Hi Everyone! I had a lovely chat with Lauren Emmons today! She is delightful and such a great resource for information on children's book writing and illustrating. Here is a bit about Lauren:
Lauren Emmons is an illustrator based in the cold tundra of North Dakota. She completed her Master's degree in Children’s Book Illustration from the Cambridge School of Art at Anglia Ruskin University in Cambridge, England. Her clients include S&S and Peachtree Publishing. To see her work visit: https://www.laurenemmons.com/ https://www.instagram.com/heylaurenemmons/ https://twitter.com/Lauren__Emmons Thanks for listening!
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I made this video to share how I make a quick book dummy that requires only copy paper and scissors. As a children's book illustrator I like to have a mini dummy and then a larger full size dummy to experience what they page turns will be like. For me to have only a digital dummy is not enough. Even in the past when I've created them in Issu or InDesign I didn't get the feel for the page turns. I want to create the most impact with my page turns. It makes more sense if you try it yourself. Here is a link to the video below. Feel free to subscribe!  I bought an archival Canon printer. This printer will make archival prints up to 13 in x 19 in in size. You have to purchase Lucia Pro Inks so that the prints would be archival. That means that the inks are pigment based versus dye based. The pigment base inks are archival. I forget all the technical details, bu this article can help explain. I used Canon Matte print paper. I also liked the paper by Koala.
Pigment vs Dye Inks Mac World I had to make prints any ways to test for my physical portfolio. You say, "Why a physical portfolio?" I like them and people like handling real things. If I attend a conference or go to meet up with a client in person I have printed hard copies. I think it helps when your files are digital to also see how they will print. I had 4 extras and I decided could I sell them with an impromptu post on IG and FB. Yes it worked and all 4 sold. I learned that the fastest images that sold were the animals. This was a test to see what would be appealing for those people that like my work. If I start selling my pieces on Etsy I want images that don't have specifics like children. I think buyers of prints prefer animals then kids that they don't know. It's different if it's for my children's book portfolio. Then I want lots of children in the art. Being aware of who is buying what is helpful. I'll keep everyone posted when I get my Etsy shop going. I did have a friend of mine that helped provided me guidance should I get my Etsy shop going. Maddie Donahue is a watercolor artist based out of China. Her watercolor prints and cards are available on her Etsy shop. Maddie Donahue Etsy.  I've been working on this new illustration for my portfolio. I'm taking a break from the writing of picture books (pb) and trying to get this new illustration started. I want to make a series of 5 illustrations. Design a page with a full page and possible some spots telling a story of a brave little boy knight that rescues someone.
This may seem like a lot for one illustration doing all these value and color comprehensives, but I find it makes me feel more confident working on the next steps of drawing and cutting. With these comprehensives it should now be a breeze in my process as a cut paper illustrator. Not doing these steps in the past hampered my ability be a better illustrator. That's why I struggled working my entire process digitally. I found when I did all digital art I got a bit lazy. That's probably not the case for most digital artists, but I found I would put things off because I could try and fix them later digitally. That's really a recipe for disaster. Word of advice learn to love the process! I did and I enjoy doing my value and color comprehensive because I see new things I can do the improve the work! Happy Illustrating! Nancy So Miller Illustration I found myself reflecting recently on the amount of self promotion a freelance illustrator must do to get their work out to the buyers. At times I felt like it was overwhelming as the sole owner and employee of Nancy So Miller Illustration to keep up with it all. Here are some tips I tried and they worked for me. In no way do I make claims that this will lead to work. For me it has been managing my time and how I can get the self promotional work done and then my real illustration work. If something happens like you get sick or your computer blows up. Don't be so hard on yourself. These things happen to everyone! I think of each new week as a do over. I can just do it again next week. 1. Schedule Send Emails Every week I send out 25 emails to art directors, buyers, editors and local businesses that might be interested in my skills. I will schedule send them. I have a template saved in Gmail. I schedule them to go out mid week. This really helped my anxiety for sending out the work. Some illustrators I know use Mailchip or Constant Contact. 2. Advertising in Shows I recently decided to show in the Blue Print Show Online. This show is a virtual show for art licensing and surface pattern buyers. Here is a link if you want to find out more about the show. https://blue-print-online.com/blue-print-online.com/ 3. Advertising on Websites for Illustrators There are lots of sites that promote the work of illustrators. I decided I would look around and do some research. I talked to illustrator friends to see what was working for them. I decided to spring for it and go with Illustrators For Hire. They cap the number of illustrators to 200. I liked the idea that it's curated. Because they limit the number of illustrators on the site I had to be patient and contact them several times till they had an opening. Shout out to my illustrator friend Steph Calvert Art for the heads up! Steph is an illustrator based out of Atlanta, GA and she works on a variety of fun quirky illustrations. She is a highly skilled illustrator so go check out her work! There are tons of other sites like iSpot, Illustration Directory, Workbook, ChidrensIllustrators.com. Think about where you are in your career and what you can budget for in a year. What site caters more to the markets you want to work in. That something you want to be mindful of.  4. Volunteer To Be A Guest Speaker I'm pretty comfortable in sharing my working process, art, and anything children's book illustration related. I offer to speak to my art teacher friends and their classes about my work. I like to keep my speaking skills practiced. It's fun and I get to meet some young art students. Volunteer to speak to some local classes. 5. Network With Other Artists I have friends that aren't illustrators that I've sent postcards and stickers incase they run into someone that needs a cut paper illustrator for children's books, art licensing and pattern design. Start a social group of illustrators you can meet with on a regular basis as well. I got this advice from Ryan Sanchez, one of the most business savy artists I have ever learned from and he's a wonderful painter! These people will cheer you on for the wins and also make you laugh at the low points. Shout out to Keith Lee Illustration for making me laugh! Keith is a Hong Kong based illustrator that I met during my graduate studies. He's an editorial illustrator and he's won tons of awards. I give him a hard time about that. Lol! Informational interviews are great for learning and networking. Consider talking to someone in the industry that you want to be in so you can get some advice. If you are sincere and honor their time they will want to share. They remember how hard it was getting started. If you don't have the courage to do it. Feel free to listen to some podcasts. One of my favorites is the Illustration Department Podcast and of course my own My Creative Life. I've interviewed over 100 creatives in various fields. I ask so I can learn more about their industry. Plus it is a lot of fun! I also don't make any money off of it. It's purely for learning and getting to know people I admire for what they are doing. 6. Check Who Follows You on IG, FB, Twitter I took some time one day and started to look at my followers on various social media accounts. I was fortunate to see the very people I want to reach with my art. I made sure that I sent the mailers and reached out. You never know who is watching. So make sure you keep your social media feed relevant and professional. 7. Sent Out Postcards Sending out physical promo cards may seem dated, but it works. I was thrilled when I saw a post on the Twitter of an art director that there team had gotten my mailer. See the image below. They notice! I about died from joy that real people get them! YEAH!!! Quarterly mailings is what I plan to do. I also like having printed business cards, and letterhead.  8. Participate In # Events Depending on the industry you are targeting they have their own monthly or bimonthly # tag events. The one I participate in on Twitter and IG is KidLitArtPostcard. This was invented by the wonderful Gina Perry. I'm a children's book illustrator so that makes sense for me to participate in that month event. It's the first Thursday of the month. #kidlitartpostcard. Agents are looking for new talent and there maybe a future commission. See the image of my recent #kidlitartpostcard. I have to thank TeMika Grooms, children's book author and illustrator for this advice. Thanks TeMika! Please check out her work! Also try Twitter Pitch Events, Portfolio Day, Inktober, and the conferences you attend will have special # tags for the event. Make sure to # tag the event! I also started a # tag for myself and my art. Incase I need to direct someone to all my posts.  9. Join an Organization or Take a Class
I'm a children's book illustrator, art licensing, and surface designer. Where do I find my club, association or organization? I talked to others and Googled. I joined the Society of Children's Writers and Illustrators and I took a surface design marketing/business class by Elizabeth Silver. I also took a classes at Storyteller's Academy, Schoolism, and SVS Learn. What the benefit? You are able to attend events, a network of other people pursuing the same dream, and sometimes access to professional industry experience and zoom sessions to get your questions answered. For me it helped to be accountable to keep creating new work. Consider volunteering with that organization. I mentioned this prior, and I state it again it's a nice way to meet people. The nonprofits can always use more help. It's a great way to meet people if you tend to feel shy about networking. I got that advice from Jamie Zollars. She is fabulous author and illustrator of children's books! BONUS TIP: Go meet the people you want to work with in person. This may sound old fashioned but I've been getting brave and asking to meet with previous clients and potential clients in person to build those professional relationships. 10. Don't Stress Keep Going! These measures are no guarantee if you only do them one time. It's about repeat sending of your work. It takes multiple times to have people consider you a real entity and creator. I started thinking if I was an art director or buyer what would I think if some random person contacted me out of the blue? I would think it was spam and hit delete. Sometimes when you don't hear back it is because they are busy. Everyone is busy. It could be not right now but maybe later. Don't stress keep sending your work out! You never know. Awarding winning children's book author and illustrator, R. Gregory Christie once said it is like casting seeds out in the open. Some of them will take root and grow! If I forgot anything please comment and share anything that worked for you! Happy Illustrating!  Life Fragment 1. Please, tell us a bit about yourself? Summing up my life isn’t really easy, and it’s not for pretending I’m an interesting person... I am just a "vintage" person... LOL. When I was a child, I spent my time drawing, reading, writing, playing with Lego and modelling clay. They weren’t just a game; it was my way of being in the world. Unfortunately, my parents were a bit like Roald Dahl's "Matilda" parents: I was forbidden to engage in anything artistic or creative. At school, I won some prizes for drawing and collage, but I didn’t find the necessary support either. So, by family imposition, I studied a Bachelor in Psychology that, by the way, never helped me find a job. After collecting a lot of "junk jobs", I looked for my life on my own and I learned some things in a self-taught way. That’s how I first worked as a critic and editor in an online film magazine. Then I have dedicated myself until today to be a web designer/developer, web content creator, SEO and community manager. My love story with paper art is, in fact, very recent. When the COVID pandemic broke out, and our government forced us to stay locked up at home for a month, I decided, suddenly, to start making paper stuff, specifically handmade 3D dioramas, during my spare time, as a way to escape the situation mentally. Simply, I learned by making, by trial-error. I had no idea that it was an artistic discipline and I just made it as a game/therapy/hobby, until I discovered that there were people who seemed to like my paper works, and that there were many more people creating similar things. I started to take myself a little seriously when a blog contacted me to include me in an article about paper artists, and then when Behance awarded two of my works by selecting them for their Paper Works online gallery. Then I registered an Instagram account in which I only post the finished works (and the very long process in the Stories). Actually, I am still puzzled and surprised that people are interested in my paper vignettes and I have come this far, considering that I spend most of my spare time on this without receiving any economic compensation. Anyway, most likely, after the summer, I try to monetize this hobby, either selling some creations or looking for a niche in the publishing world, advertising, window dressing, etc.  Life Fragment Skunk 2. Where do you find inspiration for your work? This will be a short answer: in my life. I’m a kind of oyster -well, a little less ugly and hard, just a little- which turns a tiny piece of garbage into a pearl. In this case, I try to turn a pile of pain and darkness into light, beauty and sense of humour. That’s art too, isn’t it? -Did I mention that I also sell paper handkerchiefs?  Life Fragment Hare 3. What is the most challenging part of working in your technique? In principle, everything. I consider each diorama as a new challenge to try, and therefore learn, things that I have not made before. They are getting bigger, with more complex structures, with more elaborate characters, with more props, more details... The only way to improve is to get out of your comfort zone, and repeat as many times as necessary something until you are half satisfied (I am never satisfied at all, LOL). But, in general, the fact that the whole process is 100% handmade, from design to final assembly, through a lot of drafts and prototypes, complicates and lengthens the creation.  Life Fragment Mole 4. What is your favorite part of working with paper? All the phases of the process bring me happiness, learning and self-knowledge. This has sounded a bit mystical, I ask forgiveness. If I ever overburden myself mentally, it is because I demand too much of myself, I am a very perfectionist, and because I cannot find time for my creations between my job and domestic responsibilities. Actually, there’s a part I don’t like so much, although nobody would say so, and that’s when I have to promote my work on Instagram and Behance. I’m good at selling other people’s work, but not mine. I consider myself a fraud -the unfortunate inheritance that my parents left me and my teachers reinforced-. I like to chat with people and it’s a way to ease my nerves, so it seems I love to publicly present my work on social media, but it causes me a lot of anguish. Keep the secret.  All Cats Like Jazz Fragment 5. How do you store all your lovely creations? With the first two sets, I didn't have so much problem; they are stored whole in a bookcase-showcase of Ikea -insert your advertising here, LOL-. With the third, I already had to go to the dismemberment -painless, for the record- to be able to fit it there. And my fourth and last paper diorama, a forest with anthropomorphic animals entitled "Life", is so big that it occupies a long table and a half, and I still have it installed in my working room because it will cause me a terrible pain to have to break it into pieces to keep it: I don’t have enough space available at home to keep it whole -Poor little me and my first world problems... I accept donations of castles and mansions with swimming pools-.  Life Fragment Hedgehog 6. Who's paper art do you recommend I take a look? Well, this could be the longest answer yet. So in order not to bore you with an endless list, and to avoid possible involuntary forgetfulness and consequent annoyance, I will limit myself to name 3 people who use a technique like mine or very similar, and that motivates me a lot to follow on Instagram: @peopletoo.ru -one of the pioneers-, @negpapercraft and @similarte_estudio. 7. How do you manage between your life and art? Worklife balance? Another easy, quick and short response: I handle it badly. As I explained before, very often, finding enough time to focus on a project in the little free time I have left between my job, my domestic obligations and other hobbies is complicated and exasperating.  Sausages Fragment 8. If you could give yourself some advice to your younger self about making art, what would that be? It’s complicated, because it happens a bit like in those time travel movies and their time paradoxes. If my path had been smooth and easy since childhood, I probably would have made art, but an art empty of content or with a content that I would have borrowed. Having to wait so many years to be able to start realizing myself as an artist, has not only allowed me to have something deeper to transmit, but now I do it with a lot of enthusiasm and strength, as a kind of compensation/rematch. 9. Where can we see your work? You can find my portfolio perfectly ordered and organized in a coherent way in: https://www.behance.net/toniaboske You can see my work dismembered in different posts, and not always well treated by the algorithm -less and less- in: https://www.instagram.com/toniaboske.art/  Home Sweet Home Fragment  It has been hot, hot, hot in the South. I've been staying indoors and taking time to work on book dummies, new portfolio pieces and surface patterns. I also spending time this summer to teaching at a summer camp. I've really enjoyed it! They are some wonderful students that I'm sure will go onto have some amazing careers in the arts. I also made some time to do a podcast interview with James Yang! He is one of my favorite children's book authors and illustrators. His skill at putting together his words and images together fascinated me. He also recently received 2022 APALA Honor Title for his book A Boy Names Isamu. Congrats to James Yang! To see his work visit his site: https://www.jamesyang.com/ To listen to the interview visit: My Creative Life Podcast Below is a spread from his award winning book! Buy a copy of the book on Amazon!   Looking at this old copy of Cricket Magazine. It was amazing to see an entire issue back in 1996 that was all about Korean Folktales. Loved it.
 Season 10 Guest List for the Podcast.
102 Jun Zhou, Illustrator On my 100th podcast episode I spoke with Jun Zhou, a fellow illustration student I met in my fibers class. She was kind enough to share her experience as a freelance illustrator. Here is more about Jun: Hi! Welcome to my world. This is Jun Zhou, an ambitious illustrator, motion media designer, and children's comic book artist. Now I am a graduate student at Savannah College of art and design. The enthusiasm for drawing in my life began with Japanese manga, I got all my happy childhood from designing comic books and drawing animation frames. I could find true peace when I am drawing. Now I also enjoy communicating about ideas and arts with people, so feel free to send me a direct email, let's be friends. Hope you have a great day :) To see more of Jun's work visit: https://www.instagram.com/junzhou_draw/ https://junzhou.art/ 103 Lu Pan, Accessories Designer Episode 101. I had the pleasure of speaking with Lu Pan, who is a classmate in my Fiber's class that is majoring in accessories design. Lu's work has appeared in the Global Footwear Awards and House and Home Magazine. He's the first person I've met with this major and I wanted to learn more about it. To see Lu's work visit: https://www.instagram.com/panlu.create/ 104 Kat Albert, Illustrator Today I'm speaking with Kat Albert a fellow classmate from my thesis class. She talks about her thesis project and how she manages and finds time for all of her creative projects and stay healthy as an artist. Here is more about Kat: I’m a Filipino-American illustrator who specializes in digital painting, traditional watercolor, and a combination of the two. After completing a Bachelor's degree in Multimedia Arts, I took up a Master’s degree in Illustration at Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD). I love to illustrate narrative situations, imaginative whimsical concepts, and little things in life that spark joy. To see more of Kat's work visit: https://www.katalbertart.com/ https://www.instagram.com/kittensbrush/ 105 Amelia Leicht, Designer and Educator Hi Everyone, today I speak with Amelia Leicht, designer, and teacher about her art journey. Here is a little more about Amelia. Hello! I’m Amelia Leicht (that’s me in the hat!), a Grad Student at SCAD and Creative Director currently based in Dallas, Texas. I have extensive experience in Graphic Design, Brand Identity, and Content Strategy. I am passionate about data-driven creative and storytelling and developing brand identities and experiences that foster meaningful connections with audiences. My entire philosophy towards my career can be summed up with two simple phrases: I want to do great work, and I want my work to do great things. I’m looking for a position where I can grow my skill set with new challenges and problems to solve in an environment that fosters growth and collaboration. To see her work: https://www.amelialeicht.com/ https://www.instagram.com/schmashmelia/ 106 Jennifer Thornhill, Illustrator Hi Everyone, I spoke with Jennifer Thornhill an illustrator I met via SVS Learn's Children's Book Pro. She speaks about her journey to becoming an illustrator. Here is more about Jennifer: I did the first part of my growing up in Alberta, Canada, and the second part in Ontario, Canada. Most of my hobbies as a child were related to arts and crafts. If I was indoors, I was drawing or working with craft supplies. If I was outdoors I was building forts in the woods with my siblings and cousins. My favorite thing growing up was Christmas. My twin sister and I started getting ready for Christmas on the first chilly day of August and didn't give it up until long after January 1st. Christmas is still one of my favorite things. My ideal illustration project is a beautiful Christmas book. I studied Art and English at Nipissing University in Bracebridge, Ontario. After living in Northern Ontario for most of my life, I moved to Grafton, Ontario- a small town on the north shore of Lake Ontario, where winters are much more manageable. I live here with my husband, three sons, two guinea pigs, and one really cranky cat. I spend a lot of my time drawing, but also enjoy baking, nature and wildlife photography, and volunteering for activities at our campground. To see her work: https://www.instagram.com/jenniferthornhillillo/ https://www.jenniferthornhill.ca/ Interview with Will Terry: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C8mXcaTU0To 107 Job Searching Tips with Robin Martéa, Illustrator Hi Everyone, on this episode of My Creative Life I have return guest Robin Martéa. She just finished her MFA in Illustration and shared some tips about searching for jobs in the current market. Here is more about Robin: Robin Martéa is a visual artist, born and raised in Mobile, Alabama. Since grade school, she has been heavily involved in the visual arts and has since then, developed a strong foundation in mediums ranging from painting to photography. She earned her Bachelor's degree from the University of Alabama at Birmingham and is currently pursuing her M.F.A. degree in Illustration from the Savannah College of Art and Design. “I like to think of my paintings as a window into my daydreams. Chasing my dreams is often done in the most unconventional way: through a brush and a canvas. My art, which is a direct reflection of my imagination, is illustrated through drawings that are grounded in hope. What motivates me are the works of artists and illustrators whose art tells a story in an imaginative way. When viewing my work, I’d like for the audience to bring all their aspirations to the table. Whether young or old, my hope is that they leave with their minds full of imagination and their hearts full of inspiration.” See her work at https://www.robinmartea.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/robinmartea/ and https://www.instagram.com/marteadesignco/ #illustrationpodcast #mycreativelife #illustratorlife 108 Kelly Kiviranna, Surface Designer Hi Everyone it is my 97 episode! Yeah! I have Kelly Kiviranna a professional surface designer that has done work for various resorts, hotels, and casinos with her designs. Robin is my cohost today! To see more of her work visit: https://www.instagram.com/kellykiviranna/ To see Robin's work: https://www.instagram.com/gillian_mallory72/ To see my work: https://www.instagram.com/nmillerillustration/ https://www.nmillerillustration.com/ 109 Via Li, Illustrator and Painter Hi Everyone! Today I'm chatting with Via Li a fellow illustration student. Via creates lovely paintings and prints and draws inspiration from fine artists like Egon Schiele. My cohost is Robin Mallory today. To see Via work visit: https://www.instagram.com/via.li_art/ To see Robin's work: https://www.instagram.com/gillian_mallory72/ 110 Jeff Hinchee, Illustrator and Set Designer Today I am speaking with Jeff Hinchee, an illustrator I have admired for his stunning work in paper and 3D. He was kind enough to share his art journey with me today. Here is more about Jeff and his work: Jeff Hinchee is an illustrator and set designer. Blending 2-D and 3-D, his illustrations are an assemblage of traditional drawing and painting, cut paper relief, meticulous models, and the odd found object. His clients include Penguin Random House, The New York Times, The Washington Post, This American Life, Disney Theatrical, and Interview Magazine. His illustrations can be seen at JeffHinchee.com. For television, Jeff has created special illustrations and featured graphics for "Little America", "Single Parents", "Search Party, and "Transparent", as well as for the European Games, and numerous live musical events such as “The Wiz Live!” and “Hairspray Live!” on NBC. His extensive theatrical work for Broadway, opera and ballet can be seen at JeffHincheeDesign.com. “When pressed through the mind of Jeff Hinchee, theater, character, imagination and concept take flight in his fascinating and ebullient tableaus.” —Chance Magazine Visit his site: https://jeffhinchee.com/ Instagram: jeff_hinchee_art I purchased some books that have been helpful for improving my illustration skills. Here are the video reviews below. Thanks for watching! |
AuthorMy name is Nancy So Miller. I'm a freelance illustrator that specializes in cut paper illustrations and is based out of Savannah, Georgia. Archives
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