Lilla here! Firstly, don’t forget to join me and my brilliant Illustrating Children’s Books co-teacher, children’s book art director and author Zoë Tucker, for a FREE live Zoom event next Friday, October 6th, at 12 noon ET/5 pm BST.
Meet your teachers: top art agent Lilla (left) and brilliant children’s book art director and author Zoë (right). Join them LIVE on Zoom and you could win a FREE place in class!
We’ll be talking about the #MATSprep, showing off some of our favorite picture books, answering your questions and giving away a FREE place in class!
Don’t miss it! Pop a note on your calendar now. Join the Zoom here – you’ll also find a link in next week’s blog, in our Instagram Stories, and on the front page of our website at www.makeartthatsells.com.
A couple of days ago I shared the first part of a FREE three-part #MATSprep warm-up exercise that I’ve created for you ahead of my raved-about online course, Illustrating Children’s Books, which starts one week today, on Monday, October 9th. If you missed Part 1, you can catch up here.
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 my co-teacher, brilliant children’s book art director Zoë Tucker, 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, 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.)
I’m really excited about the texts this year and I know you’re going to love them! They are written by my co-teacher, Zoë, who already has seven children’s picture books under her belt (three of which were based on texts she wrote for Illustrating Children’s Books – check them out here). In other words, you’re working with professional level original texts.
EXCITING NEWS: In Illustrating Children’s Books this year, you’ll get BRAND NEW interviews from industry experts including an art agent, an art director, a publisher and award-winning illustrators. They’ve got tons of insight to share and I know you’re going to find them invaluable!
But enough from me – on with your assignment!
Illustrating Children’s Books 2023 #MATSprep: Part 2
Photo: Lilla Rogers. You can use some of these ideas to add accessories to your character, or make up your own.
How did you get on with creating your character in Part 1? Today, you’re going to add some accessories to your character. Adding some fun telling details helps make your character more interesting and special. I’d like you to add at least two accessories. You can use some of the objects I’ve collected in the photograph above or just make up your own.
For example, maybe the pony has a necklace and red lace-up shoes. Maybe your butterfly has a little pet dog on a leash! (Yes, an insect can have a pet!) Perhaps the giraffe has braids and a vintage pillbox hat. Get the idea? Use your creative, nutty brain to make up stuff. That’s what makes you stand out in this biz.
Art for Illustrating Children’s Books by Make Art That Sells student Karolien Vanderstappan. Check out all those cool accessories! How do they add to the character?
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 giraffe an outdoorsy giraffe? 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 by Make Art That Sells student Pamela Yeung for Illustrating Children’s Books.
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.
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: Zoë and I will teach you how to draw facial expressions in class, with loads of tips. Just do your best for now.
Character sheet by Make Art That Sells student Dani Knight. Lilla and Zoë share tons of tips on how you can change your character’s expression in class.
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.
Don’t forget to share what you do on social media with the tag #MATSprep so that I can see it! And look out for the third and final part of your FREE prep coming up on Thursday.
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? I can’t wait, and I hope you’ll join us. Book your spot here.
- October 5th: Join Tamisha and Lilla for a LIVE review of the new assignment for Redrawing Black History at 12.30 pm ET/5.30 pm (please note the slightly later than usual time) – and maybe get YOUR art reviewed!
- October 6th: Join art agent Lilla and children’s book art director Zoë Tucker for a FREE live Zoom event at 12 noon ET/5 pm BST ahead of Illustrating Children’s Books.
- October 9th: Our last LIVE course for 2023, Illustrating Children’s Books, starts Monday, October 9th. Find out more here.
- Next newsletter: Get the third and final part of your FREE #MATSprep warm up exercise for Illustrating Children’s Books.
Lots of love
