IF: Eyeglasses

Since attending the SCBWI conference earlier this month I have made a lot of decisions and tuned into a never-ending list of "to-do's".

I feel like it's been forevs since I last updated this. When I make journal entries and this happens I usually do bullets of key events that have occurred since the last entry, so without further ado...

• I've discovered the wonders of podcasts. In particular, the channel that has ended years ago but I've never listened to it so therefore it's spanky new to me: Big Illustration Party Time, by Kevin Cross and Joshua Kemble.  Oh my gosh I have learned so much and I've only listened to 10 episodes!
• Upon listening to said podcasts I've come to the conclusion that it's okay to have more than one style. By more than one I mean I will have two. Therefore I need to get my a$$ in gear and expand my portfolio to create more paper cut-out pieces like my mouse in the hot air balloon:

Therefore this week for Illustration Friday's topic "eyeglasses" I have made this little monster motherhood of sorts:

• I have also discovered the usefulness of twitter. I never really thought of how useful it can be as a marketing tool. I'm listed under @pigknit so follow me!
• My all-natural dog treats brochure design was approved quickly so that's a nice relief! 

I've been feeling very inspired lately. I'm anxious to get my site up but I have to create an illustration for a business webpage first. I plan to get some sketches done this weekend to get the ball rolling.

I feel like I have much more to say but I'm very scatter-brained right now so I should probably just quit while I'm ahead!

SCBWI Regional Conference Summary

Is it bad that my throat was killing me on Sunday morning because of all the singing I did in the car on the way to and from this Saturday's conference?

Saturday morning I woke up to my alarm bright-eyed and bushy-tailed at 4:20 AM. Don't ask how I was feeling so peppy because to be honest, I don't even know myself.

Fast forward about 2 1/2 hours and I'm sitting in my car across the street from the church where the conference would be held, 30 minutes early! I didn't want to be that creepy lingerer who shows up way too early and then isn't sure what to do until it's appropriate to enter the building. So what'd I do? I found a Starbucks in my gps and decided to use their bathroom. It seemed inappropriate to go there just to pee without buying anything...so I opted for a small organic apple juice box accompanied by a blueberry scone.

Fast forward to the end of the conference and my head is just spinning with excitement. Am I rambling? I had a great time, and I can't wait to go to another conference! I loved how clearly the writers stood out, with their thick framed glasses and wild hair. Everyone was super nice, and most people had never been to a conference either! The speakers were wonderful, but the breakout session was my favorite. The small handful of illustrators met with Simon and Schuster's very own Art Director Lucy Ruth Cummins to review our 2 best pieces.

I submitted the following:

I let this third one linger around because I had a feeling there would be more time to look at an extra here or there, which I was right to think.

The critique was very intimate and that was great because we really got a lot of feedback with time leftover at the end. Everyone's work was awesome, I loved all of the different techniques used. Lucy said that she liked my thinner, wispy lines more than the thicker black ones. She also said to try to figure out what I want to do with my shadows. She said that she wasn't sure about how much they were softened and that I should go for a vector look more.

I certainly absorbed a lot of information during my time in Syracuse, much of which is still whirring about in my head. At the end while everyone met to say their last goodbyes I was at the drinking fountain refilling my water bottle when Lucy Ruth Cummins approached me. She wished me luck, shook my hand and said "you're going to do great things, I'm excited to see."

Now technically, she could say that to tons of people, to nearly everyone she speaks to who's an aspiring illustrator. I like to think that maybe it wasn't like that...I mean she did approach me after all...a girl can dream can't she?!

Here is a small list of things I took back with me from the conference:

1. I need to draw multiple poses of the same character.
2. I need to draw BIGGER. What was I thinking making pieces that were only 4x6 to begin with!?
3. I should make b&w pieces to add to my portfolio, perhaps a middle grade book would be open to letting me draw their chapter breaks.
4. I should make a book dummy.
5. I really need to get my website up and going.
6. ^ Plus business cards & postcards to send out.
7. I need to draw MORE. Period.
8. I need to learn how to use Twitter finally. Seriously? I'm 23 it should be already programmed into me.

Two Steps Forward

I submitted my latest IF drawing to the SCBWI bulletin "art spot". Every month a b&w illustration is selected to be featured, along with contact information about the illustrator. Sounds exciting, I hope to submit more soon! I also added the IF drawing to my portfolio on the SCBWI site.

No matter what I do, I can't keep my calender clean for work. It's like the doodles draw themselves.

On another exciting note, I went to Justin's work to help out with a deadline last night. Justin works at an animation company here in Buffalo, and their latest project involves a lot of 2D drawing. I think his boss was really impressed and therefore will hopefully consider me again for future illustration projects.

That's two steps forward in the illustration world for me, plus another big step this Saturday when I attend the annual conference for my region of SCBWI in Baldwinsville, NY. I want to absorb as much as possible, and make some new friends along the way.

IF: Talent

This week's theme should be anxious because that's all that I am today! I just got an email confirming my registration for the annual SCBWI conference in my region this Saturday. I've never been to one so I'm very nervous/excited/anxious/curious/adfgefxsrh.

Anyone have any ideas for something I can get printed quickly to bring instead of business cards? I literally joined SCBWI last wednesday and signed up for the conference Friday so I am totally unprepared because I had been holding off making business cards until my website is finished coding. Business cards and post cards can't be made in 4 days so I'm limited to some other option...

My drawing for Illustration Friday was inspired by my growing desire for warmer weather. I love when Easter's around the corner and all I can do is picture little bunnies hopping around in my head..