For Illustrators

Picture Book Illustration 101

Six Things Children's Illustrations Need

Interview with Lauren Rille, Associate Art Director, Simon & Schuster (on biggest mistake beginners make)

Words & Pictures Book Basics: Graphic Design

12 Ways to Read a Picture Book

Picture Book Basics: Pace, Drama, Action

Links and Tips for Storyboarding and Illustration

How To Illustrate a Children's Book

Illustrator's Guide to Creating a Picture Book
How to Break Into Children's Illustration

Breaking In as a Picture Book Illustrator and Writing an Illustrator Query Letter

Techniques/ Tips

Seeking the Specifics in Illustration

Just Enjoy the Pictures: Handcrafted versus Digital Pictures

Gesture: Why All the Fuss?

Historical Accuracy in Illustration: Shifting Standards or Stubborn Certainties?

How I Study Picture Books

Quentin Blake's 7 Golden Rules of Illustration

Catching that Expression

Learning in the Flesh: Why Disney Sends Its Animators to Life Drawing Class

Illustration: Beyond Dummies and Rough Sketches

Loosey Goosey with Ben Clanton (how to get started)

Looking at the Illustration of Eyes in Children's Picture Books
The Eyebrows are the Windows to the Soul. Quick Tips for Giving Your Characters Emotion and Expression
Hidden Pictures: One Way to Break into Children's Illustration
Claire O'Brien Art; Creating a Children's Book Illustration Portfolio Part 4- Creating Children
How to Draw for Storyboarding
Download New Storyboarding Software That's Free and Open Source

Developing Characters
Drawing 100 Lions or Maybe More

Characters with Character

How to Design Characters: Discover a Foolproof Methodology

How to Turn "a" Boy into "This" Boy

Human Anatomy Fundamentals: Drawing Different Ages

Why Use Photo References

Kelly Light: Drawing on what you know. Drawing on who you know. Drawing out the character….through drawing

Thumbnails/ Storyboards

How WHERE ARE MY BOOKS was made (part 2): Thinking Visually with a Thumbnail Sketch Template, plus free print ready template for picture book writers and illustrators

Websites/Blogs with Good Information

Art of the Picture Book - Exploring Design and Illustrations in Children's Picture Books

How to Be a Children’s Illustrator: Mark Mitchell’s blog on children’s illustration

ChrisOatley.com: website and blog of Disney character designer who blogs about concept art and illustration, contains links to his online courses
Diana Toledano Illustration and Education - bilingual English-Spanish blog with illustration and writing tips

KidLitArtists: the online home of the SCBWI LA Illustration Portfolio Mentorship Program winners

Once Upon a Sketch: a blog that shares information and news for the children’s illustration market.

#Kidlitart: home of a live Twitter chat Thursday evenings 9 p.m. Eastern, weekly transcripts and blog posts

Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast: Jules Danielson's literary salon where writers and artists converge to talk about children’s books.

Sub It Club's Postcard Posts

Making a Dummy

Making a Picture Book Dummy, SCBWI British Isles

Dummy Books Part 1: Making the Dummy - excellent overview of steps to take to make a dummy

Dummy Books Part 2: Preparing the Dummy Book to Send to Publishers

Dummy Books Part 3: Sending the Dummy Book to Agents and Publishers

Picture Book Dummies for (not) Dummies

Graphic Novel imprint First Second's Submission Guidelines

How to Make a Picture Book Dummy
Putting Together a Dummy the Smart Way

Advice for Building a Portfolio

Donald Wu Illustrations "How to Build an Illustration Portfolio"

Juana Martinez Neal "How to Put a Children's Illustration Portfolio Together"

Jen Betton advice on putting together a portfolio

3 Common Mistakes Artists Make in their Portfolios

How to Put Together a Portfolio for Children's Book Illustrations

Molly Idle: Putting Together a Prize Winning Portfolio

Tips for a Competitive Visual Development Portfolio

Are You Entering the SCBWI LA Illustration Portfolio Showcase? Here are Tips for Before and During the Contest

Is Your Portfolio Site Too Demanding?

Tips on Making Your Own Illustration Portfolio
Portfolio Comparison: What Made an SCBWI Winner
Cut the Fluff in Your Portfolio!

Promo Postcards

Promo Postcard 101: Making Your Piece a Pin-Up

Sub-It Club's Promo Postcard Series

Promotion 101: Business of Illustration

My List of 125 Children's Publishers and How I Use It
Part 2: Postcards (SCBWI "webinar" blog)
Building a Contact List

Breaking in as a Picture Book Illustrator and Writing an Illustrator Query Letter

Pricing Your Work/ Business Aspects

Strategies for Pricing Your Illustration Work

Will Terry video: How Much Money Can You Make Illustrating Children's Books

Molly Crabapple's 15 Rules for Creative Success in the Internet Age

Pricing Resources
Working Art Part 1: Exposure v. Exploitation
Pricing Your Illustration Work
Book Illustration Prices
How to Protect Your Art from Getting Stolen

Picture Book Illustration Pricing
Pictures Mean Business

Illustration Pricing Survey 2019

Illustration Licensing Explained - For the Small Business Owner & Marketer

4 Tips for Your First Year as a Freelance Illustrator

What Editors & Directors Want

What Makes Amazing Children's Illustrations? An Editor's Perspective
Giuseppe Castellano: All The Wonders (podcast, Penguin Art Director answers questions)

[/h3][h3]Online Courses for Illustrators

Live classes at the SVS: join expert illustrators in live classes beginning in January on topics such as idea generation, making book covers, painting textures/details, and jump starting your creativity.

Chris Oatley’s classes: Disney character designer provides classes on concept art and illustration

Make Your Splashes, Make Your Marks: online course for children’s illustration that includes monthly online critique sessions

The School of Visual Storytelling: online, interactive illustration courses taught by working professionals (Jake Parker, Will Terry, and Ryan Halderman).

Will Terry’s Folio Academy: reasonably priced video art classes that cover everything from basic drawing to advanced topics, with several children’s illustration classes.

Alicia Padron: reasonably priced online beginner's illustration classes with one on one feedback

Shadra Strickland: The Art of the Picture Book: reasonably priced and well organized class on illustrating for children on Craftsy

Wendy Martin's Illustrator Class for Children's Illustrator

The Illustration Department: Art Director Giuseppe Castellano provides a variety of courses, such as 3-month mentorship, a 3-week picture book workshop, 3-week illustration workshop, a 1-hr portfolio review, and more.
Illustration Department Podcasts

Inspiration

The Yeeha of Inspiration

Why No One Likes Your Art: 26 Reasons (oddly encouraging insights)
Go Ahead: Make Stuff: Isabel Roxas

The 10 Rules Every Artist Should Live By

Who Are You? (Advice for Beginning Illustrators and Artists)

Other Resources

FREE Andrew Loomis Art Instruction Downloads (detailed illustration, drawing, and painting books)

Step by Step Instructions on Making a Ball-Jointed Doll
KidLitGN- a new Facebook group for writers and illustrators interested in MG and lower graphic novels

Practice Figure Drawing

Pose Maniacs

Figure & Gesture Drawing Practice

Drawing Tutorials Online

Networking Sites (Directories, Societies

Children'sIllustrators.com - international directory of children's illustrators

Kindrling - a place to connect with illustrators & designers

Graphic Artists Guild - professional organization for graphic artist

Illustration Mundo - online resource for illustrators; directory of illustrators

Society of Illustrators Exhibits, lectures, educational programs,

and other resources for illustrators
Picture Book Illustrator's Directory

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