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daily artmatssharp Make Art That Sells MY MATS PREP #matskidbook Day 2: Setting

MY MATS PREP #matskidbook Day 2: Setting

We are pretending all week that you have just been commissioned to illustrate a children’s book. Yesterday, you played around with drawing a character called Birdie. Now, you’re going to play with the setting. The environment, or setting, is one of the most exciting parts of a children’s book. Why? Illustrators love settings because it’s their opportunity to create an imaginative world that adds to the text. I’d love to see what you do so be sure to share it on social media! Share your images on Instagram: Tag us @makeartthatsells and use hashtags #mymatsprep and #matskidbook What’s the view out of your window? Maybe you’d like to zoom in on your view. All photos by Lilla Rogers For today, you’re going to make a setting exploration drawing. Go to any window and draw what you see outside. You can draw from: A car window Looking out your office window Gazing

MIRKA_HOKKANEN illustrating childrens books make art that sells

Illustrating Children’s Books Student Showcase part 4 {Oct 2016 class}

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 4 in the showcase series. *** Mirka Hokkanen The image is all the different poses for the farmer. The colored painting was done with watercolor and the rest of them were digital sketches. Week 3 was a nice culmination into exploration of the characters. It was a good exercise to get acquainted with the characters, and to draw them consistently. Which I haven’t really done before. How did the ‘Illustrating Children’s Book’ class help you grow? The class helped me grow in so many ways. I have better tools to draw characters more consistently, and it gave me the confidence to put together an illustration portfolio, and start looking for work illustrating children’s books. Which I

daily artmatssharp Make Art That Sells MY MATS PREP #matskidbook Day 1: Character

MY MATS PREP #matskidbook Day 1: Character

For the next five days, I’m going to help you grow your work to prepare you for our hugely successful course, Illustrating Children’s Books. For the next week we are going to imagine that you have just been commissioned to illustrate a children’s book. I hope you’re as excited about this MATS Prep as I am! I’m going to share a series of fun exercises to help you tackle your project. I’d love to see what you do so be sure to share it on social media! Share your images on Instagram: Tag us @makeartthatsells and use hashtags #mymatsprep and #matskidbook So, let’s say you have just received a commission to illustrate a children’s book. You’ve been sent the manuscript. Now what? One of the first things you’ll want to do is to get to know the main character, like how an actor “becomes” the character. So for today’s MATS Prep,

EmmaMcGowan illustrating childrens, books make art that sells

Illustrating Children’s Books Student Showcase part 3 {Oct 2016 class}

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 3 in the showcase series. *** Emma McGowan   My favourite image is from week 2 when we worked on emotions. It came across very clearly how important it is for your characters to show a range of strong emotions that the reader can understand and relate to. Although I was pushed for time in week 2 and only managed to submit three different emotions, it was the week I felt my main character really came alive and I thought, I can do this! How did the ‘Illustrating Children’s Book’ class help you grow? The course took me from thinking ‘one day I’d like to illustrate a children’s book’ to ‘I want to do this now’.

Ada illustrating childrens book class make art that sells

Illustrating Children’s Books Student Showcase part 2 {Oct 2016 class}

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. *** Margaux Kent | Peg and Awl   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

KellyFrederickMizer illustrating childrens book class

Illustrating Children’s Books Student Showcase part 1 {Oct 2016 class}

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 *** Kelly Frederick Mizer I really liked being able to tie everything that I learned into the cover in week 5. For a long time, I have been seeking ways to bring more of my painting and drawing into my illustration work and by week five, I felt I was on to something. How did the ‘Illustrating Children’s Book’ class help you grow? Week five also drove me to revisit the illustrations I have worked on for the last several months for a story I wrote called Greta and the Angels. Previous to the course, I believed those illustrations to be complete, but finding my groove in the course motivated me to reassess them with a more critical

ICBPart5 videoscreen Make Art That Sells Video Series Part 5: Illustrating Children's Books

Video Series Part 5: Illustrating Children’s Books

Welcome to final part of our 5 part video series on ‘Illustrating Children’s Books. Ready to dive in and make a commitment to your success as a children’s book illustrator? Sign up HERE. Hurry! This class will fill! PART 5: Lilla reads one of her favorite children’s books What you’ll learn in this video: See how an agent and art director analyze a winning children’s book How to create wit by contradicting the text How to vary the size of your characters to create drama How you can actually illustrate a page without any text whatsoever See Lilla’s and Zoe’s favorite pages and why Your mini assignment for today is: Share your favorite children’s book with us! Take a photo of the cover and upload it to Instagram using #matskidbook If you’re having problems viewing this video or want to download it please click here. *** Ready to dive in and make

ICBPart4 videoscreen Make Art That Sells Video Series Part 4: Illustrating Children's Books

Video Series Part 4: Illustrating Children’s Books

Welcome to part 4 of our 5 part video series on ‘Illustrating Children’s Books. Ready to dive in and make a commitment to your success as a children’s book illustrator? Sign up HERE. Hurry! This class will fill! PART 4: See how a children’s book art director makes your book spectacular What you’ll learn in this video: What is pacing and why it’s so important How the art director uses a book dummy to lay out dramatic flow for the illustrator How Zoe improved upon the illustrator’s pacing in an actual book dummy At the end of the short video, I’ll give you a fun mini assignment to improve your illustration skills. Be sure to listen to the end. #matskidbook If you’re having problems viewing this video or want to download it please click here. *** Ready to dive in and make a commitment to your success as a children’s book illustrator? Sign

ICBPart3 videoscreen Make Art That Sells Video Series Part 3: Illustrating Children's Books

Video Series Part 3: Illustrating Children’s Books

Welcome to part 3 of our 5 part video series on ‘Illustrating Children’s Books. Ready to dive in and make a commitment to your success as a children’s book illustrator? Sign up HERE. Hurry! This class will fill! PART 3: How to do a vintage children’s book look What you’ll learn in this video: How to use a light box and tracing paper to make the flat layers How to make digital art have warmth How to add drama with only three colors Why a retro look is popular Your mini assignment for today is: Draw a pencil in only three flat colors. Think about including the eraser, metal bit, typography, wood, graphite, shadow. #matskidbook If you’re having problems viewing this video or want to download it please click here. *** Ready to dive in and make a commitment to your success as a children’s book illustrator? Sign up HERE. Hurry! This class

matsD title 02 Make Art That Sells Video Series Part 2: Illustrating Children's Books

Video Series Part 2: Illustrating Children’s Books

Welcome to part 2 of our 5 part video series on ‘Illustrating Children’s Books. Ready to dive in and make a commitment to your success as a children’s book illustrator? Sign up HERE. Hurry! This class will fill! PART 2: Do I need to draw realistically to do a Children’s Book? What you’ll learn in this video: How you can approach drawing for a Children’s book. The different ways other illustrators have drawn characters or subject matter. How you can take an object (not a person or animal) and give it personality. That giving your character or subject matter personality is key. Your mini assignment for today is: Find your favorite children’s book character. Take a photo. (Be sure to credit the artist) Upload it to Instagram with #matskidbook If you’re having problems viewing this video or want to download it please click here. *** Ready to dive in and make