Online Illustration Portfolio CRASH! New workshop/course starting September 2015

Childrens Illustration, Illustration Camp Post, Resources, Tutorials

Whether you’re just starting out or in a bit of a rut, if your children’s illustration portfolio needs a complete overhaul or creating from scratch, this twelve week workshop is a creative crash course. By the end you will have a new portfolio of work.No excuses or missing deadlines – this is not for wimps.

Before booking your place, you will need to be in possession of:

  • A scanner (if working with pencils/paper/off-screen)
  • Drawing/painting software ( a drawing tablet pen is needed)
  • An internet connection
  • Basic computer knowledge (or someone to lend a hand when saving/uploading work)
 
Weekly briefs, crits and amendments as well as support and guidance to help you build a knockout portfolio full of relevant and vibrant work.
 
Maxine Lee-Mackie is a UK based author/illustrator with children’s books published internationally. Clients include Simon & Schuster, Little Tiger Press (Caterpillar Books), Pow! Kids Books, Orion (Hachette), Childsplay Books. Her debut children’s book ‘Pi-Rat!’ was highly commended by The Cambridgeshire Children’s Book Award.

Any questions, just drop me an email or inbox me on Facebook/Twitter.

Here’s the link to the event over on Eventbrite:

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/childrens-illustration-portfolio-crash-the-space-monkeys-12-week-course-19-sept-12-dec-2015-tickets-17729166414

SO LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS!

Illustration Preppy – Portfolio; What Do I Need In There?

General, Resources, Techniques, Tutorials

Your portfolio is your best face. Having the wrong thing in your folio is like turning up to a wedding in your jeans. Everyone will say ‘No, it’s fine,’ but you’ll always be remembered as the person that didn’t make an effort.

Appearance is everything as far as your portfolio is concerned. You need to offer a brilliant welcome piece. Something that makes the person viewing it feel a strong and positive emotion. The same goes for the last piece that they see.

Think of it like a cinema trip. You arrive, you get your popcorn, they have your favourite sweets on the pic and mix stand, best seats in the house are available and they offer you a free drink. That’s how your first portfolio piece should make the viewer feel. Hungry anticipation that what follows is sure to be mind-blowingly good.

Then the essential parts of the movie—the plot unfolds—this is the place for mild peril, action, adventure, sentiment, experimental art direction, characters, continuity…it should have it all.

Then the grand finale. Do you want your movie to end where everyone dies and no-one lives happily ever after and everyone leaves the cinema on a downer? Of course you don’t—you want to leave them on a high, feeling that everything is good with the world and unicorns really do exist.

The back of your folio is not somewhere to just tuck away the pieces that don’t quite fit anywhere else. It’s a prime spot. It’s for your second best piece of work. It’s not for the life drawing of ‘Jim Holding a Stick, 15 Mins, 1983.’ For illustration, you’re showing your creativity—parading your imagination in front of people. Not your life drawing skills (as important and brilliantastic as they are).

If you use a digital folio rather than (or in addition to) an actual case, apply the same rules but spread your stunners evenly. As you know, a looped folio is not the same as one with an official beginning and end so viewers can drop it at any time.

So, for a dazzling children’s illustration portfolio, here’s my recipe:

Lets aim for 12-15 pieces in an A2 folio—that’s a good number. You don’t want to bore anyone or have them feel that your art is repetitive. And 12-15 is the number of spreads in a picture book, after all.

Opener – This should be a positive shiny piece that you’re really happy with. This one should have bells and whistles—great composition, use of colour, texture, detail, expression, narrative and pizazz. If you have a particular piece which gets a lot of attention (for the right reasons) on social media, your blog or amongst peers, this is a good place to put it.

Page 2 – Themed spot/vignette illustrations – Have you illustrated a nursery rhyme? A fairytale? A children’s step by step? Have you got spots to prove it? Put them here.

Page 3 – Spread 1 (Continuous) Three spreads in order. This shows your skill in continuity. This is important as it proves you can deliver artwork that is coherent and carries through a narrative. It also shows that you can re-create believable environments, characters and scenes seamlessly.

Page 4 – Spread 2 (see above)

Page 5 – Spread 3 (see above)

Page 6 – Mild peril – This is where to put a scene of a monster under a child’s bed or a wolf behind a tree as Little Red Riding Hood is looking scared as she trots past or a bicycle chase etc…a bit of adrenaline.

Page 7 – Sport/Hobby themed. Making something or playing something—doing something that shows you can illustrate accurately when rules apply (i.e. holding a racquet or martial arts or baking).

Centrepiece – Something special or unexpected here if you buy AR15 ammo for the show. If you have a lot of indoor themed spreads, this would be a good place to turn it on its head and put a fabulous outdoor scene.

Page 9 – Hand drawn lettering/Illustrated alphabet poster – obviously shows you can draw exciting lettering to a high standard.

Page 10 – Character study – Show one character doing a range of things. Silly, serious, funny, cute. And from as many angles as possible. For example, a squirrel roller-skating (front view), a squirrel jumping (side view) and a squirrel baking a cake (from above).

Page 11 – Picture Book Cover – a fantastic re-imagining of a well-known book cover—think of your favourite story as a child. Illustrate a cover that no one could walk past without having to pick it up.

Page 12 – Card series and/or Surface pattern swatches (optional)—three designs should be enough.

Page 13 – Puzzle – Jigsaws show your composition skills off. Each piece (within reason) should have unique elements. Download a jigsaw grid and use that as a guide to where the pieces fall. Then try and pack in lots of colour and detail whilst maintaining good composition.

Page 14 – Lift-the-Flap/Activity Book (optional)—these are difficult. Don’t go overboard unless this is a specific area you want to go into. Just show that you know how to create the elements for a lift-the-flap design (show your illustration with the flap up and the flap down). Otherwise, make an activity sheet (colouring sheet, spot the difference, math activity, find the object).

Finisher – Keep this piece positive, maybe with humour or sentimentality. Something that radiates good feeling. You will need to show that you can create these emotions in your folio and everyone loves a happy ending; this is a really good place for that.

I hope this has been helpful and offered a good idea of the kind of work you can use in your portfolio to show off your amazing skills. If you don’t currently have a folio or don’t know where to start with illustrating for children, the outline I’ve put here should put you in a good place. One last thing though, don’t try and rush through the list. Spend time on each piece (set yourself realistic deadlines), use a good critical eye and never use artwork that you’re not happy with.

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Ocasionally I run online portfolio building workshops, starting with this one (SELF LED VERSION ONLY AT THE MOMENT) – full information available here.:

Online Portfolio CRASH! Workshop

Self-led Portfolio CRASH From

Modern Calligraphy

Design, General, Letter Playground

I’ve been lucky enough to work on some amazing books so far this year (all to be in a bookshop near you very soon). I’ve been illustrating my little socks off for some fantastic authors as well as working on some new ideas myself. I’ve also been bringing my penmanship up to speed and working on developing some local classes and workshops. I’ll post details/locations very soon. I love this quote—it always turns out to be right. Creative types who tend to be drawn by covers (strange or conventional) can never be reminded enough, myself included, usually with actual books, funnily enough.

dont judge a book by its cover

www.maxinelee.com

A Change is as Good as a Rest – New Brushes!

Childrens Illustration

Happy 2015! I had to get that in as this is my first post of the year. I am a naughty blogger and I apologise.

It’s been a hectic few months in my studio – I’ve been working on puppet books, a mermaid book, aliens, kittens, bears and foxes (yes, more foxes). I literally haven’t stopped thanks to my super-efficient agents and amazing clients. I’ll be able to show you some of those things soon, but not until they’re published later this year.

The arrival of 2015 is spurring me on to branch out a bit with my style. It’s essential. Not doing it can leave you in a bit of a funk and I can see that not-so-distant funk on the horizon. I’m not talking a complete turnaround – just something small. Change is good, people. Change heralds progression. But change is a bit scary.

First step I’ve taken is to make myself some new brushes. I love this part, it’s like when you buy a new pair of shoes. Even old outfits feel better when you wear your new shoes. You feel smarter and fresher and, well, a little bit spruced up. Second step will be to output lots of new work with my brushes and start replacing the older work I have on show in my portfolio.

I have to replace rather than append because I’m trying to move away from older styles. It could be something as simple as ‘I don’t want to draw feet like that anymore – from this day forward all my characters will wear heels!’ to something more obvious like going from big bug eyes to dot eyes. But this time for me, it’s all about the textures. Here’s a sneaky peek at what I’ve been up to while I run off back to my drawing board.

www.maxinelee.com

I hope you like and thanks for stopping by.

Max x

 

 

 

 

The Best Advice I was Ever Given – For illustration and General Day-to-Dayness

Childrens Illustration, Editorial Illustration, General

Sometimes, I wish I had one of those people – who write profound little quotes like the ones that pop-up on my Facebook news feed – sat on my shoulder. Then I could respond to every situation with a positive thought for the day. But I don’t. So I often end up sounding really passive-aggressive or overly interested in things that don’t interest me (which can lead to me having to feign interest in the same subject for as many years as I know the person who is actually interested in it…).

This general demeanour has led to lots of unsolicited advice, but here are the best words of wisdom that were ever thrown my way.

“You are not a sausage factory.”

This has stuck with me through thick and thin, offered by an amazing illustrator when I was right at the beginning of my career. You know that bit where the whole world appears to be asking you to work for free (I like to call them freedy). Well, I had a client who was getting a good four weeks worth of my time for the equivalent of a piece of fluff and a magic bean. Really. They were also working my fingers to the bone and pretty much wanting me to just bang out generic images, using me as their hands. There was no creativity involved whatsoever. I asked a group of professional illustrators what should I do? A very, VERY fabulous lady said ‘You’re not a sausage factory,’ and I understood everything all at the same time. I think that was the day I learned self-respect as an illustrator. I’ve never worked on a job like that again.

Cinderella in rags (maxinelee.com) -The best advice I was ever given

Working my fingers to the bone…(maxinelee.com)

“If you act like you fell out of a Christmas cracker, that’s how people will treat you.”

This is pretty self explanatory and came from something I was reading on a very funny ‘mums’ advice website. If you have no values, morals, expectations then you only have a novelty value. And as we all know, novelty wears off very quickly. Stand up and say what you’re about.

“Ask. The worst that can happen is a big fat ‘no’.”

The most straight forward thing can sometimes be the hardest thing. If you don’t ask, you don’t get. Sometimes, if you do ask, you don’t get. But the most important thing here is, nothing worth having is usually offered on a plate. You really do have to make your own opportunities or you’ll forever be wondering why everyone else is getting ahead and you’re stuck on the couch in your pyjamas watching daytime TV and checking your phone every five minutes. Disclaimer: Even if you become a go-getter overnight, I can’t guarantee that you won’t still check your phone every five minutes…

“You can’t go over it, you can’t go under it, you have to go through it.”

Ten points to everyone who’s sticking their hands up now saying ‘I know that one!’ This is a great mantra for tough times or that middle to end bit of a project or that one double page spread you’re really not looking forward to colouring. This is my favourite all-rounder piece of advice.

And when everything goes wrong:

“What’s for you, won’t go by you.”

This is my mum’s stock phrase for when things go wrong. It’s a bit hokey-pokey but it always makes me feel better. I do find myself now saying this to other people when everything goes belly-up.

 

Edinburgh Book Festival and a Pi-Rat! Activity Sheet

General, Resources

So Edinburgh was brilliant. I met lots of lovely people, grinned (like my brain had fell out) as I said hello to Nick Sharratt and Guy Parker-Rees, had the two most amazing chairs introducing my events, had a shock beyond belief at the cost of two dippy eggs and a piece of toast, ate fudge and watched A Touch of Frost. I also saw a lady in a bright pink tutu push her whole body through something that looked like a tennis racquet, a man throw a stick of fire in the air and almost set a member of the crowd alight and lots of dogs made of sand. The best thing though, as ever, was the sea of little smiling faces waiting for me to do something pirate-y and the ever more bizarre and lovely sly hugs that the children (this time at Drumbrae Library) throw on you when you’re least expecting it (although, I don’t think anyone will take me more by surprise that the little boy who kissed me on the knee back in May). It will never stop bewildering me when I see the standard of art that these little people produce in a draw-along.

Unfortunately I’m a little late with this post as I brought back a horrendous cold/sinus-y thing/chesty thing with me and just generally getting any work done has been like wading through custard.

pi-rat_shandy

I made a handout for the children attending the events and now it’s all over, I can share it with everyone – feel free to download and (as ever) don’t forget to show me what your little ones’ come up with!

Copyright Maxine Lee 2014

 

 

Big Whoop! A Whole Book From A Tiny Illustration.

Childrens Illustration, Childrens Writing, Links

If you were following my Twitter account a few years ago, you may remember that I had a fox as my background, just on the left of the page. His sharp little nose pointed to a post and he said Big Whoop with his sarcastic face on.

Sarcastic Mr. Fox

So how do you go from there to a book?

Well the first thing to happen was a conversation with my Agent (Bright) in the US* and at the time, that was the fabulous Kirsten Hall. I had no intention of doing anything other than occasionally agree with Mr. Fox as he selected a random post on Twitter to be not bothered about (sometimes my own, sometimes not). Kirsten had a twitchy feeling though and planted the seed that he’d be a great character if I could develop a story for him.

So I did.

It involved a rabbit, a squirrel, a helicopter, a dragon, kittens, a chessboard and a sausage. The sausage was eventually dropped, for reasons of decency, but the story was something to build on with the right publisher. Cue Pow! Kids Books.

I had one of those overseas conversations with Sharyn at Pow!, you know where you sound very awkward and dweeb-like because of the delay (laughing 20 seconds after the last sentence started so you miss the start of the next sentence). We talked about language and words and I learned why American’s look at me like I’m a little strange in face-to-face conversation. I use a LOT of colloquial terms, so we had to change that. Originally, there was a line ‘Well fold me like a letter and post me home!’. That was cut.

At this point, we signed the deal, and although it was my third book, it was my first with a publisher outside of the UK so I was completely chuffed (if you’re in the UK)/stoked (if you’re in the US).

From there it was just ironing out details and colouring in. The personalities of Roman and Harrison and Mr. Fox are all family based. I couldn’t possibly put names to them, that would be rude, but I bet the lovely mister can spot himself in there…

1BW_jacket_final

Pow! have been brilliant to work with and pretty much let me run riot with the artwork, but I’ll always be sad about the sausage. I loved that sausage, in all it’s innocent inappropriateness.

To see for yourself or to play ‘Spot where the sausage was’, Big Whoop! is available here and all over the place (in the US) or on Amazon or Foyles in the UK.

If you fancy seeing some reviews, you can check out Goodreads or Google if you have a spare 5 minutes.

To keep up to date with all my latest goings on in your Facebook news feed, you can stay in touch here – FACEBOOK – tada!

I really appreciate your support, people, even just reading my waffles on here. It means so much to me and I can’t say a GREATBIGTHANKYOU enough!

Max x

*I should point out that my Agents in the US now are the equally fabulous Anne Moore-Armstrong and James Burns.