It’s exciting to hear that the SCBWI winter conference will be back in person in January 2023. For those who decide to attend and are unable to make use of the SCBWI hotel referral with conference discount rates or those who may just be traveling soon to visit family or leisure, please be aware that there are hotel scams out there.  Disclaimer: I am not an expert on this subject matter. I had a recent bad experience with one and while I will not be giving company specifics, I’ve pulled together a few tips based on hindsight, research, and an endless mental loop of replaying the events. H ..read more

We work on our picture books over long deadlines. Our portfolio pieces are rendered with attention to detail in every stroke or pixel. All of this can be a fatiguing and may lead to a little creative burnout. A couple years ago, I read several creative books about how to maintain your spark — books like The Creative Habit by Twyla Tharp, The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron, Catching the Big Fish by David Lynch, and Creative Quest by Questlove — all of which I loved.  A consistent recommendation through all of these is to follow your curiosity and to have daily practices in place ..read more

Procreate Tip: note special brushes in your Procreate file! I was hired to do a follow up illustration about 2 years after I did the first one. Guess what?  I could not figure out how I got the effects in the first illustration -- eventually it was good enough, but now I always keep a separate layer that notes any special brushes (in Photoshop and Procreate). Duh. Eddie Edwards Illustrator/Author Instagram: helloeddieillo Website: helloeddie.com ------- This content originally appeared on KidLitArtists.com. All content and images (c) KidLitArtists.com member who posted them ..read more

I am not an activist.  The thought of getting on a metaphorical (or literal) soapbox and shouting out to the world everything I think is wrong with it makes me shudder. Makes my hands go clammy and my knees go weak. The thought of asking strangers to sign petitions or publicly debating hard questions whose answers almost always fall within shades of gray makes me want to gag. I’ve vehemently argued with friends in the past that my artistic social media face should be neutral and accepting and about fun and lighthearted things because children should have fun and lighthearted lives.  ..read more

by Dorothia Rohner Every picture book has a unique story of how it was created.  Whenever a new book is released, are you curious? Do you wonder . . . Where did the idea come from?  Why did it appeal to an agent and editor? What was the editing process? How did the choice for the final art technique get determined?   How was the art created? How did the agent, author-illustrator, art director and editor collaborate? If so . . . join editor-in-chief, Frances Gilbert - Doubleday, agent Allison Remcheck - Stimola Literary Studio, and me to discuss ..read more

I left my life in New York tech with the hope of making picture books. It's all I have EVER wanted to do. When I arrived in my new studio with that singular goal - I was shocked to find myself more than a little lost. Where to begin?? I went on a hunch and took the long way, but here's what I would have done immediately if it had occurred to me - I would have discovered my ideal user.  When you design anything in the tech world, whether it's an app, website, or video game, your team will first sit down and create an ideal user. Waxing poetic on your future deliverable, you dream up your d ..read more

 by Debbie Ridpath Ohi It's been a crazy couple of years, hasn't it? Not sure about the rest of you, but I found it a struggle to stay creative earlier during the pandemic. Things are gradually getting better, but I know many out there are still going through difficult times. In case it helps, here are just a few tips from KidLitArtist creators on how you can help re-discover your creative mojo: Take the breaks you need to feed your soul. Molly Ruttan reminds us all to get outside, to experience the things we love, to be fully present in the moment. "Don’t wait to feel better, don’t wa ..read more

  I love working at home. I love my studio, I love my computer setup, I love the short walk to the kitchen to get coffee or make myself a smoothie. I have two dogs at my feet, and a cat who comes in to check on me regularly. I feel very blessed. Under the influence of these lovely working conditions, the impulse to stay at home and work is strong, and this feeling has only been nurtured by the pandemic. But life needs balance, and I’ve slowly come to realize recently that I need to get out of my studio more!   The other morning as I was eating my breakfast and getting ready for anoth ..read more

My newest book, BARN AT NIGHT came out recently, and I painted a bunch of snow scenes for it, which got me reminiscing about my favorite winter picture books – old and new! This was going to be a top 10 of my favorite wintry books, but there are too many! I seem to have a penchant for fox books: FOX DANCE is slightly instructional - the fox wonders what he should do as all the other animals are preparing for winter. FOX'S GARDEN is a gorgeous wordless story of kindness, and THE SNOW FOX is an absolutely charming friendship tale. BEFORE MORNING has some of the best poetic language, as it tel ..read more

  “Everything good is done slowly...the first thing you need to know is how to express yourself, you have to know how to narrate.” Fyodor Khitruk                              Film, Film, Film by Fyodor Khitruk Under the Soviet Union animation was to be standard, monitored, and only for children. Artists, writers, and cinematographers were censored. Making films for children however, gave them a certain liberty. Many artists worked for the state-funded animation studio Soyuzmultfilm.T ..read more