For Illustrators



© Maru Vargas



Picture Book Illustration 101






Techniques/ Tips



Gesture: Why All the Fuss? 

Historical Accuracy in Illustration: Shifting Standards or Stubborn Certainties? 

How I Study Picture Books


Quentin Blake's 7 Golden Rules of Illustration


Catching that Expression


Learning in the Flesh: Why Disney Sends Its Animators to Life Drawing Class



Developing Characters

Drawing 100 Lions or Maybe More


Characters with Character 


How to Design Characters: Discover a Foolproof Methodology


How to Turn "a" Boy into "This" Boy


Human Anatomy Fundamentals: Drawing Different Ages


Why Use Photo References


Thumbnails/ Storyboards 

How WHERE ARE MY BOOKS was made (part 2): Thinking Visually with a Thumbnail Sketch Template, plus free print ready template for picture book writers and illustrators

Websites/Blogs with Good Information

Art of the Picture Book - Exploring Design and Illustrations in Children's Picture Books

How to Be a Children’s Illustrator: Mark Mitchell’s blog on children’s illustration

ChrisOatley.com: website and blog of Disney character designer who blogs about concept art and illustration, contains links to his online courses

Diana Toledano Illustration and Education - bilingual English-Spanish blog with illustration and writing tips

KidLitArtists
: the online home of the SCBWI LA Illustration Portfolio Mentorship Program winners

Once Upon a Sketch: a blog that shares information and news for the children’s illustration market. 

#Kidlitart: home of a live Twitter chat Thursday evenings 9 p.m. Eastern, weekly transcripts and blog posts

Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast: Jules Danielson's literary salon where writers and artists converge to talk about children’s books. 

Sub It Club's Postcard Posts



Making a Dummy

Making a Picture Book Dummy, SCBWI British Isles

Dummy Books Part 1: Making the Dummy - excellent overview of steps to take to make a dummy

Advice for Building a Portfolio


Donald Wu Illustrations "How to Build an Illustration Portfolio" 

Juana Martinez Neal "How to Put a Children's Illustration Portfolio Together" 

Tips for Building an Illustrator Website (Twitter thread)


Pricing Your Work/ Business Aspects


Strategies for Pricing Your Illustration Work


Will Terry video: How Much Money Can You Make Illustrating Children's Books


Molly Crabapple's 15 Rules for Creative Success in the Internet Age


Pricing Resources


Working Art Part 1: Exposure v. Exploitation


Pricing Your Illustration Work

Book Illustration Prices

How to Protect Your Art from Getting Stolen

Picture Book Illustration Pricing

Pictures Mean Business

Illustration Pricing Survey 2019

Illustration Licensing Explained - For the Small Business Owner & Marketer

4 Tips for Your First Year as a Freelance Illustrator



What Editors & Directors Want


What Makes Amazing Children's Illustrations? An Editor's Perspective

Giuseppe Castellano: All The Wonders (podcast, Penguin Art Director answers questions)


Online Courses for Illustrators


Live classes at the SVS: join expert illustrators in live classes beginning in January on topics such as idea generation, making book covers, painting textures/details, and jump starting your creativity.

Chris Oatley’s classes: Disney character designer provides classes on concept art and illustration

Make Your Splashes, Make Your Marks: online course for children’s illustration that includes monthly online critique sessions

The School of Visual Storytelling: online, interactive illustration courses taught by working professionals (Jake Parker, Will Terry, and Ryan Halderman). 

Will Terry’s Folio Academy: reasonably priced video art classes that cover everything from basic drawing to advanced topics, with several children’s illustration classes.

Alicia Padron: reasonably priced online beginner's illustration classes with one on one feedback


Shadra Strickland: The Art of the Picture Book: reasonably priced and well organized class on illustrating for children on Craftsy


Wendy Martin's Illustrator Class for Children's Illustrator


The Illustration Department: Art Director Giuseppe Castellano provides a variety of courses, such as 3-month mentorship, a 3-week picture book workshop, 3-week illustration workshop, a 1-hr portfolio review, and more.

OC Art Studios: affordable and accessible higher education courses for students interested in learning fundamentals of animation, comics, and illustration, by Larissa Marantz, former Nickelodeon Illustrator, animation character designer, gallery artist, and published children's book illustrator. 2021 classes include: Painting: Color and Light; Character & Costume Design; Visual Storytelling 

Sept. 21 (enrollment opens Sept. 13-20) School of Visual Storytelling Children's Book Pro Illustration Course Join art instructors Will Terry, Jake Parker, and Lee White in a 10-week zoom class on illustrating children's books (also can be taken at your own pace). 




Inspiration

The Yeeha of Inspiration


Why No One Likes Your Art: 26 Reasons (oddly encouraging insights)


Go Ahead: Make Stuff: Isabel Roxas




Other Resources


FREE Andrew Loomis Art Instruction Downloads (detailed illustration, drawing, and painting books)


Step by Step Instructions on Making a Ball-Jointed Doll


KidLitGN- a new Facebook group for writers and illustrators interested in MG and lower graphic novels

Events

Portfolio Day (Twitter promo #portfolio day next happening on July 12, 2022)

Practice Figure Drawing

Pose Maniacs

Figure & Gesture Drawing Practice

Drawing Tutorials Online

Networking Sites (Directories, Societies

Children'sIllustrators.com - international directory of children's illustrators

Kindrling - a place to connect with illustrators & designers

Graphic Artists Guild - professional organization for graphic artist

Illustration Mundo - online resource for illustrators; directory of illustrators

Society of Illustrators Exhibits, lectures, educational programs, 

and other resources for illustrators




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