Standing on the Shoulders of Giants!

Can't believe another year is coming to an end. And with it, my last promotional illustration of the year. I'm pretty happy with how this one turned out. I had this idea for quite some time now, and luckily the theme of our forthcoming catalog fits so I was able to use it.

I'm pretty proud of myself for consistently creating new art for each catalog for the last 3 years. Hoping to continue that streak into the new year!

Let's Get Personal

For my latest promotional piece we were tasked with creating an illustration with the theme "ethnicity". Having been doing this gig for as long as I have, I knew the easy and safe route would have been to simply draw a couple characters of different ethnicity in some setting and call it a day. But because I HAVE been doing this for as long as I have, I also knew doing something uninspired and convenient, generally don't end with good results. And given the fact that this is potentially a piece for my portfolio, essentially meaning that it's a personal piece, I decided that being personal was the way to go.

Four years ago I proposed to my wife with an illustration. I thought it was the perfect way to both recognize and celebrate our differences. We were definitely different...different people from different backgrounds, needless to say, things never got boring. But I think that's what I love about it, what I love about her.

My "proposal" illustration 

   
Today on the day of our 4th anniversary, I am thankful we have continued to embrace our differences. And I am happy to report that life has never gotten boring since. and with the addition of our son...it's been anything but!

And I love it...

New Year, New Catalog

Yay! It's that time again! Latest catalog is out, check out all the wonderful illustrations by the talented folks at MBArtists!

Link Here: http://files.flipsnack.com/iframe/embed.html?hash=ftiyvif9r&wmode=window&bgcolor=EEEEEE&t=14226326691422632716

My First SCBWI Illustrator Intensive

I recently attended my first Illustrator Intensive hosted by my regional chapter of SCBWI. For several years I've wondered whether these workshops were really worthwhile. And after some thought, I decided to feed my curiosity and see for myself...and what I found was a mix of both good and bad. I wanted to share my experience with everyone.

But before I go any further, I wanted to quickly go over the general setup of the intensive. Along with an option for a portfolio review, the main event of the intensive were the advanced exercises. Participants were given a choice between two exercises, one by each of the two speakers. Our speakers for our intensive were Loraine Joyner, Senior Art Director at Peachtree Publishers, and Ronnie Ann Herman, Artist Rep at Herman Agency. We were required to start on our exercises prior to the actual day of the intensive, and we would bring our work and get feedback and share with the group. Loraine's exercise involved choosing a story from three selected manuscript and with that, we were tasked with creating character concepts, a 32-page storyboard, one tightly rendered sketch, and finally a finished color illustration. Ronnie's exercise was slightly different, she had two basic scene ideas. For each scene, she wanted characters sketches, a rough sketch, and a finished illustration.

I ultimately went with Loraine's exercise. I thought it was the more challenging of the two, and developing a storyboard was something I felt I could use more practice in. For this exercise, we had about two months to create the character concepts, storyboard, and tight sketch, with a two week deadline to complete each portion of the exercise. As we finished each part, we turned in our work via dropbox our regional adviser with SCBWI. Once we had everything submitted, the work was then forwarded to Loraine and she critiqued it. We would then take her comments as we worked on our final colored illustration. This was presented on the day of the workshop and shared with the group.

Below are my two character concepts for the story I selected. For my exercise, the main characters were a zebra and a lion;

And here is my finished illustration.

The main highlights of the intensive include;
- After meeting Loraine in person, I definitely felt I made the right choice in working with her, I thought her presentation was very informative and she had a lot of useful nuggets to share.
- Loraine gave my work a very thorough critique, and made some really good comments.
- The day reminded me of my time in art school, and I enjoyed the energy in the room. Everyone was engaged and eager to learn.
- The day long intensive allowed for time to catch up with some friends and fellow illustrators who also attended. It's always nice to be able to "talk shop" with other people who know can relate.

On the flip side, here are some things I wish were better;
- Poor communication was a big source of frustration for myself as well as other attendees I spoke to. Some of this blame fell on the shoulders of the regional adviser that was collecting the work. To me, she gave the impression that she wasn't receptive to any questions we might of have.
- For the better part of this venture, I personally didn't feel like I had anyone I could go to for questions. And this almost ended up in disaster! It was unclear whether we were required to complete a finished illustration, and in the end, I had to rush at the last minute to get it done.

All in all, I'm glad I decided to do it at least once. Would I do it again...probably not. I really enjoyed being in the company of "my" people. It was reminiscent of my college days. And though it felt like this workshop catered more for novices and the inspiring, I still walked away feeling recharged and inspired. I recommend these workshops for those who might need that extra bit of  motivation, or for someone looking to get a little taste of an art school class setting. 

Who Inspires You?

Please check out my latest post over at Once Upon a Sketch. In it I asked the question; who inspires you? As a fan of illustration, I'm always curious to see who other artists admired, so it was fun to get some insight into who my fellow contributors picked as some of their favorite artists.

Here's the link: http://onceuponasketch.com/2014/05/who-inspires-you/

Breaking Into the Biz

For my first post for Once Upon a Sketch a couple months ago, I wrote about tips on how to build a solid portfolio (Here's the link). With the relaunch of the site, I figured now would be a good time to continue that theme and so today’s topic will be “Breaking into the Biz”; what to do once you have that portfolio. Although, I think having a strong portfolio is still the most vital part in landing work, having the best portfolio won't help you one bit, if your work never gets in the hands of the people who need to see it! So here is a list of ways to get your work out there and get your foot in the door:

• Digitally - Your portfolio in digital format:

• Website - In today's world, it's practically a requirement to have a website of some kind where you can showcase your work. Not only does a website serve as a digital representation of your physical portfolio, it's also the most efficient way to reach the masses. Here are a few general ideas to keep in mind when designing your website:
• Remember your website is merely a means of highlighting your art, so like your physical portfolio, the art is what's important! So your site must be clean and simple to navigate. It's okay to have a few bells and whistles to spruce it up, but keep in mind that people generally have very short attention spans (for instance, mine is about 3 seconds), so if your site takes forever to load because of a fancy animation, it's not doing you any favors. Also, a good rule of thumb is to make sure your artwork is  accessible by no more than two clicks of a mouse.
• One of the benefits of having your own website is that you are not limited to 12-16 images. So you can be more liberal about what you want to include in your site. But keep in mind that you'll want to make sure your best work gets seen, so make sure they are placed where people will see it first.
• The style of the site matters too. Meaning the overall look of your site should share a similar style to your art. Not only does it make for a more single, cohesive and harmonious package, you won't confuse your viewers.
• Your work should be categorized appropriately. It seems pretty obvious, but you should definitely arrange your work in a logical and orderly fashion...I can definitely spend all day talking in detail with suggestions about grouping and organizing your artwork, but that could be a whole post in and of itself.
• Blog - A blog is a good way to interact and connect with people of similar interests. A blog can be your digital journal, where you can write about anything relevant to your craft. However, a blog can also serve as a good addition, or possibly in place of your website altogether. If you happen to be someone who doesn't have the knowledge or access to creating a website of your own, then you can simply fashion your blog like one. Not only are they easy to design, by creating "posts" that can act as the categories in a website (i.e. portfolio, bio, books, etc.), it can still achieve in getting your work seen.
• Directories - There are a number of websites out there that specifically advertise to Art Directors and other interested parties. Picture-Book and Childrensillustrators are two that come to mind that cater to the children's market. For a fee, you can have your portfolio be included. Some of these websites also provide printed material but I will discuss that below in the print category. I personally have mixed feelings about sites like these and their effectiveness. Because of the nature of how these sites work, you are put in a sea of hundreds of other illustrators without much control as to who sees your work. I'm sure if you ask around, you will also find testimonials of illustrators finding work this way as well, so it does happen. I suggest you weigh the cost versus the benefit.
• Social media - Whether it's Facebook, or Twitter, or Pinterest, it's all about getting your name and work out there in cyberspace...cause you never know who's watching. Facebook for example, has a myriad of groups you can join that cater more specifically to others that share your interests. These can be a great networking tool and a way to direct traffic to your site and ultimately your work. The best part is that they don't require a lot of work, time or cost on your part.
• Forums - A forum is an extension of social media, you are again networking, making a name for yourself and getting your work out there with people that share your interest. If nothing else, sometimes it's just nice to have a place to talk shop, share stories, or get feedback from others that can relate.
  
  

  

  
  

  
  

• Physically - With your bound portfolio in hand:

• Conferences - For those looking to get into children's publishing, SCBWI (Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators) is probably the first name that comes to mind. Not only do they hold two big conferences each year, the regional chapters also hold many events in your area. At these functions, you will be able to meet with art directors, agents, other illustrators and other key players in the field. Some of these conferences will even give you an opportunity to sit down face to face with one of these people and have them view your portfolio. Definitely a rare thing in this day and age...which leads me to the next item on the list.
• Face to face - If you happen to be fortunate enough to be in the position to meet with an Art Director in person definitely make the most of it. Treat it like a job interview, because for us, this will be the closest thing to it . So be prepared, courteous, and most of all, PROFESSIONAL! Back when I was fresh out of college, this was more of the norm; to track down the phone numbers and email addresses of Art Directors you want to work with and try to set up a meeting. I suppose these still can and do happen today, but due to an ever increasing fast-paced world, I would guess most would rather you send them work electronically or through the mail. However, be on your toes! I once had an impromptu meeting with a publisher at a dragon boat race, so you never know when lightning will strike.
  
  
  

  
  

• Print-based - Snail mail:

• Postcards/promos - I'm personally a fan of postcards. When it comes to deciding on the art, It should certainly be a stronger, if not the strongest piece in your portfolio. Obviously, your postcard is meant to be a tiny sampling of your collective work and skill set. Choosing a piece that best represents this is critical. Here are some other common questions when it comes to postcards;
• Does size matter? Yes and no. Honestly, I think it really comes down to personal preference. And not just the preference of the sender, but also the recipient. I have heard some Art Directors in favor of your traditional 4x6 postcards while others say something larger has more impact.  For the sender, the additional cost of the printing as well as the postage is something to consider. Ultimately, regardless of whichever size you decide, it's about the image you choose.
• How often should I send one? Again there's no written rule here, the consensus seem to dictate somewhere between 1-4 times a year. Personally, I would base my answer on what image I have to use, as well as how updated my portfolio is at that particular time. Let me elaborate; to me, I liken a postcard to a teaser or a trailer to a movie. The goal of a trailer is to amp up your audience before seeing the movie and entice a viewer to then go watch the film. For us the goal is the same, the illustration we choose needs to WOW a viewer and get them to go check out more of our work. So to make it worthwhile, we need to be very selective, otherwise, your card will just get tossed in with the pile of others. Furthermore, you should also consider the state of your portfolio, for instance, if someone sends out 4 postcards a year but fails to update or add more pieces to their portfolio, then you are ultimately selling the same product over and over again. To use my movie analogy, it's kind of like showing trailer after trailer to someone who has already seen the movie. So you definitely need to ask yourself; is your "movie" worth seeing multiple times. If not, I would make sure you have something new to show.
• Directories - Similar to their digital counterpart, the premise is the same. You pay for a spot and they include you in their book. Some companies, like Picture-Book, host both a website and an annual printed directory. These directories are sent to all the publishing houses. One trend I have noticed is that with the decline of the economy these past couple of years, the amount of pages these directories hold has also declined. This may or may not be a good thing because now you have less competition, but this may also mean that they might be falling out of favor to some. Again I would weigh cost versus benefit.

So here are my suggestions on how to get your work out there. Of course, these are not to ONLY ways to go about it, I'm sure we have all heard of stories about talent being discovered in the oddest of places. My advice to everyone is to do as much as you can within your budget.  But regardless of what you choose, the one thing that holds true about everything I've mentioned is that all of it takes a proactive attitude. And once you find some success, this attitude doesn't change because just like your talent, you have to continue to work and nurture it and continue to get better at it. The reality of it is, there are no secret handshakes and it's not even about who you know, the formula is simple; create a strong portfolio and then go out there and get it in front of the right people. Good luck out there!

Fun For Kids Catalog

Latest catalog released! Fun fun fun!

Is it That Time of the Year Again?

Even though we are still months away from the official start of the holiday season, I actually took it upon myself to be proactive this year. And NO, I'm not talking about pre-shopping and scoping out all the big deals and sales, or figuring out what presents to get family and friends, oh no, but more importantly, I just finished my last promo piece of the year early!

And that is a far cry from my norm, which is to procrastinate til the eleventh hour and then in a state of panic, try to whip up something that looks halfway decent. Anyway enough talk, here's the art.

Here's my initial sketch. Not much was changed from the final except for the addition of the ornament on the reindeer's nose. I thought it was a nice touch. Rudolph would be so proud.

This is the inspiration behind my illustration. Really early on, I had a pretty good idea of how I wanted to approach my color palette. I came across this illustration by Scott Gustafson (one of my favorite illustrators) and was enamored by the contrast in the warm light against the cooler moonlight. He was able to create a night scene with such warmth and richness to it, I really wanted to recreate some of that same feel in my own illustration. 

The LA Experience...SCBWI Style

What a long weekend it has been! All I can say is...it was a true LA experience! We had all the cliches; the glitz, the glamour, the fancy award ceremonies with shiny trophies and acceptance speeches, a black & white gala, and of course,  no LA experience would be complete without your celebrity sightings!(though it was only Richard Simmons, so actually no not really)
Luckily for me, in between all this debauchery, I managed to squeeze in some very productive workshops and listen to some wonderful speeches given by some prominent people in children's publishing. Most were both inspiring and informative. Being my first time at an event like this, I wasn't sure what to expect, each day started bright and early and lasted throughout the day. SCBWI tried to pack as much as they could in these days, and so, it was pretty much non-stop. The big advice I received from people who had attended these conferences before were to pace yourself, talk to as many new people as you can, and have fun! And I think I did my best to do just that.

When I first decided to attend, I was really excited to meet two people for the first time, my rep Mela, whom I had been working with for over 5 years, but have never meet in person. The second was David Wiesner, a longtime fan and an admirer of his work.


Hmmm...What's there to say about Mela Bolinao? As an agent, obviously I think she's great. I liken her to a mini-dynamo, a whirling dervish, constantly on the move. From giving advice, critiquing portfolios, and presenting at workshops, all weekend she was bouncing from one thing to another. I suppose it might be a New York thing. Before this weekend, our relationship had been solely a business one. We communicated through emails, and most of our conversations consisted mainly of "are you interested in this job", "I need more work", "please fix this face", "please fix this color" and "this only pays WHAT and they need it WHEN". So it was really nice and refreshing to finally be able to interact on a more personal level. She got to meet my wife and son, and we got to hang out and talk shop and to also not talk shop. I found her surprisingly easy to talk to, even joke around with, something I'm not always the best at. I'm looking forward to our next encounter.     

Yes I assure you, that is my rep, Mela Bolinao on the screen there.

Hmmm...What's there to say about David Wiesner? As an author and illustrator, obviously I think he's great. A real master of his craft. You can really sense his passion and the love for what he does and all that really shows up in his work. The level of detail in all aspects of his picture book making process was nothing short of awe inspiring. It was both humbling and a privilege to get some insight into the way he creates. I now know what it takes to get to that next level in my own career and I am determined to work at it to achieve that goal.

David Wiesner presenting in one of his workshops.

An illustration from Art & Max by David Wiesner.

Are We Having Fun Yet?

Just managed to finish this new promo, the theme "Fun for Kids". Things are coming right down to the wire. Portfolio check. Postcards check. Just need to finish putting my dummy books together and I should be ready for the big conference next week. And then I can actually focus on finishing up this  illustration assignment that's due at the end o the month! Argh...so much left to do!

Iain McCaig interview

Really inspiring interview of illustrator and concept artist Iain McCaig,  who is popularly known for his concept work on Star Wars. The genuine passion for what he does really shines through as he talks about his life and work. I'm sure it must be a real treat to study under this guy. I especially like the way he describes digital media, that this "new technology is the traditional of the future". Definitely worth watching!

Children's Book Publishing with Matt Faulkner, Julie Downing and Andrea Brown

Just finished this insightful video about children's book publishing. Worth watching for anyone new (or not so new), and is thinking about coming into this field. They talk a little about submissions guidelines, book dummies, and other important things one should know. They also touch on the current state of children's book, and the hot topic of digital ebooks. Worth checking out.