Some friends gave me gifts! I got a fun self-portrait from my friend Michelle Lana and a funny little Yoda from my friend Nicole Falk! Yay!
I also got an atc of a blob fish, really cool comic book, and an awesome little book of sketches from Steve Loya! Check out his work.
Thanks, you guys! You really made my month!
There are two things that always amaze me about people I know on the Internet. Their incredible talent and their astonishing kindness. Two of my most amazing Internet friends have sent me gifts to brighten my new year of health (I was sick in 2008).
Brian Gubicza (goobeetsa) made this wonderful portrait of me! Professional illustrator, Brian, has a fantastic talent of capturing people and scenes with simple shape and wonderful color. His Edgar Allen Poe paper toy was featured in many blogs including Boing Boing and L.A. Times and his dreams series continue to delight many fans. Visit his blog and his store.
Jen Gubicza (sweetestpea) made these happy maki sushi cuddly toys and they are so precious! Naturally, my daughter loves them too. Jen is an absolutely amazing artist and toy designer. Her toys have been featured in magazines and on Martha Stewart. Visit Jen at her Etsy store!
Thank you, my friends. I am touched and overjoyed.
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The 2008 Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators Conference in Los Angeles
What a weekend! First off, let me say to anyone who wants to write and/or illustrate for children or young adults… join SCBWI and go to the conference! You will find a wealth of information and inspiration that you just can’t get online or from books. So, what did I learn and who did I meet?
I met Adam Rex, and if you don’t know him, you should. He’s written a couple of children’s books and a new and popular young adult book, but he is best known for his illustration, for which he’s received numerous awards and recognition, from his many children’s books to his prolific career in fantasy art. I took his class and heard his keynote speech and I learned a ton and found a lot of inspiration (and a little despair – be prepared to work hard if you want to make it in this business). Adam Rex was the nicest guy (which is saying something when there were about a thousand really nice people there). He talked at length with me on a few occasions, praised my work, and introduced me to a few editors, agents and publishers. I don’t necessarily expect anything from those meetings this year (I will next year) but it was great experience. I am so grateful to the incredibly talented and enormously funny Adam Rex.
I also met Dan Santat. You may have seen Dan’s blog – he’s got several picture books out and a new one coming that I predict will be very popular. He’s also the creator of Disney’s The Replacements. Nice guy, ridiculously talented.
I met fellow Illustration Friday artists, David Billings and Deborah Mori. David was great and I love meeting artists whose work I admire. I also admire Deborah’s work and ended up hanging out with her all day Sunday. She was wonderful and we had great conversations – I can honestly say I have a new friend with her.
Now, a quick run-down on what I learned. First off, submit your portfolio to everything! I didn’t do this because I didn’t think I was ready. Turns out that I would have done well and my work would have been seen by more key people. So, sign up more than a week in advance and bring this: A nice portfolio highlighting your ten best pieces – remember that your portfolio is only as strong as your weakest piece. Bring postcards highlighting your best art with all your contact info for people to take while viewing your portfolio. Bring a book dummy – a book mock-up featuring pencil drawings (and one finished piece if you like) – if you don’t write, use a story in public domain like Aesop or Grimm. And finally, bring courage! You paid a lot for this and everyone there is expecting, even hoping, that you will talk to them. There are no dumb questions. Approach everyone you need to with confidence.
Now, some things I learned from speakers and presenters…
Bruce Coville: Why are you doing this? Keep asking yourself this answering in more detail each time. Children find their role models in books – remember that. Stay fresh, do only your very best, don’t hold back for fear of not being perfect, start with passion, share your wisdom in your writing and illustrations, humor is most valued, proceed without fear and with great joy.
Mark Teague: The greatest rewards in the business come from kids – do it for them first, for you next, for money last. When illustrating, do lots of doodles before beginning, set the story and construct the storyboard and keep in mind: expression, body language, interaction, scene selection, perspective, positioning, direction, format, and transitions.
Adam Rex: If you want to make picture books, study a lot of them. See how they are made and formatted. See the different sizes. Check out the end-papers, the paper that forms the inside covers and sandwich the content – self-ended end-papers are included in the total page count, are the same paper as the rest of the book, and have illustrations on them. Look up these terms: spot gloss, spot varnish, foil, die cut – these make the production more expensive – front matter, back matter, byline, colophon, half title, and spread. Picture books are no less than 32 pages – for more, add 8 (40, 48 – 56 or more are unlikely). Make a great dummy, pencil sketches, work the images with the text, include one finished image, make a great cover design.
I also learned a lot from Dilys Evans, Melanie Hope Greenberg, Cecilia Yung, Leonard Marcus, Diane Muldrow, and a whole lot more.
These are just highlights. I urge you, if you are interested in Children’s Literature, to join SCBWI and attend these events. And remember – every artist and writer has their own unique style and there are never enough books – we are not in competition with each other so we should help each other without fear.
My friend, Froggie (she of the immense talent and humor), has awarded me an award. It’s a Brillante Weblog Premio Award!!! I can’t say what that means but it sure is swell. I also got this award from my friend Kstyles and my friend Eugenia Gina was going to give me one but I think she changed her mind when she saw I already have one. She loves me but doesn’t want me to get spoiled. :)
The rules of accepting are:
1) Put the logo on your blog.
2) Add a link to the person who awarded you.
3) Nominate at least 7 other blogs.
4) Add links to those blogs on yours.
5) Leave a message for your nominees on their blogs.
Ah… so it’s a pyramid scheme! Yes! Soon I will be rich! I must choose my seven wisely…
So here they are:
1) Zari
2) Chicken Girl
3) Flora Chang
4) Holli Conger
5) Andi Butler
6) Gina Perry
7) Valerie Walsh
If you already have one of these then get rid of it because mine is better. And, um, if you want to give me another one… well… it’s okay. I just wanna be luved. [big puppy-dog eyes]
Some of my artwork here was used to inspire some kids to write a story and do their own illustration… how awesome is that? Scott Tingley of Riverside Reads (New Brunswick, Canada) asked for permission to use my illustrations and the results are purely delightful! These kids rock! Check it out!
Thanks, kids! I’ll send you a drawing and a letter. You kids are really talented!
Riverside Reads
Kids inspired by my art
Yay! This is the most awesome thing ever! Someone I’ve admired for a long time that has produced the most amazing work has not only drawn a remarkably accurate cartoon of my daughter but has linked back to my humble little site! I am thoroughly undone.
Ape Lad (AKA: Adam Koford) started a wonderful project of drawing hobos with no more guideline than a name. For $10 he’d draw the hobo you named on a postcard and send it to you. $10 for art from Ape Lad was an offer too good to pass up! 
So I named one after my daughter and got an incredible piece in the mail. I mentioned in his blog’s comments that I was a bit disappointed he had not drawn a girl and he writes back that day that he’d draw another one! I was just in process of writing this blog entry about the first drawing I received when, while admiring his site, I discovered he had made a new one! Absolutely beautiful!
Ape Lad’s next project is to draw scenes of your, or your kid’s, favorite fairy tale. Don’t miss this chance to get a wonderful piece of art in the mail! I’ve already ordered mine. And be sure to get his Alphabet of Monsters book!
- Ape Lad’s Blog!
- new Jazzy Pink the Scooter Kid at Ape Lad’s
- old Jazzy Pink the Scooter Kid at Ape Lad’s
If you’re a fan of color like I am then you should head over to Lou Romano’s (The Incredibles, Powerpuff Girls) blog. He filled a pad with drawings in a day, “one right after another without any plan in mind. Then they were scanned and painted digitally in the order in which they were drawn. The goal for me was to get ideas out of my head, on to paper and into color as fluidly and as quickly as possible.” His drawings are a blast but what I really love is the colors he used to paint the drawings. Awesome. [via: cartoon brew]
