changes from the original thumbnail above, but the basic idea is still there. When all the sketches are approved by the editor and art director, it’s time to move on to the final art. I scan in all my sketches and compose my final art on the computer. Using my sketch as a guide, and working with lots of textures I paint by hand and later scan, I slowly layer up all the colors, shapes and textures into a “digital collage” (at least that’s what I call it). This way, I am able to move things around, adjust colors and make changes. And after a lot of noodling, the art comes to life. Color mood was especially important with this lullaby book, since it starts in early evening and ends later at night. I needed to think about how the sky colors would slowly transition as the sun set and the moon rose.

So, here’s the final piece for the firefly scene, which reads:
dream of tiptoes through the grass
and fireflies that blink and flash,
catching night-lights floating by–
then sending them into the sky.

Below is the final cover image.

How long have you been illustrating?

Officially? Since I studied illustration in school and graduated in 1998. Unofficially? Since I could hold a crayon.

Did you go to school for art? If so, where and what did you study?

Yes, I have a BFA in Visual Communication Design (with an illustration concentration) from the University of Dayton. Go Flyers!

What was the first thing you did where someone paid you for your artwork?

My first “job” out of college was a freelance project for a local wallpaper company. I answered an ad in the newspaper and was so excited to get the gig. It was a 12′ long (yes, I mean foot) wallpaper border that I illustrated in pen, ink and watercolors in one continuous scene. Looking back, it definitely helped prepare me for the scope of bigger picture book projects.

Please use your imagination here. This is so great that I had to include it, but being 12 foot long made it impossible to show the whole thing in one illustration.

I didn’t want you to miss all the wonderful detail, so I cut Betsy’s border apart.

What a wonderful piece to be able to point to and say, “This was the first thing I got paid to do.” Great start to a long career.  Good job, Betsy!

Hope you could appreciate it viewed in pieces.

How many books have you illustrated?

13 (I think)

I see that you have won awards for your books and illustrations. Which one is the most cherished?

Any recognition, big or little, is great affirmation to keep doing what I’m doing. Some of my favorite feedback comes from parents and little ones. But as far as official awards go, it has meant a lot to be a featured artist in this year’s Society of Illustrators Original Art show for my illustrations in “Tons of Trucks”. WOW. Getting that recognition was a huge honor because it put me in the company of other artists and talent I really respect and admire.

You are represented by Painted Words. How long have they represented you?

I’ve been working with Painted Words since 2005. I found my agent when I was looking for someone experienced to review my contract for “Peanut Butter and Jellyfishes”. A friend referred me to Lori at Painted Words, who not only helped with my book contract, but also offered me representation moving forward. Again, serendipitous.  

Do you feel you have gotten more work because of that representation?

I think I have gotten more opportunities more quickly because of my representation—it’s been a good match for me. Having an agent focused on children’s publishing has helped align me with clients that are the right fit. That agent partnership has opened some doors for me earlier than I expected, and the steady work has made it possible for me to pursue publishing opportunities fulltime. But each person’s experiences and needs are different, and I do think it’s very possible to succeed without an agent—it’s all about finding the right path for you.Can you tell us a little bit about being represented? Do you talk regularly with your agent or do you just work as usual, until they call with a project?

My agent and I email a lot and usually talk a few times a week, whenever we need to work out schedules or the details of a new project.  

Don’t Throw That Away was published by Little Green Books. Could you tell us a little bit about this publisher and how they found you?

Little Green Books is an imprint of Simon & Schuster. All Little Green books have earth-friendly themes and are made from recycled materials. The publisher found me through my agent—they saw some samples of a newer style of mine that they felt would work well with the chipboard paper stock and special inks they were using. They also needed an illustrator that understood the printing process. I had just discovered Little Green Books a few months before they found me, and really wanted to work with them, so it was perfect timing. 

It looks like you have done a number of board books. Do publishers pay as much money for illustrating a board book?

No matter what the format, compensation should depend on a number of factors—the amount of work involved, experience and previous book sales, work for hire vs. advance + royalties, etc. For me, the pay has been pretty similar for picture books and board books. The advance may seem like less for a board book, but the page count and size is usually smaller as well. So, it makes sense that a shorter, smaller board book might have a lesser advance than a longer, bigger picture book that would take more time to execute.

How many pages is your typical board book?

There hasn’t been a standard number of pages on the board books or novelty books I’ve worked on—it has always varied. For “Haiku Baby” and “Have You Ever Tickled a Tiger?” (Random House), it was 6 spreads, but for “Tons of Trucks” (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt), it was 10 spreads.

Do you have an office in your house?

I share an office space with my husband, who is a designer and motion graphics artist. Our little, old  house has needed a lot of renovation through the years, so having a separate office space only a few blocks away gives us a quiet, convenient place to work and keeps us safe from construction dust bunnies. 

What is your favorite medium to use?

It kind of depends on my mood and the project, but I really enjoy more gestural watercolors. I’d also like to practice more printmaking, like linocuts and woodcuts—not necessarily for client work, but just because.

Do you try and spend a certain amount of hours every day working on your art?

I don’t consciously dedicate a certain number of hours to making art—it just usually happens that I do something creative every day since I stay pretty busy with projects. When I’m not busy with client work, I use the extra time to write and doodle new book ideas.

What was your first book?

The first picture book I illustrated was “Peanut Butter and Jellyfishes: A Very Silly Alphabet Book” by Brian Cleary, published by Lerner Books (Millbrook Press).

How did that come about?

Brian Cleary and I both worked at American Greetings—he as an editor and I as a staff artist. In 2005, Brian saw some of my work and asked if I would be interested in illustrating his next manuscript, which was already under contract with Lerner. It was very serendipitous, because I had always wanted to illustrate children’s books and had just decided it would be a good year to move in that direction. So, I jumped at the opportunity, sent my portfolio in to an editor at Lerner, and was fortunate enough to get matched up with Brian’s book.

Could you tell us a little about Millbrook Press?

Working with Lerner/Millbrook Press was a great first book experience. I was lucky to be given a fun manuscript full of possibilities, along with tons of creative freedom, from the cover to the end papers. It was an opportunity to really explore and refine my style…and get published! I will always be grateful that Brian and Lerner took a chance on me for that first book.

Do you think the Internet has opened doors for you?

It’s definitely helped people find my work and connect me with resources more efficiently. It makes communicating with clients anywhere easy–I send my sketches and final art via email or ftp sites. It’s also a great place to engage and learn—I was able to take an online textile design class with people from all over the world. How cool is that?

This is the Pitch Piece that Betsy made up to help sell the book.

Many of your books have been published by Random House? Did you know anyone there before you started illustrating books for them or was it your agent that got that ball rolling?

Yes, all four of the books I’ve written so far have been with Random House.  I had the idea for “Haiku Baby” floating around in my head for quite a while. When my agent told me of an opportunity at Random House, I finally took some time to get it on paper and to an editor. I also worked up some additional book ideas at the same time, so my first writing venture turned into a 3-book (now 5-book) contract with Random House.

Did you write and illustrate haiku baby or was the text written in house?

“Haiku Baby” was the first book I both authored and illustrated, so it is very much my baby. But I also have to give kudos to my editor and art director at Random House, who really helped nurture my idea into a reality.

Was some of haiku baby done with cut paper?

Sort of. The final art was created digitally, but I wanted give my illustrations the handmade feel of cut paper and collage. Since haiku poems are Japanese in origin, it felt natural that the art should have nuances that reflected its Asian roots, but in a way that felt true to “me”. I studied the textures, colors and mark making in Asian woodblock prints, and incorporated those influences into my digital collage style.   

Not counting your paint and brushes, what is the one thing in your studio that you could not live without?

My windows. And my husband. (Don’t make me choose)

What greeting card company did you work for?

I worked at American Greetings for 6+ years. I loved it there and learned so much from so many talented artists that also became good friends. I didn’t intend to leave so soon, but book opportunities took me elsewhere.
Do you still illustrate greeting cards?

Yes, I still illustrate cards and other fun things like stickers , tattoos, and games. I’ve also licensed some of my book art for cards and other products.

Do you use Photoshop with your illustrations?

Yes, almost always, for sketches and finished illustrations. Sometimes if I get stuck drawing something by hand, I will try sketching on the computer instead, and vice versa. I have found that changing the medium helps me get out of a rut.

How do you market yourself?

My agent takes care of a lot of the marketing when it comes to finding new clients. But I schedule book events and appearances and work with publishers on promo ideas to get the word out about new books. My husband and I have started making trailers for my new books. Social media has become an important promotion tool as well—I have a blog, a website, a Twitter account and a Facebook page.

Do you own or have you ever tried a graphic Drawing Tablet?

Yes, it is a must-have for me. I never use a mouse (ever).

Do you take pictures or do research before you start a project?

Yes, I begin by collecting all kinds of visual reference—photos, color inspiration, art techniques, subject matter information. Sometimes I go back to a photo I have taken and tucked away, and incorporate that moment into a book.

Do you have any material tips you can share with us? Example: Paint or paper that you love – the best place to buy – a new product that you’ve tired – A how to tip, etc.

I keep a digital library of all my scanned textures and patterns. That way I can quickly pick and choose textures while I’m collaging on the computer.

Do you think your style has changed over the years? Have your material changed?

Yes, most definitely. I experimented with collage in college, but it took me several years of playing in lots of different ways to develop my process of painting textures by hand and collaging on the computer. The nuances of the style I work in are dictated by the project’s needs, so sometimes I need to try new materials to get the effect I want or make stylistic adjustments that feel right for each book. Every book project helps me grow my style in a different way.

Do you have any career dreams that you want to fulfill?

Okay, I’m putting it all out there into the universe (sometimes it works!):

1. Keep making books.

2. Collaborate (with my husband) on content and animation ideas for children’s programming and apps.

3. Design a quirky line of kids’ fabrics or products.

4. Team up and work with an aquarium or children’s museum.

What are you working on now?

My husband and I are working on an animated trailer for my new picture book “I Haiku You” that comes out on Dec. 26. I also just finished up some fun Valentines for Peaceable Kingdom.

I see that you illustrated a book coming out written by one of our favorite former New Jersey Girl – Dianne Ochiltree which is coming out in May 2013. The cover of the book is up on Amazon and they are taking Pre-Orders. Are all the illustrations completed or are you still working on them? What is the book about?

“It’s a Firefly Night” was actually finished in 2007, but the publisher was sold, so the picture book didn’t get published. When the original contract expired, my agent was able to shop the finished book around to new publishers as a complete package. I was so excited to have Blue Apple pick it up. The book is about a girl and her dad catching (and releasing) fireflies one by one—it’s a bedtime story and a counting-up-and-down concept all in one!

Any words of wisdom on how to become a successful illustrator?

If you have a big goal for yourself, like illustrating children’s books, set smaller goals first. Reaching big goals can be overwhelming and even paralyzing, but breaking them down into smaller milestones feels a lot more achievable. Use your tiny goals as stepping stones to hone your skills, gain experience to build on, and ultimately guide you to where you want to be. And remember, one little opportunity can lead to the next in unexpected ways. For example, I did a gift card for Target, which was a fun gig on its own. But that one gift card illustration in my portfolio also landed me several greeting card commissions and even a book deal for “Tons of Trucks”. So, you just never know.

Thank you Betsy for sharing your multiple talents, journey, and process with us.  For those who are wondering about the awards Betsy has won.  Here they are:

Winner Society of Illustrator’s Original Art Show (2012), Bank Street Best Children’s Books of the Year (2011), Dr. Toy Best Green Product Award (2011), Scholastic Parent & Child—Best of 2010, Children’s Indie Next List (2010), CCBC’s Choice for “Best-of-the-Year list (2009), Parents’ Choice 5 Board Books for Baby (2009), Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Seal Award (2009), Please Touch Museum’s 23rd Annual Book Award.

Please take a minute to leave Betsy a comment – Thanks!

If you would like for follow Betsy, here are the links you can use:

https://twitter.com/betsysnyderart

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Betsy-Snyder-Illustration/460676855270?ref=hl

http://betsysnyder.com/

http://betsysnyder.blogspot.com/

http://www.amazon.com/Betsy-E.-Snyder/e/B001JRYPYA/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0

Talk tomorrow,

Kathy

At the end of each year, I go back and look at all the featured illustrator’s for that year and try to pick my favorite illustration for each one. With so many wonderful illustrations, it is a very hard task. I am sure, if you go back and look, you will come up with different picks. But here’s mine:

Michele Noiset

http://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2012/09/22/illustrator-saturday-michele-noiset/

Betsy Snyder

http://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2012/12/01/illustrator-saturday-betsy-snyder/

Juanna Martinez-Neal

http://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2012/12/08/illustrator-saturday-juana-martinez-neal/

Cheryl Kirk Noll

http://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2012/09/29/illustrator-saturday-cheryl-kirk-noll/

Kathi Ember

http://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2012/10/06/illustrator-saturday-kathi-ember/

Mellisa Iwai

http://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2012/10/13/illustrator-saturday-mellisa-iwai/

Gabrielle Grimard

http://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2012/10/20/illustrator-saturday-garielle-grimard/

Lisa Anchin

http://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2012/10/27/illustrator-saturday-lisa-anchin/

Lauren Gallegos

http://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2012/11/03/illustrator-saturday-lauren-gallegos/

Vin Vogel

http://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2012/11/10/illustrator-saturday-vin-vogel/

Sara Jane Franklin

http://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2012/11/17/illustrator-saturday-sara-jane-franklin/

Jennifer Gray Olsen

http://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2012/11/24/illustrator-saturday-jennifer-gray-olsen/

Josee Bisaillon

http://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2012/09/15/illustrator-saturday-josee-bisaillon/

Jon Stommell

http://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2012/09/08/illustrator-saturday-jon-stommell/

Kim Dwinell

http://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2012/09/01/illustrator-saturday-kim-dwinell/

Jill Dubin

http://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2012/08/25/illustrator-saturday-jill-dubin/

Sarah Dillard

http://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2012/08/19/illustrator-saturday-sarah-dillard/

Robbie Gilbert

http://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2012/08/11/illustrator-saturday-robby-gilbert/

Kirstie Edmunds

http://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2012/08/04/illustrator-saturday-kristi-edmunds/

Tim Bowers

http://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2012/07/28/illustrator-saturday-tim-bowes/

Sarah Brannen

http://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2012/07/21/illustrator-saturday-sarah-brannen/

Barbara Jonansen Newman

http://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2012/07/14/lustrator-saturday-barbara-johansen-newman/

Roger Roth

Leeza Hernandez

http://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2012/06/30/illustrator-saturday-leeza-hernandez-2/

Anne Belvo

http://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2012/06/23/illustrator-saturday-anne-belvo/

Alik Arzoumanian
http://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2012/06/16/illustrator-saturday-alik-arzoumanian/

Nancy Cote
http://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2012/06/02/illustrator-saturday-nancy-cote/

Louise Bergeron

http://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2012/05/26/illustrator-saturday-louise-c-bergeron/

Elizabeth Rose Stanton

http://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2012/05/19/illustrator-saturday-elizabeth-rose-stanton/

Brian Bowes

http://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2012/05/12/illustrator-saturday-brian-bowes/

Susan Drawbaugh

http://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2012/05/05/illustrator-saturday-susan-drawbaugh/

Nancy Armo

http://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2012/04/28/illustrator-saturday-nancy-armo/

Barbara DiLorenzo

http://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2012/04/14/illustrator-saturday-barbara-dilorenzo/

Kathleeen Kemly

http://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2012/04/07/illustrator-saturday-kathleen-kemly/

Sandra Salsbury

http://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2012/03/24/illustrator-saturday-sandra-salsbury/

Ruth Sanderson

http://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2012/03/17/illustrator-saturday-ruth-sanderson/

Joanne Friar

http://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2012/03/10/illustrator-saturday-joanne-friar/

Nina Mata

http://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2012/03/03/illustrator-saturday-nina-mata/

Kelly Kennedy

http://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2012/02/25/illustrator-saturday-kelly-kennedy/

Roberta Aangaramo

http://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2012/02/18/illustrator-saturday-roberta-aangaramo/

Kris Aro McLeod

http://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2012/02/11/illustrator-saturday-kris-aro-mcleod/

Casey Girard

http://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2012/02/04/illustrator-saturday-casey-girard/

Wendy Grieb

http://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2012/01/28/illustrator-saturday-wendy-grieb/

Brooke Boynton Hughes

http://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2012/01/21/illustrator-saturday-brooke-boynton-hughes/

Courtney Autumn Martin

http://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2012/01/14/illustrator-saturday-courtney-autumn-martin/

Roberta Baird

http://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2012/01/07/illustrator-saturday-roberta-baird/

Talk tomorrow,

Kathy

Constanze is an award-winning, German based illustrator and author. She has a wide variety of clients in the illustration industry, including publishing houses, magazines, newspapers and design companies.

Her work has been published and exhibited in Germany, the USA, the UK, Korea, France, Italy, Japan, Canada, Denmark, Switzerland, Ireland, China, the Netherlands and Spain.

In 2010 her illustrations have been selected for the Illustrator’s Exhibition at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair and the exhibition of the cj Book Prize in South Korea. In 2011 one of her books won a bronze medal, another illustration a gold medal in the 3×3 children’s competition.

In 2012 her book “Semeli’s Smile” got the National Cyprus Book Award.

Here is Constanze explaining her process:

I start with a sketch of the illustration on a thick structured paper, but I don’t think it’s specific acrylic paper.

Then I use acrylic paint to lay down the under painting.  Depending on the work I use a different underground color, if I want the color to be bright and intense, I usually go with yellow/ ochre as the background color, if I want the work to be in muted colors, I use ochre, white and lilac. If you have this kind of underground color, it always shines through and pulls together the piece. you don’t have a pure green, red and yellow next to each other, but they will be slightly influenced by the background and will belong to the same color family.

Then I transfer the sketch on top.

And start working on basic colors.

Then I start putting in Details and coloring smaller areas using acrylic and color pencil.

Then I start making digital changes.

Till I get to the finished piece.

English Translation: I’m the Best – written and illustrated by Constanze von Kitzing.  Here are a few additional book covers illustrated by Constanze.

English Translation: Kitten and the Snow.

English Translation: Penguin Ice – written and illustrated by Constanze.

Semeli’s Smile won the National Cyprus Book Award.

How long have you been illustrating?

I finished university in 2007, and have been illustrating ever since. But I was drawing my entire life, starting off with princesses and horses.

Did you go to college to study art?

I did study communication design and then changed to illustration.

What types of classes did you take?

Illustration, writing, photography, typography, graphic design, painting…

What was the first piece of art that you sold?

When I was 16 or so I designed a poster for a basketball game and the boyfriend of my arts teacher liked it so much that he actually bought it. Now I frequently sell my original works that I created for children’s books.

Have you seen your style change since when you first started?

Of course. You  start off somewhere and change and change… I think I’m still developing, it would be sad to get stuck somewhere, I think.

How many picture books have you published?

Eighteen so far.

What book was your first? When was that?

My very first picture book was published in 2009 by La Joie de Lire in France. It’s called “Cache-Cache” and is a book about a little lion that tries to catch other animals, but they always hide from him. So it’s a playful book about camouflage.

How did the contract come about?

In university we regularly visited book fairs and it was when I attended the Bologna Book Fair that I showed the project to different publishers. Some were interested and in the end I went with the publisher I liked most. I had to rework the entire book though, as they didn’t like my fist character, but there’s a lot you would do to get your first book published, right!?

I see that you are represented by The Organisart UK.  Can you tell me a little bit about the agency and how you connected?

They actually approached me, they found me through an illustration friend that is represented by them and linked on my website, Violeta Dabija. I can’t tell you much about them, other than that we get along well and that I get jobs from the US and UK I think I would not have gotten in another way.

Do you ever sell your illustration work on your own?

Of course, most of my jobs I get myself, but they are mostly not (yet) in the US or UK.

Have most of your books been published in Germany?

No, actually not. Most of my books have been published in France with La Joie de Lire, some in Spain, in South Korea, in the Netherlands, the UK, in Cyprus… 3 books have been published in Germany and another one will be out in autumn this year, but I feel I’m just getting starting on the German market.

How is the children’s market for Illustrators in Germany?

It’s tough, as it is anywhere else. Every market is very different, that is challenging and exciting at the same time. In France and Spain, they are very open to artistic illustrations, in Germany I feel they are a little more conservative, but I get paid better. In the beginning I had a hard time to get started here, this is when I went for other countries and that was very successful.

Have you published picture books in English?

Only one, “Jack and the Beanstalk” with Oxford University Press, BUT I can proudly announce that my “Prayers for Children” is going to be published this spring in the US.

What is your favorite materials to use for your illustration?

Acrylic and Color Pencil.

Do you use Photoshop to clean up your illustrations or paint your illustrations?

To clean up.

Do you own a graphic tablet?

Yes, I can totally recommend it!

What are the names of some of the book publishers you have worked with?

Aga World (KR), Baha’i-Verlag (D), Bayard (F), Buro Extern (NL), Carlsen, Cornelsen, EEN Art (KR), Kalandraka (ES), La Joie de Lire (CH), Oxford University Press (UK), Sauerländer (D)

What type of things do you do to get your work seen?

Website, Book Fairs, Sending out cards… the usual…

How did your illustrations get picked for Illustrator’s Exhibition at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair?

I just send my illustrations there and was lucky I guess…

Did you attend Bologna Children’s Book Fair?

All the time, it’s the best!

Do you have a strong artist community where you live?

No, I used to live in Hamburg and there were MANY other illustrators, that was really nice. When I married I moved to Cologne, here are only a few (but still very nice and good) illustrators .

Do you have a studio in your home?

Yes.

Do you try to stick to a schedule everyday?

No, I just paint whenever there is time. I have a little daughter and I basically work around her sleeping hours.

I see that you have written and illustrated a number of your own books.  How did that come about?

All of the books published with La Joie de Lire in France are self-written and illustrated. As it is quite hard to get published at first, I thought it might be easier with my own project, so I came up with the lion series (that also happened to be my diploma) and they liked it. So, whenever I have something now that I wrote myself, I present it to them and often times they liked and printed it.

So you write and spoeak several languages?

Just German and English, and a Little Bit of French, too.

So the publishers translate the books you send into their language?

Yes.

Have you been to the United States?

Yes, twice to NY just for fun and then to Minneapolis for a semester abroad.

Would you like to illustrate a US children’s book?

Of course!

What are your career goals?

Mh, good questions, I feel I just go along with whatever happens. I am teaching illustration and find that I really love that, so I want to continue with it. I love children’s book and want to illustrate more of those… So, I would love to continue doing what I’m doing basically…

What are you working on now?

Right now I’m working on another project that I wrote, but of course, it’s still top secret! J Besides that I just finished a cover and Poem-Spread for Babybug Magazine and have a request for a children’s theater poster.

Are there any painting tips (materials, etc.) you can share that work well for you? Technique tips?

Not really, all I can say that it takes a lot of time to develop your style and that would be my crucial advice: take your time and work hard!!!! J

How do you send your finished artwork into the publishers?

For jobs for magazines, I scan the work myself and then do digital corrections, for books, I usually keep painting until everyone is happy and then the publisher does the scanning. sometimes, there are still corrections that need to be done, and then either me or the in house graphic designer does it.

Is there anything that you do that identifies your style or work?

In a lot of images, I let the background be and this has become a kind of trade mark, something that helps others recognize my work.

Any words of wisdom you can share with the illustrators who are trying to develop their career?

Do what you love, believe in yourself, work hard, have fun, help other illustrators, know your rights…

Thank you Constanze for sharing your illustrations, books, and your process.  Absolutely loved showing off all your illustrations.  Please let us know when you have a new book or success.  I do hope I will be able to buy one of your books here in the US, soon.

If you would like to visit Constanze you can find her at: www.constanzevonkitzing.de/  Please take a minute to leave Constanze a comment.  I am sure she would love to hear from you.  Thanks!

Talk tomorrow,

Kathy

Russ Cox was raised by a pack of crazed hillbillies in the back woods of Tennessee. Without much in the way of modern conveniences, like a television set or running water, he spent his time drawing and whittling away the hours, often dreaming of the joys of a shower. Having been born into a family with a flair for racing, Russ hoped to be the next Bobby Allison or Richard Petty. After dismantling his grandfather’s lawn mower engine, and without a clue on how to get it back together, he soon realized that he did not have an automotive bone in his body. Back to the drawing board he went with his pencil and paper (and sometimes the barn wall).

After spending much of his childhood roaming the South with his mom and sister, they moseyed to Pennsylvania. While in high school, Russ developed an interest in design and a passion for music. His automotive shop teacher was relieved.

Once out of high school he got his education at a local art school. With a portfolio in his hand, he ventured into the world of design and illustration. Good ole Russ worked for various design and advertising agencies until coming to his senses. With his wife giving him a swift kick-start in the rump, he opened his own studio, Smiling Otis Studio, where he presently specializes in illustration, Flash animation and logo design. Russ also found time to teach various classes at PCA&D for several years. Recently he and ma packed up the wagon and headed to the wilderness of Maine where they have setup a homestead in Pittsfield. When not drawing, running amok in the snow, or training their four cats to sing “Bohemian Rhapsody’, Russ enjoys some quiet time with his banjo while also taking in the beauty of Maine. His wife would prefer him to play the triangle or build a sound proof room.

Here’s Russ talking about his process:

This was the final drawing that I scanned into Photoshop which became the base for the painting. For the color palette, I wanted to keep the colors toned down and warmer to emphasize the friendship between the two characters. Usually my colors are very vibrant, this was something different for me.

Just like working traditionally, I did a gray underpainting to establish my light direction. I was happy with my first attempt and decided that the values would work. Oh, I made it a ”multiply” layer some that the pencil work would show through.

I copied my gray underpainting and added a deep brown tint to the copy. Again, the ”multiply” was turned on for that layer. This made the underpainting very dark which is what I wanted to build the colors upon.

The sky was painting first which keeps the traditional way of thinking of working from back to front. It was hard not to put a bright sky in but I wanted to stay try to the color palette that I wanted to use. I built each component in layers with the “normal” setting on since I wanted to paint over my base painting. This allows me to tweak or redo something as I progress.

Once the sky was completed, the grass was next to be added. The colors are flat except for the bright yellow and a few highlights. This was intentional to help draw the eye up towards the figure.

The next step was to paint the oafish, troll-like giant. Having again to fight the urge to use bright colors, the bulk of his vest is an olive green and his pants a maroon red. The skin tones where built up in many separate layers which were flattened once I got them to my liking. I feel that I still need some work in the color theory for skin tones but it is getting there. Practice, practice, practice!

His vest seemed to missing something so I laid in a burlap texture from an old scan I had. It worked really well. The layer is set on ”multiply” and the opacity was set to around 35%. The tree branch and bird was also painted in at this time.

The next step was to paint the girl. With the muted colors being a backdrop for her, I focused on brightening up the colors for her. I wanted to her to airy and very lively looking. Lots of purples and pinks were used in her clothing and a base of orange for her hair helped me achieve the look I was after.

The final touches like highlights, some lines, and a few dollops of color were added to bring the final piece to life. I was very happy on how the final turned out. Seeing the textures of the brushes helped make this look less digital and more traditional.

Teaching myself Painter.  Here is my first attempt.  First the sketch., then scanning it in to get started.  After adjusting the layers so that the white background of the sketch disappears, I began blocking in colors. Since I liked painting with gouache back in the day, I used the brush setting for it plus the gradients tool. That took some getting use to but I figured out how it works.

I blocked in some basic colors on the gator and then added textures to the background. For that effect, I used the sponge brush on separate layer and then ten adjusted the transparency so the blue showed through. Each part of the illustration was built in a separate layer.

Again, more details are added while using the sketch as a guide. I really like how authentic Painter feels while painting. Much better than Photoshop in my opinion but I do not use Photoshop enough to be an authority on it. The funny thing is, I did teach a class on it many years ago. I think I learned more from the students than they did from me.

Highlights and floor details are now added. I then exported the Painter file (riff) to a Phoshop file (psd) and imported the illustration into Photoshop. I tweaked the overall colors just a tad and added the spotlight effect.

Final Sketch

Final Art

Character Sketches and doodles

Final Sketch

Final Art

Bad Hair Day Sketch to Final Art

How long have you been doing illustration?

I have been a freelance illustrator for almost 16 years. I started out as a graphic designer will a small studio. There I became an in-house illustrator before going out on my own.

Do you think art school helped develop the style you have today?

Maybe a little but what art school did do was expose me to other artist, whether professionals or classmates. You ingest what you see from other artist so some of that does bubble up to the surface and into your work.

What was the first illustration you got paid to do?

My first job as a freelancer was doing 50 black & white marker renderings for a mattress company. My first published piece was when I was about 5 or 6. The town I lived in Tennessee has a local magazine that published children’s drawings and one of mine got in. I was hooked.

How did you learn Flash and Photoshop?

Photoshop, I basically taught myself with doing some online course with Will Terry to learn the painterly aspect of the software. As far as Flash, I did a month long workshop at the Maryland Institute of Art. I tried learning that on my own but it was a bit more complicated than I thought.

I noticed you have done traditional painting on your blog.  Do you ever use watercolor, oil, or acrylic when illustrating now?

I still sketch with pencil but paint digitally. The thought of going back to traditional for children’s books has been creeping back into my head. I do miss the feel of a real brush so maybe it is time.

Do you have any favorite materials?  Such as paper, paints, pens, etc.?

I love gouache and Dr. Martin’s Dyes with colored pencil on Arches hot press water color paper. I also love oil paint which I am getting back into with more fine art pieces.

Your sketches are very good and look like they could be sold on their own.  Have you sold the black and whites to clients?

Thank you, that is very kind of you to say. I have not sold any of my sketches to clients. At least none that I can remember. I’ve had a few traditional pieces sell.

After looking on Amazon, I found two books, Molly Kite’s Big Dream and Major Manners Nite Nite Soldier.  Are these your first published picture books?

They are my first books. I hope this is a start to the next phase of my career. I would love to do just books and maybe write a few along the way.

How did these self-published authors find you?

Most of them find me through childrensillustrators.com and my website. I have gotten a few inquiries through Jacketflap.com. Lately, Facebook has been a good source.

What is the story behind these books?

Molly Kite was from a first time self published author. She found me online and contacted me about the story. It is based on some actually people she knew and their spirituality. We worked on it for about 6 months. She recently had it picked up by a small publisher.

Major Manners came to me from a small publisher in Florida.  The idea behind the story is that the Major helps the kids get ready for bed through a series of cadences. It comes with a cd that adds to the story and is very fun to hear. This is the first in the series of 3 books I believe.

Did you develop a contract to use when working with a client?

Yes, all of my book projects have contracts. It helps establish the responsibilities, schedules, payment, etc.

How do you figure out how much to charge for your work?

Sometimes a budget is presented to me so the client and I will discuss what can and cannot be done within the allotted budget. Other times, I will need to sit down and come up with an estimate based on time, material, deadlines, etc.

Does Enchanted Forest Press have illustrators they recommend to their clients?

That I do not know. Molly Kite was just recently picked up by them so I have not chatted with them directly.

Amazon states that Major Manners Nite, Nite Soldier was a USA Book News 2012 Best New Children’s Picture Book Finalist.  Can you tell us a little bit about this contest?

The publisher, Outhouse Ink, submitted the book to various contest. It actually won a Pinnacle Award for Book Achievement. Both contest are for small, indie publishers but from what I gathered are a big deal. It is very cool to see both stickers on the book.

With your flare for music, were you involved in creating the CD that goes with this book?

No, the publisher and their families put the cd together. They did a great job. It cracks me up every time I hear it. Maybe the next one, I can put a banjo tune on it. Lol!

Do you belong to any organizations like the SCBWI?

Yes, I belong to the SCBWI which is one of the best things I’ve done. I have met so many wonderful people who are willing to share their insight and information to help one advance in the industry. Many of them are not close friends and their careers are taking off.

Did working for advertising agencies help you make connections you use in your freelance Design and Illustrating business?

Yes they did. When I left the design studio after 13 years, many of the designers, photographers, and illustrators in the area knew I had gone out on my own so they were willing to send me projects in order to help me get off the ground. It pays to know a lot of people and equally important to have a easy going reputation. At least I think I have that reputation. Maybe we should ask around first.

How did you learn animation?

Self taught. Having been a big fan of Warner Brothers cartoons, I decided to learn how it was done. I bought several books on animation, not Flash, to learn some of the tricks.

How much of your work is done in animation?

For a while, I was doing quite a bit of animation, mostly for websites. I still do one or two a year but mainly focus on illustration.

Have you done any illustrating for magazines or newspapers?

I think my second client when I went solo, was for Central PA Magazine. They were a Harrisburg, PA magazine that had about 20,000 readers. So I did a lot of work for them. They helped me get my name out there. I’ve done some pieces for other magazines like Disney Travel.

Do you do illustrating for The Idea Works, Inc. the design and advertising company?

Yes. Ilene Block and I became really good friends while I freelanced at Word World. She was the art director there. When she left, she started The Idea Works. We did this really cool promo piece together which was a calendar called “Voltar”. It has moveable dials that you turn for the new date but it also gives you a fortune. We had so much doing that together. I love that piece.

Did you do Voltar for them?

Oh, here is a Voltar question. Yes I did. See above.

Was that illustration painted in Photoshop?

No, that was all Adobe Illustrator.

How do you find new clients?

I try to do 3 postcard mailings a year. They really help. Attending conferences is another good resource in finding possible clients. Posting on Facebook, Google +, Dribbble, Twitter, Flickr, my blog and website plus other portfolio sites like childrensillustrators.com are equally valuable . Also doing interviews has generated interested so thank you for offering to do an interview with me.

Do you own a graphic tablet?

Yes, I have a first generation Cintiq and just bought a Monoprice tablet as a backup in case the Cintiq calls it a day.

Do you find a strong opportunity for illustrators to design apps?

YES! That area is booming. Some of my illustrator buddies are extremely busy by doing apps. I am working on a few as well.

Do you have an agent?  Would you like to find one?

I do not have one at the moment but would to find a literary agent to team up with and help me develop my story ideas. Hopefully this will happen this year. It is on my “to do” list for 2013.

Do you have a desire to write and illustrate your own book?

YES! I just wrote a story which I now have in a dummy form, ready to submit. It is going through a series of critiques. While this is happening, I have started writing a second story with several others roughly sketched out. This is all new to me so I am learning lots about the writing process. I tip my hat to anyone who writes.

What are you working on now?

I just finished up two picture books and have begun final art for a book with Capstone. Caterpillar Books and are chatting about doing a book together. Plus I have another book coming in, plus a couple of apps. With all of this, I am redoing my website, some new postcards, and writing.

How do you market yourself?

Postcards and the web are the biggest ways to get my name out there. I try to do a conference a year to make connections.

What future goals do you have for yourself and art career?

I would like to write and illustrate my own stories while continuing to work on books and apps for others.

Do you have any words of wisdom you can share with other illustrators?

I was at a conference in which R.L. Stine was a keynote. He said “Never say no. You never know where saying yes will take you.” He was hesitant on writing a scary book for kids but saying “yes” turned out well for him. I wanted to do editorial illustration but somehow with many “yeses” along the way, I got into children’s illustration and love every minute of it.

Thank you Russ for sharing your work and process with us. It was a lot of fun to read about how you create your illustrations. Please keep in touch and share your successes with us.

You can visit Russ at his website: www.smilingotis.com  His Blog: www.smilingotis.blogspot.com  I am sure he would love to get a comment from you.

Talk tomorrow,

Kathy

Maria Bogade is an illustrator and author with an animation background specializing in the children’s market. After graduating 2007 from the University of Media in Stuttgart in Audiovisual Media, she started working as a freelance animation artist. Maria worked on award winning projects such as “Angel afoot”, “The Gruffalo” or “Princess’ Painting”.

Soon she wanted to create her own environments and characters and tell stories with them, be it her own or the ones of others. This led to going after her dream of being a children’s book illustrator with the start of 2011. Shortly after leaping into her illustration career she authored her first book “Schlafplatz gesucht!”, which was published beginning 2012 by Bohem press AG.

Maria loves creating illustrations with a strong narrative, colourful and beautifully composed, to entertain children and adults alike and let their imagination take them places, they might not have been before.

She has worked for a number of clients across the globe including Big Cat HarperCollins, Picture Kelpies an imprint of Floris Books , Kerle/Herder Verlag, Magination Press, American Greetings, Bohem press AG, Aladdin / Simon & Schuster, Clavis Books, HABA, Roth GmbH and is a member of SCBWI.

Maria lives with her two daughters and spouse in a tiny town in Germany.

Here is Maria’s process:

Every illustration I do starts with a sketch. If it is for a book the very start is a storyboard with tiny thumbnail sketches. Note: This uses the typical picture book format of 13 double page spreads for the book. Later I transfer into full size sketches.

Once the sketch is laid out, I transfer it with the help of a light table to the paper I want to work with.

In some cases I scan the sketch and work digitally from there on. It depends on the style the later illustration is to be in.

After transferring the illustration I start watercoloring, inking or working on a black and white foundation in pencil, as I did for my pieces for the Storybook Brushes calendar. This pencil layer will add nice textures to the later digitally colored illustration.

When taking the pencil stage into Photoshop I lay down the colors first, but also use colored paper sheets and watercolor washes to add some more depth and texture. Then I work on the details until I call the illustration final.

And here are a few of my favorite pages of the book.

Some more interior final art pages.

How long have you been illustrating?

Well I’ve been painting and scribbling for a long time, like many other artists, before going after my dream of being an illustrator with the beginning of 2011.

What types of classes did you take to get your diploma in Audiovisual Media at the University of Media in Stuttgart?

There are certain classes you have to take, when studying at a German University and making a choice for a degree. I think it is different then US Universities, at least as far as I know, as I never attended an University in the USA and therefore can only rely on things I learned through media. My courses were in fact very technical at the beginning as I was studying to become a 3d animation artist. Of course there were some drawing lessons too, but not a lot. I also took some courses in storyboarding and storytelling, but apart from that I was very much into making animated movies at that time.

What other types of classes did you take?

In 2010 I took a Character Design online course with Stephen Silver at schoolism.com. This course helped me a lot to understand my flaws better and also get a better understanding of creating and constructing characters. I can highly recommend taking Stephen’s class.

Do you think the classes you took in college influenced your style?

I don’t think any of the classes influenced my later style. I think influences came later on when working for animation studios and seeing the designers at work there and bringing their designs to life as 3d models. I learnt a lot during that time about composition, lighting of scenes and of course character poses, which all helped me a lot in my later illustration career.

Have you seen your style change since when you first started?

Yes, I’d totally say so. I have developed more styles and also my characters have changed in various way as I became more confident with the way I was drawing scenes and figures.

Did any of the contacts you made in college help you get your first job or any contract?

Actually, no. I was lucky to meet people just at the right time and worked for a small animation studio right after finishing University. All the contacts and commissions I got as an illustrator I made by sending out cards.

What was the first piece of art that you sold?

If we speak of an original it would have to be a watercolor painting I did for an illustrators exhibition at the Frankfurt Book Fair in 2010 titled “My favorite book”. If it is books we are talking it would be the art for “Wee Granny’s Magic Bag”, published by Picture Kelpies an imprint of Floris Books.

Congratulation for Schlafplatz gesucht!  I see that you wrote and illlustrated that book.  Is this the first book you have written?

It is indeed the first book that I wrote and illustrated at the same time. A very exciting project I had lots of fun with creating. I hope to be able to author many more books, we will see.

Can you tell us about how you got the contract for Schlafplatz gesucht! with Bohem Press?

Again the initial contact was made by sending them a promo mailer. I send a mailer with three cards, one of the cards showed a boy cuddling on top of a huge teddybear in the moonlight. The art director contacted me and asked whether there was a story to that picture, which she adored. I said yes, but I have to write it down first. I had two weeks to come up with a first draft. After that it was a short time of waiting and they let me know, they loved the story and wanted to do the book with me. Of course there were still many rounds of editing until I could start illustrating the book. But being able to create both sides of the book, text and illustrations, was a very exciting experience.

I do not know much about Bohem Press.  Could you share what you know about them?

Bohem Press is a tiny publishing house based in Switzerland. They focus on high quality products, not only books but also non book products. The team is made up of three wonderful ladies. I very much enjoyed working with them.

Can you take a minute to explain a little about how you proceed when you work digitally?

As “Schlafplatz gesucht!” is a digitally illustrated book I scanned in the roughs, opened them in Photoshop and started painting away. Well, not exactly. I actually made a little pallete of all the colors I wanted to use. This way I made sure I would be using the same colors in all illustrations and it would be consistent throughout the book. I also have a custom made brush I use most of the time, which looks a bit painterly. And I scanned in lots of textures and watercolor backgrounds to make the illustrations look less digital.
I usually end up having lots and lots of layers, as you can kind of see in the little video below.

All those layers give me the freedom to alter an illustration any time without having too much trouble.
Again as with the roughs I did not do the illustrations in chronological order, as they appear in the book, but did them randomly. One of the first illustrations I finished was the cover. Most of the time I have to do the cover before all other illustrations because the publisher needs it for their marketing and catalogue. This wasn’t the case with this book, but I ended up doing it nonetheless as one of the first.
It is hard to describe how I work when drawing digitally. Usually I do the shapes in their plain color first and then start rendering the different parts. I also really like working from the background of an illustration to the foreground. It’s nice to watch how the image builds up while working.

Do you still do work for American Greetings?

No, although I would love to.

Could you tell us about  “Angel afoot”, “Princess’ Painting” or “The Gruffalo” that you worked on at Studio SOI. Are they game and animated books?

“Angel afoot”, “Princess’ Painting” and “The Gruffalo” are all animated short movies for children. The first two were for a German TV series. “The Gruffalo” is the actual animated movie of the picture book by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler.

How many picture books have you published?

I have 8 books published with 4 more in line to be released this year and hopefully many more to come.

What book was your first? When was that?

That is tricky. My very first commissioned book was “Wee Granny’s Magic Bag”, published by Picture Kelpies, a small Scottish publisher, but I finished my second commission first, which was a tiny educational book titled “Getting Dressed” published by Big Cat /HarperCollins . Both books were created in Spring 2011 and released shortly after one another in September the same year. So it is in a way both of them and it was very exciting as they are in different styles.

How did the contract come about?

The picture book for Picture Kelpies came about by sending them promo cards. One day I had an email in my inbox, letting me know they liked a style, which I had in my sketchbook section at that time and would love for me to do a sample. I did the sample and got the commission. I don’t know how Big Cat came about my art at that time, I forgot to ask, but I suspect twitter was helpful in this case.

It looks like 2012 was a very good year with six picture books coming out.  Did that take up your whole year trying to do the illustrations for them?

Almost but not completely. But being a mother I probably wouldn’t have been able to take on too many more commissions in addition.

Two of your books were published by Clavis Books. Are they located in Germany? How did those book find their way to you?

Clavis is a publisher from Belgium. I came across them when attending the Frankfurt Book Fair in 2010. As with all the publishers I get to work with, I send them cards and promo mailers. After sending out the first mailer it took a whole year until I heard back from them but with a very happy message. They offered me to illustrate the first two books for a series they were doing. The best part though was not only the books, but that the characters were baby animals. I was thrilled as I never had done anything like this before.

Are most of your book published with German Publishers?

Actually, no. I work a lot in the English speaking market but also in the Dutch market. I really like this about being an illustrator. It is wonderful to work with people around the globe, as stories vary from country to country and also what clients like. This led me to have more than one style, which not only is lovely to have as a little variety to my working process but also to be able to illustrate for a various number of clients, who might not have commissioned me otherwise.

What is the German children’s book market like?

That is a question I can barely answer. So far I have only worked with one German publisher. I guess the greatest difference is we don’t have real art directors here. Most of the houses work with editors, who also oversee the art and work with the illustrators. I think the illustration styles are also very different to the ones I see in American or British books. Other than that it is just as every where else, you have to fit the style to get commissioned.

I see that some of your books are in English. Do you speak several languages?

I speak English and German, and a ridiculous tiny bit of Russian. I wish I had learned more languages when I had the chance to in either school or college, it would come in very handy to work for even more publishers.

Have you ever visited the USA?

I did, but only once. I went to New York for just a week, which was completely mind blowing. I wish I could come back some time to maybe attend an SCWBI conference either in New York or in LA.

Have you published any of your illustrations in magazines?

Kind of. I published a few illustrations in two independent magazines. That was in the very beginning when I started out as an illustrator and was still building my portfolio for the picture book market.

How did you get involved with the illustrator at Storybook Brushes?  Did you all know each other?

I knew the other members Juana Martinz-Neal, Angela Matteson and Katriona Chapman via twitter. Only Katriona had I met in person once last year at the Bologna Book Fair. I had the idea to form a group of illustrators who’s styles would go well together when creating promotional products without catering the same styles and projects. I asked Katriona if she was interested and gladly she said yes. I then contacted Angela and Juana, who both were excited to be part of the group too. After that it was a lot of back and forth emailing until we had our first promo finished – The Storybook Brushes calendar 2013. I am very happy to know those talented ladies and to not only call them my colleagues but also my friends. It amazes me again and again how well you can get to know someone by just talking online, although I hope we can all meet in person one day. It would be to good to be true.

I see that you have an Etsy shop.  Have effective is that for selling your illustrations?

As I do not promote it much and rarely put new stuff up it is not very effective. I always think I should do more with it, but to be honest, it takes up a lot of time which I do not seem to have.

Do you use Photoshop with your illustrations?

Yes, I use Photoshop for my illustrations. Although many parts of them are created traditionally depending on the style.

Do you own a graphic tablet?

I own two tablets, a Wacom Cintiq and an Intuos. When starting out as an illustrator I only had the Intuos. Since having the Cintiq I can almost work at double the speed, which has changed my working life much to the benefit.

Did you set up a studio in your house?

Yes.

Do you try to stick to a schedule to get your illustrations done?

Yes I do. Sometimes life interferes though and the schedule vanishes into thin air. But usually I have the mornings all to myself and work as much as I can. Then I paint again a bit in the afternoons and in the evenings when my kids are in bed and the house is again quiet.

Have you gone to any of the big conferences for Children’s Illustrators and Writers?

Unfortunately not. I wish I could go but it is a huge journey for me as I would have to fly from Germany. I hope to make it one day though.

What are your career goals?

I would like to publish more of my own stories. So I am writing as much as I can in my spare time. Apart from that I simply want to illustrate many books that children will enjoy while reading in bed or any time during the day. To make kids and adults happy with my art would probably sum it up best.

What are you working on now?

At the moment I am working on a picture book for Magination Press. Another book with Clavis and one with OUP are waiting for me to get illustrated right after. I am also working on own picture book ideas and write and do samples for them . As I am also preparing for the Bologna Book Fair in March I need to get my portfolio up to date and print a new promo card to hand out to publishers there.

Are there any painting tips (materials,paper, etc.) you can share that work well for you? Technique tips?

Of course every artist has something he likes best. If I had to recommend a paper I would go for a mixed media paper made of bamboo by Hahnemuehle Fineart. This paper might not be available anywhere but I like its subtle texture. It is great to use for pencil and watercolor paintings. I use it to do my layer of pencil drawing, which I use to add texture to my mixed media illustrations. Textures is a very important thing when it comes to mixed media or digital illustrations. I use a lot of scanned watercolor and acrylic plain color sheets to achieve a look of more depth to my illustrations. Usually I put them on a layer with a layer mask, and either multiply or overlay them to add them on top of the part of the illustration I want them to show through.

Any words of wisdom you can share with the illustrators who are trying to develop their career?

Never give up, it sounds a lot simpler than it is, as we all sometimes think our art isn’t good enough or no one will like it. Work hard on your craft and always try to get better. Get a good website up with all the information you need to provide so potential clients can find and contact you. Run a blog and get on Twitter and Facebook. People will find you there. I actually got commissioned by a publisher who found me on twitter, so do care about social media. Other than that sharpen your pencils and draw, draw, draw – and enjoy what you do!

Maria, thank you for sharing your wonderful illustrations and process with us. I am sure that besides the pure aesthetic beauty of viewing it all, it will help other authors and illustrators understand what goes into creating a picture book.

Please take a minute to leave Maria a comment.  I am sure she would love to hear from you.  If you would like to see more of Maria’s work you can find her at: www.mariabogade.com  - www.mariabogade.blogspot.com  - www.facebook.com/MariaBogadeIllustration?sk=wall

Talk tomorrow,

Kathy

All of us have heard of the Newbery Awards, but there is another very prestigious award that is given out every year that you may not be as familiar with.  It is The Sydney Taylor Book Award and it is presented to outstanding books for children and teens that authentically portray the Jewish experience. Presented by the Association of Jewish Libraries since 1968, the award encourages the publication and widespread use of quality Judaic literature.

Gold medals are presented in three categories: Younger Readers, Older Readers, and Teen Readers.

Honor Books are awarded silver medals, and Notable Books are named in each category.

Kristina Swarner illustrated ZAYDE COMES TO LIVE written by Sheri Sinykin.  The book was a 2013 Sydney Taylor Honor Books for Younger Readers Award.  It was published by Peachtree Publishers.

Kristina’s illustrations are often described as magical and dreamlike and she draws much of her imagery and inspiration from dreams and from memories of exploring  forests, gardens, and old houses when she was a child.

Since graduating from the Rhode Island School of Design,  Kristina has illustrated books, greeting cards, magazines, wine labels, CD covers, and theatre posters, and has won numerous awards.  You will be hearing more about Kristina and her beautiful illustration on a future Illustrator Saturday post.

For now, I want too share with you some of the answers to questions I had for Kristina about this book and the wonderful recognition she has been awarded for this book.

How did you come involved with Zayde Comes to Live?

As I heard it, Jane Yolen recommended me to Sheri Sinykin as a possible illustrator.  Luckily for me Peachtree Publishing agreed with the choice.

Tell use your thought processes when you knew you were chosen to illustrate the book. Did the ideas immediately come to you or did you play around with different ways to approach the book? 

I really didn’t want to make the art too sad or pensive. The ideas evolved as I sketched, and the more I sketched, the more the tenderness and joyfulness of the story came out in the art.

How do books get considered for the Sydney Taylor Book Award? 

So far it’s been a mysterious process to me, because my publishers submit the books without telling me, and then I’ll suddenly get a phone call that I’ve won.

Did you know that the book was under consideration for the award? 

I suspected that it was, and Sheri confirmed it.

How did you find out that the book and your illustrations had won the award? 

The call came on a grey day in early January. First I was asked how I would feel about being recognized again by the Sydney Taylor Committee. Of course I said that I would feel delighted.

What has happened since it won? 

This early, it’s mostly been a lot of congratulations, and interviews.

Congratulation Kristina! We will spend more time with you on Saturday February 23rd.

Below is the schedule for:

THE 2013 SYDNEY TAYLOR BOOK AWARD BLOG TOUR

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2013
Ann Redisch Stampler, author of The Wooden Sword Sydney Taylor Honor Award winner in the Older Readers Category At Shelf-Employed
Carol Liddiment, illustrator of The Wooden Sword Sydney Taylor Honor Award winner in the Older Readers Category At Ann Koffsky’s Blog
Doreen Rappaport, author of Beyond Courage: The Untold Story of Jewish Resistance During the Holocaust Sydney Taylor Honor Award in the Teen Readers Category At Bildungsroman

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2013
Linda Glaser, author of Hannah’s Way Sydney Taylor Book Award winner in the Younger Readers Category At This Messy Life
Adam Gustavson, illustrator of Hannah’s Way Sydney Taylor Book Award winner in the Younger ReadersCategory At Here in HP
Louise Borden, author of His Name was Raoul Wallenberg Sydney Taylor Book Award winner in the Older Readers Category At Randomly Reading
Deborah Heiligman, author of Intentions Sydney Taylor Book Award winner in the Teen Readers Category At The Fourth Musketeer

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 201
Sheri Sinykin, author of Zayde Comes to Live Sydney Taylor Honor Award in the Younger Readers Category At Read, Write, Repeat
Kristina Swarner, illustrator of Zayde Comes to Live Sydney Taylor Honor Award in the Younger Readers Category At Writing & Illustrating

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2013
Linda Leopold Strauss, author of The Elijah Door Sydney Taylor Honor Award in the Younger Readers Category At Pen and Pros
Alexi Natchev, illustrator of The Elijah Door Sydney Taylor Honor Award in the Younger Readers Category At Madelyn Rosenberg’s Virtual Living Room

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2013
Blog Tour Wrap-Up at The Whole Megillah

Did you notice that New Jersey Adam Gustavson won the award for his illustrations in Hannah’s Way?  He was featured July 2, 2011 on Illustrator Saturday.

Talk tomorrow,

Kathy

Jen lives and works in the Boston area, where she freelances illustration and teaches art at a local college. She received her BFA in Painting from the University of Central Florida, her MFA in Illustration from Syracuse University, and learned amazing things about illustration at the Illustration Academy.

She loves working in watercolor, solving visual problems, and seeing a story come to life by creating images for it. Her work has appeared in CMYK, 3×3 and Illustration West, where she won third place for the Children’s Market category in 2010.

She also won the SCBWI Mentorship Award in 2012, and joined the KidLitArtists.

Here is Jen explaining her process:

I begin with  small “thumbnail” drawings, which I use to develop ideas and composition.

This process continues until I settle on a concept and composition, and these two elements are  interdependent. For this piece, the idea that the soldier was already in his grave, disappearing into the flowers, led to certain visual solutions.

After developing the composition, I took reference photos.

Reference photo – this is fellow illustrator Charlie Griak!

Reference photo for the poppies:  Since antiquity, poppies have been associated with sleep and death, due to their connection to opium and morphine. During World War 1, fields were often red with flowers growing where men had died, because poppies grow well in disturbed soil, such as on fresh graves or battlefields. Image copyright Corbis.

Finished sketch.

Color studies. Before moving on to the finished painting, I figure out what the color scheme will be on a small scale.

Start of the painting. First I put down a light green wash, and then laid down the light colors of the soldier’s clothes, gun, and  painted his face and hand.

For the next stage, I painted in the shadow portions of the figure, and started to lay down some of the poppies. The poppies were painted with heavily pigmented watercolor, so that the flowers would bleed and run when a wash was painted on top of them.

Next, I painted the first section of the grass and flowers. This was painted very wetly, and I used a spray bottle to add texture to the wash.

Here is a detail of the face. It was a little nerve-wracking to paint the flowers over it, since if I messed it up I would have to redo the entire painting.

The completed wash. In this photo you can see a little bit of the reference photos – I kept them right next to the painting while I worked.

I used a damp brush to lift paint out of the wash to create the barbed wire.

Finished! The last touch was painting in the barbed wire at the top.

How did you end up in California after attending the University of Central Florida for your BFA?

My husband got accepted to grad school, so we migrated across country. However, I’m actually from California originally.

What types of classes did you take that really helped you to develop as an illustrator?

The Illustration Academy was amazing (www.illustrationacademy.com). It is an immersive summer program where you get to work with an amazing set of illustrators (Anita Kunz, Sterling Hundley, Mark English, Jon Foster, Gary Kelley, George Pratt, C. F. Payne, John English, Brent Watkinson). I saw incredible personal growth after attending.

Did you go directly from college to get your MFA in illustration at Syracuse University?

Almost. I transitioned from fine art to illustration for one year in between. I attended classes at Ringling College of Art and Design as a non-degree seeking student, and spent the summer at the Illustration Academy before going to Syracuse.

Can you tell us a little bit about the MFA program there?

Syracuse has a 3 year MFA program, which I attended, but it also used to have a summer intensive where you were taught by a lot of guest artists. That was great – to have the ongoing instruction and continuity of the wonderful full time faculty, but also be able to participate in the summer courses where I got to work with some amazing visiting illustrators. Syracuse is also not that far from New York City, and I went there about once a semester.

What did attending the Illustration Academy bring to the table?

They have a very different instructional environment, in that the teachers are not just there for a few hours while you learn and paint, but they are there all the time – when you are working on your piece at 9pm at night, one of the teachers is there too, and can help you if you need. It’s intense, because you are producing a new piece every week, but it is also nice to just have one project at a time to focus on, and nothing else. And like a lot of intense situations, it forces you to grow!

Did you always tend to lean towards using watercolors for your illustrations?

Yes, my mom got me art classes when I was ten. I was too young to use oil and my teacher didn’t like acrylics, so I learned pastels and watercolor. At first I didn’t like it, but it quickly grew on me – I love the happy accidents and textures you get with watercolor. I’ve tried other media, and enjoyed them, but I keep coming back to watercolor.

Are you open to working with self-published authors?

Not at the moment.

What was the first things you did that you got paid to do?

I think I sold a collage when I was in high school.

What is Illustration West?

It is a term that the Society of Illustrator’s Los Angeles uses for their annual competition and show.

What piece won you third place in the Children’s Market category?

The underwater polar bear.

Is their contest open to everyone?

Yes, it is like most other illustration competitions – you pay to submit and is open to everyone.

How long have you been illustrating?

If you count school, then since 2005.

What types of things do you do to get your work seen by publishing professionals?

I enter the big competitions, I send out postcards, and this year I’m going to the SCBWI conferences.

Have you ever tried to write and illustrate your own story?

That is something new I’m working on. I have one completed dummy book for a story I wrote, and a few other story ideas I’m developing.

Do you have an agent? If so, who and how long have they represented you? If not, would you like one?

I do not have an agent and yes, I would like one.

Do you want to concentrate on being a children’s picture book illustrator?

Yes, although I like Middlegrade and YA too. Bookcovers would be fun.

Have you made a picture book dummy to show art directors, editors, and reps.?

Yes, I’ve done a couple dummy books.

I see the you belong to KidLitArtists.com. How did that come about?

KidLitArtists.com is the website for winners of the SCBWI Mentorship Award. Every year at the LA conference, five illustrators are chosen from the portfolio competition for the Mentorship Award. You get individual critiques from the mentors, and you join the KidLitArtists (past and present mentees). It’s a wonderful, insightful event, and you join such a warm, supportive group of peers. I was fortunate to be picked for the award this past summer.

In your e-mail, you mentioned that you were attending the SCBWI Winter Conference in NYC. How do you prepare for attending something like that?

I did a new piece for my portfolio, reorganized my portfolio book. You never know who is going to see it at the portfolio exhibition, so you want it to be as polished as possible. I’m packing a bunch of postcards and business cards, and hoping to get my website updated before I leave. I also recommend reading the bios for the speakers you are going to see. If you bump into any of them, it’s good to have a conversation topic. I also bring a sketchbook to put notes and thumbnails in – I got a lot of ideas at the last conference! Also have a spot to store other people’s cards – you’ll collect quite a few. And finally, I’m bringing Shaun Tan’s The Arrival, since he’s going to be doing a book signing.

Have you seen your style change since you first started illustrating?

Yes, although it’s had a consistent direction.

Have any of your college connections ended up helping you get work?

Not directly: although they helped me get a number of connections, none of those directly led to work.

Have you had any of your artwork published?

Yes, I’ve done some zoo advertising work.

Do you use Photoshop in your work?

Sometimes. Usually it’s just color corrections, but sometimes I use it quite a bit, like in the Ice Cream painting I did – the background is all Photoshop. I also have some non-children’s book pieces I’ve done that are all Photoshop over graphite, but it is a very different style.

What about a graphic tablet? Do you  own one?

No, I don’t. I would if I did a lot of drawing and painting on the computer, but I learned to digitally paint using a mouse, and I still use it most of the time.

Do you own a graphic tablet?

No, I don’t. I would if I did a lot of drawing and painting on the computer, but I learned to digitally paint using a mouse, and I still use it most of the time.

Is there anything in your studio, other than paint and brushes, that you couldn’t live without?

Strathmore 500 illustration board! I love it.

What are your career goals?

I’d love to get into the Original Art Show someday.

Are there any painting tips (materials, paper, etc.) you can share that work well for you? Technique tips?

I always paint on Strathmore 500 Illustration Board, vellum finish. It reacts to watercolor in a very different way than traditional watercolor paper. It makes it much easier to build dark colors, but it also lifts very easily, so there is a trade-off because it is much harder to layer your color. I also use a spray bottle with water, instead of salt, for when I want to acheive light spots. Water drops give you a wider range of effects, depending on how moist the wash is at the time you apply them.

Any words of wisdom you can share with the illustrators who are trying to develop their career?

Be persistent! Work on your craft and enjoy it, but don’t ignore marketing. If no one knows about you, they cannot hire you!

Jen, Thank you for sharing your wonderful illustrations and process with us.  I enjoyed showing off your talent.  If you would like to see more of Jen’s work you can visit her on her website: www.jenbetton.com or her blog: www.jenbetton.blogspot.com

Please take a minute to leave Jen a comment, I am sure she would love to hear from you.  Thanks!

Talk tomorrow,

Kathy

Here are the Illustrations sent in for the Month of March. Did it come in like a lion and go out like a lamb where you live?

Vesper Stamper works as an illustrator in a wide range of subjects from children’s books to album covers. Her work is inspired by her parallel career as a singer and musician in the band Ben + Vesper, on the Sounds Familyre label. Her book with fellow musician Stephen Roach (Songs of Water), Satchel Willoughby and the Realm of Lost Things (2010), is a top five finalist in the NAESP Book of the Year contest. Her e-book with LuAnn Kern, The Night the Tooth Fairy Didn’t Come (MeeGenius), was published earlier this year under the direction of Eve Adler. She lives in New Jersey with her husband, filmmaker Ben Stamper, and her two kids, who are experts in taking a backyard full of dirt and making it a world of wonders.  http://www.vespersongs.com

Bonnie Branson is an Illustrator living in Newton MA. She is a graduate of the School of Visual Arts, and a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. Using Photoshop, Bonnie creates colorful, and whimsical illustrations for the children’s book market and focuses on cool stuff like HISTORY, COSTUMING, and NON-FICTION.

Website: http://www.artbonnie.com

Jennifer Thermes is a children’s book author and illustrator. Recent projects include illustrations for Maggie & Oliver, or A Bone of One’s Own, a middle grade novel by Valerie Hobbs. Jennifer’s art was also chosen for inclusion in this year’s SCBWI Bologna 2012 Illustrator’s Portfolio Display. Jennifer loves taking her pup for a walk on windy March days! Please see more work at: http://www.jenniferthermes.com .

Kim Wood is an aspiring children’s book author and illustrator with a background in toy design. Samples of her work are on view at her website, kimwoodstudio.com. Kim’s favorite spring time activities include tuning into the early morning chatter of the many birds outside her window and backyard wiffleball games with her three kids.  http://kimwoodstudio.com/

Geeky Gecko illustration by Phyllis Mignard:

Creating illustrations and stories for picture books is an art form to me just like clay is to a sculptor or a piano to a musician. It appeals to both my practical and artistic nature. I draw to please myself and write because I can’t bear to part with my characters with their stories untold.  http://www.phyllismignard.com/

7 Comments on March Illustrations, last added: 3/29/2012