Explore the magical world of picture book illustration

Illustrating Children’s Books 2022 starts Monday, May 23rd – find out more here

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3 giant tricks to take your art to the next level from art agent Lilla!

Lilla here. Today we’re going to create magic together! I’m going to teach you three great tricks to create depth (distance) in your artwork, and explain why you might want to do so. It’ll help give your artwork a fresh vibrant edge and be another tool in your ever-growing toolkit. Last week, I published a series of FREE assignments to help you get ready for my LIVE online course, Illustrating Children’s Books, which starts a week today, on Monday, May 23rd! There are still a few places available, so if you’d like to spend five weeks with me and my co-teacher, renowned children’s book art director and author, Zoë Tucker, learning everything there is to know about childen’s picture book illustration, then book your spot now! Over the last week, we’ve created a new character and explored fantastic new worlds – if you missed out then head over to the

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#MATSprep: One weird tip from an art agent: find the magic in your environment

Lilla here. Today I’m going to make you flip out, literally. For the past days, I’ve been sharing some FREE assignments that I created for you to get ready for my online course, Illustrating Children’s Books. I hope you’ll join us: class starts Monday, May 23rd, so book your spot now! Today I’m eager to help you make some magic that will give your picture book illustrations more visual impact. Think about your audience. Children are so in touch with their imaginations: they even live in fantasy land a great deal of the time! They are going to love the imaginative worlds that you create: whether it’s dreamy, moody, whimsical or witty, digging deep into a manuscript and creating all those little details is one of the most rewarding parts of children’s book illustration. Art by Make Art That Sells student Jenny Miriam, who is now represented by Lilla Rogers

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#MATSprep: Get Part 2 of your FREE children’s book illustration assignment!

Illustrating Children’s Books 2022 starts in less than two weeks, on Monday, May 23rd! To help you get ready for class and warm up your creative muscles, we’re sharing a series of FREE assignments from course co-teacher and renowned art agent, Lilla Rogers: read on for Part 2! What’s Illustrating Children’s Books? It’s an incredible five week LIVE online course that will teach you everything you need to know to launch or boost your children’s picture book illustration career. It’s hard to believe that this will be the ninth time that your teachers, art agent and Make Art That Sells founder, Lilla Rogers, and acclaimed children’s book art director and author, Zoë Tucker, have run this course – and each time, it just gets better and better! Every year, our students net dozens of wonderful book deals – read about some of them here – and we can’t wait to

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#MATSprep: You do NOT want to miss this photo

Our raved-about, career-changing LIVE online course, Illustrating Children’s Books, starts in just a few weeks, on Monday, May 23rd (places are still available: book yours here)! It’s an incredibly rigorous course that’s also playful and fun, which is why our students take it again and again. Your teachers, top art agent Lilla Rogers and renowned children’s book art director Zoë Tucker, will teach you everything you need to know about the wonderful world of children’s book illustration, in an accessible, step by step way that will break everything down and help you bring your A-game to every assignment: as Lilla always says, she tricks you into doing your very best work! You’ll get daily drawing prompts, weekly LIVE reviews with your teachers, and weekly assignments that will build into a show-stopping professional pitch presentation that contains everything an art director or editor needs to see to give you a kids’

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Open NOW for your third FREE illustration assignment!

Lilla here. I hope you’re enjoying this series of illustration assignments. I’ve loved seeing the art that you’re creating, so please keep sharing it! BIG NEWS: If you want more assignments like this, plus live reviews, video lessons, downloadable worksheets and more to help your creative career flourish, then look out for the big Make Art That Sells Spring Sale, which starts later this month, on April 29th. There will be discounts on every single one of my courses, plus some exciting bundles to give your art career a boost along with even bigger savings – don’t miss it! I’ll be kicking off the sale with a FREE live Zoom event on Friday, April 29th at 12 noon EDT/5 pm BST – please join me! I’ll be answering your questions, popping up some students live on screen to chat and answer their career queries, maybe doing career tarot, and giving

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Hand lettering: get your FREE assignment

Lilla here. I’m sharing three assignments with you that will help you improve your art and find the joy in your art-making. Last week we made a new color with a quirky worksheet – if you missed out, catch up here. Today, we’re going to focus on hand lettering. Those of you that have taken my classes know how important lettering of any kind is, for getting more work. Lettering is used on so many projects and always requested by our clients, so it’s a great thing to practice. You don’t need to be an expert calligrapher. In fact, a hand-drawn quirky lettering style is very appealing! Here’s your assignment: Draw the following letters: A, G, and J. Do them in any style and medium you like. Have fun with them. Remember, letterforms are simply shapes. TIP: Experiment and play with the letterform. Just be sure that it’s clear what

peoplebuyyourjoy Make Art That Sells Make a new color! Get your FREE worksheet

Make a new color! Get your FREE worksheet

Lilla here. Anyone who’s taken any of my courses knows that one of my secrets – one of the ways I trick you into doing your very best art – is to make them playful and fun. Why? Firstly, because I want you not only to sign up for my courses, but to do them too, so that your art gets better and better and your career gets more interesting and lucrative. If you’re excited about a course, if you’re feeling inspired and raring to go, you’re more likely to do it. And secondly, if you enjoy your art-making, then that will come through in the work that you produce, and people buy your joy. Plus I want your career, and your life, to be joyful. So, to help you play and find the joy in your art-making, I’m going to share three assignments over the next three weeks to

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Get Part 2 of your fab FREE My Toy Pitch #MATSprep!

Lilla here. Can you believe that My Toy Pitch starts in less than a week? I’m so hyped for class to start: I know you’re going to love it and we’re going to make tons of amazing art tapping into those wonderful quirky minds of yours. Plus it’s an incredible opportunity to get your art directly in front of not one but TWO art agents. Last year we offered representation to two students from My Toy Pitch alone – you could be next! Did you have fun researching for your Blobby Worksheet for Part 1 of your FREE #MATSprep warm up assignment? (If you missed it then click here to find out more and join in.) Are you amazed at all the gorgeous toy and game products out there? It’s endless, isn’t it? It’s such a hot market for your art right now. Products for children are always a strong

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Get Part 1 of your FREE #MATSprep toy design assignment!

Lilla here. I’m so thrilled that it’s nearly time for my toy and game creation course, My Toy Pitch, which starts NEXT MONDAY, March 7th! I loved seeing the beautiful art and magical toys and games that my students came up with last year, and I can’t wait to see what you’re going to do this year! Plus I love teaching this class with Riley: I love his inventiveness, his insights, and his general nutty joyfulness. Today I’m sharing the first part of the My Toy Pitch #MATSprep. This is the same warm up exercise that I gave you last year before class. Why? Because sometimes it can be incredibly valuable to repeat an exercise and compare the two. How have your tastes changed? How has your art grown? Plus, in the toy and game market especially, it’s very important to know what’s out there right now, and this assignment

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Bootcamp Special starts today – get your assignment now!

Hurry HURRY – our second NEW course of the year, Bootcamp Special: Character Play, starts TODAY! Join brilliant children’s book art director and author, Zoë Tucker, and art agent, creative director and smash-hit toy creator, Riley Wilkinson, and get ready to give your creative career a huge boost! Are you ready to tap into that huge, quirky imagination of yours and learn how to create unique characters? Do you want to see your gorgeous art on toys, games, books and more? Do you want to dream up kooky new characters – and get paid for it? Then you won’t want to miss out on Bootcamp Special: Character Play! Just some of the products illustrated by artists represented by Lilla. There are so many products that need your characters (and all styles are welcome)! Whether you want to change the world or just make it a bit cooler, there’s room for