Visualize the possibilities for your character(s) with author-illustrator and animator Kelly Light!

    From "Louise Loves Art" by Kelly Light

From "Louise Loves Art" by Kelly Light

Talented picture book author-illustrator Kelly Light was schooled on Saturday morning cartoons and Sunday funny pages. She picked up a pencil and started drawing, and never stopped.

She's the author-illustrator of the Louise series. Louise and Andie: The Art of Friendship (Spring 2016) and Louise Loves Art (Fall 2014) are the first two books in the series published by Balzer + Bray, HarperCollins.

She has also illustrated Elvis and the Underdogs and Elvis and the Underdogs: Secrets, Secret Service, and Room Service by Jenny Lee, and The Quiks series by Erin Soderberg.

A former animator and cartoon licensing artist, Kelly also serves as an "international ambassador of creativity" for the Chuck Jones Center for Creativity.

She'll be our guest instructor-critiquer for the Thursday, July 27 live session set for 7 p.m. (U.S. Central Standard Time.)

Please Save My Seat For July 27!

You can opt for just this month's single Group Critique session with Kelly Light (replay included) or subscribe for access to this and replays of all past months' sessions.

Eyes, mouths, hands – Oh My!

 

For our July 27 session, Kelly is asking you to bring to life two out of four possible characters she describes for us from an imaginary children's book manuscript, as if she was an editor auditioning you for the project.

"I want you to read each and pick 2 and design the character," she says. "You interpret the description. Who do you see playing this part? Then draw them in three poses and do three facial expressions. If it reads as a kid, draw a kid, if you envision an animal – draw an animal."

Kelly also says to upload your own characters that you are working on. "Bring them in thinking about whether they feel alive to you. What do you think you did successfully?

"Where do you think you need help? Do you think there is something missing about them. Do you have questions about how to turn them around?

"I want everyone in the group to share with me and the group any character design questions that you have."

After a very special teaching session, she'll pick some sketches by several artists in our group to focus on.

Come join us for another great visit with a gifted guest instructor!

Sketches by Kelly Light

Monthly group critiques are 'perfect practice'

They tell you...

  • What isn't working

  • When to push harder

  • When to just stop

And help you...

  • Get a fresh perspective

    Our guest critiquers – illustrators, author-illustrators, children’s literary agents, art directors, maybe an editor or two  – examine your final in a spirit of teaching and mentoring.

  • Think more like a pro

    Watch up close and personal how full-time creatives evaluate and troubleshoot their own and others’ pieces.

  • Prepare for... that thing

    That upcoming kidlit (or illustrators’) conference, important promotional mailing, post or sit-down with a client or a prospect.

And nudge you to...

  • Sharpen your discernment powers

    Remind you of those bedrock principles of draftsmanship, design and communication. (Funny how they keep bringing you back to those.)

  • Meet your tribe

    Your colleagues and the expert practioners. Who share their What I Wish I Knew Then stories and become your contacts in ‘the biz.’ (It’s called networking.)

  • Get better at... getting better

    Practice with critiques helps you understand the hierarchy of feedback and how to navigate it wisely – knowing what’s valid for you now, vs. what to set aside for later.

Precious moments. Practical stuff. Group critiques – in the classroom or around a cafe table with friends – have been training artists for centuries. Be part of a time-tested tradition, updated for the 21st century.

Join us around the table in new, live, online group sessions every month – and enjoy watching replays of past sessions at your leisure.

SubscribeFor monthly group sessions, including July 27 with author-illustrator Kelly Light.

Only $10 monthly.

Improvement comes from consistent focus

Sometimes it will be your work being discussed. More often than not, it will be someone else's. 

You'll benefit by being there. Watch and listen. Absorb the insights to help you later, when it's just you behind the drawing board making all those essential design decisions.

You don't have to go it alone...

Participate in all of our monthly live programs. Access replays of all past sessions...

Like the ones we've enjoyed and learned so much from last year, taught by these wonderful children's publishing professionals:

Mira Reisberg

Mira Reisberg, author-illustrator, teacher and founder, Children's Book Academy

Author-illustrator Jeff Crosby

Jeff Crosby, author-illustrator

C.S. Jennings

C.S. Jennings, author-illustrator

 Giuseppe Castellano, senior art director, Penguin Random House

Giuseppe Castellano, senior art director, Penguin Random House

Jodell Sadler and KidLit College

Jodell Sadler, founder KidLit College and agent

Len Smith, animation character designer

Len Smith, animation character designer

Abigail Samoun, children's book agent, co-founder of Red Fox Literary

Abigail Samoun, children's book agent, co-founder of Red Fox Literary

Karien Naude

Karien Naude, illustrator

Marsha Riti

Marsha Riti, illustrator

http://tugeau2.com/

Nicole Tugeau, agent and artists' rep, Tugeau2 Children's Illustrators

Annette Simon

Annette Simon, author-illustrator

Renowned author-illustrator Robert Quackenbush

Renowned author-illustrator Robert Quackenbush Halloween Critique Bash (explains the scariness)

Terry Widener, illustrator

Terry Widener, illustrator

Jill Corcoran, founder of Jill Corcoran Literary Agency

Jill Corcoran, founder of Jill Corcoran Literary Agency

Just us, with Mark and Chris, illustration art by Chris Perry

Just us, with Mark and Chris, illustration art by Chris Perry

Karien Naude

Chris Schechner, designer, illustrator and art director for 20+ years for "Pockets" magazine

Christy Stallop

Christy Stallop, illustrator

Award-winning children's illustrator Larry Day

Award-winning storyboard artist and children's illustrator Larry Day

Mark Mitchell, http://HowToBeAChildrensBookIllustrator.com

Mark Mitchell, author-illustrator and moderator

Wendy Martin, author-illustrator and teacher

Wendy Martin, author-illustrator and teacher

http://www.andreabrownlit.com/agents.html

Kelly Sonnack, senior agent, Andrea Brown Literary Agency

Picture book series author-illustrator Janee Trasler

Picture book series author-illustrator Janee Trasler

Mira Reisberg, Round 2, illustration by Lisa Goldberg

Mira Reisberg, Round 2, illustration by Lisa Goldberg

Loraine Joyner

Loraine Joyner, senior art director for 23 years with Peachtree Publishers

ustyme books art manager Nick Balian with the cover of his

Nick Balian, illustrator animator, art manager for digital publisher ustyme Books

Denise Fleming

Denise Fleming, award-winning author-illustrator

Mary Sullivan

Mary Sullivan, award-winning author-illustrator

Catch up critique - Illustration by Kathryn Powers

Catch up critique - Illustration by Kathryn Powers

Mira follow-up critique, illustration by John Wanczyk

Mira follow-up critique, illustration by John Wanczyk

Illustrators' Agent Melissa Turk

Illustrators' Agent Melissa Turk of The Artist's Network

A bit of art school...

For $10 per month.

Video thumbnail illustration by Mariama Ross.

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Try out the subscription. You can easily cancel at any time. If you find your first experience of a session not helpful or just not your cup of tea, write me (c/o the How To Be A Children’s Book Illustrator blog) and I’ll refund you same day, no questions asked and no worries (and we’re still friends.)