Award-winning illustrator Larry Day shows you how to unravel (and learn lots from) any artist's composition
Award-winning illustrator and storyboard artist Larry Day took a few minutes to share a fascinating lesson and a fun assignment for you to try for our next Guest Group Critique online meet-up that's set for Thursday, September 22.
He's the illustrator of over twenty fiction and nonfiction picture books and a storyboard artist/art director for advertising agencies. Larry and Miriam Busch collaborated on the picture book Lion, Lion, which was one NPR’s Best Books For 2014, an Illinois Reads Selection for 2015, a Junior Library Guild Selection and a Bank Street College Best Book of the Year. His second picture book with Miriam Busch for Balzer + Bray is titled Raisin, The Littlest Cow.
He'll be our guest instructor for September's Guest Group Critique, set for 8 p.m. (U.S. Central Time), Thursday, September 22.
Mysteries of visual composition revealed in our live session with Larry on Thursday, September 22.
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Monthly group critiques are 'perfect practice'
They tell you...
What isn't working
When to push harder
When to just stop
And help you to...
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.
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.
Participate in new live critique sessions with KidLit illustration professionals every month!
Group critiques – in the classroom or around a cafe table with friends – have been training artists for centuries.
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Improvement comes from consistent focus
Sometimes it will be your work being discussed. More often, someone else's.
Either way, you'll benefit by being there. You'll take away the insights to help you later — when it's just you behind the table making all those decisions, big and little required to complete a great picture.
You just need to watch and listen. And apply the ideas you like your way.
You don't have to go it alone...
With a subscription you can participate in all of our monthly live critique programs and immediately access replays of all sessions we've enjoyed and learned from so far by these top professionals:
Click on the photos to see their websites!
Mira Reisberg, author-illustrator, teacher and founder, Children's Book Academy
Karien Naude, illustrator
Chris Schechner, designer, illustrator and art director for 20+ years for "Pockets" magazine
Loraine Joyner, senior art director for 23 years with Peachtree Publishers
Jeff Crosby, author-illustrator
Marsha Riti, illustrator
Christy Stallop, illustrator
Nick Balian, illustrator animator, art manager for digital publisher ustyme Books
Nicole Tugeau, agent and artists' rep, Tugeau2 Children's Illustrators
C.S. Jennings, author-illustrator
Annette Simon, author-illustrator
Mark Mitchell, author-illustrator and moderator
Denise Fleming, award-winning author-illustrator
Wendy Martin, author-illustrator and teacher
Mary Sullivan, award-winning author-illustrator
Jodell Sadler, founder KidLit College and agent
Kelly Sonnack, senior agent, Andrea Brown Literary Agency
It's a bit like art school...
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Try out the subscription and see what you think of the next Marks and Splashes Guest Group Critique session. If you find it not hugely 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, no worries and we’re still friends. You can also easily cancel your subscription anytime.