Children's Illustration with Lisa Brown

I love looking for interesting videos on YouTube. Today I found this great one that I wanted to share with you.

We can see the talented Lisa Brown talking about all the books she has written and illustrated and I believe this is a class at The Academy Of Art University. She also shares her studio, her likes and dislikes in kids' books and explains how she works from thumbnails to finish art.

It's very interesting to see what she liked as a child and the books she creates now. What truly fascinates me is the fact that she really has a long line of varied work. Amazing, I love that. That's a talent not every artist has.

Oh and by the way, she is so right about the coffee mug and watercolor water. Has happened to me, for real! Hehe.. You'll know what I mean when you watch the video.

Enjoy! :o)

Gina's Top 5: SCBWI Workshop Presenters

For the past seven of the ten years I have attended, I have blogged a recap of the NESCBWI conference. As I was gathering notes on this year's event, I decided to browse through my old posts and thought to do a 'Top 5' list.

In no particular order:

1. Melissa Sweet, author/illustrator. Due to proximity and providence, I have seen Melissa speak and have attended a few of her small workshops. Her career is awe-inspiring, her talent abounds, and she is gifted at not only sharing her enthusiasm, but techniques for writing and illustrating: how to generate and extract ideas, words, and images, etc.

2. Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen, author. Prepare to get an education when you sit for a workshop with Sudipta. She tosses extremely useful basics and guidelines to writing picture books alongside gritty/witty personal stories. No snoozing in her classes.

3. Frank Dormer, author/illustrator. As an illustrator, we can't forget that without ideas and concepts, our pretty pictures fall flat. Frank delivered a fabulous working workshop for illustrators a few years back that stuck with me. It forced me to put a problem-solving cap on and work fast (don't all good workshops blaze by?).

4. Mark Peter Hughes, author. The first time I ventured into taking a writer workshop, I was lucky enough to land in a class with Mark Peter Hughes. He got us to write down, speak up, and think in broad, useful terms about character development.

5.Dan Yaccarino, author/illustrator. Well, certainly Dan's reputation as a rock-star of picture books precedes him. He shared so many gems about storytelling, bookmaking and the hard work involved in this business - I dare you to walk away without a big, shiny lightbulb hovering on your noggin.

Illustrator John Howe- the difference between drawing & writing

On my (mobile) desk

Once a week I escape (yes, that is exactly how it feels) to work outside the house. If I'm lucky, I get 2 hours before heading back to reality. Today is one of those days. I have a bag packed with scribbled up manuscripts in varying states of progress. Lately, they only emerge once a week, which actually makes them more interesting to tackle. I think I have 6 manuscripts I'm juggling in this manner. And for now, it works. Participating in the 12x12 in 2012 challenge and PiBoIdMo in 2011 has been a huge motivator. I jot down notes, and try not to dwell on the endgame (publishing) so much that I'm paralyzed by anxiety. And with that, I must get back to work! And so must you, dear readers!!! :)

Making use of the minutes, not hours

I've hit another patch in parenting where I don't have much time at all to work. I know this too shall pass, but in the meantime, I'm trying to turn those minutes in progress. Forgive this scattered post - but it's honestly how I work now too:

Full disclosure: 1 morning a week I have in-house help so I get a break. Most weeks I escape for a minimum of an hour to a coffee shop to work. I try to make the most of my time. I bring lots of notebooks, sketchbooks, printouts of manuscripts in progress, etc. Some weeks I get stressed that I haven't 'accomplished' enough. But I'm beginning to understand that these little victories do add up. A sketch here, an edit there. Alicia's post yesterday sums it up WAY better than I can, so go watch THIS if you haven't yet.

The above is a first pass at character sketches for a manuscript I've been hammering away at. The idea feels solid, but the words are a wobbly mess. I took a break today from writing on this to sketch a main character.

Today I also cranked out a few versions of a 140 character pitch for a picture book. Are you participating in the 12x12 in 2012 project? Don't miss out on this amazing chance to win a critique from Tamson Weston. It's really also a chance to hone your pitch skills. Or, if you're like me, to give it a first pass.

What to do in 2012? Write, write, write

There are so many wonderful challenges for picture book authors and illustrators. I was so happy to complete the amazing Picture Book Idea Month (PiBoIdMo) this past November, so I'm keeping the ball rolling with 12 x 12 in 2012. (#12x on twitter)

What's that, you say? The challenge is to complete 12 picture book drafts over the course of the year, one each month. There are inspiring posts from guest bloggers, and prizes to make any writer's heart skip a beat. Go to Julie Hedlund's blog and check it out for yourself.

I'm using my PiBoIdMo ideas as a jumping off point, to make it easier (in theory) and make me accountable for bringing those ideas to the next level.

I've already sat down this week and put together a hideous draft for an idea I really liked in it's more primitive state. Does this mean I'm done for the month? Hardly. I might work on a second draft or switch to a different idea entirely. Do I feel comfortable sitting down and just writing? Not one bit. But since my 'theme' for 2012 is Leap, I'm just doing it anyway!

Oh, and didn't Linda Silvestri do a great job on that badge?!?

Julie Andrews & Emma Walton Hamilton

A very interesting video interview with Julie Andrews and Emma Walton Hamilton. If you want to continue watching the other videos in this series, click here

Library of the early mind- Trailer

I really want to see this!

Rosemary Wells

Beautiful and inspiring video, definitely worth watching.

I like how she said her ideas came to her as little birds on the railing of a ship and that she had to feed each and every one of them before they flew away.

How about you, are you feeding your birds?

Writing Inspiration

A few weeks ago I was lucky enough to win a copy (hot off the presses!) of Spilling Ink by Anne Mazer and Ellen Potter. Thanks ladies! While it's a writers guide for YOUNG writers I immediately found useful and insightful advice. Quite frankly, I think I would be intimidated by an 'adult' writing book. And who doesn't love every drawing Matt Phelan does? I took this to a doctor's appointment and was REALLY disappointed that I didn't have more time in the waiting room. Once I dig deeper, I'd love to do a longer review. In the meantime, just check it out yourself!
With writing on my mind, I found the early reader above offering me another nudge toward writing. Catina (that would be the cat character) writes every night but only desires fame from her pursuits. Turns out, she's a lousy writer and after a 3 part act, it resolves with the message that you should do what you love and happiness will follow.And of course I loved their little flawed friendship as well as the soft, charismatic illustrations. I think as long as your mind is open and close to good material, you'll find the inspiration you need.