Great Sites for Picture Book Illustrators

If you're interested in illustrating children's books, there are lots of great sites out there that will provide you with helpful information about the industry. There's a lot to know about illustrating picture books and even more to know about writing them. These sites will provide you with lots of helpful information as well as provide exposure to agents and ADs.

Start by joining the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI). There is an annual fee to be a member, but it's worth it. You'll get a fantastic kit in the mail, and the quarterly newsletters are top notch. You can even submit art to the bulletin, and you'll be paid for it too! SCBWI has a really nice forum where you can give and get critiques on your art and/or writing, as well as find information about upcoming SCBWI regional and national events.

Another site I like is The Purple Crayon, by Harold Underdown. Mr. Underdown knows the business and knows it well. He is the author of The Idiots Guide to Publishing Children's Books. His site is loaded with extremely helpful information about how to submit your book dummy's and manuscripts, as well as why publishers don't want to see illustrated manuscripts (unless you're the author and illustrator).

Children's Illustrators.com - Get your portfolio in front of publishers and agents through this online directory. You do have to pay an annual fee for this one.

Picture Books.com - Another online directory for illustrators.

I have a portfolio at ChildrensIllustrators.com. I also attend SCBWI meetings here in Chicago and am planning to attend the annual conference in LA this August. Hopefully these will help get you started.

The Empire Strikes...Again!

I am pleased once more to have the opportunity to illustrate sketch cards for the next big Star Wars trading card set from Topps. I'll be illustrating 50 cards for this set, which is due out in May. For more info, visit www.Topps.com.

Digital Illustrations - My First Attempts!

I decided to spend some time coloring a few illustrations in Photoshop. These were drawn with pencil by hand and inked with Micron Fine Liners. I'm thinking of doing a series to add to my portfolio, so that my portfolio has samples of digital work. I'm not focusing on storytelling at this point. Just experimenting with Photoshop since I rarely, if ever, use PS for illustrating but I think it's time to start adding it to my creative arsenal. You're witnessing a first, folks:) Whatcha think? I'd love to hear your comments! Thank you!


I created the shirt texture by painting a piece of illustration board with acrylic, then scanned it. I used the same thing for the skirt, but changed the color in PS. I created the flower pattern in Photoshop off a photo of a flower.



Sketched by hand with pencil, inked it with Micron Fine Liner. Painted in Photoshop.


I painted the texture for the coat and grass with gauche on Bristol Vellum. The boy is inked by I added digitial ink to the grass later. This one was especially fun!

Five Easy Ways To Help Someone Today

It feels really good to help someone out and you'll be making a difference in some else's day, not just yours. So find at least three ways to lend a hand, be of service, or show some support. Here's a few easy ways to do it, and boy, will you feel good afterwards.

1. When you're at Starbucks today, pay for the drink for the person in line next to you. We've all tossed extra change into the parking meters, or paid for someone else's toll, so why not coffee?

2. Offer to teach someone how to use Twitter. Chances are you know someone who wants to learn but 'doesn't have the time'. They might just be really intimidated. Relieve their anxiety, show them how easy it is, and get them Tweeting!

3. Donate your clothes. Don't just toss out those t-shirts and pretend they're not going to sit for a million years in a land fill. Wash them, iron them, fold them neatly, then drop them off at Salvation Army.

4. Just listen. Chances are, someone in your life needs to bend your ear. Have patience, and listen. Give them their space to just let it all out.

5. Shovel your neighbors sidewalk. Considering most of the US is covered in snow right now, there's ample opportunity for this one. This is especially mind-blowing if you and your neighbor don't especially like each other. Watch as things change after that.

Have suggestions for simple ways to help someone today? Use the comment box and let me know!

Crank Old Guy:One More Revision!

I decided to try something different with his pose. Something about the way he was holding the newspaper didn't feel very natural to me. So I decided to have switch it to the other hand, so the squirrel could be trying to grab it from him. I thought the pose of the squirrel was better here in relation to the newspaper as well.

I do think I'm ready to paint this puppy! Thank you to everyone who sent me helpful comments or Tweets about this:) Keep 'em coming!

Crank Old Guy: The First Revision!

I worked on the revisions of Cranky Old Guy (my working title for this one;). I traced the first image on my lightbox and adjusted a few things. Here's what's different:
• The angle of his left foot (our right). The angle of it felt a little stiff in the first sketch. Better?
• The squirrel on the bench wasn't as pesky as I wanted him to be. In this draft, he's definitely planning to steal the newspaper and annoy the old fart even further.
• There's a new squirrel AND a sandwich in this new sketch! Did I mention it's sandwich stealing squirrel?
• I also shifted the whole composition over a wee bit to the right. It just felt like it needed it. And I added a tree on the left hand side to frame the composition better.
• I removed the bench dedication since it seemed too sad, and really, I'm not connecting with 'sad' these days and since it's my story, I'll raise the dead if I want! Grandma is now alive as referenced by the kid! Yay!
• There's a rhyming story! Cool! Now it's starting to make sense! It came to me as I was driving home from Yoga (see? proof of how well yoga clears the mind and makes way for the good stuff!). I hear stories in rhyme in my head. It drives me nuts because I realize the challenges of writing in rhyme, but it feels natural to me, so I'm going with it for now.

I might consider doing some character sketches of the old guy to figure him out a bit and develop a backstory. Though not originally intended, a story is definitely emerging. And this is how I work. I write and illustrate, illustrate and write. Sometimes a story comes first, and then sometimes it's the pictures first. Sometimes it's both at the same time like with Cranky Old Guy.

One thing I don't like too much now is the expression on the old guy. He definitely looked a little crankier in sketch 1. So I'll be sure to make him grouchier looking as I move to sketch three.

Share your thoughts, won't you? And if you're in the market for a crit, just shoot me an email and I'll be happy to give my insights on your stuff too! Thanks!

New Sketch: Cranky Old Guy Vs. Pigeon.

This sketch evolved last night from a doodle, as sketches do (stop the presses). I didn't have a story in mind when it started developing. It sort of developed on it's own. Here's what's going on. The little girl is the granddaughter come to tell grampa that it's time to go home. Notice the park bench dedication on the ground. It's for his wife who he misses. Is this too heavy a concept for a picture book? Should the child have this responsibility? Are the animals adding to the story or detracting? I wanted to lighten the mood a bit and well, animals make me laugh:) Please share your thoughts. Thank you!
-Cyn

One Of My Favorite Sketches You've (Probably) Never Seen

I did this sketch back in the summer of 2006, which seems like a million years ago, because I was at such a different place in my life back then. It was one of those 'going through lots of changes' kind of years. Well, every year is like that to varying degrees (thankfully), but this was a particularly rough one albeit with many beautiful outcomes! I wasn't too focused on my art that year, not in the way I would have liked. But when I did draw, I managed to make some really nice things transpire. With limited time to make art and limited resources too, I remained devoted, and focused, and able to instantly channel my creativity in intense ways. Ok, so here's one from that year which I always really liked. It's taken from my sketchbook, drawn in just a couple of sittings. I have always intended to follow up with a series of similar character sketches and maybe one day I will.

Enjoy!

Booger & Lil, I've Ignored You. I'm Sorry.

One year ago, I created a story about a little girl and her imaginary friend called Booger & Lil. I had envisioned turning it into a graphic novel or a picture book and maybe even a web comic. Then about a million other things got in the way, so I tucked Booger & Lil into bed, said 'night, night' and promised we'd meet again. But ... Booger & Lil have been tucked snuggly away since then and I'm starting to hear them calling my name again. I can't ignore them. But I'm not sure what to say to them either. They just want to come out and play, to be acknowledged. They're my creations after all.

So.. here is a reminder (mostly to myself) of who they are. I need to create another scenario within the next couple of weeks. Sooner? Maybe a bit longer than that? We shall see.

Ladies and Gentlemen, Booger & Lil.

Illustration Friday - MUDDY

It's Saturday. Move Away From the Computer.

It's the weekend, Saturday morning to be exact. But here I am, sitting at the computer again. I realize I'm feeling frustrated, slightly irritable, a bit grumpy. And I know why. I am tempted to work when what I REALLY want to do is play. We are so good at work. We've mastered it. Some of us have even convinced ourselves that if we aren't working around the clock, we aren't dedicated to our craft. Hogwash. I dare you to just move away from the computer. Move away. Shut it off. Turn off the desk lamp. Leave everything right where it is. Let the coffee get cold even if you've only gotten through your first cup. Let the emails go unchecked, and better yet, unanswered. Let your business be unfinished for today, because it's Saturday for crying out loud! Saturday is screaming at you to pay attention to it. It's begging you to take notice (listen quietly...you'll hear it). It's crying out for you to take advantage of it! Unrelentingly. Unapologetically. Uncompromisingly.

Do it.

Go play. Add some balance to your life, to all the hard work you've done all week. Be unbound today. Maybe tomorrow too (heavens no!). Yes. And have no guilt. There's something beautiful and healing about taking time for one self, about making time to play just like we did when we were kids. Saturday has your name (and mine!) written all over it. Let's not let another one go by in a blur of chores, emails, and other un-fun grown up stuff that can wait til Monday.

Now, slowly...step away from the computer. I triple dog dare you!

May The Crayons Be With You

I illustrated this cute Yoda coloring page for Valentine's Day one year ago, and here it is again in case you (or your kids) missed it! You can print this image or go to Star Wars.com to download it there!

Illustration Friday - FOCUS

It takes a lot of practice and focus to skate this good! This lovely skater will be colored in a few days, which will also require a bit of focus on MY part, as I'm suddenly quite scattered with work and other projects. And THAT is a a very good thing:)

Sitting A Lot, Bad. Moving Your Butt, Good.

Thank you to artist Leah Mangue for sending this article about how we have become more sedentary than ever thanks to computers. It might seem obvious that we sit more than we ever did, but what might not be so obvious are the health risks in this type of lifestyle. Food for thought. I hope you check it out.

http://www.womenshealthmag.com/health/sedentary-lifestyle-hazards

And I recommend you go check out Leah's illustrations and photography too!! A truly beautiful woman in so many ways and an incredibly gifted artist!
http://www.lmangue-art.net/