Raindrop, Plop!
Written by Wendy Cheyette Lewison
Illustrated by Pam Paparone
Published by Viking / Penguin Young Readers Group 2004
Raindrop, Plop! is a fantasticly written book for young readers. A young girl and her dog finds many things to count as they play outside on a rainy day. As the storm developes into a downpour, they venture inside and find more objects to count as they dry off in a warm house.
The bright colors used in the illustrations is what drew my attention to the book. I love the way that Pam used a bright, orange red and juxtaposed it along a kelly green on the rain boots. A lot of times, I think the illustrations are what sells a book. At least for someone that is taking a quick glance trying to make a decision. I know for myself, I buy books for the pictures. I'm an illustrator, what can you expect, right?
I wonder what percentage of people, meaning parents, librarians, teachers, etc. would buy books based on the illustrations.
I should take a poll. Here's what I would ask: "If you had to make a decision between 2 books, and couldn't read the text, what would you base your decision on?" I think the answers would be interesting!
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Friday, June 26, 2009
Eric Carle
Highlights of the Biography of Eric Carle
Eric Carle is the beloved creator of brilliantly colored illustrations that appear in some of the most popular children's books. The Very Hungry Caterpiller has eaten it's way into millions of hearts all over the world. This book has been translated into more than 47 languages and has sold over 29 million copies. Since The Very Hungry Caterpiller was first published in 1969, Carle has illustrated more than 70 titles and many of them have appeared on the best seller list. Most of these books, he has written and illustrated and more than 88 million copies have sold worldwide.
Eric was born in Syracuse, New York in 1929. He moved with his parent to Germany w hen he was 6 years old. In Germany, Carle was educated at a fine art school and in 1952, returned to America with a portfolio in hand. He went to work for the promotions department for the New York Times as a graphic designer. Later, he became the art director.
After some time, Bill Martin, Jr. approached Eric Carle about illustrating a book for him. Bill Martin had been facinated with a picture of a red lobster that Carle had created for an advertisement. Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? was the result of their collaboration. This was the true beginning of Eric's career. Soon, he was also writing. His first written and illustrated book was 1,2,3 to the Zoo, and soon followed The Hungry Caterpillar.
Eric Carle has a distinct and recognizable style. His artwork is created using the collage technique. Carle hand paints his papers using a rainbow of different colors and textures. He then cuts out shapes and begins to lay them down to form his objects. Many of his books have added dimension, like die-cut pages and twinkling lights to help bring life to his illustrations. This gives the books a life-like quality-- a toy that can be read and played with.
The secret to Carle's books appeal with children, is his understanding and mutual respect of children.
Eric Carle is the beloved creator of brilliantly colored illustrations that appear in some of the most popular children's books. The Very Hungry Caterpiller has eaten it's way into millions of hearts all over the world. This book has been translated into more than 47 languages and has sold over 29 million copies. Since The Very Hungry Caterpiller was first published in 1969, Carle has illustrated more than 70 titles and many of them have appeared on the best seller list. Most of these books, he has written and illustrated and more than 88 million copies have sold worldwide.
Eric was born in Syracuse, New York in 1929. He moved with his parent to Germany w hen he was 6 years old. In Germany, Carle was educated at a fine art school and in 1952, returned to America with a portfolio in hand. He went to work for the promotions department for the New York Times as a graphic designer. Later, he became the art director.
After some time, Bill Martin, Jr. approached Eric Carle about illustrating a book for him. Bill Martin had been facinated with a picture of a red lobster that Carle had created for an advertisement. Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? was the result of their collaboration. This was the true beginning of Eric's career. Soon, he was also writing. His first written and illustrated book was 1,2,3 to the Zoo, and soon followed The Hungry Caterpillar.
Eric Carle has a distinct and recognizable style. His artwork is created using the collage technique. Carle hand paints his papers using a rainbow of different colors and textures. He then cuts out shapes and begins to lay them down to form his objects. Many of his books have added dimension, like die-cut pages and twinkling lights to help bring life to his illustrations. This gives the books a life-like quality-- a toy that can be read and played with.
The secret to Carle's books appeal with children, is his understanding and mutual respect of children.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Creative Flow
Entering and Optimizing the Creative Flow State
I always wondered about the creative flow state. I subconsciously knew it existed, but felt it was very illusive and never felt like I could harness it. I always thought if someone could bottle it, they could make a fortune. I’m talking about the creative flow state where you lose track of all time and you become one with the project in front of you.
There are 7 steps for optimizing the highly creative flow state:
1. Have a clear purpose.
To crank up the flow state, you need a goal. Decide what you want to create and why. Start with a clear intention like, “I am going to draw a black and white illustration for my portfolio.”
If you are working on a larger project with a broader scale, state your purpose for this single creative session. What will you accomplish right now? Do you need a character design? Will you need to paint the background for an illustration?
Don’t box yourself in – leave yourself enough clarity that it will be a general direction. Let it simply be enough to get you working.
2. Have a motive.
Why do you need to be creative? Does the task affect you personally? Why do you care about the project?
If I don’t care about the project I’m working on, no matter how hard I try, the creative will not flow! I have got to care about the project I am working on, otherwise time will pass slowly and chances are good that it will not be my best work.
3. Let there be a worthy challenge.
To awaken your true and worthy potential, let the challenge rate on a scale of 1-10, 1 being remedial and 10 being rocket-science, around a 7-8. You want a task that will keep your attention, but not something that is so ridiculously easy or difficult that you lose interest.
4. Provide yourself a conducive environment.
You will find certain conditions are better for entering the creative flow state than others, and other conditions will make it completely impossible. The optimum environment varies from person to person, so you will need to experiment to see what works best for you.
I work best when I am completely alone and have music on in the background. I have to have complete “heads down” time with absolutely no interruptions. I suggest experimenting with different music to see what has an effect on your ability to maintain the creative flow state.
5. Schedule a committed block of time.
It normally takes me about 15 minutes before I begin to enter the flow state. After about 30-45 minutes, I’m totally consumed and flowing. After the first hour, I tend to hit the state of deep concentration and the only time I stop working is for snack breaks or fatigue.
I think a work block of 3 hours should be minimum for a serious creative task, maybe even closer to 5-6 hours. Once you are cranking away in the flow, time passes differently. You will barely notice the time passing.
6. Prevent distractions
If you can’t keep yourself away from emails, phone calls, and the like, you won’t consistently achieve and maintain the creative flow state. You need to do whatever it takes to prevent interruptions during your creative work time. Make arrangements with whomever to ensure that you will only be interrupted with fire or blood.
I like to tidy my desk as a ritual to getting to work. I turn off the email, phone, and unnecessary computer programs.
If you have a creative job, and your boss makes it impossible to tune out distractions, this can severely hinder your earnings potential since your income is a function of your ability to produce creative value.
7. Become the master of your tools.
You must achieve a basic understanding of the tools you use in order to achieve subconscious competence and allow your creative mind to operate at the flow state.
When you are in the flow state, you won’t be thinking about which buttons to push because that will happen automatically. Your subconscious will handle all those details for you so you can stay focused on the task at hand.
After you turf out the first draft, you can go back and work out edits later. Work on the creative right-brain material first, then go back and preform a left-brain pass to make necessary adjustments and correct any problems.
Entering the creative flow state takes practice and is most certainly a skill. By putting these steps into practice, you will be able to enter and maintain the creative flow state more often and for longer periods of time.
I always wondered about the creative flow state. I subconsciously knew it existed, but felt it was very illusive and never felt like I could harness it. I always thought if someone could bottle it, they could make a fortune. I’m talking about the creative flow state where you lose track of all time and you become one with the project in front of you.
There are 7 steps for optimizing the highly creative flow state:
1. Have a clear purpose.
To crank up the flow state, you need a goal. Decide what you want to create and why. Start with a clear intention like, “I am going to draw a black and white illustration for my portfolio.”
If you are working on a larger project with a broader scale, state your purpose for this single creative session. What will you accomplish right now? Do you need a character design? Will you need to paint the background for an illustration?
Don’t box yourself in – leave yourself enough clarity that it will be a general direction. Let it simply be enough to get you working.
2. Have a motive.
Why do you need to be creative? Does the task affect you personally? Why do you care about the project?
If I don’t care about the project I’m working on, no matter how hard I try, the creative will not flow! I have got to care about the project I am working on, otherwise time will pass slowly and chances are good that it will not be my best work.
3. Let there be a worthy challenge.
To awaken your true and worthy potential, let the challenge rate on a scale of 1-10, 1 being remedial and 10 being rocket-science, around a 7-8. You want a task that will keep your attention, but not something that is so ridiculously easy or difficult that you lose interest.
4. Provide yourself a conducive environment.
You will find certain conditions are better for entering the creative flow state than others, and other conditions will make it completely impossible. The optimum environment varies from person to person, so you will need to experiment to see what works best for you.
I work best when I am completely alone and have music on in the background. I have to have complete “heads down” time with absolutely no interruptions. I suggest experimenting with different music to see what has an effect on your ability to maintain the creative flow state.
5. Schedule a committed block of time.
It normally takes me about 15 minutes before I begin to enter the flow state. After about 30-45 minutes, I’m totally consumed and flowing. After the first hour, I tend to hit the state of deep concentration and the only time I stop working is for snack breaks or fatigue.
I think a work block of 3 hours should be minimum for a serious creative task, maybe even closer to 5-6 hours. Once you are cranking away in the flow, time passes differently. You will barely notice the time passing.
6. Prevent distractions
If you can’t keep yourself away from emails, phone calls, and the like, you won’t consistently achieve and maintain the creative flow state. You need to do whatever it takes to prevent interruptions during your creative work time. Make arrangements with whomever to ensure that you will only be interrupted with fire or blood.
I like to tidy my desk as a ritual to getting to work. I turn off the email, phone, and unnecessary computer programs.
If you have a creative job, and your boss makes it impossible to tune out distractions, this can severely hinder your earnings potential since your income is a function of your ability to produce creative value.
7. Become the master of your tools.
You must achieve a basic understanding of the tools you use in order to achieve subconscious competence and allow your creative mind to operate at the flow state.
When you are in the flow state, you won’t be thinking about which buttons to push because that will happen automatically. Your subconscious will handle all those details for you so you can stay focused on the task at hand.
After you turf out the first draft, you can go back and work out edits later. Work on the creative right-brain material first, then go back and preform a left-brain pass to make necessary adjustments and correct any problems.
Entering the creative flow state takes practice and is most certainly a skill. By putting these steps into practice, you will be able to enter and maintain the creative flow state more often and for longer periods of time.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Book Review: The Tale of Pip and Squeak
The Tale of Pip and Squeak
Written & Illustrated by Kate Duke
Published by Dutton Children's Books / A division of Penguin Books 2007
Two mouse brothers try to out do each other every year at their annual party. One brother is a musician and the other an artist. They mutual agree to stay at opposite ends of the house except for one day out of every year. The day before the big party, a mishap occurs that brings the brothers together to reconcile their differences.
I fully enjoyed the book because it reminded me of the relationship I have with my sister as she is a musician and I am an artist. I will admit that we did have our differences growing up and now as adults, we have ironed out our issues. The writing is clean and tight. A terrific read-aloud!
The words just seem to flow as easy as the watercolor onto the page; combined with acrylic, ink and gouache the little pleasant mouse neighborhood springs to life. The mice have made an attic their home with an old suitcase as the movie theater, a tricycle becomes a ferris wheel. The fine detail in the pictures will keep young and old captivated for hours. You will always see something different everytime you pick up the book. A fantastic pictoral read as well.
Written & Illustrated by Kate Duke
Published by Dutton Children's Books / A division of Penguin Books 2007
Two mouse brothers try to out do each other every year at their annual party. One brother is a musician and the other an artist. They mutual agree to stay at opposite ends of the house except for one day out of every year. The day before the big party, a mishap occurs that brings the brothers together to reconcile their differences.
I fully enjoyed the book because it reminded me of the relationship I have with my sister as she is a musician and I am an artist. I will admit that we did have our differences growing up and now as adults, we have ironed out our issues. The writing is clean and tight. A terrific read-aloud!
The words just seem to flow as easy as the watercolor onto the page; combined with acrylic, ink and gouache the little pleasant mouse neighborhood springs to life. The mice have made an attic their home with an old suitcase as the movie theater, a tricycle becomes a ferris wheel. The fine detail in the pictures will keep young and old captivated for hours. You will always see something different everytime you pick up the book. A fantastic pictoral read as well.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Book Review: The Grouchy Ladybug
The Grouchy Ladybug
Written and Illustrated by Eric Carle
Published by Harper Collins Publishers 1999
The Grouchy Ladybug is about just that - a grouchy ladybug. He tries to pick fights with all sorts of animals and thinks that he is bigger than everyone else. He continues on his journey throughout the day to meet bigger and bigger "friends." By the end of the day, he meets his match and learns to be a better bug!
This story is great because it is fast moving and it invites children to learn the concepts of time, size, shape, and manners!
I love this story because it is written very repetitive and children catch on to that concept quickly. This invites them to want to read because they already know a part of the story.
Here is a small excerpt:
At six o'clock
it met a yellow jacket.
"Hey you," said
the grouchy ladybug.
"Want to fight?"
"If you insist," said
the yellow jacket,
showing its stinger.
"Oh, you're not
big enough," said
the grouchy ladybug
and flew off.
Children will love it!! I love it!
Sometime soon I will do a posting about how Eric Carle executes his illustrations. Stay tuned!
I will be highlighting other illustrators whom I think are worthy. If you find someone you think should be given the spotlight, please let me know! I will be open to your nomination!
Written and Illustrated by Eric Carle
Published by Harper Collins Publishers 1999
The Grouchy Ladybug is about just that - a grouchy ladybug. He tries to pick fights with all sorts of animals and thinks that he is bigger than everyone else. He continues on his journey throughout the day to meet bigger and bigger "friends." By the end of the day, he meets his match and learns to be a better bug!
This story is great because it is fast moving and it invites children to learn the concepts of time, size, shape, and manners!
I love this story because it is written very repetitive and children catch on to that concept quickly. This invites them to want to read because they already know a part of the story.
Here is a small excerpt:
At six o'clock
it met a yellow jacket.
"Hey you," said
the grouchy ladybug.
"Want to fight?"
"If you insist," said
the yellow jacket,
showing its stinger.
"Oh, you're not
big enough," said
the grouchy ladybug
and flew off.
Children will love it!! I love it!
Sometime soon I will do a posting about how Eric Carle executes his illustrations. Stay tuned!
I will be highlighting other illustrators whom I think are worthy. If you find someone you think should be given the spotlight, please let me know! I will be open to your nomination!
Monday, June 22, 2009
Working in Home Studio with Children
A Day in the Life of an Illustrator
Five years ago I decided to "officially" work full time from my home studio as an artist. I had many previous jobs that allowed me to get the experience needed to handle most anything that a client would need. My plan was to start a family after work started to pick up and the money-flow was even. For the most part, all of this has happened just the way I imagined it.
Throwing children in the mix of working in the studio has been an eye opener! My daughter was born in August of 2006 (Yes, she's sneaking up on her 3rd birthday and very excited about it). In December of that year, I was offered a "guaranteed print" picture book for children. The time frame was disgustingly quick with a fast turn around. When I started the project, Hannah was 4 1/2 months old. This was relatively easy to manage because she was still sleeping quite a bit and needed bottles. The swing provided sufficient entertainment as I worked my hands to the bone one room away! After the project was finished, I had some brief time where I was able to get Hannah down for naps which provided me a good chunk of time to be productive. By the time she turned 2, naps were history. I never saw it coming! Suddenly my quiet work time had been ripped away and I was looking for anything to entertain my child so I could work! I spent about 8 months in utter frustration "trying to work" while Hannah was crawling all over me and needed stories, juice, diaper changes, walks, you name it! My freelance jobs were slipping away and I felt like I was drowning in stress and straining to see the pin-hole light at the end of the tunnel. What in the world was I thinking? All of a sudden, I became jealous of the people that went to an office to work because it meant they were uninterupted and could get their job done in fewer hours. Hmmm. Obviously, I needed the same thing.
About the time I made the decision to transition to children's illustration, instead of graphic design, my husband and I had a talk about how to get this mess to iron out. What was going to happen if I got a big book deal like the one before? A long story short - we decided that I needed to hold morning and night office hours and take afternoon off to get errands run, the house cleaned, etc. It seems to be working better, however it has taken some time to make the transition.
So far, I have learned this: No matter how hard things get in your life, if you make a few adjustments, there will be a way to make it work a little better. AND - just when you get into a nice, comfortable routine, it's all going to change and you have to adjust AGAIN!!
Five years ago I decided to "officially" work full time from my home studio as an artist. I had many previous jobs that allowed me to get the experience needed to handle most anything that a client would need. My plan was to start a family after work started to pick up and the money-flow was even. For the most part, all of this has happened just the way I imagined it.
Throwing children in the mix of working in the studio has been an eye opener! My daughter was born in August of 2006 (Yes, she's sneaking up on her 3rd birthday and very excited about it). In December of that year, I was offered a "guaranteed print" picture book for children. The time frame was disgustingly quick with a fast turn around. When I started the project, Hannah was 4 1/2 months old. This was relatively easy to manage because she was still sleeping quite a bit and needed bottles. The swing provided sufficient entertainment as I worked my hands to the bone one room away! After the project was finished, I had some brief time where I was able to get Hannah down for naps which provided me a good chunk of time to be productive. By the time she turned 2, naps were history. I never saw it coming! Suddenly my quiet work time had been ripped away and I was looking for anything to entertain my child so I could work! I spent about 8 months in utter frustration "trying to work" while Hannah was crawling all over me and needed stories, juice, diaper changes, walks, you name it! My freelance jobs were slipping away and I felt like I was drowning in stress and straining to see the pin-hole light at the end of the tunnel. What in the world was I thinking? All of a sudden, I became jealous of the people that went to an office to work because it meant they were uninterupted and could get their job done in fewer hours. Hmmm. Obviously, I needed the same thing.
About the time I made the decision to transition to children's illustration, instead of graphic design, my husband and I had a talk about how to get this mess to iron out. What was going to happen if I got a big book deal like the one before? A long story short - we decided that I needed to hold morning and night office hours and take afternoon off to get errands run, the house cleaned, etc. It seems to be working better, however it has taken some time to make the transition.
So far, I have learned this: No matter how hard things get in your life, if you make a few adjustments, there will be a way to make it work a little better. AND - just when you get into a nice, comfortable routine, it's all going to change and you have to adjust AGAIN!!
Friday, June 19, 2009
Un-Brella
Un-Brella
Illustrated by Scott E. Franson
Published by Roaring Brook Press
Just imagine if you had a magic umbrella that could change the weather outside to whatever you wanted it to be, wherever you went. Open this book to find out how one little girl changes uses her un-brella to change the world she lives in.
I think the book is exquisite. It was created by Scott Franson, a graphic designer who developed the illustrations digitally on the computer. I’m guessing the large part of the work was made in Illustrator and Photoshop. The color scheme is very nice as it is not too bold, however, it matches the tone for the book beautifully. I like wordless books for young children because they don’t need words to tell them the story. The child will make up the story as they look through the pages. Lastly, of course, the illustrator does not need to leave room for the text! The illustrator has the whole page as their playground. I love that!
I think it is a book that children will enjoy for a long time to come.
Illustrated by Scott E. Franson
Published by Roaring Brook Press
Just imagine if you had a magic umbrella that could change the weather outside to whatever you wanted it to be, wherever you went. Open this book to find out how one little girl changes uses her un-brella to change the world she lives in.
I think the book is exquisite. It was created by Scott Franson, a graphic designer who developed the illustrations digitally on the computer. I’m guessing the large part of the work was made in Illustrator and Photoshop. The color scheme is very nice as it is not too bold, however, it matches the tone for the book beautifully. I like wordless books for young children because they don’t need words to tell them the story. The child will make up the story as they look through the pages. Lastly, of course, the illustrator does not need to leave room for the text! The illustrator has the whole page as their playground. I love that!
I think it is a book that children will enjoy for a long time to come.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Reading Wordless Children’s Books
What? How do you read a wordless picture book?
David Weisner is one of the greats for illustrating wordless children’s picture books. A Caldacott Medal winner for Flotsam and Tuesday and Caldacott Honor Award winner for Free Fall and Sector 7. David’s illustration is very detailed and tight representational. I love his illustration, personally.
Wordless picture books are pictures on their own, waiting to connect with a reader who will give words to their story. Successful wordless picture books have to draw the viewer in right away and draw out the child’s imagination.
When sharing a picture book with an audience, tell them you need help re-telling the story. Allow a member of the audience to name the main character. Any name, it doesn’t matter what it is. Ask the viewer what the main character is thinking or feeling. Use adjectives when possible. Ask the viewer how the main character is feeling based on the facial expression. What is the main character thinking? Use narrative based on the viewers to move the story along. Engage the viewer by having them tell you where their imaginations are going as they read the pictures in the book. What do they see happening in the story?
Some stories don’t need to be explained to be enjoyed. Without words, the reader is forced to look more closely at the pictures – looking for clues for the narrative. Words provide cues for how to look at the illustrations. Without them, you have to interpret.
As the narrator, calling attention to the details is key. I like to pour over the illustrations and point out all of the small details. Many illustrators enjoy hiding objects or characters in different places throughout the book challenging the viewer to find them. It’s up to the viewer to accept the challenge.
However, reading without words is both challenging and rewarding. The more you do it, the more you get out of wordless picture books. The gift is the creativity that inspires in the viewer.
David Weisner is one of the greats for illustrating wordless children’s picture books. A Caldacott Medal winner for Flotsam and Tuesday and Caldacott Honor Award winner for Free Fall and Sector 7. David’s illustration is very detailed and tight representational. I love his illustration, personally.
Wordless picture books are pictures on their own, waiting to connect with a reader who will give words to their story. Successful wordless picture books have to draw the viewer in right away and draw out the child’s imagination.
When sharing a picture book with an audience, tell them you need help re-telling the story. Allow a member of the audience to name the main character. Any name, it doesn’t matter what it is. Ask the viewer what the main character is thinking or feeling. Use adjectives when possible. Ask the viewer how the main character is feeling based on the facial expression. What is the main character thinking? Use narrative based on the viewers to move the story along. Engage the viewer by having them tell you where their imaginations are going as they read the pictures in the book. What do they see happening in the story?
Some stories don’t need to be explained to be enjoyed. Without words, the reader is forced to look more closely at the pictures – looking for clues for the narrative. Words provide cues for how to look at the illustrations. Without them, you have to interpret.
As the narrator, calling attention to the details is key. I like to pour over the illustrations and point out all of the small details. Many illustrators enjoy hiding objects or characters in different places throughout the book challenging the viewer to find them. It’s up to the viewer to accept the challenge.
However, reading without words is both challenging and rewarding. The more you do it, the more you get out of wordless picture books. The gift is the creativity that inspires in the viewer.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Pirate Treasure
Pirate Treasure
Written & Illustrated by Loretta Krupinski
Published by Dutton Children’s Books 2006
“Some are weatherwise, some are otherwise.” – Benjamin Franklin
When a raging storm drives the pirate ship upstream, Captain Oliver and his first mate, Rosie decide to settle in a little town named Mousam. Their new surroundings bring them to change their clothes to a rural, farmer style. After they discover learning to grow grain is easier than living upon a ship and making friends, a huge storm blows up and the Captain’s talent for maneuvering a ship and ability to predict the weather helps to uncover the greatest treasure for the Captain, Rosie, and the people of Mousam.
Loretta Krupinski has painted rich and very detailed illustrations for the book. These illustrations truly made my jaw drop and gave the motivation I need to get back in the studio. They inspired me to try some extra detail in my color work. The color is strong, bold and beautiful.
Gouache is an amazing medium. It goes on like watercolor, by dries and is “permanent” like acrylics. Permanent meaning, “after it dries, that’s it. You can’t rewet it and move it around like watercolor.” This makes it a perfect medium for highly detailed illustrations.
With 9 spreads and 14 single pages illustrated, the book is beautifully laid out and planned. The breaks in spreads and single pages add enough diversity to be interesting.
Written & Illustrated by Loretta Krupinski
Published by Dutton Children’s Books 2006
“Some are weatherwise, some are otherwise.” – Benjamin Franklin
When a raging storm drives the pirate ship upstream, Captain Oliver and his first mate, Rosie decide to settle in a little town named Mousam. Their new surroundings bring them to change their clothes to a rural, farmer style. After they discover learning to grow grain is easier than living upon a ship and making friends, a huge storm blows up and the Captain’s talent for maneuvering a ship and ability to predict the weather helps to uncover the greatest treasure for the Captain, Rosie, and the people of Mousam.
Loretta Krupinski has painted rich and very detailed illustrations for the book. These illustrations truly made my jaw drop and gave the motivation I need to get back in the studio. They inspired me to try some extra detail in my color work. The color is strong, bold and beautiful.
Gouache is an amazing medium. It goes on like watercolor, by dries and is “permanent” like acrylics. Permanent meaning, “after it dries, that’s it. You can’t rewet it and move it around like watercolor.” This makes it a perfect medium for highly detailed illustrations.
With 9 spreads and 14 single pages illustrated, the book is beautifully laid out and planned. The breaks in spreads and single pages add enough diversity to be interesting.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Books from Birth
Books from Birth of Middle Tennessee
This is a worth while program I think it deserves a spotlight.
In 2004, Governor Phil Bredesen established a non-profit Governor’s Books from Birth Foundation as a resource to Tennesseans establishing and maintaining county Imagination Libraries. Over the years, the program has grown by leaps and bounds.
Tennessee’s statewide Imagination Library provides new, age-appropriate, hardcover books to children that are registered in the program. Children receive these books at no cost to the family regardless of income. More than 7.7 million Imagination Library books have been delivered to Tennessee children since October 2004.
Today, nearly 210,000 Tennessee children throughout 95 counties will receive a free book in the mail.
All of Tennessee’s 370,000 children under age 5 has access to the Imagination Library.
More than 101,763 5-year olds have “graduated” from the program. This means that the statewide program has served over 308,627 since the beginning in 2004.
The Imagination Library
The cost of providing books to children for an entire year is $28 dollars per child. The cost is split evenly between a non-profit sponsoring organization in each county and the Governor’s Book from Birth Foundation.
A committee of childhood education experts selects the books for the Imagination Library. These include classics such as, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, The Little Engine That Could, The Snowy Day and famous others.
Up to 10 bilingual books are featured throughout the birth-to-age-five program. These feature Spanish and English text on the same page.
In many hospitals, nurses register the babies the very day they are born. Pediatricians and family physicians give parents a prescription to read.
This is a worth while program I think it deserves a spotlight.
In 2004, Governor Phil Bredesen established a non-profit Governor’s Books from Birth Foundation as a resource to Tennesseans establishing and maintaining county Imagination Libraries. Over the years, the program has grown by leaps and bounds.
Tennessee’s statewide Imagination Library provides new, age-appropriate, hardcover books to children that are registered in the program. Children receive these books at no cost to the family regardless of income. More than 7.7 million Imagination Library books have been delivered to Tennessee children since October 2004.
Today, nearly 210,000 Tennessee children throughout 95 counties will receive a free book in the mail.
All of Tennessee’s 370,000 children under age 5 has access to the Imagination Library.
More than 101,763 5-year olds have “graduated” from the program. This means that the statewide program has served over 308,627 since the beginning in 2004.
The Imagination Library
The cost of providing books to children for an entire year is $28 dollars per child. The cost is split evenly between a non-profit sponsoring organization in each county and the Governor’s Book from Birth Foundation.
A committee of childhood education experts selects the books for the Imagination Library. These include classics such as, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, The Little Engine That Could, The Snowy Day and famous others.
Up to 10 bilingual books are featured throughout the birth-to-age-five program. These feature Spanish and English text on the same page.
In many hospitals, nurses register the babies the very day they are born. Pediatricians and family physicians give parents a prescription to read.
Monday, June 15, 2009
My Two Hands, My Two Feet
My Two Hands, My Two Feet
Written by Rick Walton and Illustrated by Julia Gorton
Published by G.P. Putnam’s Sons 2000
My Two Hands, My Two Feet is a double delight. It has two books in one. On one side of the book, it is My Two Hands and then you turn the book over and the story is My Two Feet. Each book reads to the very middle of the book.
“When I wake up
My two feet wiggle
Like little kids
Who laugh and giggle.”
I think the manuscript is delightful. I love the rhythm and rhyme. The book talks about all the different things hands and feet can do during the day. A perfect book aimed at the toddler learning about hands and feet.
The illustration is creative and fun. It boasts a technique called cut paper illustration. Shapes were cut out of paper and then arranged on the board. In this case, this paper was airbrushed to add necessary modeling. This is truly a fresh style - you don’t see this everyday in children’s books. (Which is probably why is works so well!)
Written by Rick Walton and Illustrated by Julia Gorton
Published by G.P. Putnam’s Sons 2000
My Two Hands, My Two Feet is a double delight. It has two books in one. On one side of the book, it is My Two Hands and then you turn the book over and the story is My Two Feet. Each book reads to the very middle of the book.
“When I wake up
My two feet wiggle
Like little kids
Who laugh and giggle.”
I think the manuscript is delightful. I love the rhythm and rhyme. The book talks about all the different things hands and feet can do during the day. A perfect book aimed at the toddler learning about hands and feet.
The illustration is creative and fun. It boasts a technique called cut paper illustration. Shapes were cut out of paper and then arranged on the board. In this case, this paper was airbrushed to add necessary modeling. This is truly a fresh style - you don’t see this everyday in children’s books. (Which is probably why is works so well!)
Friday, June 12, 2009
I Love It When You Smile
I Love It When You Smile
Written by Sam McBratney and Illustrated by Charles Fuge
Published by HarperCollins Publishers 2005
From the bestselling author of Guess How Much I Love You, comes a masterpiece guaranteed to make you smile! Charles Fuge is the illustrator of Sometimes I Like To Curl Up In A Ball by Vicki Churchill.
Little Roo woke up and feeling grumpy. His mother tried everything to make him smile, but nothing she did would perk up little Roo. On the way to breakfast, the couple comes across a deep muddy hole and there is found a smile.
I really enjoyed this book. I thought the story was quite true to life. Every word made the story progress to the end. The story clearly communicated that the funniest little things that tend to go wrong can be funny. The watercolor / colored pencil illustrations are truly beautiful. The kangaroos look so silky you just want to reach out and touch them! Their eyes are so expressive and warm. I love how the illustrations switch back and forth between full spreads and partial spreads. What I mean is the sky in the landscape is not always rendered in. Sometimes there is sky and sometimes it is just white space. It would be an insult to the viewer to always paint in the sky. Instead, this is a perfect place to put the text in the white space.
Written by Sam McBratney and Illustrated by Charles Fuge
Published by HarperCollins Publishers 2005
From the bestselling author of Guess How Much I Love You, comes a masterpiece guaranteed to make you smile! Charles Fuge is the illustrator of Sometimes I Like To Curl Up In A Ball by Vicki Churchill.
Little Roo woke up and feeling grumpy. His mother tried everything to make him smile, but nothing she did would perk up little Roo. On the way to breakfast, the couple comes across a deep muddy hole and there is found a smile.
I really enjoyed this book. I thought the story was quite true to life. Every word made the story progress to the end. The story clearly communicated that the funniest little things that tend to go wrong can be funny. The watercolor / colored pencil illustrations are truly beautiful. The kangaroos look so silky you just want to reach out and touch them! Their eyes are so expressive and warm. I love how the illustrations switch back and forth between full spreads and partial spreads. What I mean is the sky in the landscape is not always rendered in. Sometimes there is sky and sometimes it is just white space. It would be an insult to the viewer to always paint in the sky. Instead, this is a perfect place to put the text in the white space.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
The Mine-O-Saur
(Note: I would really like to post pictures of the books, however, that would be a break in copyright permissions. The only way I can post those images is if they come directly from the book publisher.)
The Mine-O-Saur
By Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen and illustrated by David Clark
Published by G.P. Putnam’s Sons / Penguin Group 2007
Mine-O-Saur is written with beautiful rhythm and rhyme to tell a story of the Mine-O-Saur. He learns a very important lesson in sharing his toys with other kids at school and ultimately gets the thing he wants most of all.
I love to read this story to my daughter. There is enough dialog in the story that you can play with different voices and make the story come alive. The text is easy to read and flows well. The illustration is a loose, spontaneous watercolor technique with black ink to define edges and add more definition.
It’s fun to study the book layout. Some pages have full spreads and others have spot illustrations. I guess I should define spreads and spots. Spreads are illustrations / pages that cover both the left and the right pages when the book is lying open. Usually the illustration bleeds, or runs off the page. Spot illustrations are usually self contained on the page and do not run to the edge. I love when the title and copyright pages has illustration. I think this is a good place to “set the stage” for the story. Illustrate the surroundings of where the story takes place, or sometimes put a small spot illustration of one of the characters above or below the copyright / title page text.
The Mine-O-Saur
By Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen and illustrated by David Clark
Published by G.P. Putnam’s Sons / Penguin Group 2007
Mine-O-Saur is written with beautiful rhythm and rhyme to tell a story of the Mine-O-Saur. He learns a very important lesson in sharing his toys with other kids at school and ultimately gets the thing he wants most of all.
I love to read this story to my daughter. There is enough dialog in the story that you can play with different voices and make the story come alive. The text is easy to read and flows well. The illustration is a loose, spontaneous watercolor technique with black ink to define edges and add more definition.
It’s fun to study the book layout. Some pages have full spreads and others have spot illustrations. I guess I should define spreads and spots. Spreads are illustrations / pages that cover both the left and the right pages when the book is lying open. Usually the illustration bleeds, or runs off the page. Spot illustrations are usually self contained on the page and do not run to the edge. I love when the title and copyright pages has illustration. I think this is a good place to “set the stage” for the story. Illustrate the surroundings of where the story takes place, or sometimes put a small spot illustration of one of the characters above or below the copyright / title page text.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Simultaneous Submissions: Part 2
Choose Your Publishers Carefully
Dispite the long waits for publishing, writers should keep in mind that in the children's industry for books, the manuscipts will be read. It is very possible that an unknown author can be found. Target your work to the right publisher in the first place. Editors prefer this too!
Follow these tips:
Send multiple submissions to publishers that invite them.
Send queries on a multiple basis.
Watch for publishers with single-submission policies. Request a decision within a certain amount of time.
As a result, if an acceptance letter greets you at the mailbox, please notify other companies that have your manuscript that the work has left the market. Just imagine you were the editor that has spent time reading a piece no longer for sale.
Dispite the long waits for publishing, writers should keep in mind that in the children's industry for books, the manuscipts will be read. It is very possible that an unknown author can be found. Target your work to the right publisher in the first place. Editors prefer this too!
Follow these tips:
Send multiple submissions to publishers that invite them.
Send queries on a multiple basis.
Watch for publishers with single-submission policies. Request a decision within a certain amount of time.
As a result, if an acceptance letter greets you at the mailbox, please notify other companies that have your manuscript that the work has left the market. Just imagine you were the editor that has spent time reading a piece no longer for sale.
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Simultaneous Submissions: Part 1
Simultaneous submissions means sending something to more than one publisher at one time. Many writers feel like this is common sense. Writers may think they are in a hurry to get published. They know that publishers can tie up work for a long time. I've heard from 9 months to 2 years. This long wait to be rejected in the end.
Yes: Send Multiple Submissions
Almost every publisher for children's writing is willing to look at simultaneous submissions. Editors definitely will want to to know if you ever sent it out to others. It is just in good keeping with professional guidelines. Unfortunately, "simultaneous submission" does not mean "Act now - others might win the script!" If a story is strong, editors might act a little quicker. Perhaps, the script might earn an accelerated trip to the editorial director a little quicker, but the editors say most stories are not that strong.
No: Don't Send Multiple Submissions
Maybe writers are hoping for a bidding war over their manuscript if a publisher makes an offer. It probably won't happen. Most editors will step out of the deal if they find that someone else has put an offer on the table. Then where does that leave you?
Some publishers will switch to an exclusive-submissions policy if the submissions are inappropriate. Writers were primarily submitting fiction manuscripts to a non-fiction publisher. Make sure you research the publishers and what they want to receive. It's a waste of your time and the editors. The exclusive submissions comes when they still want to leave the door open for unsolicited manuscripts, which is the lifeblood of children's publishing. These new policies are put into place to improve the overall quality of work sent.
Yes: Send Multiple Submissions
Almost every publisher for children's writing is willing to look at simultaneous submissions. Editors definitely will want to to know if you ever sent it out to others. It is just in good keeping with professional guidelines. Unfortunately, "simultaneous submission" does not mean "Act now - others might win the script!" If a story is strong, editors might act a little quicker. Perhaps, the script might earn an accelerated trip to the editorial director a little quicker, but the editors say most stories are not that strong.
No: Don't Send Multiple Submissions
Maybe writers are hoping for a bidding war over their manuscript if a publisher makes an offer. It probably won't happen. Most editors will step out of the deal if they find that someone else has put an offer on the table. Then where does that leave you?
Some publishers will switch to an exclusive-submissions policy if the submissions are inappropriate. Writers were primarily submitting fiction manuscripts to a non-fiction publisher. Make sure you research the publishers and what they want to receive. It's a waste of your time and the editors. The exclusive submissions comes when they still want to leave the door open for unsolicited manuscripts, which is the lifeblood of children's publishing. These new policies are put into place to improve the overall quality of work sent.
Friday, June 5, 2009
Over-confident or humble?
Just a thought ...
TALKING ABOUT THE SLUSH PILE: Looking for a needle in a field of haystacks, and having to tell each stalk that it's not the needle you're looking for. --Unknown
When an agent decides to represent a writer, they are signing up for a long-term relationship. People show that they are hard to work with when they sound over confident in the cover letter. This shows that they have unrealistic expectations. It is far better to be humble and allow the editor or agent to discover your greatness.
When approaching publishers with a manuscript, be careful not to oversell it. Choose your words so the editor notices the book's potential on their own. There’s no substitute to finding a gem all on their own. Choose your words for the query carefully. SHOW the editor or agent the greatness of your work, don't try to TELL them how great it is. It’s a much more effective approach.
TALKING ABOUT THE SLUSH PILE: Looking for a needle in a field of haystacks, and having to tell each stalk that it's not the needle you're looking for. --Unknown
When an agent decides to represent a writer, they are signing up for a long-term relationship. People show that they are hard to work with when they sound over confident in the cover letter. This shows that they have unrealistic expectations. It is far better to be humble and allow the editor or agent to discover your greatness.
When approaching publishers with a manuscript, be careful not to oversell it. Choose your words so the editor notices the book's potential on their own. There’s no substitute to finding a gem all on their own. Choose your words for the query carefully. SHOW the editor or agent the greatness of your work, don't try to TELL them how great it is. It’s a much more effective approach.
Thursday, June 4, 2009
PB Review: Llama Llama Red Pajama
Llama Llama Red Pajama by Anna Dewdney
Published by Viking / Penguin Group 2005
“Llama Llama
Red Pajama
Reads a story
With his mama.
Mama kisses
Baby’s hair.
Mama Llama
Goes downstairs.”
This delightful story tells about mama llama putting her little llama to bed for the night. Baby learns a lesson in patience after displaying outrageous llama drama!
The words have a terrific flow and rhythm. This makes the story easy and enjoyable to read. The illustrations are full of deep, brilliant color. The story is truly told through the illustrations; you almost don’t need the words to re-tell the story. Many children will be able to identify with the story of Llama Llama Red Pajama!
Published by Viking / Penguin Group 2005
“Llama Llama
Red Pajama
Reads a story
With his mama.
Mama kisses
Baby’s hair.
Mama Llama
Goes downstairs.”
This delightful story tells about mama llama putting her little llama to bed for the night. Baby learns a lesson in patience after displaying outrageous llama drama!
The words have a terrific flow and rhythm. This makes the story easy and enjoyable to read. The illustrations are full of deep, brilliant color. The story is truly told through the illustrations; you almost don’t need the words to re-tell the story. Many children will be able to identify with the story of Llama Llama Red Pajama!
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Self Editing
I recently attended a roundtable talk with Carol Rahme, a writer and freelance editor here in Fort Collins, CO at our bi-monthly SCBWI Schmooze meeting. I wanted to share some points that she made because I thought that it was worth hearing.
The important reasons for editing are many. They range from saving your credibility, being taken seriously, challenge you to be a better writer, the better you edit you materials, the better and more control you have over your manuscript. That’s a good point right there, have you ever thought that maybe an editor will get a hold of your manuscript and completely change your voice due to all the changes they make in your manuscript? Basically, the more you edit yourself, the better your get at writing!
I know that your writing is “your baby!” Don’t completely delete the orphans. Cut and paste those to an “orphan document.” You just might be able to recycle those phrases into another writing piece.
Get some good updated dictionaries and writing tools like a thesaurus. Also own some good grammar guides. Visit any writing section of your favorite bookstore and you will be able to find what you need.
The Easy Fixes:
Find the Echo Words. These are the same words used over and over. Read your piece aloud and if you have echo words, it will be apparent. Change a few out or find another way of saying the phrase.
Listen to the rhythm. Have someone else read it aloud to you. Is it smooth and easy to listen to, or is the script bumpy and hard to read?
Avoid modifiers: watch the word, THAT and –ly words. Take these out!! They weaken your writing and indicate passive writing. Instead, use good strong verbs. If you can remove the word and the sentence will still make sense, leave it out. This will easily affect your word count. Helpful if you wrote too much.
THAT refers to people or things.
WHICH refers to things.
WHO refers to people.
Watch excessive taglines. For example: “… he said” or “… she said.” Perhaps make it an action. Choose something to move the story forward.
Be careful of Adverb Phrases: (As…, While…, etc) Your audience is better at envisioning action if it comes one action at a time.
Look for Double Prepositions. For example: “… out of”, “… over by”, “… down under.”
Be aware of Qualifiers: “Just, very, simple, some, much…” These tend to minimize what you should be maximizing.
Watch for plurals and singulars.
The word THEN tells instead of shows. Omit this and your writing just got stronger!
When all else fails, get away from it for a day or two. Let it marinate. You will gain fresh eyes and be able to make the necessary edits.
Happy editing!
The important reasons for editing are many. They range from saving your credibility, being taken seriously, challenge you to be a better writer, the better you edit you materials, the better and more control you have over your manuscript. That’s a good point right there, have you ever thought that maybe an editor will get a hold of your manuscript and completely change your voice due to all the changes they make in your manuscript? Basically, the more you edit yourself, the better your get at writing!
I know that your writing is “your baby!” Don’t completely delete the orphans. Cut and paste those to an “orphan document.” You just might be able to recycle those phrases into another writing piece.
Get some good updated dictionaries and writing tools like a thesaurus. Also own some good grammar guides. Visit any writing section of your favorite bookstore and you will be able to find what you need.
The Easy Fixes:
Find the Echo Words. These are the same words used over and over. Read your piece aloud and if you have echo words, it will be apparent. Change a few out or find another way of saying the phrase.
Listen to the rhythm. Have someone else read it aloud to you. Is it smooth and easy to listen to, or is the script bumpy and hard to read?
Avoid modifiers: watch the word, THAT and –ly words. Take these out!! They weaken your writing and indicate passive writing. Instead, use good strong verbs. If you can remove the word and the sentence will still make sense, leave it out. This will easily affect your word count. Helpful if you wrote too much.
THAT refers to people or things.
WHICH refers to things.
WHO refers to people.
Watch excessive taglines. For example: “… he said” or “… she said.” Perhaps make it an action. Choose something to move the story forward.
Be careful of Adverb Phrases: (As…, While…, etc) Your audience is better at envisioning action if it comes one action at a time.
Look for Double Prepositions. For example: “… out of”, “… over by”, “… down under.”
Be aware of Qualifiers: “Just, very, simple, some, much…” These tend to minimize what you should be maximizing.
Watch for plurals and singulars.
The word THEN tells instead of shows. Omit this and your writing just got stronger!
When all else fails, get away from it for a day or two. Let it marinate. You will gain fresh eyes and be able to make the necessary edits.
Happy editing!
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Why self-publish your children's book?
A few reasons to self-publish your children's book:
Kids really enjoy reading books and have quite an appetite for them. As a result, the children’s book industry continues to grow every year.
The children’s book industry is highly competitive, and publishers are experiencing huge “slush piles” of author queries to get through. Only a small percentage of manuscripts will get published.
It is possible for self published children’s books to be successful. After selling 10,000 copies of Time Stops For No Mouse in 2000, the author Michael Hoeye sold the book and sequel rights to Putnam for b$1.8 million.
Publishers are looking for children’s books with mass market appeal. If you happen to have a highly narrow and targeted subject, you will receive resistance from the mass market publishers.
When you self-publish, you have complete control over all aspects of the book. You have the final say about the illustrations, editing, and cover design. You also retain all rights to your book. This is not the case if you get traditionally published. The publisher will have the final say over every aspect of the book. (This is because they are footing the money for the whole production.)
You also have the potential to make more money self-publishing than being published. In a traditional arrangement, you are paid by royalties (generally about 7-9%) on each book sold, based on the retail price of the book. Sometimes the author ends up sharing the royalties with the illustrator. For example, your could make $1.50 per book if your book is being sold for $19.95. On the flipside, if you self publish, you could potentially earn 100% of the profits.
Before you self-publish, your time would be well spent if you educate yourself on the industry and the risks and rewards of both. Then, make an educated decision based on the facts. Do whatever is best for you.
Kids really enjoy reading books and have quite an appetite for them. As a result, the children’s book industry continues to grow every year.
The children’s book industry is highly competitive, and publishers are experiencing huge “slush piles” of author queries to get through. Only a small percentage of manuscripts will get published.
It is possible for self published children’s books to be successful. After selling 10,000 copies of Time Stops For No Mouse in 2000, the author Michael Hoeye sold the book and sequel rights to Putnam for b$1.8 million.
Publishers are looking for children’s books with mass market appeal. If you happen to have a highly narrow and targeted subject, you will receive resistance from the mass market publishers.
When you self-publish, you have complete control over all aspects of the book. You have the final say about the illustrations, editing, and cover design. You also retain all rights to your book. This is not the case if you get traditionally published. The publisher will have the final say over every aspect of the book. (This is because they are footing the money for the whole production.)
You also have the potential to make more money self-publishing than being published. In a traditional arrangement, you are paid by royalties (generally about 7-9%) on each book sold, based on the retail price of the book. Sometimes the author ends up sharing the royalties with the illustrator. For example, your could make $1.50 per book if your book is being sold for $19.95. On the flipside, if you self publish, you could potentially earn 100% of the profits.
Before you self-publish, your time would be well spent if you educate yourself on the industry and the risks and rewards of both. Then, make an educated decision based on the facts. Do whatever is best for you.
Monday, June 1, 2009
What do art buyers look for?
I know it must seem basic to say good drawing, good color and good composition. But -- It’s true!
Present AMAZING samples!! It’s difficult to get any illustration job if looks that you are not consistent. You must show them plenty of good pieces. Have 10-12 really strong samples on your portfolio. For children’s work, art buyers are looking for character development, interaction and reaction. The characters are “acting” in their space on the page.
I’ve talked about promoting yourself in previous posts. These might be a few other ideas for you. Arrange an 8.5x11 sheet of paper with several illustration pieces in the same style you want to present to an AD (art director). Same as the postcards, put your name and email, possibly web address on the front and send to interested art directors and editors. Another idea would be to take out an ad in a promotional directory and order the extra tearsheets to send to publishers / buyers.
Constantly study the market. Keep an eye on what publishers are buying. What makes those illustrations work? How do they flow? Look for styles close to yours and notice who publishes them. Call the publishing houses and ask for a recent catalogue. Always stay current on what is coming out.
Trends can be tricky! Timing seems to be everything when hitting a publisher with your material. Be different, dramatic and memorable. This will help your to stay on top of the buyer’s mind so that they call when they need your style. Something else that helps to stay at the top of mind awareness is the frequency of sending your promotional materials. Four times a year is good, more is better!
In closing, develop your own personal style, do it very well, practice, get criticism, study the market, and keep sending samples in the mail to art buyers. Remember to show these essential elements that buyers are looking for: Good drawing, good composition and good color!
Present AMAZING samples!! It’s difficult to get any illustration job if looks that you are not consistent. You must show them plenty of good pieces. Have 10-12 really strong samples on your portfolio. For children’s work, art buyers are looking for character development, interaction and reaction. The characters are “acting” in their space on the page.
I’ve talked about promoting yourself in previous posts. These might be a few other ideas for you. Arrange an 8.5x11 sheet of paper with several illustration pieces in the same style you want to present to an AD (art director). Same as the postcards, put your name and email, possibly web address on the front and send to interested art directors and editors. Another idea would be to take out an ad in a promotional directory and order the extra tearsheets to send to publishers / buyers.
Constantly study the market. Keep an eye on what publishers are buying. What makes those illustrations work? How do they flow? Look for styles close to yours and notice who publishes them. Call the publishing houses and ask for a recent catalogue. Always stay current on what is coming out.
Trends can be tricky! Timing seems to be everything when hitting a publisher with your material. Be different, dramatic and memorable. This will help your to stay on top of the buyer’s mind so that they call when they need your style. Something else that helps to stay at the top of mind awareness is the frequency of sending your promotional materials. Four times a year is good, more is better!
In closing, develop your own personal style, do it very well, practice, get criticism, study the market, and keep sending samples in the mail to art buyers. Remember to show these essential elements that buyers are looking for: Good drawing, good composition and good color!
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