What is an Art Director Really Looking For? with Sarah Davis

Art Director of Walker Books, Sarah Davis, shared her wisdom in a very captivating way. Not only an amazing artist but a true storyteller (check out Sarah’s amazing art, here.) Sarah shared the key things an Art Director is looking for in a meaningful way, particularly for those of us who are still not sure of the difference between an illustrator and an artist. The answer?

“AN ILLUSTRATOR IS AN ARTIST WHO FOCUSES ON STORY TELLING”

Art Director Sarah Davis’ break out session for illustrators

What is an Art Director looking for?

Illustrators who are talented, professional and have the x-factor.

Sarah’s 7 key topics:

1 - TECHNICAL SKILLS

• Become confident in your use of technique and mediums.

• You need to be able to draw - observational, expressive

• Understand the formal elements of art - light, tone, form, structure, mark-making etc.

• Remember a beautiful artwork is not the same as a successful illustration.

• Ask, how can I develop my Technical skills?

• Lots of learning and doing

• Lots of observational drawing

• Take classes

• Experiment with different media

• Research other artists work. What works? What do you like? What don’t you like?

2 - FEELING TOWARDS THE CHARACTER

• Can you help the reader connect and empathise with the characters?

• Can you show mood or emotion?

• Do your poses show expression?

• Show interaction between characters - establishing clear relationships

• Interesting personalities

• Character consistency

• How can I become better at creating a feeling towards the characters?

• Lots of practice.

• Observe and collect - draw lots of people in your life and around you

• Learn from yourself - pose!

• Be prepared to draw and redraw and redraw until you know your characters - once is not enough

3 - NARRATIVE

• Remember you must tell a good story, that has clarity and continuity

• Can you create emotional punch?

• Can you make the reader curious - What just happened? What might happen next? What’s at stake?

4 - RESEARCH THE MARKET

• Make sure your work is appropriate for the genre, age group and publisher you are submitting to

• Look at your competition. What makes you special/different/better?

• Visit libraries, bookshops, publisher’s websites. Take note of the publisher on the imprint pages of books you love. Who is a good fit for your style?

• Look at other artists on the internet eg: Behance, Pinterest, Instagram and look at the hashtags that they use. Try #australianillustrator and many others

5 - INTERESTING VOICE

• Does your work have an energy, ideas, freshness?

• Do you have an interesting use of media?

• Maybe you show unusual concepts?

• Is it expressive?

• How can I create my own interesting voice?

• Sometimes finding your voice can be tricky. Before we become lost in how to make art, focus on storytelling first - can you tell a good visual story?

• Then work out what your other passion is and improve your skills in that area… eg:

• Line and form?

• Light?

• Colour?

• Pattern?

• Media?

• Character?

• Setting?

6 - BE NICE

• Same as any other profession.

• Can you deliver on time and to specifications?

• Can you follow a brief?

• Be professional and collaborative. Open and dependable and flexible.

7 - HAVE A KILLER PORTFOLIO

• Only show your strongest work

• Does it show the above 6 topics? Does it show the depth of your capabilty?

WHAT IS THE X-FACTOR?

There is no cookie cutter answer - we’ll know it when we see it!

Watch the above video for the main takeaway moments of this session.

I really appreciated Sarah’s insightful break down into topics that we could focus on. I also really appreciated the encouragement Sarah gave to us all - one of them being this wonderful statement ….

“YOU ARE A CO-AUTHOR”

I love this. It elevates us from just making pictures. It lifts our gaze. It calls us to focus on story.

And the other statement…

…there is room for everyone.

This is so true. Just look at all the different art styles that shine in loved books all over the world.

As a fellow visual storyteller, growing, learning, trying to improve… I hope this report helps you grow and I wish you all the best!

Make the art that moves you

then make the visual stories

that move us all.

by Giuseppe Poli

#SCBWISyd

Sneak Peek into a Manuscript Critique with Roving Reporter Shaye Wardrop

Shaye Wardrop Roving Reporter / Manuscript critiquee

It’s okay. Take a breath.

I tell myself these words, but it does nothing to quell my excitement and anxiety as I walk down the long carpeted ramp to the critique room at the SCBWI conference.

There I sit with fellow excited/terror-filled SCBWI pals, and we quietly chatter as we read over our work and check on the time every 30 seconds.

Helen Alker is here. Thank god for Helen. She calms everyone down as she ticks us off the list and shows us where we will be sitting when it’s ‘Our Time’.

Everything runs like clockwork. We line up and we enter the room, dashing to our allocated table to sit side by side with the publisher or editor or agent who will assess our work — our heart and soul typed on paper.

As soon as I sit down, I relax.

A wave of calm washes over me and I remember that this is just a conversation. Publishers and editors and agents are just people. People who know more about writing and publishing then me, sure, but they are people just like everyone else.

A critique is an opportunity to get feedback from someone who knows the business, knows books, knows good story. I am hungry for this knowledge, so I sit back and listen, write notes and enjoy the conversation.

The room is abuzz for the next 15 minutes as we all chit-chatter away. I don’t notice anyone around me and I hear no other words than the ones for me.

Then, as quickly as it began, it ends. My 15 minutes is up, and I leave with a mountain of scribbled notes and a smile on my face.

I’m smiling because those 15 minutes were gold. I’m not a published author, and what I presented in my critique still needs some work, but I am now one step closer.

There are limited opportunities to get one-on-one feedback from industry professionals, and I feel lucky to have had this experience to learn and grow as a creator. These moments always make us grow, no matter how the critiques turn out. There is always something new to learn.

I leave the room and sit quietly on a bench to rewrite my notes so they make sense for later. Of course, I think of a million questions I should have asked when I was in there, but I’ve got them written down for next time.

And there will be a next time (and probably another and another), because no matter how nerve-racking critiques can be, they are an important part of the journey.

Massive thanks to everyone involved in making these amazing opportunities possible.

Thank you to the organisers who coordinate manuscripts and portfolios before the event. Thank you to the helpful ushers (Helen and everyone else who helped on the day) who stand at the door for hours and keep time and make sure things run smoothly. Thank you to the publishers and editors and agents who read our work, prepare notes and give us support and encouragement to make our creations the best they can be.

Shaye Wardrop

#SCBWIsyd

Success in Book Publishing with Vivian Kirkfield

Close your eyes and think about your dreams. What is it that you really want to do?

For Vivian Kirkfield, acclaimed US blogger, Perfect Picture Book Reviewer, host of #50PreciousWords Challenge and picture book author, her story began when her son took her skydiving as a birthday present. After that, she realised ‘if I can jump out of a perfectly good aeroplane, I can do anything.’ And so, she decided to follow her dream of writing picture books.

Vivian’s journey began with blogging about picture books. What started out as a way to share her passion and build her profile, quickly turned her into a sought-after social media influencer, with a sizable following. She now has five picture books coming out in 2019 and 2020!

Part of Vivian’s success seems to come from the fact that she has a genuine passion for what she does and she generously supports other writers, both aspiring and experienced. She also has a great can-do attitude and an infectious personality!

Vivian shared that her recipe for success in book publishing is a bit like making pizza: a range of ingredients thrown together to create a masterpiece. Vivien’s four key ingredients for the pizza of success are:

1. Passion (you need to want it and love doing it)

2. Productivity (you need to be willing to work on multiple projects and not sit around waiting for one to come to fruition)

3. Patience (yes, publishing takes TIME)

4. Persistence (when your work is ready, send it out; be determined)

As Vivian reminds us, the only failure is the failure to keep trying. Did you know Jane Yolan, author of 365 published books, averages five rejections a week. Yes, that’s right. FIVE. PER. WEEK. How many submissions must she be sending out? Now that’s persistence!

It’s important not to lose sight of why you are writing or illustrating for children. Vivian imparted the important message that picture books inspire kids to dream, as some don’t think they can. How will your books help them to dream?

Vivian also revealed her seven key steps to publication:

1. Read lots of picture books – use them as mentor texts; not to copy but to observe.

2. Participate in writing challenges and contests – eg 12x12 challenge or the 50 Precious Words challenge.

3. Interact with the kidlit community – find Facebook groups and other online communities.

4. Join critique groups

5. Hone your craft with classes and conferences – being a good writer doesn’t automatically make you a good picture book author, or middle grade author etc; being a good artist does not mean you can tell a story through your art.

6. Write and revise and write and revise – make it as good as possible before submitting – then work with the editor. The Story has to grab your heart – you have to connect emotionally with the story.

7. Research agents and editors and submit – check that the agent or published likes your style of story before submitting, and go with a person who is passionate about your work.

Vivian inspired us all to focus on our dreams, keep the passion alive, and make the most of opportunities that come our way.

“A story that sings cannot be heard if it stays locked in your drawer.” Vivian Kirkfield

by Sarah Wallace

#SCBWISyd

Tags: #SBCWISyd