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 the previous session of the Illustrating Children’s Books class. View more student showcase posts here.

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Michelle Vinson | Brush & Inc.

My favorite submission and week for Illustrating Children’s Books was the emotions week. Making my character come to life was always a struggle (or fear) and I felt like I broke through a barrier during this week and now feel more comfortable telling my stories through my illustrations.

How did the ‘Illustrating Children’s Book’ class help you grow?
Illustrating Children’s Book class helped me grow professionally because it confirmed that, YES, I do want to illustrate children’s books. I feel like the class gave me the steps to work hard and make that happen.

What did you discover about yourself?
I discovered that I have so much to learn still, but that I can do this!

How would you describe the course to a friend?
If I were to describe this course to a friend I would say, “it’s super high-paced and packed with information. I had to carve out some time and do this for myself. I worked hard, learned from the other classmates and still had fun. Lilla and Zoe shared so much information and passion for what they do. . . I will forever be grateful.”

See more work here: Website | Instagram | Facebook

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Anya Kopotilova | Green Rain Art

My favorite week was week 4- Background, I am mostly drawn to beautiful backgrounds when I read a picture book and scenery in general is very appealing to me. I was excited to see my characters interact in a specific setting. This is a meeting between little turtle and tiger.

How did the ‘Illustrating Children’s Book’ class help you grow?
Illustrating Children’s Books was my first introduction to children’s books illustration and it gave me a very clear picture of the path I want to take as an illustrator. The amount of information presented in the course covered every aspect of the industry and mapped out the course of action for me. I gained new appreciation of the artwork aimed at the younger audience.

What did you discover about yourself?
I discovered I can work at the pace I previously thought impossible, I realized I am better at drawing that I thought I was.

How would you describe the course to a friend?
I would say “This is a fast paced, comprehensive course that will challenge you in many ways and reward you with a portfolio of work ready to present to a publisher. The community of fellow illustrators and amazing instructors provide support necessary for beginner or experienced illustrator”

See more work here: Website | Instagram | Facebook

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Jane Sanders

How did the ‘Illustrating Children’s Book’ class help you grow?
I learned from the Illustrating Children’s Book class that making a successful piece of art for children is far more complicated than it seems at first glance. When I see people who do their craft well, I think oh how easy is that. I realized after taking this class that the best artists make their work seem effortless. It takes hard work, determination, and grit. Therein lies their gifts; to make ones work relatable, readable and beautiful all in the same breath.

How would you describe the course to a friend?
I would recommend any of Lilla’s courses. She is genuine, honest, exuberant, thoughtful and gives every aspect of her classes her everything. She makes it look easy!

See more work here: Website | Instagram

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Stephanie Olivieri

This is one of two pages of character development for Eleanor and her wanted pets. I love doing character designs and exploring them is always my favorite thing to do when I start a new book or project.

How did the ‘Illustrating Children’s Book’ class help you grow?
It pushed me to do my own work instead of just working for others on pre-existing characters. It was also great to connect with other kidlit artists in another class. I have lots of new pieces for my portfolio which I’m showing at the SCBWI winter conference in New York City Feb 2018.

What did you discover about yourself?
I don’t know really if I discovered anything, but I had a lot of fun as always in MATS.

How would you describe the course to a friend?
I would say that it’s a fun, fast-paced class that is great to develop and or improve your skills with lectures and videos every week.

See more work here: Website | Instagram | Facebook

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Shelly Laslo

Animal-loving Eleanor peers out in wonder over the magnificent city view. She dreams of having her own special pet one day. This was my absolute favorite week, firstly because it challenged me to draw a cityscape, which I had never attempted before- I had been in a true rut of drawing isolate characters on white backgrounds! Secondly, I loved this week in the Children’s Book Course because it was what made Eleanor really come to life for me- seeing her in her own special world.

How did the ‘Illustrating Children’s Book’ class help you grow?
Professionally, the class pushed me to look at characters in a much more three-dimensional way- ensuring that my Eleanor had a range of emotions and expressions, that I was drawing her in a way that enabled her to move and do the things she needed to do to covey the story. This course was also a lesson in perseverance- I found myself procrastinatlng the assignments that were out of my comfort zone (like drawing the character in odd poses and angles), but when I pushed through in order to meet the submission deadlines, I was always consistently pleased with my results!

What did you discover about yourself?
That I love illustrating for children, far more than I even thought I did when I signed up for the course! I’ve learned that any style works in children’s books, and that freed up my imagination! Having two little ones of my own, I see the wonder and excitement my own kids have when poring over a book, and I’d love to have my own name on a cover someday, so they can say “Mummy drew that!”. It’s a new path I’m super excited to explore in my illustration career.

How would you describe the course to a friend?
Exciting, addicitive, and intense in the best way possible! I’d say clearing your schedule for the five weeks is a huge advantage, and would allow you to dive in to make the more of each submission. Be prepared to grow and challenge yourself as an illustrator- I saw tremendous growth not only in myself, but in my virtual classmates as I saw them sharing their work from week to week in the Facebook group.

See more work here: Website | Instagram | Facebook

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Diane Hutton Powell

This is my Week 2 submission showcasing Eleanors many emotions. She really really REALLY wants a pet! This week was pivotal for me as I was lucky enough to be chosen for direct feedback from Lilla and Zoe- so exciting! The critique was constructive and positive and really helped me focus on where I needed to improve to go from good to great as Lilla would say!

How did the ‘Illustrating Children’s Book’ class help you grow?
This class gave me such a massive boost to my confidence, motivated me to work really hard on making more art, and made me realise where both my strengths and weaknesses lie. Even though it highlighted that I do have some weaknesses, the course gave me the tools and the confidence to try and overcome them.

What did you discover about yourself?
I discovered that with the right focus I can see that a career in illustration is achievable for me and that I should definitely have more confidence in my own abilities. I also know now that I flourish when working within a safe environment and with a supportive network of fellow artists- something that MATS provides in bucket loads!

The course is a fast track way of honing your skills, developing your style and focussing your business brain. It provides essential information as well as creative inspiration and guidance, at whatever point you are in your career. A must for any wannabe illustrators!

See more work here: Instagram

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