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These are some of my images created for the InkTober challenge for the month of October 2015. A fabulous idea created by the talented artist Jake Parker, also know as Agent 44. Jake started this idea to celebrate and give everyone a chance to submit their finish art using only ink.
Finished some Halloween characters for a poster. I created artwork with Manga Studio and Photoshop.
I decided to create some favorite monster vehicles for driving around Boston. I created the sketches and scanned them into Photoshop. I used the level command to bring out the light and dark lines. Once I was satisfied I saved as a tiff file and brought the images into Manga Studio Five. I played around with the watercolor brush and saved the file. I finished up the artwork in Photoshop.
During the beginning of August I enrolled in an exciting children's picture book course offered by Dr. Mira Reisberg. Her Children's Book Academy course gave me the opportunity to study children's books and perfect my writing skills. Is this course worth the time and expense? Yes, I think so. Dr. Reisberg and her team of professionals put together a course rich in content consisting of webinars, critique groups and reference materials.
When I made my payment for $437.00 I received an email with a password and links to the course content. I paid an extra $100. for a personal critique for my script. I thought this was well worth the price for an evaluation from a professional editor. I was able to select either Dr. Reisberg or Kelly Delaney (Random House editor) for a critique.
Accessing the website class material was available during the week each day for five weeks. Mira is such a generous and giving person that the course material is available up to six months for review. This was another factor I considered when enrolling in this course. Of
course, not everyone has this kind of money to spend and I can understand that. Mira, Kelly
and many well known author/illustrators do a fabulous job in explaining various aspects of children's picture book writing. I especially enjoyed listening to "Just A Minute" by Yuyi Morales and "What If" by Jim Averbeck. Course content discussions included, what is narration, point of view, theme, plot, character development, pacing, setting and so much more as to what makes a picture book. Various levels of professionals are invited to increase their children's writing development. My writing for children is improving and I feel more confident in having the writing tools offered from Mira's course. I found it helpful before taking this course that I was familiar with the internet, have some social media skills and a general idea for my script. The class material can be overwhelming and I am sure some students became stressed out. Remember, you have six months to review this material and review at your own pace.
MIra's class content is organized for easy understanding, is logical and inspiring. I found
MIra's assistants Jen and Mindy helpful in answering questions that were asked. Critique
groups were valuable in offering comments about my script in progress. Homework
assignments were available for most lectures so I was able to identify, understand
and reinforce picture book concepts. I was encouraged to explore libraries and bookstores
and become familiar with many children's books at my local bookstores. Lecture material
made me aware of different categories of children's picture books such as board books,
novelty books, young adult books, concept books, fiction, non-fiction and more. Mira
presents material that is clear, inspirational and well thought out. Live webinars are integral
in this course. After finishing my assignment, I turned it in for evaluation on the linked
website. Instructors offered comments and suggestions for improving my writing skills. I
listened to their comments and evaluations. I was encouraged to go at my own pace and
get what I thought was beneficial.
Well, this is just some of what I experienced with Mira's exciting, motivational and creative
course at Picture Book Academy. This was an amazing experience that I will always
remember. I encourage you to go to the Picture Book Academy website if you are serious
about your children's writing skills. One caveat, this may be the last time she offers this
course so check in on her website and see if it's available.The website is
http://www.childrensbookacademy.com.Think of the cost as an investment in your career.
You will not regret it. Dr. Mira Reisberg is a generous, energetic and warm person. She
made me feel part of the creativeness that exist's all around us.
Drawing rocketships, robots and monsters is a lot of fun but creating monsters is where my heart is at. I suppose it has to do with more suble shapes with monsters than robots or rocketship which are mechanical and less suble are the shapes that define the objects.
Anyways for creating monsters I start out with a simple shape and think in 3-D. As I define the creating the lines become more subtle and I start to bring out the characteristics of arms, legs, and the head. What makes a monster differenct from a bear or elephant is the overall shape. Monsters may have claws, horns and even a tail but this is your choice. The colors add to the shape and give more definition that this is a monster and not a bear. Until next time have a monster of a day!
Created a new illustration for my postcards that I am mailing out to potential clients. I had a lot of fun creating this image with Manga Studio 5. I enjoy the natural feel of the brushes and how easy it is to blend colors. This is a departure from using Photoshop because my brush work is becoming looser and natural.
These are my thoughts about this years NESCBWI 2015 Conference held in Springfield, MA. There were many friends, colleagues and organizers who made this years conference a success. When you attend a SCBWI conference there is barely enough time to catch your breath. The conference organizers wanted to make sure you were busy and receive your moneys worth.
I started my workshops as early as 7:30 am and some probably didn't end until around 6pm. I selected workshops that would improve my picture book career. One of my favorite workshops was "Where Picture Book Illustration Is Today" organized by Laurent Linn. Mr. Linn emphasized that kids are important and storytelling requires using your emotions. Illustrating for children is important and we shouldn't take our responsibility lightly. Children are important and impressionable and require our best work.
I also enjoyed another workshop that used the theme for this year's illustration challenge, "Don't Worry-I Fixed It." Three art directors Matha Rago, Jim Hoover, and Laurent Linn gave a critique of illustrators who submitted their finished illustrations. The critique showed why some samples satisfied the theme or did not. I found the art directors comments inspired me for my next promotion card.
Emma Ledbetter had a workshop titled,"Lights, Camera, Picture Book!". It was fascinating to hear Ms Ledbetter's views about structuring a picture book. She introduced the idea of music flowing for picture books until it ends with a surprise.This flow should contain a beginning, middle and end. She used several examples from Pixar's movie,"Monsters Inc." to illustrate whether the picture book is successful or not.
I heard many speakers at this year's conference but found Dan Santat, Caldecott winner for this year's picture book, really amazing. I thought Mr Santat to be organized, and motivated creatives to be serious about their craft. He discussed his life growing up and how it influenced where he was today. Mr. Santat really knows how to tell a story and keeps you listening to the very end.
A couple of events that I didn't take part in and would encourage you to consider are the Illustrator's Challenge, Peer Critiques and The Portfolio Showcase. I didn't attend the Illustration Challenge because of commitments to client projects. I missed my peer critique because of an illustration meeting. Peer critiques are important because you receive comments about your work from another set of eyes. You need criticism in order to grow. Placing your portfolio in the Portfolio Showcase goes without saying. You never know who might see your work and want to contact you. I really enjoyed placing my book anywhere on available tables. I attended this past New York conference and they took my book and place it in a location I didn't feel was advantageous. Don't count on going to a SCBWI conference expecting to pickup a project. It does happen but not likely. Enjoy yourself and have fun.
Once the day activities, workshops and speeches are over it's time to wine and dine with your fellow colleagues. This can be a lot of fun and a great way to discuss the children's publishing industry and pickup inside information.
The bookstore is fabulous and you can purchase books from your favorite speakers at the conference. This is how I purchased Dan Santat's book "Beekle". I also pickup Marvin Terban's "checking Your Grammar" since I am in the process of writing my own picture book. This book will help me brush up on my sentence structure.
I found the NESCBWI conference not as expensive as traveling to the New York or Los Angeles SCBWI Conference. Save up your money and make a point to attend the NESCBWI conference. You won't regret it. I had a great time and was inspired returning to Boston. I look forward to my next NESCBWI conference.
This year's SCBWI Winter Conference 2015 in New York was an exciting event to experience. I have never attended a gathering with so many writers and illustrators under one roof who love the children's book industry. SCBWI members arrived not just from the United States but from all over the world. This was a three day event for members to network, meet old friends and discuss their latest projects.
I arrived on Friday and quickly walked to 42nd Street to the Grand Hyatt near Grand Central Station. I was late for registration but more concerned about dropping off my portfolio for the private viewing later that day. I checked that my portfolio contained my business cards, promotion cards and attached picture book dummy. All set, handed over my book to the SCBWI personnel. I didn't apply for any creative intensives and should have but was not exactly excited about drawing at seven forty-five am in the morning. When I attend the Springfield SCBWI conference in April, I plan on participating in one of the illustration intensives. I left the conference and made my way to my brother's apartment to rest and unload my luggage.
Friday evening I returned to the Grand Hyatt to socialize and view some illustratration portfolios. I labored many hours putting my book together for the private show. SCBWI had strict size restrictions but it seemed all that mattered was the letter of your last name for strategic placement on the tables for viewing. I continued looking at many portfolios in all shapes, sizes and colors. I wondered how illustrators chose their portfolio styles and was amazed by the quality of illustration work. Some of the illustrators whose work I really enjoyed were Kiri Ostergaard Leonard, Lori Keehner and Prescott Hill. After socializing with a few illustrators, I decided I was finished and picked up my book and went to rest at my brother's home.
The remainder of Friday evening I reminisced about those illustration portfolios I had viewed earlier. I reminisced about what my experience would be like attending my first SCBWI Conference. I really didn't sleep that night was to excited thinking about the possibilities for this weekend. Saturday arrived early for me as I rose early and had a quick breakfast. I left the apartment and made my way back to 42nd Street and the conference. I arrived upstairs and entered the Empire Ball State Ballroom for the Conference opening speaker's greetings and introductions. Anthony Horowitz was the first of several speakers who projected such excitement and enthusiasm for the books he wrote and all that it took to write them. I was impressed by his enthusiasm for his craft. I listened intently for about an hour before leaving to participate in my selected workshops.
The first workshop was titled Working With An Agent, narrated by Heather Alexander, an agent for Pippin Properties. She came across as very informative and offered insight to creatives considering working with agents. She mentioned what she as an agent brings to the table in assisting creatives. She mentioned she receives 15% if she brings in work. I thought this was a bit low but maybe she is right. An agent is important if you want them to take care of the marketing and contact potential clients. Ms Alexander emphasized researching any agent you are considering representing you.
My second workshop was titled Creating Picture Book Art, narrated by Denise Cronin, Vice President and Art Director for Viking Children's Books. She spoke about the Seven Essentials for Picture Book Art. I found her workshop to be the most interesting. I was familiar with several of her Seven Essentials, for example having an effective and easy website to navigate. Creatives should have updated blogs. I enjoyed her comment, Observe The World Around You, suggesting that you should observe everything you see because this information might just be useful in one's creative projects. She mentioned the example of How A Cat Stalks It's Victim. How does a cat position itself before it strikes a victim. Think how you will market yourself was another important point she made. What should creatives consider to get their names in front of art buyers. Ms Cronin suggested sending out promotion cards, joining art critiques and attending more conferences.
I was gradually realizing my thoughts at the Conference dwelling on different strategies I should develop that would guide me through the children's book industry. I knew from experience that my own tried and true tactics such as marketing and create great artwork were essential. Visiting bookstores, looking at picture books and remembering the names of interested publishers. Contacting agents is a possibility and joining critique groups is beneficial. These were some of the essentials that Ms Cronin emphasized. After a small break I returned to my brothers apartment before returning for the evening Art Browse at the conference. This would give me a chance to view again many illustration portfolios and chat with some of my fellow artists. The SCBWI Winter Conference had an Optional Socials gathering for a variety of different groups to meet and socialize. I choose the Illustration Group obviously because illustrators are a enthused group of people to hang around with. I spoke with Prescott Hill who explained how he achieved his delightful illustrations with SketchBook Pro. I really enjoyed looking at Lori Keehner's book of paintings and many more illustrators.
Sunday was the last day of the SCBWI Winter Conference. I decided to finish the day and participate in a few events so I could say my good-byes to fellow illustrators. I attended an early afternoon keynote panel. Titled Keynote Agents' Panel: Charting Your Career Path. This was moderated by Brenda Bowen with the panelists consisting of Barry Goldblatt Literary LLC, Jennifer Laughran, Andrea Brown Literary Agency and Tina Wexler, International Creative Management. This group covered similar issues from my Saturday workshop with Heather Alexander but mentioned even more topics for creatives to consider before contacting and working with an agent. Some issues mentioned were The Money Issues, by Barry Goldblatt. He mentioned that the children's publishing industry is not an easy profession to make a living at and creatives should not give up their day jobs. Make sure you can pay your bills such as the rent or the mortgage. I can't disagree with what Mr. Goldblatt said because of my very own experience with part-time jobs. Jennifer Laughran mentioned ways creative professionals can increase their exposure such as having an online portfolio, participating with social media and marketing yourself. She also spoke about being part of Illustration Spotlights and attending more conferences. I found Barry Goldblatt's comment about shutting down your Amazon ranking amusing if you are checking your rank obsessively. This is an issue I don't worry about because I don't have any ranking so far. This panel left me with even more ideas to ponder as I left the Empire State Ballroom.
After leaving the panel discussion I quickly went to the children's bookstore to load up on some of my favorite picture books. I purchased Accoustic Rooster and His Barnyard Band by Kwame Alexander and illustrated by the fantastic illustrator Tim Bowers. I really enjoy Tim's amusing and colorful animal illustrations. I was saddened that these three days passed so fast and are just about over. I would cherished all the friends I met and great times we had together. I received so much information to improve my skills as a children's book illustrator. I would strongly suggest saving the money to attend one of these SCBWI Conferences you certainly won't regret it. These conferences are not cheap. I really enjoyed the experience of being part of a large group of creatives who just love picture books and look forward to my next SCBWI conference.
Trying out a new pencil style creating some character designs for owls. Took the sketches into Photoshop and turned it into a duotone image. You can watch this video at http://youtu.be/ZlmGWkh5A14 You can watch some of my other videos at
http://bit.ly/1kcta6h
The new year is here and I don't give much thought to resolutions. I am more concerned about the challenges before me. I won't become overwhelmed as long as I organize my goals and set
steps to achieve them.
My business is a priority but I do have a life and need to maintain
it. Business is business but only as good as a healthy outlook. I will
dance and sing songs.
I plan to dream bigger and better and go after creative jobs that
excite me. I won't let my objectives disrupt me but will handle as
small steps. I will stay positive and greet people with a smile.
My calendar will have goals listed and nothing on it I can not achieve.
I will not loose focus, become overwhelmed and procrastinate. When
I need to take a break I will strike a pirate pose and say "Aarrr".
I will enjoy my relationships with family, friends and business
folks. Most of all I will appreciate each day I awake to the sound of
birds and the sun shining.
Important thought:
The future is now and belongs to those who believe in their dreams
and set out to reach them.
Who doesn't like picture books? Everyone that I know loves them. The shear excitement of discovering
new adventures with main characters. They may even discover something about themselves and explore new adventures. This sketch was created using pencil shading to create new shapes
and space. At some point this test may lead to a new painting but this remains to be seen.
Time to give thanks for all that we have and about to receive.
There are times when we need to slow down and take a break from all the projects we are working on. Time to recharge and refresh our energy levels so that we can continue at our maximum creative level. This should be a time to connect with our loved ones and maintain our mental and physical health. If this means turning down projects that aggravate our anxiety level and doesn't lead to any meaningful monetary or creative success, so be it. A walk through the park or favorite site may not be long enough to regain your creative spirit. It possibly might mean several days away from the studioallowing time to connect with people who are close to you. When was the last time you spent some quality time with your spouse, children and parents? Providing the opportunity to take some quality time with loved ones will add to your creativeness. This should be a good opportunity also, to evaluate your creative direction. What about discussing some of your ideas with your loved ones for their input? They may see your views in a completely different way. Also, quality time in this manner doesn't always need to be about your creativeness, but rather afford time completely devoid of the art profession.After several days off, our body gives us signals that it is time to return to our inner space and create. Inspiration and creative energy is gradually restored and returning to the studio to create becomes highly anticipated. It is now time to consider an SCBWI convention, a trip to the museum, or to sign up for a course to get back on track. We need to remember to nurture our creative capacity and to not drown our capacity level. There are many avenues that add to our overall well being, and we need to maintain our healthy existence in order to continue our creative adventure.
Another one of my calendar illustrations for a children's publisher. I had a lot of fun creating this art placing the children in space suits floating around a space station. The colors were kept on the the warm side even if November is a bit chilly at this time. The line art was created with Adobe Illustrator and brought into Adobe Photoshop for final coloring.
I am preparing for Halloween weekend and it's just about here. First step is creating my zombie colored sketch. My next step is a creative costume and hitting the parties.
Latest sketch and some thoughts before I colorize my artwork in Adobe Photoshop. The sketching process can be a lot of fun creating something new from my imagination. It's always a surprise to see the final results. http://youtu.be/H-ZRHbfNyZw
Here is another one of my calendar illustrated months for the year 2014. This was created for Star-Brite publisher. I had a lot of fun creating this piece placing all the figures and animals so the composition was balanced. The colors were kept on the the warm side even thought November is a bit chilly at this time. The line art was created with Adobe Illustrator and brought into Adobe Photoshop for final coloring.
The picturebook dummy idea came to me while reading message posts from the Thursday night’s group (illustrators and writers) called Kitlitart. I wasn’t sure where I should start my picturebook dummy but this group offered some valuable insight into the process. Two reference books mentioned at one of these kitlitart Thursday meetings was Writing With Pictures by Uri Shulevitz and Writing Picture books by Ann Whitford Paul. Both of these books offered alternative styles as to what a storyboard is and how to finish a picturebook dummy from your storyboard.
The roughs above (fig._1) are my first attempt at creating a storyboard for the children’s story Thumbelina by Hans Christian Anderson. I was constantly refining my sketches and reworking my image placement before deciding on the sketches above. The storyboard is important because it allows me to visualize the whole book and what may or may not work. This allows me to determine how the book flows and what sketches need to be adjusted. I reworked my storyboard numerous times until I felt my illustrations and text were flowing smoothly. Once the storyboard is finished, I am able to view any similarities and differences between the most outstanding components for the pictures and the text. When I am satisfied, I start the next step. This process involves creating a three dimensional model or picture book dummy. The dummy will convey how the book will read when printed. There are several ways to make a book dummy. For example, you can staple or sew 8 sheets of white paper together through the middle and then fold them in half to make a 32-page booklet. To make a 48-page dummy, use 12 sheets of paper. Mark the page numbers on both sides of each side, from 1 to 32. (fig._2)
I concentrated on creating an actual size dummy (11” X 17”). I wanted my black and white sketches drawn as close to finish as possible. I felt this would assist in how the work would appear overall. Two of my finished sketches from my book dummy for Thumbelina are shown (fig._3 and fig._4). Working on these sketches is an important process for visualizing the completed work. I am able to change the sketches quickly and fix parts of the sketches that are not working. If you look closely at the sketch with Thumbelina and the fishes (fig._4). I made numerous attempts so the composition was balanced between Thumbelina and the fishes below the lily pads. There was a lot of thought that went into how the character of Thumbelina would appear. I wanted the fishes to jump out at the viewers and offer contrast to little Thumbelina sitting on the lily pad. My next step with completing my book dummy will be to complete a double page spread finished painting. I plan on finishing the double page spread with Thumbelina and the fishes below her. I will post the completed painting when I finish it on my blog.
I am currently working on a series of illustrations for a calendar for Star-Brite Learning. My responsibilities involve creating eleven pre-school monthly illustrations for the calendar year 2015. This is such an exciting project, illustrating monthly themes for pre-school children. The art coordinator is very friendly and has given me ample freedom with the illustrations as long as I stick with the monthly themes. I was given permission to show one of my completed illustration's and the process to create it.
Each assignment starts with a rough sketch that I submit for client approval. Once the sketch is approved, the coloring process begins. This involves scanning the sketch into Adobe Illustrator and creating the individual layers for the images that need to be colored (fig.1)
When the vector artwork is finished, I bring the completed image (fig.2) into Adobe Photoshop for any minor changes. I then email the finished png file to the Publisher. It is so rewarding to have the opportunity to work with such a great company and to create some exciting digital work.
One of my favorite social media websites is Linkedin. This site differs from Twitter and Facebook because these sites are solely for the professionals and business community. On Facebook you can have a separate page for your friends and a fan page for your business interests. Twitter has no distinction between personal and business issues and you can tweet for both. Linkedin is for the professional person so it's best you keep your personal comments to yourself and on a business level. Linkedin has a very good research tool for contacting other companies and professionals for possible job positions. You are able to post your profile, experience and have a connected portfolio with some sample images.
Limit Your Time Online
You need to decide what is a fair amount of time for using the internet and when to return and complete other important business activities. There are times when I loose track of my time while surfing the web and should probably be working on my creative projects. I usually set a certain amount of time for online activity and when to quit. I really enjoy being creative and using social media to advertise my latest completed artwork with friends.
Remain Positive and Productive
To be a successful artist takes more than just talent. It requires a lot of hard work especially during an economic downtown. You need to know yourself very well and decide when things are not going right and take a break. You might consider a walk around the block or clear your head at your favorite park. Once recharged and have a fresh outlook return to your goals with a positive outlook. For a lot of creative professionals starting out takes patients especially with all the social media promotion, website advertising and business activities you need to accomplish. I realized after many years that I wasted a lot of energy and was not very patient. I now realize that there is a lot about the creative profession that is out of my control. I am now using my time effectively while pursuing my love for the illustration profession. Remember to be patient and strive to be creative.
My online presence and success has improved since I started using internet resources available to the creative community. Placing a blog on my website makes it possible to be actively involved by displaying articles that other creatives should find useful. Joining social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook have professional benefits. These websites have increased my networking with colleagues, increased my knowledge about business aspects and increased sales. I send out e-mails with attachments periodically that keep me in-touch with my database clients. I recently started sending out my first newsletter using a site named,"Your Mailing List Provider" , but recently switched to MailChimp. The web site provides an easy and convenient way to store my clients information. They have a feature that lets you input your html newsletter code and send directly to clients. Creatives should also consider exploring the variety of free and inexpensive websites that exist on the web. I am currently a member of Jacketflap.com, CreativeShake.com and IllustratorsInk.com. I find very exciting experimenting with assorted websites and discovering the possible benefits. It's obvious that creatives need to get their work out in front as many viewer as possible.
Use Your Website
Having an online website is very important and unless you promote it no one will know you exist. If you read the above information, you already have some ideas. I am continuously reworking my website with new images, new links and blog articles to stand out from my competition. Exploring the internet is a great way to find new professional groups to join and interact with. I search out blogs to leave my comments and opinions on sites. You should make an effort to interact with your peers so that it increases your exposure as a professional.
Offer Your Help
It has been my experience that "What goes around comes around". What I mean by this statement is that we should be willing to offer our advice without expecting something in return. You will find when we offer our assistance our efforts probably will be returned in kind. We are all in this together and as a creative collective we need to enrich and keep our creative community growing.
Working on my PB Boards for Thumbelina story. I have finished all the sketches and now working on the text to complete the finish boards.
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