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please check the links on the right hand side of this blog for the latest info in picture book related news

SCBWI BI events

SCBWI Central West is holding a Critique-nique on Saturday 19 July in Birmingham. Venue: Waterstones New Street, rear of second floor. A chance to get some expert critique on your latest manuscript! Bring 5 extra copies of either a picture book text or no more than 10 double-spaced pages of a longer ms. Illustrators, bring your current portfolio. 10 am start, ending around 2:30 pm. (Bring or buy your own lunch). For more info email Clare or Donna at CentralWest@britishscbwi.org

dkimages | image encyclopedia

here's a great place for references, however be careful! Just because it's a photo, doesn't mean it feels right. In the above picture, two of the boys look like they've been suspended in time, and the far right characters look like they've been hit by an invisible double decker! http://www.dkimages.com/discover/Home/People-and-Society/Children/index.html

comments on work submitted so far

There are two objectives that you could aim for, actually three, but the third one won't count in either your assessments nor in your professional employment.

• work assessed by academic staff, whose interest is primarily in aesthetic and design qualities. Of course all assessing is subjective, and so a triangular method of subjectivity is often, fairly or not, adhered to. That is to say, three staff members either harmoniously agree on a mark, or haggle their viewpoints.
• you have your work commissioned. Clients pay for your work, and this may have less to do with aesthetic and design qualities, because believe me, I see some real crap published out there, and someone must have been paid for it! Having said that, getting external commissions is a sure way, of improving both the quality of your work, and your actual work flow, or understanding of professional practice.
• The third option, is you like your work, your best friends and family like your work, and even your pet dog approves, and that's what counts, because basically you are your target audience. Although liking what you do is immensely important, otherwise you'd end up depressed, it should not be the benchmark for your creative and critical drive.

So what's been posted so far, and more importantly how can these people continue to develop?

• beat the blind spot - by getting a trusted second opinion, nothing to do with BIAD, work, or friends, so that there won't be any pressure. They need to be honest, and interested in analyzing your image. They don't need to be artistically gifted themselves, and often it's better that way. They could make a simple observation, such as the sofa the girl is sitting on has mysterious cracks appearing just by her? Or there is a small tail popping out of under the carpet. But also remark, that the shadows are quite convincing.
• Bite your pride, and do as your tutor asks - some people need to do three, four, or a dozen pencil sketches to work out a strong and engaging composition. Both Guy, and Beckie, have not, and I'm guessing their excuse is that they are exploring their watercolour techniques - which is their first error. Both of you are presenting images which suggest that a strong sense of composition as well as a need for drawing skills is essential - which means that your watercolour will never shine without polishing the other two skills - which means practice and practice and practice, through trial and error, and drawing and composing on the side (sketchbook studies).
  you could argue that in christoper corr's case, he is less concerned with drawing skills, and more influenced by painting, colour and composition!
  
• Specific comparative studies, which I see no presentation of at the moment? Posting, side by side, two images - one yours, and one someone else's telling us what you have learnt from them!

Finally, well done to the three who have at least posted their work!!

carbonmade free online portfolios

http://myeyeisonfire.carbonmade.com/
limited to 5 projects and 35 images, carbonmade is a good way to test what your images may look like on the internet, and how a prospective client may see you work.

make your own here: http://www.carbonmade.com/

"ABC" book concepts

This is a concept for my ABC book " The Tales Of Tom Bones", this is going to be the main character in the story. At the moment the storys fine, i'm just trying to figure out what style or media i want to use for the book. at the moment i am swayed to the simple black line drawing.
i'm going to add water colours to a copy of this image just to see if it would work but im going to using quite dark colours to keep to the twisted yet comic story line.
i've got more concepts on my abc stories blog.

Stuff I did.

This is one of a few drawings i've done, trying to work with colours that don't blinde you. Im still not entirley sure of it, and think that my backgrounds and compostion need work, however I'm rather happy with how my characters are turning out so far.

SCAMPENSTEIN

Hello all,

I went to a networking event in Wolvehampton last night - Out of Hours at the Lighthouse - and one thing that's starting up now that caught my attention is Scampenstein!

Brendan O'Neill, the creator of Scampenstein, is a Birmingham based screen writer who wants to make the first internet community funded animated feature film.

Anyone can get involved in either promoting or preproduction and get full credit and even share in the rewards when it starts making money!

For more info...

Join the facebook group.

Read this interview with O'Neill.

Scampenstein Blog here.

Call for Submissions

Chiu Man in the North

I found this in the Crack on the 'coming soon' Art page so I thought I'd share. The Crack is a culture (Chiu..? Culture? Hah! >.>) magazine that is renowned throughout the North East...and yes..there are some people in the North East who have culture :P It's also subscribed to all around the world...apparently the North East gets it for free...because we are all uncultured swines...>.>

On My Desk

This is a great blog to see how other illustrators/designers use their personal spaces as studios
http://on-my-desk.blogspot.com/, as well as making you really envious of the homes that some people live in!

Check out these stories!!!

i've known about this illustrator for awhile now and if any of you like the simplicity of line drawings then you should enyoy deanna molinaro's style and gift for writing. her books are entitled "not for children books" but you can tell its style is inspirational for childrens book illustrators.
The other great thing about this site is all of her books are on there to read in full! the one i sujest you check out is "The Rabbit" its dark and twisted but is amazing, but all are worth a butchers

lee

http://www.deannamolinaro.com