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I studied Graphic Design here in Caracas. After I graduated, I went to live to California and enrolled in every art and painting course I could find in community colleges. I also took several illustration and drawing classes at the Academy of Art College in San Francisco.
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Well, it depends. Why don't you email me so we can talk better? You can find my email on my website.
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I use any graphite pencil really. I have no particular preference for brand. All I need is a good selection of Bs and Hs.
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asked by adrianalikestea
Hola Adriana! :o)
I was an only child until I was 7, when my sister was born. So I pretty much played a lot on my own. My favorite game has always been to play with my imagination. I always created wonderful worlds around me. I could be anything I wanted, where I wanted and when I wanted.
I find it funny when kids nowadays say they are bored. I always say, how can you be bored when you have your own Narnia's wardrobe inside you head? ;o) -
Never. It's never too late.
If this is something you really want to do and you are passionate about I'd say, get up right now, grab a pencil and start drawing. Don't stop until you are happy with what you are seeing. Keep at it, practice is the key. :o) -
A mom, wife, children's illustrator, dog lover, chocolate addict, book junkie, believer of all simple things, movie lover and dreamer, who left her heart in the Bay Area and hopes to one day return and stay for good.
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I like to sit in the garden, listen to music, read, watch tv, hug my kids and pet my dogs. Not all at the same time though. :o)
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Not really. I have videos but are short visual stories or they show my work not really me working.
Here is one:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8JDGkflGZB0&feature=player_embedded
I tried once to make a video while working on an illustration but I realized it was trickier than I thought. I really need to have a tripod and find another place to work since my studio is so tiny there is not even space for the camera.
But it is something I'd like to do sometime. :o) -
As far as how I like to work, is usually with watercolor and then I finish my work digitally using Photoshop. I'm not sure I understand your other question though. I think there are tons of techniques that artists use nowadays that can work perfectly for children's books. I've seen pastels, oils, color pencil, watercolor, gouache, collage, even 3D art using clay and of course there is the digital art.
All of these mediums can work as long as you can control them in your favor. You have to take into account that you shouldn't perhaps use a medium that takes oto long to work on or dry for that matter. When you are working on a children's book there are many illustrations that need to be done and you need to be able to move fairly fast.
I would say choose a medium that you love and makes you happy. Experiment tons with it and see how it feels. Nowadays anything can be used as long as you can scan it or take a digital picture of it. Have fun! -
First you need to start with your manuscript and this usually takes time. You need to write, and rewrite. You need to aim your story to your target audience and make sure you are writing appropriate for them. You have to try to find a story that is unique and not told already since the market is so tough right now. Editors are always looking for something fresh and new. Try to tell a fun story and not something that will teach kids a lesson. Always try to make the main character, be a kid or animal in the book, solve the problem on his own. If it's a picture book you might need to cut a lot of your text since most picture books have a few words. The less text the better.
When you feel your manuscript is perfect, then you need to ask yourself if you really are a great artist. I'm sorry to say, but if you are not, then you have far better chances of getting your story picked up by a publisher if you submit ONLY the manuscript. Professional artists or talented people that really know how to draw can get away with trying to submit a story with illustrations. If you feel you belong to this group, then you need to work on a dummy.
A dummy is rough book made by yourself, it can be very simple. Actually I suggest to try and keep it very simple. Just have the pages folded and stapled in the middle to make it look like a book. Then you submit it with sketches and the text in place. Do not try to make each page with a finished color illustration. This will take you a lot of time that will end up being a waste of time because chances are that the book will need editing. So just fill those pages with sketches and just have one spread (2 facing pages) with a finished illustration and maybe the cover too, if you feel like it. That ways editors can have an idea of how the book would look once it's finished. There is a lot of information on the web regarding dummies. Make sure to take advantage of this.
After all of this, you need to sit down and do a lot of research. The more the better. Look at publisher's websites. See what books they print. Look in bookstores and see what books are out there and what publishers prints book that your think are similar to yours, not in story but the type and feel of the book. When you have some names narrowed down you have to see which of those publisher accept unsolicited manuscripts. What this means is they are willing to see your story without and agent sending it to them. If you have some names that fill this requirement then you can send your dummy to them. Always read their submission policy and make sure to follow everything they say. They receive tons of submissions and they tend to be very strict on these things.
You could also try to go the agent route and send your dummy to an agent first. If an agent likes it, they might ask to see more of your work and might be willing to represent you. The agent then submits your story for you to all those mayor houses that are impossible to submit on your own. Agents take cuts from your work of course and they will handle contracts, try to get you the best fee, etc..
Since you mentioned you passion for art, maybe you can try your route to getting published by being an illustrator first. For this you need to create a portfolio with 10 or more really great pieces that show you can draw kids and animals in different settings and display all kinds of emotions. Make sure to have a website showing your work and then you can send postcards to publishers with your information and a link to your online websites. If they like your work for a particular manuscript they may hire you to illustrate it.
All this requires a lot of time and effort and getting published is not easy but it's not impossible either. If this is your dream, you need to keep at it. Work hard and don't give up. Good luck! :o) -
Well, it depends.
If there is talent, then the education is not needed.
However, if someone lacks the talent then an education certainly will help and be the base from which that person can grow and carry on.
Everyone can benefit from art education of course but I believe there are many artists with a natural talent that still make it big without it.
The best thing to do is first determine if illustrating is truly a passion for you. If this is something you really want to do with your life then go for it! If you believe you are not well prepared and doubt your abilities to draw and paint then go to art school.
Draw, practice, read, get informed, look at life differently, draw, practice, observe in detail other artists' work, draw, practice, read the internet, ask questions, read interviews, open an art related blog, draw and practice.
If you think I mistakenly wrote "draw and practice" several times, well it wasn't a mistake... You really need to draw and practice, a lot!
The drawing and practicing actually never stops.
An artist evolves each and every day by drawing. It's the only way..
I wish you the best of luck and enjoy the ride! :o) -
Aww.. well thank you Joan! :o)
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I do have an agent. As far as recommending to have one, I think it depends on the type of person you are.
I believe there are two types of artists. The ones that like to be involved in all matters, that are somewhat extroverts, don't mind handling fees and asking for higher pay. That can keep track of clients when not paying on time and that don't mind handling contracts.
And then there are artists that just want to draw. I'm in this group. :o)
I am very bad at negotiating and contract terms etc, so for me an agent makes perfect sense. I don't mind sharing a percentage with them because they truly earn it doing all those things I don't want to do.
But if you think you can handle these things on your own then you can certainly be without an agent.
Children's illustrators can find jobs on their own without agents, no problem. Make sure you advertise on portfolio sites and send promotional postcards regularly. Of course, always have your work online on your personal website and make sure your portfolio is appropriate for children's books.
One thing that is important to know is this, if you are an illustrator and don't have any intention of writing and want representation, you might want to look for an artist rep and not an agent. Reps handle the educational market which is the bread and butter these days.
So you could be busier doing ed work on a daily bases.
Art reps usually take a higher percentage than literary agents, around 45%, so you have to take that in mind as well.
Literary agents usually focus only on trade and it's a slower process, but they take around 15% cut.
Whatever you decide to do, make sure to take your time choosing and agent/rep. Ask a lot of questions, they like this and expect it too. The agent-client relationship is a close and important one. You want to feel comfortable with your agent or rep and hopefully have a long lasting career together.
Hope this helps. :o) -
I loved LOST but it ended.. sniff.
I also like Big Bang Theory and Modern Family. They crack me up. -
Someone previously asked me a similar question so I decided to copy the answer here for you:
How was your 1st door opened into children's illustration?
I got my first illustration freelance job working on toys and puzzles here in Venezuela. It was thanks to a friend who is a Graphic Designer and she didn't know how to approach those illustration jobs so she referred them to me.
But I knew very well that what I wanted to do was illustrate children's books. That had always been my dream. So I decided it was time to go for it. I researched everything I could and did basically everything you see on the Do's and Dont's answer (below).
I decided to advertise on Childrensillustrators (best decision I ever made, by the way) and suddenly one day came this wonderful email in my inbox. It was from a publisher wanting to know if I would be interested in illustrating a book with them!
Me!
That was my first break and a moment I will never forget. -
Change diapers, paint and daydream of becoming a children's book illustrator. :o)
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This never really occurred to me. That would be something interesting I have to say.
I'm not sure teaching technique by e-course long distance is a good idea, just because it's hard in the sense that I'm not there with the student demonstrating or guiding as we go along.
But I think a course on the process of illustrating a book is totally doable.
Thanks so much for bringing this up. You know, I may do this sometimes. I will definitely think about it. :o) -
Thank you! Watercolor is the best, isn't it?
How I work is I paint with watercolor traditionally and then after my artwork is scanned, I add things to it using Photoshop.
Some of the things I do digitally are playing with the contrast and saturation, adding any special effects like light coming from a certain place or details like stars, snowflakes that type of thing. I also retouch all the eyes of my characters with a defined and dark color. As you may know you can't get too dark with real watercolor. I tweak color painting with a high transparency and soft brush on certain places that need "popping". I add shines where needed and little details like rosy cheeks. It also gives me the opportunity to fix any little mistakes that might of happened while painting.
Another advantage of ending digitally is, if after making a final art the art director decides that for some reason something needs changing, it's much easier making those changes digitally rather than starting a painting all over again. Computers are wonderful for so many things so why not take advantage of it, right?
One of my favorite tools in Photoshop is the stamp tool because if used properly, let's you keep the watercolor texture and feel. So your piece ends up looking more like your original watercolor rather than a digital painting.
Hope this helps! -
Oh, this question makes me feel important! :o)
I guess this was when my first book was published in 2008.
I've been preparing myself for many years before that but really went actively looking and trying to make it happen at the end of 2007.
Thanks for asking a question! -
Well that's a bit hard to calculate. If I'm working on a book then I draw a lot more than on a regular month.
What I do know is I would like to draw a lot more on a daily basis. Sometimes I just don't have the time doing mommy things or house stuff. But I believe setting time aside to draw everyday is important and is something I'm working towards to.
Sorry If I'm not giving you a number here. It's just hard to come up with one. The amount of drawing for a book depends on many things: number of spreads, how complicated the book is in terms of scenes or perspective, the subject matter too since some are more challenging than others and the revisions the art director might ask for.
Hope this answers your question.. at least some of it. :o)
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alicia padron’s Bio
I'm a children's book illustrator. Wooohooo!!! :)
