TOPIC: Welcome tonight's special guest, illustrator @DaniDraws!
The following is an excerpted version of the chat in Q&A format (minus digressions into ice cream and Oreos). Questions/comments from chat participants are in bold; Dani's responses are in italics.
Hi, Dani! So happy to have you here to kick off eight weeks of sketching!
Ok, #kidlitart is on! I'm open to questions and discussion about picture books, illustration, or whatever. For those who don't know me: http://danidraws.com
Can you tell us a bit about the mediums you use? I love your style.
Almost all my illo work you see is digital in Photoshop.
Wow, do you make most of your own brushes in photoshop?
I make or download them. Then customize with textures.
You sketch traditionally, though, right? Then . . . what--scan in?
I sketch both traditional and digital.
I'm curious if you have any tips as to what an illustrator who wants to do #kidlitart should put in their portfolio?
Kids, animals, multiple scenes with action showing a series of moments.
Re: Series of moments and storytelling ~ Would this be akin to sequential art? Or in one illustration?
Multiple illustrations showing same characters. Yes, sequential art.
What would you suggest to some1 who is interestd in comic format BUT doesn't use the computer?
Comics don't need to be done on the computer. Use what your comfortable with. But still educate yourself about technology. You'll still need it.
What kind of projects are you focusing on this year? Comics? Picture books? Something new?
I spent a lot of last year working on comics. I'm trying to get back to picture books.
How is your own PB dummy coming?
I've been stuck doing other work (taxes, ugh), but I'm gearing to work more. I've gotten characters down for my #PBDummy. I'm heading into refined sketches.
Do you bother with thumbnails, or go straight to full-size sketches?
Oh, thumbnails are a must for me. With full-size sketches, I get too worked up about details.
Are you finding that the work on comics is helping your picture book process?
Before comics, I never wrote a lot before. It's helped me get started. Picture books are tough for beg. writers. Not that comics are NOT tough, but you know. ;)
Did you ever work anywhere on staff as an illustrator?
Nope, I started freelance illustration right out of school.
What are your thoughts on the children's publishing industry right now. esp with the economy, etc?
Economy is tough, but now is the time to be innovative. Esp. with new tech and opportunities cropping up. There's always room for high quality art and stories.
I've seen you draw streaming. Do you use reference? b/c it looks like the sketches are coming right from your brain.
Those quick sketches on Ustream pretty much are just my brain. A lot of that is me just playing around.
Is there a market for traditional work being that it's slower process & have you used anything other than computer?
Yes, I think traditional mediums are very important to going digital. There's room for any medium as long as the work is good.
Would having too much of a subject theme in your portfolio be a hindrance?
As long as you don't have a problem getting work in that subject for the rest of your life. If you want to draw picture books, then your portfolio should have . . . picture books. Go ahead and illustrate a whole story. Don't just show off pictures. There's so many out there with drawing skill. A lot less can illustrate an entire story. Show that.
What was your big break into children's illustration? Comics?
My "break" was a picture book called Elfis. I didn't start comics until last year.
Do you publish the comics or are they through a publisher?
My comics so far are self-published. I still consider myself very "new" to the comic scene.
Do you ever feel the need to tame your sense of humor w/your comics?
Not really. My sense of humor isn't that wild to begin with.
How did you get your first job?
I made an appointment and went and showed them my portfolio. I'm not sure how often that happens anymore.
How many art directors did you do that with before you got hired?
2 or 3. I was VERY lucky. And besides the book, I didn't get a lot of other work for another year or two.
How do you find the time to do everything? Are you very disciplined throughout the day?
Hahahahahahahahahahaha! I'm the WORST procrastinator. But seriously, if something needs doing, I do it. I don't miss deadlines. I might procrastinate, but I get it done. I learn to work fast. And I learn to concentrate when I really need to.
I never procrastinate on paying deadlines, but I'm terrible with my own projects.
Another thing artists need to learn - personal projects are JUST AS important as the paying ones. They drive your future work. I juggle my personal comics, book dummies, websites, etc., but I do my hardest to keep them on the same level as my client work. Work on your personal stuff every day, even if it is only for an hour or a few minutes. Get something done. Move forward.
Yes and personal projects usually give you clues as to what you are passionate about.
Yes! Exactly.
If you could give advice to a 19 yr old you what would you say?
Experiment as much as possible with your art. Go to school. Take advice. Work your butt off.If you're not getting a lot of work, don't waste time. Make your own projects and illustrations. ADs like to see you can produce.
Everyone please give @DaniDraws a big round of applause for being in the hot seat tonight.
Thanks for the invite. :)
Thanks to all who chatted at #kidlitart! I had fun.
Full transcript below:
#kidlitart 3-10-10
Showing posts with label Guest chat. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Guest chat. Show all posts
Friday, March 11, 2011
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Special Guest Dani Jones!
Please be on hand at tonight's #kidlitart chat to welcome special guest, illustrator Dani Jones (@DaniDraws)!
Many of you know Dani from her tutorials, live webcasts, or her popular webcomics: Frosty the Gourdman and My Sister the Freak. Dani has also illustrated books published by Price Stern Sloan and Raven Tree Press.
We're so happy to have Dani with us to kick off Step 5 of the #PBdummy challenge. Join us at 9 pm EST (TONIGHT, March 10), and have your questions ready!
Friday, February 18, 2011
Transcript 2/17/11: Special Guest Ward Jenkins
Here is an excerpted Q&A version of the chat. Comments and questions from chat participants are in bold; Ward's responses are in italics. Enjoy!
Welcome to #kidlitart. Thank you so much for being our guest for evening!
Good to be here! Now what do I do? ;)
Tell us everything you know!
I KNOW NOTHING. ha ha
Tell us about the character set here. Is this typical of the way you approach character design?
Ah, yes. This was for an animated project. Typical? I would say yes, with reservations. Meaning, first and foremost, you need to know who your audience is. And if you go through the series, you can see that I originally had the girl much too older. Dunno what I was thinking...
Good point--I'm assuming animation is more "all ages" than pbs?
Actually, I don't think so. Both have specific groups they want to address.
Who was your audience?
My intended audience was for ages 4-8.
So who defines your audience for animation? The client?
Yes, pretty much. It's also known to aim older. ALWAYS.
You mean animation clients skew older?
Yes, but I think the same can be said for pb's as well.
I think there's a need to skew a tad older than your actual audience - kids always want to read up (slightly).
Yes, I agree. I think that's what clients would like to see. Esp in animation.
So, skewing older with illustrations means more complex in color, detail, etc?
No, mostly with subject matter, more sophistication. No necessarily more complex.
Do you find that certain markets let you get more adventurous with character design than with others? Asking because my experience has been that educational markets tend to stay safer/more conservative, for example....
Yes. Some come to me BECAUSE of my different way of looking at things.Most want a different take on some characters. Like the Michael Phelps book, for instance. They liked my b-boy series.
So how do you plan differently for a picture book?
I tend to go more flatter in my look-flattened perspective, etc.
What process do you go through with your characters to get their personalities to come to life?
I go through lots of research. My research phase is extensive. As for personalities, that's just something that I love to do. I've been drawing char stuff since I was a kid. I feel that with character traits, etc. the best advice I can give is to be observant. All the time.
Where do you do your research?
Since I'm majorly influenced by midcentury art/design and kid's books, I have a big library of that stuff Based on what I'm feeling, I'll grab a big stack of books, mags, etc. & just start sifting. I'm also a big fan of Google Images..
Because of my nod to midcentury stuff, I've often been labeled as "retro." Curse? Sometimes.
Why is that a curse?
I've had some people that my stuff looked "too retro." For those who're interested, check out The Retro Kid: Flickr group I started of midcentury artwork & books.
Do you design your characters with shape in mind? There can be some fascinating mental cues w/r/t shapes/features...
Sometimes, but I try not to let a particular shape become THAT THING I MUST incorporate, you know?
How long have you been doing PB's. And what was the biggest adjustment from animation?
My first picture book was done in late '08 and released the following year. I've been animating since '96. Biggest adjustment has been layout of the pages and spreads. Animation & pb's are actually a lot diff than I thought.
How are they a lot different?
There's a tendency to go very stylized in anim: char's backgrounds, layout (comps, etc.) PB's, I've learned to pull back a bit.
When I first started illustrating there was a huge bias against "cartoony" looking characters.
Yes, in fact, I had to cut back on the "cartoony" eyes I had for the Mama Hen in Chicks Run Wild! Originally, I had eyes with pupils, but editor wanted something a bit more subtle. I was fine with that change.
So you find there is still some bias. To me the art today looks much more cartoony than it used to.
I wouldn't want those artists to pull TOO much back on what they're working on, but it's just something I've noticed. Interesting thing, I do see more and more animation artists doing picture books these days.
So what about clothing animal characters? good/bad? when do you NOT do that?
Ha! Well, I was drawing an animal that walks on all fours, and when I put clothes on him, he looked hunched over.
Do you prefer kids or animal characters--which has greater range?
My stronghold is people. Honestly, if you can create & develop BOTH humans & animals very well, you're in it to win it. I'm finding that I don't have much animal designs in my portfolio, & I'm having to do more animals for the (potential) next book.
Are you developing any of your own original pb ideas?
I have two pb dummies, and a few other ideas, but in conceptual stage now.
Noticing any differences with yourself as client?
I'm my own worst editor. ;)
Who are your character design idols? The ones that get you excited every time?
Oh! So many. Where to start... JP Miller, The Provensens, Tom Oreb, James Flora, Aurelius Battaglia, Ben Shahn, Secret of Kells folks..
Nico Marlet is just about the best- imo.
YES. He's amazing.
Some anim artists have that Little Golden Book look down so well, they'll do fun stuff like this.
I've still yet to see Secret of Kells. I really need to get around to checking that out..
It's truly amazing. Be sure to check out The Blog of Kells.
How does color come to you? Do you do a rough color study on ps?
Color is big for me. Sometimes I can just sense what colors I want to see put together.
Thanks @wardomatic (and everyone else too), very interesting.
You bet! Thanks for your questions. Good stuff.
Full transcript below:
#kidlitart 2-17-11
Welcome to #kidlitart. Thank you so much for being our guest for evening!
Good to be here! Now what do I do? ;)
Tell us everything you know!
I KNOW NOTHING. ha ha
Tell us about the character set here. Is this typical of the way you approach character design?
Ah, yes. This was for an animated project. Typical? I would say yes, with reservations. Meaning, first and foremost, you need to know who your audience is. And if you go through the series, you can see that I originally had the girl much too older. Dunno what I was thinking...
Good point--I'm assuming animation is more "all ages" than pbs?
Actually, I don't think so. Both have specific groups they want to address.
Who was your audience?
My intended audience was for ages 4-8.
So who defines your audience for animation? The client?
Yes, pretty much. It's also known to aim older. ALWAYS.
You mean animation clients skew older?
Yes, but I think the same can be said for pb's as well.
I think there's a need to skew a tad older than your actual audience - kids always want to read up (slightly).
Yes, I agree. I think that's what clients would like to see. Esp in animation.
So, skewing older with illustrations means more complex in color, detail, etc?
No, mostly with subject matter, more sophistication. No necessarily more complex.
Do you find that certain markets let you get more adventurous with character design than with others? Asking because my experience has been that educational markets tend to stay safer/more conservative, for example....
Yes. Some come to me BECAUSE of my different way of looking at things.Most want a different take on some characters. Like the Michael Phelps book, for instance. They liked my b-boy series.
So how do you plan differently for a picture book?
I tend to go more flatter in my look-flattened perspective, etc.
What process do you go through with your characters to get their personalities to come to life?
I go through lots of research. My research phase is extensive. As for personalities, that's just something that I love to do. I've been drawing char stuff since I was a kid. I feel that with character traits, etc. the best advice I can give is to be observant. All the time.
Where do you do your research?
Since I'm majorly influenced by midcentury art/design and kid's books, I have a big library of that stuff Based on what I'm feeling, I'll grab a big stack of books, mags, etc. & just start sifting. I'm also a big fan of Google Images..
Because of my nod to midcentury stuff, I've often been labeled as "retro." Curse? Sometimes.
Why is that a curse?
I've had some people that my stuff looked "too retro." For those who're interested, check out The Retro Kid: Flickr group I started of midcentury artwork & books.
Do you design your characters with shape in mind? There can be some fascinating mental cues w/r/t shapes/features...
Sometimes, but I try not to let a particular shape become THAT THING I MUST incorporate, you know?
How long have you been doing PB's. And what was the biggest adjustment from animation?
My first picture book was done in late '08 and released the following year. I've been animating since '96. Biggest adjustment has been layout of the pages and spreads. Animation & pb's are actually a lot diff than I thought.
How are they a lot different?
There's a tendency to go very stylized in anim: char's backgrounds, layout (comps, etc.) PB's, I've learned to pull back a bit.
When I first started illustrating there was a huge bias against "cartoony" looking characters.
Yes, in fact, I had to cut back on the "cartoony" eyes I had for the Mama Hen in Chicks Run Wild! Originally, I had eyes with pupils, but editor wanted something a bit more subtle. I was fine with that change.
So you find there is still some bias. To me the art today looks much more cartoony than it used to.
I wouldn't want those artists to pull TOO much back on what they're working on, but it's just something I've noticed. Interesting thing, I do see more and more animation artists doing picture books these days.
So what about clothing animal characters? good/bad? when do you NOT do that?
Ha! Well, I was drawing an animal that walks on all fours, and when I put clothes on him, he looked hunched over.
Do you prefer kids or animal characters--which has greater range?
My stronghold is people. Honestly, if you can create & develop BOTH humans & animals very well, you're in it to win it. I'm finding that I don't have much animal designs in my portfolio, & I'm having to do more animals for the (potential) next book.
Are you developing any of your own original pb ideas?
I have two pb dummies, and a few other ideas, but in conceptual stage now.
Noticing any differences with yourself as client?
I'm my own worst editor. ;)
Who are your character design idols? The ones that get you excited every time?
Oh! So many. Where to start... JP Miller, The Provensens, Tom Oreb, James Flora, Aurelius Battaglia, Ben Shahn, Secret of Kells folks..
Nico Marlet is just about the best- imo.
YES. He's amazing.
Some anim artists have that Little Golden Book look down so well, they'll do fun stuff like this.
I've still yet to see Secret of Kells. I really need to get around to checking that out..
It's truly amazing. Be sure to check out The Blog of Kells.
How does color come to you? Do you do a rough color study on ps?
Color is big for me. Sometimes I can just sense what colors I want to see put together.
Thanks @wardomatic (and everyone else too), very interesting.
You bet! Thanks for your questions. Good stuff.
Full transcript below:
#kidlitart 2-17-11
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Special guest: Ward Jenkins
We're very excited to welcome animator, director and children's book illustrator Ward Jenkins (@wardomatic) to #kidlitart tonight.
Ward's most recent book, Chicks Run Wild, by Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen, hit the shelves just last month. His credits also include illustrations for How to Train with a T.Rex and Win 8 Gold Medals (co-written by Michael Phelps), extensive editorial illustration for magazines, as well as character design and film direction for national advertising accounts.
Ward's blog The Ward-O-Matic is an excellent resource for all things art and animation-related. He also contributes to the mega-popular, often-bookmarked blog, Drawn!
Check out some of Ward's recent work in character development HERE--and get your questions ready!
We'll see you tonight (Thursday, February 17) at 9 pm Eastern.
Friday, January 21, 2011
Transcript: 1/20/11
TOPIC: Welcome tonight's guest, picture book author and host of #PiBoIdMo, @TaraLazar!
Tara's debut picture book, THE MONSTORE, will be released by Aladdin/Simon & Schuster in 2013. Visit Tara at her blog: http://taralazar.wordpress.com, where she hosts Picture Book Idea Month (PiBoIdMo) and posts topics of interest to children's book creators.
Here are the highlights of last night's chat in Q&A form--questions/comments from chat participants are in boldface, Tara's responses are in italics:
So, does everyone know the exciting news about Tara's upcoming book?
We announced the illustrator, @JamesBurksArt. He just completed initial character sketches. THE MONSTORE has several main characters, which is a little unusual for a picture book. There's a brother and sister, three main monsters, and The Monstore manager. The first stage of illustrating is having editor approve character sketches.
How exciting! have you seen the sketches?
I haven't seen sketches yet. I hope to share them on my blog. It will be interesting to see their evolution.
Was it hard to develop so many characters with minimal words?
It's just the way the story rolled out of me, so I didn't think it was hard. They made sense organically.
Did THE MONSTORE start as a #PiBoIdMo idea?
Yes, THE MONSTORE began as just a title during #PiBoIdMo 2008, which I did just on my own.
How did you come up with the idea for your book?
It was just a catchy title at first. Then I met an agent friend at a conf and asked for feedback on my ideas ...so then I had to come up with a premise. I thought, "A store that sells monsters" but needed more oomph ...so then I thought "A boy wants to return the monster he bought because it doesn't spook his little sister."
Lol--love that premise!
So after I had the idea of the boy returning his monster, the line "no returns, no exchanges" came!
Did the agent help you focus which direction you wanted to take the story?
I got my agent after I wrote this story. It's what hooked her. After I signed with her, we changed just one line. And I think that may be a little unusual, too. I was ready to do major revisions, but she loved it as is.
Wow! So you got feedback on it after you wrote the entire manuscript then? I'd think before might influence too much.
Now that I'm working with an agent, I usually pitch her an idea before I write to see if she likes it. And by "likes it" I mean if she thinks it will sell!
So you and your agent worked on it together before pitching to publisher--any changes after sale?
Oh, wow! MONSTORE had a lot of changes after the sale. But they were all changes that made the story better.
Did you hesitate about any of the changes or did you see the benefit of them immediately?
I definitely hesitated! I didn't understand the WHYs behind the changes at first. Once I did, it made changing it easier.
I tend to write too much and edit like crazy when drafting. What's your writing style? Do you edit back or build up?
I try to go straight thru without editing too much. I want to get the story down first. Then I play with language. I don't do rhyming picture books, but I play a lot with sounds, alliteration, internal rhyme, onomatopoeia, etc. It's gotta sound good to read aloud.
What is 'onomatopoeia'?
BAM! BASH! SWISH! WHIFF! Words that sound like sounds.
Are you finding your style changing as you absorb editor's comments on first book?
Interestingly, I am writing simpler. My stories tend to be a bit complex for picture books, so I'm simplifying.
Mind if I ask--how many words in final version?
My newest manuscript is just 407 words. MONSTORE is about 630 words. The two manuscripts I have out now are about 550.
That makes me feel better, My whole dummy I am working on is under 150 words. The pictures fill in so much.
Great. 150 is definitely selling. One of my agent's books got bought a few months ago and it was around that length. I know several others in the 150-250 range.
Over 700 w = too much for PB?
700 words is a bit on the long side. Cut as much as possible. Don't include "stage directions" in the text. Richard Peck once said you can always cut 30 more words each time you look at a page. (Although he was speaking of novels.)
So if it's under 700 it could be used for PB; over 700 and you've got a chapter book?
Length isn't the only genre divider...age of main character is also important. Picture book characters are typically six & under.
So how many other books are in the works?
I have two others out on submission and I just sent my agent a new one yesterday for initial feedback.
You're on fire! Any advice for us on a good story?
I've got this little rhyme: "Think of the hook before you write the book." I do that to make sure I have a winning concept. I used to just sit and write whatever. And writing "whatever" doesn't necessarily get you published.
Do you feel your stories end up character-driven, or does strong hook favor plot?
I think my style tries to balance both. Although I know that character-driven is hot right now. Potential series.
Not to mention licensing possibilities if a character's series takes off.
Yes, the whole Fancy Nancy phenom! Or even Trixie and Knuffle Bunny. Publishers want the next great character.
Can you give an example of a pitch you gave your agent?
It's usually a title and one line about the plot. I love word play so my titles tell a lot about the potential story.
Could you explain "the hook before the book" just a bit more? How to test for good hook?
A good hook is when the story can be boiled down to one line that makes others want to know more.
Do you visualize potential illustrations in your head? Do you tend to use illustration notes?
I'm a visual thinker, but I don't tend to visualize what my chars look like, although I imagine scenes in my head. I do use art notes, but only when it's not obvious what's going on by what I've written.
Do you have a critique group that you work with on your stories?
Yes, I have a local critique group and I have online crit partners. My agent will also critique.
I need a PB crit group as well. Most local groups are MG or YA. Experienced people would be a big help!
You can find folks online. All you have to do is ask! The dynamic of an in-person group is different. With the in-person crits, it's more of a roundtable discussion, back and forth, ideas are exchanged...I am lucky that @ScubaCor lives about 5 miles away. We have two others in our group. One is pubbed in non-fiction.
Do you like both [types of critique groups] equally?
Each have their pros and cons. I think I like my agent critiques best, though! LOL!
When you're writing your story, do you just write the minimal text or do you have illustartion info? That is to say, I expect a whole lot of the story will be carried out through the illustrations.
I include art notes only when it isn't clear what's happening by the text. Yes, 50% of the tale should be told in images. Leave out "stage directions" in the text. No need to say "she clasped her hands in front of her" when it can be drawn.
I think author/illustrators have more specific images come as we write vs. as an author.
Yes, author/illustrators have the benefit of working with both pieces. Peter Brown's CHILDREN MAKE TERRIBLE PETS is a good example because his text was very spare. "They napped together" is the bear & boy asleep on a tree limb. That was a spread, just "they napped together." Three words, 2 pages, 1 illustration. I have a post on my blog that talks about spare language. Let me find it... Saying a lot with a little: http://taralazar.wordpress.com/2010/02/20/saying-a-lot-with-a-little/
Folks may also like to see this PB layout article on my blog: http://taralazar.wordpress.com/2009/02/22/picture-book-construction-know-your-layout/
Wow! That hour FLEW by! Thanks so much for inviting me, @BonnieAdamson and @WendyMartinArt. I had so much fun!
Great info on your blog, Tara!
Knock on my door anytime!
Thank you, Tara!
Full transcript below:
#kidlitart 1-20-11
Tara's debut picture book, THE MONSTORE, will be released by Aladdin/Simon & Schuster in 2013. Visit Tara at her blog: http://taralazar.wordpress.com, where she hosts Picture Book Idea Month (PiBoIdMo) and posts topics of interest to children's book creators.
Here are the highlights of last night's chat in Q&A form--questions/comments from chat participants are in boldface, Tara's responses are in italics:
So, does everyone know the exciting news about Tara's upcoming book?
We announced the illustrator, @JamesBurksArt. He just completed initial character sketches. THE MONSTORE has several main characters, which is a little unusual for a picture book. There's a brother and sister, three main monsters, and The Monstore manager. The first stage of illustrating is having editor approve character sketches.
How exciting! have you seen the sketches?
I haven't seen sketches yet. I hope to share them on my blog. It will be interesting to see their evolution.
Was it hard to develop so many characters with minimal words?
It's just the way the story rolled out of me, so I didn't think it was hard. They made sense organically.
Did THE MONSTORE start as a #PiBoIdMo idea?
Yes, THE MONSTORE began as just a title during #PiBoIdMo 2008, which I did just on my own.
How did you come up with the idea for your book?
It was just a catchy title at first. Then I met an agent friend at a conf and asked for feedback on my ideas ...so then I had to come up with a premise. I thought, "A store that sells monsters" but needed more oomph ...so then I thought "A boy wants to return the monster he bought because it doesn't spook his little sister."
Lol--love that premise!
So after I had the idea of the boy returning his monster, the line "no returns, no exchanges" came!
Did the agent help you focus which direction you wanted to take the story?
I got my agent after I wrote this story. It's what hooked her. After I signed with her, we changed just one line. And I think that may be a little unusual, too. I was ready to do major revisions, but she loved it as is.
Wow! So you got feedback on it after you wrote the entire manuscript then? I'd think before might influence too much.
Now that I'm working with an agent, I usually pitch her an idea before I write to see if she likes it. And by "likes it" I mean if she thinks it will sell!
So you and your agent worked on it together before pitching to publisher--any changes after sale?
Oh, wow! MONSTORE had a lot of changes after the sale. But they were all changes that made the story better.
Did you hesitate about any of the changes or did you see the benefit of them immediately?
I definitely hesitated! I didn't understand the WHYs behind the changes at first. Once I did, it made changing it easier.
I tend to write too much and edit like crazy when drafting. What's your writing style? Do you edit back or build up?
I try to go straight thru without editing too much. I want to get the story down first. Then I play with language. I don't do rhyming picture books, but I play a lot with sounds, alliteration, internal rhyme, onomatopoeia, etc. It's gotta sound good to read aloud.
What is 'onomatopoeia'?
BAM! BASH! SWISH! WHIFF! Words that sound like sounds.
Are you finding your style changing as you absorb editor's comments on first book?
Interestingly, I am writing simpler. My stories tend to be a bit complex for picture books, so I'm simplifying.
Mind if I ask--how many words in final version?
My newest manuscript is just 407 words. MONSTORE is about 630 words. The two manuscripts I have out now are about 550.
That makes me feel better, My whole dummy I am working on is under 150 words. The pictures fill in so much.
Great. 150 is definitely selling. One of my agent's books got bought a few months ago and it was around that length. I know several others in the 150-250 range.
Over 700 w = too much for PB?
700 words is a bit on the long side. Cut as much as possible. Don't include "stage directions" in the text. Richard Peck once said you can always cut 30 more words each time you look at a page. (Although he was speaking of novels.)
So if it's under 700 it could be used for PB; over 700 and you've got a chapter book?
Length isn't the only genre divider...age of main character is also important. Picture book characters are typically six & under.
So how many other books are in the works?
I have two others out on submission and I just sent my agent a new one yesterday for initial feedback.
You're on fire! Any advice for us on a good story?
I've got this little rhyme: "Think of the hook before you write the book." I do that to make sure I have a winning concept. I used to just sit and write whatever. And writing "whatever" doesn't necessarily get you published.
Do you feel your stories end up character-driven, or does strong hook favor plot?
I think my style tries to balance both. Although I know that character-driven is hot right now. Potential series.
Not to mention licensing possibilities if a character's series takes off.
Yes, the whole Fancy Nancy phenom! Or even Trixie and Knuffle Bunny. Publishers want the next great character.
Can you give an example of a pitch you gave your agent?
It's usually a title and one line about the plot. I love word play so my titles tell a lot about the potential story.
Could you explain "the hook before the book" just a bit more? How to test for good hook?
A good hook is when the story can be boiled down to one line that makes others want to know more.
Do you visualize potential illustrations in your head? Do you tend to use illustration notes?
I'm a visual thinker, but I don't tend to visualize what my chars look like, although I imagine scenes in my head. I do use art notes, but only when it's not obvious what's going on by what I've written.
Do you have a critique group that you work with on your stories?
Yes, I have a local critique group and I have online crit partners. My agent will also critique.
I need a PB crit group as well. Most local groups are MG or YA. Experienced people would be a big help!
You can find folks online. All you have to do is ask! The dynamic of an in-person group is different. With the in-person crits, it's more of a roundtable discussion, back and forth, ideas are exchanged...I am lucky that @ScubaCor lives about 5 miles away. We have two others in our group. One is pubbed in non-fiction.
Do you like both [types of critique groups] equally?
Each have their pros and cons. I think I like my agent critiques best, though! LOL!
When you're writing your story, do you just write the minimal text or do you have illustartion info? That is to say, I expect a whole lot of the story will be carried out through the illustrations.
I include art notes only when it isn't clear what's happening by the text. Yes, 50% of the tale should be told in images. Leave out "stage directions" in the text. No need to say "she clasped her hands in front of her" when it can be drawn.
I think author/illustrators have more specific images come as we write vs. as an author.
Yes, author/illustrators have the benefit of working with both pieces. Peter Brown's CHILDREN MAKE TERRIBLE PETS is a good example because his text was very spare. "They napped together" is the bear & boy asleep on a tree limb. That was a spread, just "they napped together." Three words, 2 pages, 1 illustration. I have a post on my blog that talks about spare language. Let me find it... Saying a lot with a little: http://taralazar.wordpress.com/2010/02/20/saying-a-lot-with-a-little/
Folks may also like to see this PB layout article on my blog: http://taralazar.wordpress.com/2009/02/22/picture-book-construction-know-your-layout/
Wow! That hour FLEW by! Thanks so much for inviting me, @BonnieAdamson and @WendyMartinArt. I had so much fun!
Great info on your blog, Tara!
Knock on my door anytime!
Thank you, Tara!
Full transcript below:
#kidlitart 1-20-11
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Special Guest Tara Lazar
We're rolling into week three of the #PBdummy challenge with a special guest: children's author Tara Lazar.
Tara's first book is THE MONSTORE, to be released by Aladdin/Simon & Schuster in 2013with illustrations by James Burks (@JamesBurksArt).
Many of you know Tara, a mom to two young girls, from her blog, "Writing for Kids (While Raising Them)", which regularly posts amazing resources for writers: 400+ Things That Kids Like; 79 Things Kids Don't Like; Picture Book Construction: Know Your Layout (definitely one to bookmark for this challenge!)--just to name a few.
Two years ago, Tara came up with Picture Book Idea Month (#PiBoIdMo) for picture book writers not involved in the annual NaNoWriMo frenzy. During the month of November, participants are challenged to come up with at least one viable picture book idea a day. Building on the success of PiBoIdmo 2009, 2010's challenge was even bigger, featuring over 30 guest bloggers to provide inspiration as well as prizes for those who successfully completed the challenge.
One of the best things to come out of PiBoIdMo 2010, in our modest opinion, was that many of our illustrator friends who had taken part wanted to keep the momentum going--which resulted in kidlitart sponsoring the PB dummy challenge. Thank you, Tara!
Join us for #kidlitart on Thursday, January 20, at 9 pm EST, to meet Tara and find out how she turned her unique picture book idea into a brilliant picture book text.
Friday, December 10, 2010
Transcript: 12/9/10; Guest Jannie Ho
TOPIC: Update the outdated. Website questions? Ask @JannieHo.
Apologies to our guest, super illustrator Jannie Ho--the conversation last night was impossible to shape into a more reader-friendly Q&A; we've provided a list of highlights instead.
Please check out Jannie's website, the awesomeness of which was the inspiration for the chat.
Note: Jannie recently updated to a Wordpress site, using the Headway premium theme.
Alert chatters provided a link to a purchase promo currently running for Headway theme packages; and suggest a Twitter source for Headway support at #headwaywp.
Advice/suggestions/comments regarding illustrator websites:
1) Keep the site as simple as possible: it's not necessary (and possibly frustrating to busy ADS) to add animations, etc.
2) Consider opening directly onto a gallery page--the fewer clicks to get to your art, the better. However, opening with your blog might move you higher in search engines.
3) Provide your name and contact information on EVERY page; if an AD prints samples from your site (and some do), your name should be on them.
4) STOP USING FLASH: makes sites slow to load, hard to bookmark; not SEO-friendly; doesn't work on iPhone/iPad; ADs may be unable to download images.
5) make sure your site is mobile-compatible, as many ADs report surfing for talent from smart phones.
6) ADs repotedly like thumbnail organization; thumbs should be shrunk from originals, however, not cropped into obscurity.
7) Opinions divided on wisdom/effectiveness of providing pdf portfolio on website. Pro: handy for ADs to print samples for prospective clients; Con: makes it easier to steal images. Chatters point out that there are ways to add security, but NO image on a website is ever totally safe.
8)Questions raised in regard to performance of Wordpress in controlling SEO for images. Some use the NextGEN gallery plug-in or Flickr to display images.
9)Choices for monitoring visits to your site: StatCounter; Google Analytics; or statistics provided by The Authors Guild Web Services
10) If you have an established blog, consider exporting content to new web site, or placing a link to the existing blog on your site.
11) Edit content on your new blog: get rid of old, outdated work; keep it fresh.
12) Don't include styles in which you do not want to work.
Thanks to all for your insight! Full transcript below:
#kidlitart 12-9-10
Apologies to our guest, super illustrator Jannie Ho--the conversation last night was impossible to shape into a more reader-friendly Q&A; we've provided a list of highlights instead.
Please check out Jannie's website, the awesomeness of which was the inspiration for the chat.
Note: Jannie recently updated to a Wordpress site, using the Headway premium theme.
Alert chatters provided a link to a purchase promo currently running for Headway theme packages; and suggest a Twitter source for Headway support at #headwaywp.
Advice/suggestions/comments regarding illustrator websites:
1) Keep the site as simple as possible: it's not necessary (and possibly frustrating to busy ADS) to add animations, etc.
2) Consider opening directly onto a gallery page--the fewer clicks to get to your art, the better. However, opening with your blog might move you higher in search engines.
3) Provide your name and contact information on EVERY page; if an AD prints samples from your site (and some do), your name should be on them.
4) STOP USING FLASH: makes sites slow to load, hard to bookmark; not SEO-friendly; doesn't work on iPhone/iPad; ADs may be unable to download images.
5) make sure your site is mobile-compatible, as many ADs report surfing for talent from smart phones.
6) ADs repotedly like thumbnail organization; thumbs should be shrunk from originals, however, not cropped into obscurity.
7) Opinions divided on wisdom/effectiveness of providing pdf portfolio on website. Pro: handy for ADs to print samples for prospective clients; Con: makes it easier to steal images. Chatters point out that there are ways to add security, but NO image on a website is ever totally safe.
8)Questions raised in regard to performance of Wordpress in controlling SEO for images. Some use the NextGEN gallery plug-in or Flickr to display images.
9)Choices for monitoring visits to your site: StatCounter; Google Analytics; or statistics provided by The Authors Guild Web Services
10) If you have an established blog, consider exporting content to new web site, or placing a link to the existing blog on your site.
11) Edit content on your new blog: get rid of old, outdated work; keep it fresh.
12) Don't include styles in which you do not want to work.
Thanks to all for your insight! Full transcript below:
#kidlitart 12-9-10
Friday, October 22, 2010
Guest: Wendy Edelson; 10/21/10
TOPIC: Please welcome children's book illustrator and licensing artist @wendyedelson to #kidlitart!
Wendy's sites
Portfolios: http://www.wendyedelson.com
Blog: http://www.elevenlemons.blogspot.com
In the excerpted transcript below, we've attempted to recreate the conversation in a more linear Q&A format. Questions and comments from chat participants are in bold; Wendy's answers are in italic.
Why don't you tell us a little about your art?
My pleasure....hello everyone. Gee...my art, it's colorful, detailed and I'm a stickler for "good draughtsmanship"...and decorative, I guess: I see texture and pattern everywhere.
That really shows, Wendy. Do you do any b/w line work?
I started doing only B & W pen and ink. It was a good thing I moved into color; in B & W sometimes the pattern was too much!
Do you have an agent?
Yes, I have an agent, MorganGaynin: kid's art and grown up art.
Is that for book illustration? the agent?
My agents rep me for books or other commercial work.
Do your kid art and grown up cross over style wise?
Actually, style wise, my adult and kid's work is pretty much the same.
Your art is incredible!! :) How long have you been illustrating?
I started working professionally when I was 16; I left school at the end of the 8th grade and my first job was in NYC, Garment Dist.
WOW! What confidence!
My parents were beatnik-hippie types and I just didn't know any better.....NOW, I get nervous! : ) I started out illustrating hang tags for Garanimals.
Oh! They're a brand of kid's clothing, aren't they?
Yes about the Garanimals: you match the "tiger" pants to the "tiger" shirt, kids do, so they can dress themselves.
Wendy, how did you break into children's books--from Garanimals?
I just started dragging my portfolio around NYC. I made a trip from Vermont, where I had moved to, and left samples.
Are you strictly traditional? You work looks like watercolor...
My work is watercolor, some acrylic and CP.
I'm sorry for being clueless--by CP do you mean cold press paper?
CP, sorry, colored pencils. I pretty much only use hot press paper.
What is your favorite brand of hot press? What weight of hot press paper do you prefer?
I tried to like Fabriano but always come back to good old Arches 140 lb hot press! I love the 300 lb but I print out tight drawings on my wide format printer and the 300 is just a bit much. I have some mystery paper I fell in love with, that had no watermark, and haven't been able to find it again.
Do you use any gloss medium/acrylic glaze in your paintings? Wish I could see your work for real - so much detail!
I do use the gloss medium w/ acrylics; all my work, in watercolor too, is all glazing.
If you had started out illustrating today, would you do it all the same?
I think I would do it again the same, but maybe I DO wish I had gone to art school to learn more technique, like oils!
Wendy, are you self taught?
Yes, I am self taught, but parents were both frustrated artists.
Looking through your blog to see more of your process and I have to ask, are you using brown cp as under sketch? Do you print the sketches right on the paper?
I print my drawings out in sepia, and then ink the contour lines in brown. Before the printer, it was the light table and brown ink.
You have an Epson?
I am a huge fan of Epson. I have a 2200 that is now discontinued, prints 13 X 19, and a 3800 which will print 17 X 27.
So paint over ink.. what pens do you use? Curious as to what doesn't bleed when painting.
The printed drawing and inked line are waterproof, pitt pens or microns in sepia. I actually miss rapidographs a little....but hated the eventual, inevitable clogging and they were slow.
Wet in wet bleeds in a lovely way but with glazing I let things dry in between so the colors, always transparent, shine through.
Wow, and here I am still transferring sketches onto watercolor paper using graphite sheets...
My drawings are so tight and detailed that drawing them more than once, transferring them makes my eyes bleed! I HATE light tables.
I use a light table but hate how the drawing loses life after tracing.
EXACTLY how I feel! The first sketch is alive, the traced one is stiffer.
My light table is much too small for my purposes these days.
I bought a light table from a going out of business printer, an old "stripper's" table 5 X 4 FEET!
That's how I got my paper cutter. A Dick Blick was moving and I got a super deal on it.
My paper cutter was from an old school......an old oak one like a table. I LOVE old card catalogs too, for paints and stuff.
I draw on trace paper and scan in then adjust and print out then trace on light table.
I draw on Clearprint Vellum, my fave because I can erase a 100 times if I just can't draw that !@#$%^ foot right at first.
Drawing such detail did you naturally go that way? What was your inspiration?
My drawing has always been really detailed; I think it is simply how I see. Some people see in shapes, blocks of color, but I see wood grain, herringbone, individual hairs. I've learned a bit to allow space in between areas of texture and pattern so the piece can be read. I try to be conscious of that. Once, I did a magazine cover in B&W with so much detail I didn't realize I drew a woman with three arms! Two holding a baby and one reaching.
Did you see it before you sent in the final?
Nope, there it was printed, and suddenly, OMG!!!! she's got three arms! No one else ever noticed!!!!! At least that I know of.
That is brilliant, I love hearing stories like that!
I think these situations just show how wonderfully absorbed we can become, which is so very lucky for us!!!
What's your studio like? Do you have a lot of fabric/tactile references for all the detail you do?
My studio is just in a pokey extra bedroom.......I just collect magazines, stare at things a lot.
I used to have a "morgue" now I just search through Google.
I love my morgue: once I saw a book cover and I recognized the Googled photo the illustrator had used!
The hour sped by so quickly--lol, didn't get to ask half the questions I wanted!
That is amazing that it has been an hour; yikes, I had NO reason to be nervous! Now that I've done this, I'll come back again! Thank you! Nice to see some old friends and meet new ones.
Thank you for sharing your tips and tricks with us. Your art is lovely. Hope to learn more from your blog.
Have a great night everyone! Thanks, and if anyone has a question, feel free to email me.
Full transcript below:
#kidlitart 10-21-10
Wendy's sites
Portfolios: http://www.wendyedelson.com
Blog: http://www.elevenlemons.blogspot.com
In the excerpted transcript below, we've attempted to recreate the conversation in a more linear Q&A format. Questions and comments from chat participants are in bold; Wendy's answers are in italic.
Why don't you tell us a little about your art?
My pleasure....hello everyone. Gee...my art, it's colorful, detailed and I'm a stickler for "good draughtsmanship"...and decorative, I guess: I see texture and pattern everywhere.
That really shows, Wendy. Do you do any b/w line work?
I started doing only B & W pen and ink. It was a good thing I moved into color; in B & W sometimes the pattern was too much!
Do you have an agent?
Yes, I have an agent, MorganGaynin: kid's art and grown up art.
Is that for book illustration? the agent?
My agents rep me for books or other commercial work.
Do your kid art and grown up cross over style wise?
Actually, style wise, my adult and kid's work is pretty much the same.
Your art is incredible!! :) How long have you been illustrating?
I started working professionally when I was 16; I left school at the end of the 8th grade and my first job was in NYC, Garment Dist.
WOW! What confidence!
My parents were beatnik-hippie types and I just didn't know any better.....NOW, I get nervous! : ) I started out illustrating hang tags for Garanimals.
Oh! They're a brand of kid's clothing, aren't they?
Yes about the Garanimals: you match the "tiger" pants to the "tiger" shirt, kids do, so they can dress themselves.
Wendy, how did you break into children's books--from Garanimals?
I just started dragging my portfolio around NYC. I made a trip from Vermont, where I had moved to, and left samples.
Are you strictly traditional? You work looks like watercolor...
My work is watercolor, some acrylic and CP.
I'm sorry for being clueless--by CP do you mean cold press paper?
CP, sorry, colored pencils. I pretty much only use hot press paper.
What is your favorite brand of hot press? What weight of hot press paper do you prefer?
I tried to like Fabriano but always come back to good old Arches 140 lb hot press! I love the 300 lb but I print out tight drawings on my wide format printer and the 300 is just a bit much. I have some mystery paper I fell in love with, that had no watermark, and haven't been able to find it again.
Do you use any gloss medium/acrylic glaze in your paintings? Wish I could see your work for real - so much detail!
I do use the gloss medium w/ acrylics; all my work, in watercolor too, is all glazing.
If you had started out illustrating today, would you do it all the same?
I think I would do it again the same, but maybe I DO wish I had gone to art school to learn more technique, like oils!
Wendy, are you self taught?
Yes, I am self taught, but parents were both frustrated artists.
Looking through your blog to see more of your process and I have to ask, are you using brown cp as under sketch? Do you print the sketches right on the paper?
I print my drawings out in sepia, and then ink the contour lines in brown. Before the printer, it was the light table and brown ink.
You have an Epson?
I am a huge fan of Epson. I have a 2200 that is now discontinued, prints 13 X 19, and a 3800 which will print 17 X 27.
So paint over ink.. what pens do you use? Curious as to what doesn't bleed when painting.
The printed drawing and inked line are waterproof, pitt pens or microns in sepia. I actually miss rapidographs a little....but hated the eventual, inevitable clogging and they were slow.
Wet in wet bleeds in a lovely way but with glazing I let things dry in between so the colors, always transparent, shine through.
Wow, and here I am still transferring sketches onto watercolor paper using graphite sheets...
My drawings are so tight and detailed that drawing them more than once, transferring them makes my eyes bleed! I HATE light tables.
I use a light table but hate how the drawing loses life after tracing.
EXACTLY how I feel! The first sketch is alive, the traced one is stiffer.
My light table is much too small for my purposes these days.
I bought a light table from a going out of business printer, an old "stripper's" table 5 X 4 FEET!
That's how I got my paper cutter. A Dick Blick was moving and I got a super deal on it.
My paper cutter was from an old school......an old oak one like a table. I LOVE old card catalogs too, for paints and stuff.
I draw on trace paper and scan in then adjust and print out then trace on light table.
I draw on Clearprint Vellum, my fave because I can erase a 100 times if I just can't draw that !@#$%^ foot right at first.
Drawing such detail did you naturally go that way? What was your inspiration?
My drawing has always been really detailed; I think it is simply how I see. Some people see in shapes, blocks of color, but I see wood grain, herringbone, individual hairs. I've learned a bit to allow space in between areas of texture and pattern so the piece can be read. I try to be conscious of that. Once, I did a magazine cover in B&W with so much detail I didn't realize I drew a woman with three arms! Two holding a baby and one reaching.
Did you see it before you sent in the final?
Nope, there it was printed, and suddenly, OMG!!!! she's got three arms! No one else ever noticed!!!!! At least that I know of.
That is brilliant, I love hearing stories like that!
I think these situations just show how wonderfully absorbed we can become, which is so very lucky for us!!!
What's your studio like? Do you have a lot of fabric/tactile references for all the detail you do?
My studio is just in a pokey extra bedroom.......I just collect magazines, stare at things a lot.
I used to have a "morgue" now I just search through Google.
I love my morgue: once I saw a book cover and I recognized the Googled photo the illustrator had used!
The hour sped by so quickly--lol, didn't get to ask half the questions I wanted!
That is amazing that it has been an hour; yikes, I had NO reason to be nervous! Now that I've done this, I'll come back again! Thank you! Nice to see some old friends and meet new ones.
Thank you for sharing your tips and tricks with us. Your art is lovely. Hope to learn more from your blog.
Have a great night everyone! Thanks, and if anyone has a question, feel free to email me.
Full transcript below:
#kidlitart 10-21-10
Friday, September 10, 2010
9/9/10: Guest chat with Jonathan Woodward
TOPIC: Please welcome zero2illo founder and uber-talented illustrator @jonwoodward!
Here is a distillation of the main chat in Q&A form. Jonathan's comments are in italics:
So, Jonathan--would you like to fill us in a bit on zero2illo?
I started zero2illo as a way to keep me accountable-I'd procrastinated for too long in my illustration aspirations. [It] was also way to share resources I found along the way that may help other aspiring illustrators too & it sort of grew from there.
How's it working so far?
It has sort of kept me accountable and in outwardly sharing my progress it has helped me decide where I want to go.
How does [zero2illo] work?
It started as just a blog where I would post progress pics and
share resources but then came the challenges!
How did you arrive at having 12 weeks for a challenge?
It was really my wife @leawoodward that was responsible for the 12 weeks - she got fed up of me always talking about becoming an illustrator and said get on with it or let it go - I couldn't possibly let my passion go though. Together we decided to give myself 12 weeks to really make a go of it & she suggested inviting everyone else along for the ride
So important to have a supportive partner.
Totally - my wife is amazing and definitely the brains of the partnership (and the looks too actually).
How do the challenges work? Do you set up daily, weekly goals...and then, what happens after you reach your goals?
First we mapped out 12 steps that would be integral to setting up an illustration business from the ground up. We then put a post (task) on the blog each week for everyone tocomplete & week 12 you'd have a solid foundation.
The only thing keeping me going is fear of failure . . . and not being able to pay the bills.
It's funny how we all work as fear of failure was what kept me from starting in first place - self doubt.
How did you get the message "out there"? that you were starting the challenge? 02illo obviously, any others?
It was just through the site really and the facebook page too - I announced it about a month before we started.People then started tweeting about it and blogging it on their sites and I was totally blown away by the response. I was worried I might only get the odd one or two people joining but it got into the hundreds which was very inspiring.
I read about it on FB and thought, why not? I am so glad I did!
The business plan (OGSM) week was one I was a bit concerned about as it was very business focused and wasn't sure what participants would make of it - but the OGSM(Objectives, Strategies,Goals & Measures) is a great tool.
With each 12 week challenge, do you have daily goals, weekly goals?
The challenges are weekly and sometimes broken down into a couple of tasks - eg. create 2 portfolio pieces.
Can you offer a link to all of this...or is it on your web site?
It's all on the website and we've actually just pulled everything
together into a handy ebook too. The weekly blog posts are all still on the site but the ebook gathers lots of extra resources too.
Here's the link for the 12 week challenge ebook: http://zero2illo.com/store/12-week-challenge-kit/
How does one get in on this and is it open to beginners or pros only?
The challenge is open to anyone from beginner to pro and you can do
it anytime at your leisure.
Is it hard for you to start this project and have your work become about the project and not about your art?
One of our main intentions for 12WC was to bring in ideas, technology & methods
outside of the illustration norm = like the OGSM. My wife was a management consultant so we used a lot of her knowledge to do things a little differently & set up a solid business.
That's great, a different perspective...Thinking differently than how an illustr8r would approach it maybe?
Exactly-my wife's a techie whizz too & I'm a graphic/web designer too so we mixed it all up into a pot & served it up.
Any success stories yet? Is it too soon?
We have a few people that have had there 1st professional illustration commissions which was awesome to hear about.
What would be the best tip for those finding their day jobs or life getting in the way of their illo goals?
I'd say 'how badly do you want it?' There is always extra time to be found in your day.
I've found I can get a lot more accomplished in 15 minutes than I previously thought.
Especially true when you have a baby. Don't know what I used to do with all my time before becoming a parent.
So how is your own challenge progressing? Are you meeting your goals?
My own challenge, hmmmm. I underestimated how much time it would take to run the challenge and so I fell behind.
LOL, so you still need to finish?
Well, my goals have changed slightly & that is due to taking part in the 12WC as made me focus on what I wanted. I'm no longer necessarily looking outward for someone to hire me - I have plans to earn a living from illustration by building my own little empire. I have big plans but it's so important to think big. I'm moving more towards creating my own products and marketing myself using the 1000 true fans principle: http://www.kk.org/thetechnium/archives/2008/03/1000_true_fans.php
You're also expanding into digital with your work. How do you like working in Photoshop?
Yeah - just started doing some collages digitally which I previously couldn't get a grip of. Really enjoying it now I've worked out my processes and methods of
working.
Do you think a business plan is important for any creative endeavor?
I think it's vital for any business - that is why the OGSM is so great as it's fun to create and a one page doc.
I think I've reworked my OGSM 4 times since the #12wk :) It is a wonderful tool to have at your desk to stay focused.
It's designed to be a flexible document. Mine has totally changed since I did mine in week 2. [It's] the law of attraction. So many of us focuson what we don't want rather than what we do want.
One of my very dear friends always says we get what we think we deserve...I think in a lot of cases that's true...
I love the Henry Ford quote 'Whether you think you can or think you can't, either way you're right.' Find out what the blocking factor is and smash it to pieces.
Find out what that blocking factor is and smash it to pieces - good topic for a series! I had a block for nearly two years.
Mine lasted for about 10 - never thought I was good enough, always comparing myself to my fav illustrators.
Holy Smokes!! How did you function? How did you come out of that and the frustration?
You uncovered my secret earlier - a kick ass wife!! I'm a very lucky guy. My wife [gave] me a kick up the bum as she got so sick of me talking and never doing.
I've spent the last 5 years perfecting a unique style. Been waiting until I was 'ready.'
I can relate to that - the old 'I just need to do one more illo and then I'll be ready' syndrome. One thing we talk about in the ebook is looking at your consumption to production ratio - I was always consuming & never creating
Our time is almost up tonight--thank you SO much to @jonwoodward for elevating the discussion tonight!
Thanks everyone for being so kind - I wish I could join you all every week. Some of you may know that we are www.locationindependent.com too and basically travel around taking our business with us and we may well be heading over to the US next year so if I'm on the same time zone I'll definitely be back to join in the fun.
The Giveaway:
The winner of the zero2illo 12 week challenge kit ebook is: @jessicablank! For everyone else the promo code for $7 off the ebook is: kidlitart2010. The promo code is for anyone reading the transcript of this chat too that couldn't make it to the live chat. All you need to do is go to http://zero2illo.com/store/12-week-challenge-kit/ - click on buy now and then enter: kidlitart2010. (NOTE: Coupon expires Wednesday, September 15.)
Full transcript below:
#kidlitart 9-9-10
Here is a distillation of the main chat in Q&A form. Jonathan's comments are in italics:
So, Jonathan--would you like to fill us in a bit on zero2illo?
I started zero2illo as a way to keep me accountable-I'd procrastinated for too long in my illustration aspirations. [It] was also way to share resources I found along the way that may help other aspiring illustrators too & it sort of grew from there.
How's it working so far?
It has sort of kept me accountable and in outwardly sharing my progress it has helped me decide where I want to go.
How does [zero2illo] work?
It started as just a blog where I would post progress pics and
share resources but then came the challenges!
How did you arrive at having 12 weeks for a challenge?
It was really my wife @leawoodward that was responsible for the 12 weeks - she got fed up of me always talking about becoming an illustrator and said get on with it or let it go - I couldn't possibly let my passion go though. Together we decided to give myself 12 weeks to really make a go of it & she suggested inviting everyone else along for the ride
So important to have a supportive partner.
Totally - my wife is amazing and definitely the brains of the partnership (and the looks too actually).
How do the challenges work? Do you set up daily, weekly goals...and then, what happens after you reach your goals?
First we mapped out 12 steps that would be integral to setting up an illustration business from the ground up. We then put a post (task) on the blog each week for everyone tocomplete & week 12 you'd have a solid foundation.
The only thing keeping me going is fear of failure . . . and not being able to pay the bills.
It's funny how we all work as fear of failure was what kept me from starting in first place - self doubt.
How did you get the message "out there"? that you were starting the challenge? 02illo obviously, any others?
It was just through the site really and the facebook page too - I announced it about a month before we started.People then started tweeting about it and blogging it on their sites and I was totally blown away by the response. I was worried I might only get the odd one or two people joining but it got into the hundreds which was very inspiring.
I read about it on FB and thought, why not? I am so glad I did!
The business plan (OGSM) week was one I was a bit concerned about as it was very business focused and wasn't sure what participants would make of it - but the OGSM(Objectives, Strategies,Goals & Measures) is a great tool.
With each 12 week challenge, do you have daily goals, weekly goals?
The challenges are weekly and sometimes broken down into a couple of tasks - eg. create 2 portfolio pieces.
Can you offer a link to all of this...or is it on your web site?
It's all on the website and we've actually just pulled everything
together into a handy ebook too. The weekly blog posts are all still on the site but the ebook gathers lots of extra resources too.
Here's the link for the 12 week challenge ebook: http://zero2illo.com/store/12-week-challenge-kit/
How does one get in on this and is it open to beginners or pros only?
The challenge is open to anyone from beginner to pro and you can do
it anytime at your leisure.
Is it hard for you to start this project and have your work become about the project and not about your art?
One of our main intentions for 12WC was to bring in ideas, technology & methods
outside of the illustration norm = like the OGSM. My wife was a management consultant so we used a lot of her knowledge to do things a little differently & set up a solid business.
That's great, a different perspective...Thinking differently than how an illustr8r would approach it maybe?
Exactly-my wife's a techie whizz too & I'm a graphic/web designer too so we mixed it all up into a pot & served it up.
Any success stories yet? Is it too soon?
We have a few people that have had there 1st professional illustration commissions which was awesome to hear about.
What would be the best tip for those finding their day jobs or life getting in the way of their illo goals?
I'd say 'how badly do you want it?' There is always extra time to be found in your day.
I've found I can get a lot more accomplished in 15 minutes than I previously thought.
Especially true when you have a baby. Don't know what I used to do with all my time before becoming a parent.
So how is your own challenge progressing? Are you meeting your goals?
My own challenge, hmmmm. I underestimated how much time it would take to run the challenge and so I fell behind.
LOL, so you still need to finish?
Well, my goals have changed slightly & that is due to taking part in the 12WC as made me focus on what I wanted. I'm no longer necessarily looking outward for someone to hire me - I have plans to earn a living from illustration by building my own little empire. I have big plans but it's so important to think big. I'm moving more towards creating my own products and marketing myself using the 1000 true fans principle: http://www.kk.org/thetechnium/archives/2008/03/1000_true_fans.php
You're also expanding into digital with your work. How do you like working in Photoshop?
Yeah - just started doing some collages digitally which I previously couldn't get a grip of. Really enjoying it now I've worked out my processes and methods of
working.
Do you think a business plan is important for any creative endeavor?
I think it's vital for any business - that is why the OGSM is so great as it's fun to create and a one page doc.
I think I've reworked my OGSM 4 times since the #12wk :) It is a wonderful tool to have at your desk to stay focused.
It's designed to be a flexible document. Mine has totally changed since I did mine in week 2. [It's] the law of attraction. So many of us focuson what we don't want rather than what we do want.
One of my very dear friends always says we get what we think we deserve...I think in a lot of cases that's true...
I love the Henry Ford quote 'Whether you think you can or think you can't, either way you're right.' Find out what the blocking factor is and smash it to pieces.
Find out what that blocking factor is and smash it to pieces - good topic for a series! I had a block for nearly two years.
Mine lasted for about 10 - never thought I was good enough, always comparing myself to my fav illustrators.
Holy Smokes!! How did you function? How did you come out of that and the frustration?
You uncovered my secret earlier - a kick ass wife!! I'm a very lucky guy. My wife [gave] me a kick up the bum as she got so sick of me talking and never doing.
I've spent the last 5 years perfecting a unique style. Been waiting until I was 'ready.'
I can relate to that - the old 'I just need to do one more illo and then I'll be ready' syndrome. One thing we talk about in the ebook is looking at your consumption to production ratio - I was always consuming & never creating
Our time is almost up tonight--thank you SO much to @jonwoodward for elevating the discussion tonight!
Thanks everyone for being so kind - I wish I could join you all every week. Some of you may know that we are www.locationindependent.com too and basically travel around taking our business with us and we may well be heading over to the US next year so if I'm on the same time zone I'll definitely be back to join in the fun.
The Giveaway:
The winner of the zero2illo 12 week challenge kit ebook is: @jessicablank! For everyone else the promo code for $7 off the ebook is: kidlitart2010. The promo code is for anyone reading the transcript of this chat too that couldn't make it to the live chat. All you need to do is go to http://zero2illo.com/store/12-week-challenge-kit/ - click on buy now and then enter: kidlitart2010. (NOTE: Coupon expires Wednesday, September 15.)
Full transcript below:
#kidlitart 9-9-10
Friday, August 20, 2010
8/19/10: Guest chat with Elizabeth Dulemba
TOPIC: Author/illustrator Elizabeth O. Dulemba (@dulemba) answers questions about picture book apps.
Note: What follows is a condensed version of the chat, set up in Q&A format: text blocks in bold are questions and comments from various chat participants. Elizabeth's answers are in italics.
My original dummy for Lula was a standard PB, so it stayed within that range.
How did you get in with the resellers?
Well, the reseller is Apple. And honestly, other than Toni requesting, I have no idea how Lula
ended up in their featured section.
Are you concerned about shrinking artists and writers royalties as we move closer to e books and apps?
I am VERY concerned about the "standards" being quoted for eBooks. I don't think it's right
yet.
I wonder if pubs will start preferring illus who can do print and e? (if art isn't digital already)
I don't think there will be a difference in illustrators doing print vs. e. Although the digital skills
definitely help. It doesn't matter how the art starts out, just what it looks like on the device. So no brush orstylus debate...For books that is. The drawing programs on the iPad are a completely different story!!!
Note: What follows is a condensed version of the chat, set up in Q&A format: text blocks in bold are questions and comments from various chat participants. Elizabeth's answers are in italics.
Before we start, here's a link to Elizabeth's app:
http://dulemba.com/ActivityPage-Lula.html
Would you like to tell us about how Lula came about?
Like so many, I thought the idea of a PB app was cool! Something about the whole app thing just screamed "Pay attention - this is gonna be big..." But most of my stories were tied up in rights. So I chose a dummy that had won some awards, but never got published. It was short, funny, the drawings were mostly done.
Only clincher, it was a Halloween theme and that was a month away! I got the finals done in two weeks. I was up very late for those two weeks, but it was fun, too. Since the art was so small (4x the iPhone screen size), it flew.
I went with a local developer and did the voice too since there wasn't any time to hire
somebody! (Btw, no eating Indian food or dairy before doing a voice recording. Learned that one the hard way…)
Rhodesoft (Reading Rhino) was my developer. Very smart people. :-)
How did you link up with RhodeSoft?
I was talking to a friend at the Decatur Book Festival about what I wanted to do and she told me about Toni [Rhodes].
Did you license it yourself?
It was actually easier with an unpublished story - no rights issues!
What is the size of the artwork?
Not very big. About 1024x768 pixels - which is the iPad's dimensions thank goodness. I didn't have to redo anything for that!
Did they tell you what size it needed to be to work?
I came up with the 4x thing. For iPad, dulemba: I'd probably work at least 2x. It's still MUCH smaller than normal for me.
Do you know of any vanity or P.O.D E book or App publishers?
I've started gathering resources. You can see at
http://www.dulemba.com/index_techread.html
My original dummy for Lula was a standard PB, so it stayed within that range.
How did you get in with the resellers?
Well, the reseller is Apple. And honestly, other than Toni requesting, I have no idea how Lula
ended up in their featured section.
Are you concerned about shrinking artists and writers royalties as we move closer to e books and apps?
I am VERY concerned about the "standards" being quoted for eBooks. I don't think it's right
yet.
What standards are you referring to?
Right now a lot of publishers are contacting their authors asking them to sign "Updated"
contracts promising 25% of eBook royalties.
The only difference between print and e books is the printed book. All the other
expenses are the same right?
Not sure exactly what you mean, but an eBook is quite different in that there's no
warehousing, overhead, etc.
Development and marketing . . .
Development and Marketing are still pretty different. There are some hiccups with eBooks. No
affiliate programs. No ISBN #s - it's hard to connect to them other than with a link to the app on iTunes. Not ideal from a marketing standpoint.
Do you think the same thing will happen to lit as with music: digital is easy to copy/share = less sales?
No, I think lit is more like the movie industry than music. Videos didn't kill theatres - we just
have more options now.
Did you have any upfront costs? Other than your time/materials for art?
That's different with every developer. In the beginning it was an experiment and some were willing to split royalties. Now I think more are charging for the set-up and upload to Apple. So, for me, no upfront cost - just a lot of labor.
So distribution awareness is kind of a problem...
Distribution awareness is THE BIGGEST PROBLEM with apps. It is SO Hard to be found!!! If you aren't featured in the app store, it's very hard for anyone to find your product.
Are you working on other apps?
I'm currently trying to get my rights back on one of my earlier PBs that's just recently gone
OP. It would do well as an app.
What do you think the future of libraries and school visits is with so many ebooks
and apps?
I think our world will look very different 5 yrs from now, but I think/hope libraries will be a part of that. The need for libraries is still too strong. Tech stuff isn't for everybody.
Maybe they will have digital libraries in the future, like netflicks for video rental stores.
I think libraries are starting to put together something like that.
School visits really rely on having that tangible, large amazing book to connect with the kids.
Apps are difficult in crowds, although with projectors, they could do well.
Will you promote your apps or ebooks as you would hard copy books?
Promoting apps is more online obviously. But a bit easier in person with the iPad. Showing
an app on an iPhone was like..."Isn't that nice..." Doesn't work well with a crowd!
Wondering if anyone knows a good program to use to create an app?
Adobe has a walk through for InDesign, but that's for an eBook rather than an App.
http://www.adobe.com/products/indesign/epub/howto/
Any plans to publish Lula's Brew traditionally (print)?
I'd love to pub LULA traditionally! My agent and I are waiting for the app sales #s to get high
enough to knock their socks off.
I love turning real pages but I'm also excited about the interactivity and animation part of it.
The interactivity is amazing. Jack and the Beanstalk kept me busy for an hour. And I'm an adult! (Sort of.) I don't think print will go away. Although I do think paperbacks are truly threatened by eReaders. Makes sense really.
Computers didn't fry our little brains! If anything, I feel like they freed us up! You'll never talk me out of wanting the print book experience. But the apps are fun TOO. I really do think it's like movies. There are some I must see on the big screen, while othersare fine on cable... I DO think apps are an opportunity. And I'm a geek, so I'm very excited by the possibilities.Just don't take my books from me!
I wonder if pubs will start preferring illus who can do print and e? (if art isn't digital already)
I don't think there will be a difference in illustrators doing print vs. e. Although the digital skills
definitely help. It doesn't matter how the art starts out, just what it looks like on the device. So no brush orstylus debate...For books that is. The drawing programs on the iPad are a completely different story!!!
I haven't tried drawing programs on the iPhone yet.
I'd wait a little bit for a good drawing program. SketchPro is good, but the resolution is still low and we need a stylus!
Would love a stylus for the iPad, or it could work like a Cintiq?
That's what I keep hoping for!! I'm betting we'll have a true digital sketch pad in 2-3 years. Yay!
One issue in adapting existing books is screen size. You can't just shrink a picture book without losing clarity/readability. For better or worse, many books won't transfer easily to screen - they'll need new layout/typesetting.
Absolutely! There is adaptation that needs to happen. Room in the art for large text. I zoomed in on most of my images for LULA. The large shapes really do work well. Too much tiny text, itty bitty detailed illustrations... I don't think they work as well.
Sometimes shrinking art can tighten it up. But that doesn't mean that's the best way to present it. It depends on the style. Simple shapes colors would shrink okay; complex details, not so much.
Wouldn't you just scan the art into a file the same way?
You could scan the art like you would for anything. But it's still a different presentation that a book and should be designed.
*Comment from @RhodeSoft: One thing to keep in mind - Apple requires that your app can be viewed both horizontally & vertically.
When changing the orientation, do you just crop from the center out?
Yup - that sounds right.
We just ended up adding black space to the negative areas. Otherwise I would have had to redo the art.
What's legible and readable for a PB is very diff on a tiny screen.
Indeed. I went much larger on my text. I think it was about 18pts for the iPhone.
If all books become e-books they will all have to fit into whatever the device's size is.
It's a good point. Although that's unique to kids books. There are some pretty common standards for adult books.
I think kids will be much more comfortable w/ digital devices than we are & may not be as attached to traditional print.
My 3 and 5-year-old cousins go right past my PB collection and to my iPad these days. They
are really good on it.
What do you think of simple ebooks or pdf's? Do you think creators should stick to more interactive apps?
I think a simple PB presentation works VERY WELL on the iPad. And I've seen kids go for both.
What are benefits of app over ebook?
ePub and Apps are completely different. They don't have the same functionality. So, they
really can't be handled the same way.
I do love technology, I think there's lots of room for both!
I agree - I think there's room for both too. The question is, is there enough income to support both.
I think the $ factor is what's concerning everyone. Where will it stop will determine who's willing to play w/it. I think the worry is that as the price drops, so will the $ to the content creators. Less royalties?
Yes, they're less expensive, but they also can potentially sell in higher numbers. Potentially.
If they can be found. The $$$ thing is a concern, but it's really the same issues as in print. How to be found. How to go viral. the potential is more of the royalty going to the creator - so it could balance out. Cheaper app, but more %.
Kind of like the .99 iTunes?
Yes, exactly like iTunes. Cut out the middle men and more of the profits go to the creators. I hope publishers find a way to adapt to this new tech and still support creators in a fair way.
They have much to contribute.
Bands can actually bypass record companies and offer music free, they're more in control.
But again - how to get found. There are lots of bands figuring it out. We will too. it would be nice if we could avoid the mistakes of other industries. I think it takes smarts, flexibility and... the willingness to JUMP!
When bands do that, more of a connection to fans, more shows, $$ in long run? Could authors/illustrators be the same way?
I think it's already happening. That's why an author's platform has become so important.
It's a brave new world... for the brave. What an interesting time to be a creative.
APP DEVELOPERS ON TWITTER
(Please feel free to add to this list in the comments section.)
@RhodeSoft
@meegenius
@Touchoo
@MobiStories
@StoryPlease
@PicPocketBooks
@OceanhouseMedia
@TumbleBooks
@OkenkoBooks
@RuckusMedia
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