Get Part 2 of your FREE childrens book illustration assignment!
Lilla here! Last week I shared the first part of a FREE three-part warm-up exercise that I’ve created for you ahead of my raved-about online course, Illustrating Children’s Books, which starts on Monday, May 20th. If you missed it, you can catch up here.
In this hugely popular course, you’ll spend five weeks with me and my brilliant co-teacher, children’s book art director and author Zoë Tucker, creating a ready-to-send pitch presentation that contains everything an art director or publisher needs to see to give you work.
This #MATSprep is a terrific warm up for class, because it will help you to start thinking about how you can create winning characters for your children’s book illustrations. Characters are absolutely central to children’s picture books, which is why we spend several weeks in class focusing on characters, and why Zoë and I share so many hints and tips on how you can take your characters to the next level and catch the eye of an art director or publisher.
For each class, you’ll get a choice of three brand new texts written exclusively for the course by Zoë, plus a Text Chooser that will help you explore your character and style and choose the text that’s right for you. (Of course, there’s nothing to stop you from going back and illustrating one or both of the other texts as well after the live portion of the course is over.) Sign up here.
But enough from me – on with your assignment!
FREE childrens book illustration assignment Part 2: Draw your character’s accessories
Photo: Lilla Rogers
How did you get on with creating your character in Part 1? Today, you’re going to add some accessories to your character. One of the things that Zoë and I talk about in class is how adding some fun telling details can make your character more interesting and special. Today, I’d like you to add at least two accessories. You can use the objects I’ve collected in the photograph above or just make up your own.
You’ll note that the objects in the photo aren’t things that you character can wear. Instead, I want you to riff off them and use them as jumping off points in your storytelling. Take the flowers, for example. Maybe your character is holding a bouquet of flowers or they have a formal gown and a corsage. Perhaps they’re holding a gardening tool like a fork or a trowel, or maybe they’ve got muddy trousers or boots.
Maybe the page on trigonometry and angles has you thinking about school and math worksheets and a school desk, or a pencil and paper, or maybe it even makes you think about ancient Greece or an abacus.
Get the idea? Wonder and daydream. Use your creative, nutty brain to make up stuff. That’s what makes you stand out in this business.
Tips from art agent Lilla:
- Think about how your accessories can tell us more about your character. Let’s take shoes as an example. Shiny red shoes say something different than muddy hiking boots.
- Is your character outdoorsy? Or do they like to dress up? Coordinate your accessories so that the vibe of the shoes matches that of the other accessories.
For example: Two braids with giant pink hair bows goes with shiny red shoes. A backpack with a water bottle goes with muddy hiking boots.
At a glance, we instantly get the idea of the character.
Art from Illustrating Children’s Books by Make Art That Sells student Marianne van der Walle.
Plus: BONUS assignment!
You’ve probably noticed by now that the more time and thought you spend on your character, the more interesting it is. Here’s a bonus assignment for you if you want to dig even deeper into your character.
When you get a children’s book illustration gig, you’ll be asked to draw the character with different facial expressions to match the parts of the text that evoke emotions.
Character sheet by Make Art That Sells student Sirjana Kaur for Illustrating Children’s Books. Lilla and Zoë share tons of tips in class on how you can change your character’s expression.
So your bonus assignment today is to simply change your character’s facial expression. (You can simply draw a second face—you don’t need to draw the whole character again if you don’t want to.) It doesn’t need to be a drastic, overly-expressive expression and don’t worry too much about your facial expression drawing now: Zoe and I will teach you how to draw facial expressions in class, with loads of tips. Just do your best for now.
Tip: Simply raising one eyebrow or drawing the pupils of the eyes so that the character is looking sharply to their left or right (as in looking askance or stink eye) can do a lot to change an expression. One simple tear coming out of the corner of the eye can communicate sadness very simply.
Zoë and I will teach you tons more tips and advice from our decades in the industry in Illustrating Children’s Books – plus you’ll also be able to put your questions directly to us both in the LIVE weekly Zoom reviews and in writing. If you’ve got questions that you ever wanted to ask a children’s book art director and an art agent, this is your chance! Sign up here.
Don’t forget to share what you do on social media with the tag #MATSprep and tagging @makeartthatsells. so that I can see it! And look out for the third and final part of your FREE prep coming up next week.
Some sneak peek screenshots from inside the beautiful online Illustrating Children’s Books classroom for 2024. On the left, all your lessons for just one week … and on the right, check out the bonus content you get in just one lesson!
Are you ready to join Zoë and me for five intense weeks to learn everything you need to know about the children’s book illustration market? The course is absolutely packed with vital information you need to know, and stuffed with downloadable handouts. You’ll learn things like:
- How to draw a character in any style, and develop your own unique style
- What three things art directors look for when reviewing an artist’s work
- Tricks to show expressions using the eyes and eyebrows
- How to make the reader connect with your character
I can’t wait, and I hope you’ll join us. Book your spot here.
- Monday, May 20th: Join me and my wonderful co-teacher, brilliant children’s book art director and author Zoë, for Illustrating Children’s Books 2024 and learn everything you need to know to boost your picture book illustration career. This course won’t run again until 2025! Sign up here.
- Monday, May 20th: Join me and Zoë for a FREE live Zoom event on the first day of Illustrating Children’s Books. We’ll be answering your questions and giving away a FREE place in class! Set a reminder now!
- Available now: Get The Children’s Book bundle and save a huge 20% off three of Lilla’s powerful children’s book courses: Illustrating Children’s Books, Illustrating Children’s Books PLUS and My Kid Book Pitch. HURRY! This bundle is only available until the start of Illustrating Children’s Books!
- Next newsletter: Get the third and final of your FREE warm-up illustration assignment for Illustrating Children’s Books and create some great art for your portfolio!
Lots of love
P.S. Mark your calendar now – Zoë and I will be hosting a fab FREE live Zoom event on the first day of class, Monday, May 20th at 12 noon ET/5 pm BST. We’ll be discussing children’s book illustration, answering your questions, and giving away a FREE place in class. Don’t miss it!
