We are so proud of our wonderful Make Art That Sells alumni and are pleased to showcase a series of gorgeous student work that was produced in our first session of Illustrating Children’s Books. Here is part 2 in the showcase series.
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This is Ada Lovelace from Expressions, Week 2. I prefer my photograph of the cut-outs to the photoshop version that I submitted. This is my favourite because these expressions gave me confidence in drawing – I believe I actually spoke out loud to my submission, an “I can do this?” kind of realization.
How did the ‘Illustrating Children’s Book’ class help you grow?
I stumbled into this class, and, spying the talent in the FB Group, definitely felt like an imposter. It didn’t take long before it didn’t matter whether or not I was an imposter – I was having so much fun cramming drawing into the wee hours of night, after work and after putting my boys to bed, which was the purpose of my partaking!
What did you discover about yourself?
I never thought there was the slightest chance of me drawing a character. By week 2, I was so happy to discover that that thought was silly; with a little effort and some great teaching, so much is possible!
How would you describe the course to a friend?
Ha. I should go back to the texts/emails that persuaded two friends to sign up for the January children’s book course… Perhaps this will sum it up: There was lots of talent, SO much information piled up daily, a wonderful and varied course led my two very passionate humans, a Facebook group full of interaction, and a path that, if followed, leads you through a very clear process that is continuable!
PS: Another favourite thing about the course is that it was also accessible to my boys who loved watching the videos and reviewing my sketchbook pages and submissions as well as drawing beside me. They are 6 and 8, and though they make art everyday, their work also improved from the course.
See more work here: Website | Instagram | Facebook
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I’ve included my double-page spread from week 4. This illustrate’s Ada Lovelace’s interest in learning to fly. Maybe it wasn’t my most successful piece from the course, but it encompasses so much growth and learning. I often hesitate to place my characters and other ‘icons’ into full-blown illustrations, for some reason. I overcame that here and found that I really enjoyed the process. I love the idea that an illustrator can bring something of him/herself to a text, something beyond the actual words, which I attempted to do by taking Ada beyond simply researching flying, to actually trying to fly. Her wild nature comes out here too, in the chaos she is generating in the library. Mr Newton, her rather sensible pigeon friend, is cringing through it all!
How did the ‘Illustrating Children’s Book’ class help you grow?
Oh, I grew SO much during this class. I gained much greater confidence in my own style and illustration process. I worked through the mental struggles that lead to the realisation that even though there are so many brilliant illustrators out there, I still have something to give through my own illustration work. I’m learning to be myself with a vengeance, thanks to Lilla Rogers! I loved how Zoe really coached us through the process of giving life to our characters through poses and expressions. That’s going to help my fine art work as well as my illustration work!
What did you discover about yourself?
Working in a large class with so many very talented illustrators raised a lot of self-doubt. Working through that self-doubt (with encouragement from Lilla and Zoe) clarified to me that I really just love to draw, and will therefore continue to develop my illustration skills (putting in my 10000 hours!), even when it feels like so many others can do it better! I confirmed that my illustration strengths lie in drawing characters, whereas use of colour and tonal value (i.e. making my illustrations ‘pop’) is something that needs some work!
How would you describe the course to a friend?
‘Illustrating Children’s Books’ is a wonderfully intense experience that takes you through every conceivable element of children’s book illustration. Art agent Lilla Rogers and art director Zoe Tucker provide a wealth of tips, guidance and suggestions for producing powerful illustrations. Being in the class motivates you to pull out your very best illustration efforts in order to produce a bunch of portfolio-ready pages. Such a thrilling five weeks!
See more work here: Website | Facebook | Instagram
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This spread that I illustrated from The Owl and the Pussycat by Edward Lear shows the two friends discovering an incredible new land after a year and a day at sea.
This was my favorite week of the Illustrating Children’s Book class because I got to draw my characters into a fun landscape with crazy plants and colorful ocean waves.
How did the ‘Illustrating Children’s Book’ class help you grow?
The Illustrating Children’s Book class helped me grow by giving me clear guidelines and examples while at the same time encouraging me to be unconventional and playful.
What did you discover about yourself?
I discovered that I don’t have to be limited to the same media I’ve always used, that I can work quickly and trust the techniques that I’ve been experimenting with over the last year to look great for picture book illustration.
How would you describe the course to a friend?
I would describe this course as a chance to gain real insight about why some illustrations work and others need improvement. Lilla and Zoe even go beyond that to share tips to create eye-catching presentations to publishing professionals. There are lots of concrete action steps, examples, encouragement, and a fantastic online community of artists.
See more work here: Website | Blog | Instagram
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The image I have chosen is from Week 3, Poses. Creating a spread of my main character, Ada Lovelace, really helped me to “get to know” the character and brought to life in my imagination how she would live in her world.
How did the ‘Illustrating Children’s Book’ class help you grow?
The course gave me the confidence to know how to submit work to Art Directors, thanks to the generosity of insight and comprehensive information provided by Zoë Tucker.
What did you discover about yourself?
That I can draw people with expressions in a variety of poses, something I’d worried that I’d almost “unlearnt” over the years (from exploring less figurative subjects).
How would you describe the course to a friend?
A unique insight into what Art Directors and Children’s Publishers are looking for, and exactly how to go about getting that deal.
See more work here: Website | Instagram
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Week 4 -The Environment. During this week, we got to place our characters into their environment. I loved each week, but this week in particular was fun because it made the characters come to life! It was so incredible to see how creative everyone got and how they interpreted the story and environment.
How did the ‘Illustrating Children’s Book’ class help you grow?
This course stretched me as an artist. Lila had mini exercises each week that helped me let go of my fear and play as I explored my creativity. I learned how to draw emotions, poses, environments, and so much more! I felt supported every step of the way.
What did you discover about yourself?
I learned how to be kind to myself while I was learning something new. Instead of feeling threatened by all the great artists in the course, I felt inspired and excited to see what everyone would come up with each week.
How would you describe the course to a friend?
I highly recommend this course to anyone that has ever wanted to illustrate a children’s book. This class is FULL of great information! I could not get over the depth and wealth of knowledge that is so generously given. I think what I appreciated most is the love and support from Lila, Zoey and all the other artists. As a creative person, I feel vulnerable putting myself out into the world, but Lila created a safe environment to do so.
See more work here: Website | Instagram
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Stephanie Forsyth | Stephie Mae Illustrations
I loved the supporting characters week! It allowed to me really explore some fun and interesting friends for my main character. (Though to be honest, I think every week my was favorite!)
How did the ‘Illustrating Children’s Book’ class help you grow?
“Illustrating Children’s Book” class gently eased me into adding so much more fun detail into my images. It also showed me how to break down a BIG assignment like a book into more manageable goals and tasks.
What did you discover about yourself?
I discovered that I REALLY enjoy working digitally. I also learned that I do have a distinct style of my own starting and that the more I embrace that, the better I do! (Thanks Lilla for driving home the BE YOU message!)
How would you describe the course to a friend?
This course is pretty much a run down on how to work in the children’s book industry. Lilla and Zoe have so much industry knowledge that they share, that it feels like you gain six months worth of knowledge in just five weeks, without feeling overwhelmed at all! They have such a knack for pacing the class, that you really reach for higher goals, achieve them, AND you don’t feel like you’ve bitten off more than you can chew.
See more work here: Website
In five weeks, you’ll create a brilliant children’s book pitch to help you land your dream children’s book gig. You’ll get over 20 videos, weekly assignments, live weekly video reviews, interviews with publishers and illustrators and more. Co-taught by top art agent Lilla Rogers and highly-respected children’s book art director Zoe Tucker.
Spaces are limited! Don’t miss out. REGISTER HERE
