NJSCBWI17 Conference Wisdom by Diana Ting Delosh

This past weekend I attended the NJ SCBWI June Conference and I thought I'd share some conference wisdom. As usual this conference was both exhausting and inspiring and full of networking opportunities. Some of the following is from attending conferences over the years and some  from this specific conference.

What I brought to the conference: portfolio, 2 picture book dummies (attached to portfolio w/ ribbon per conference specs) and postcards.

General:

• Sign up for all that's appropriate for you. And have the wisdom to bow out of something if you realize it's not, hopefully while you can still get some money back. 

• Clear your schedule for the week before the conference. I had planned to be ahead on my projects but as usual life happens. I was glad I had the last week to catch up on most of the things I wanted to do for the conference without pulling all nighters. On the other end, try not to have anything important the week after.  I still feel like road kill, albeit recovering road kill. Preferably no deadlines due the week you come home. 

• Go with an open mind. Sure I had plans to meet or touch base with agents, editors and art directors. After all, it is a conference known for it's networking opportunities. But I had no expectations beyond that. Which meant no pressure. Yay!

Here's my piece for the 2017 conference Juried Art Show. The theme was: MISCHIEF. Squirrel and Blue Jay are up to some mischief. It also happens to be a a spread from my picture book dummy, A Beast in the Woods, © Diana Ting Delosh. 

Keynote Speaker - author/illustrator Stephen Savage: 

MOVE-  Keep moving on your project, even if it's only 15 minutes a day. That way you don't lose the thread of your project. Move, in the literal sense. Physical movement; helps generates new ideas and solutions.

Portfolio Building - Maria Middleton, Art Director

Your portfolio (physical & online) should have a clear narrative. Ask yourself: What is the story I am trying to tell? Your portfolio should SHOW your answers. IE: I am an illustrator that does _______ style of art. I like to create _____ . This is what makes me special. Be aware of what you want to do and show it. YOU are in charge of your destiny not the art director.

Closing Speaker - author, David Lubar:

Keeps a note posted by his computer: How Badly do you want it? I think, I will do the same.

My Illustrator's Intensive piece for David DeWitt's session.
School Fears © Diana Ting Delosh -Ink, watercolor, digital. 

Web: dianadelosh.com

Art Blog: dtdelosh.blogspot.com

Product Blog: arthareswares.blogspot.com

Twitter: dtdelosh

Check out: 
The BIG ThumbNailer
ThumbNailer

NJSCBWI 2016 Approaches - by Diana Ting Delosh

It's almost been a month since the 2016 NJ SCBWI June Conference a good time for me to reflect on my experience and what worked.

Jabberwocky, Boy Meets Octopus - Final Illustrator Intensive Art
© Diana Ting Delosh
Ink, Watercolor, Digital

Lists & Plans help. I marked out the prep weeks and the deadlines for the illustrator's Intensive sketch and the Manuscript for my 1-on-1 with an editor and any items like getting my postcard printed a month ahead in my Moleskine Weekly Notebook. This year I swore I wasn't going to the conference zombified although the last few weeks I was lucky if I got more than 5 hours sleep a night. Still all in all not totally zombified. There are degrees of zombification.

I want to draw momraths gyre and gimble in the wabe  - © Diana Ting Delosh

 Find the Joy. My illustrator's Intensive was with Annie Ericsson, Designer for G.P. Putnam & Sons and Nancy Paulsen Books, Penguin Young Readers Group and the assignment was to illustrate a passage from C. S. Lewis' nonsense poem, The Jabberwocky. As per my usual process, I doodled a few ideas and concepts and was originally going to go with a more conventional approach. But I wasn't feeling the love. I reviewed my doodles and changed course and went with my idea of treating it as a boy's dream sequence. I believe my joy shows in the final illustration.

Boy & Sea critters on my desk.
Photo © Diana Ting Delosh

Always Have a Plan B or C... because things go awry and time keeps ticking. Sometimes I approach my illustrations like a traditional painting and sometimes I approach them more like a collage.  In this case I was glad I created my Jabberwocky illustration as separate icons as I was able to rearrange them for my Juried Art show Piece. I had planned on doing another illustration for the JAS theme, "Arise and Go Forth..." but time was running out. Plan B was to use some element from the Jabberwocky but add a mermaid and a whale and a gull or just the mermaid and a gull or... Plan C - rearrange what I had already created.

Juried Art Show  - Arise © Diana Ting Delosh

Conferences are like Christmas. You plan and prep and create like crazy. Finally the Conference weekend happens - it's amazing Good FUN, Info Overload time and then it's over and you go home. I didn't want it to end but all good things must. And like after Christmas blues I had a bit of post conference malaise. Back home, you catch up on your sleep, sort through all your conference notes, handouts, cards. Do your follow-ups. Ease back into your studio routine: create, promote, submit.

It's an Investment. Back home you may ask yourself the pragmatic question, Can you quantify it? Don't, unless you happen to have gotten lucky and landed a contract, agent, etc. Aside from the wealth of info crammed into two days there are a lot of intangibles. There's a lot of really good networking and submission opportunities at this conference but you need to follow up. Remember it's cumulative. Create. Promote. Submit. And every now and then leave the studio to practice your people skills.

Web: dianadelosh.com

Blog: dtdelosh.blogspot.com

Twitter: twitter.com/dtdelosh

NJSCBWI - by Mike Ciccotello

Photo by Tara Lazar

WOWZERS! I just got back from the 2016 NJSCBWI conference. 

The best time for me to review how I prepare and promote my work is right after a major event. The ideas are fresh in my mind and I can find ways to improve my workflow. Maybe this will help a new illustrator that wants to tackle a conference. Maybe it will show a seasoned conference attendee a different view. 

Social Media/Website/Promotional Materials

        Five weeks prior to the conference I updated all of my social media. I created a new profile picture and matched it across all of my social media. I decided to go with Business Cards & Postcards from MOO.com. The quality is fantastic. I designed and ordered my cards about a month prior to the conference. I wound up going with Five different pieces of art for the back, and coordinated those pieces on both business and postcards, as well as my website. The side that had my contact information coordinated with my social media and website.

Postcards Printed at Moo.com

Organization

        I saved all of my workshop documents, SCBWI scheduling information, and digital version of my portfolio as pdfs and put them on my iPad. This worked really well. I was able to have all of my documentation in one spot. If the opportunity presented itself to show my portfolio, and it did, I had it on me at all times.

My iPad with all of my SCBWI documents, portfolio, and sketches for the conference

Print Portfolio

        I went with a 14”x11” screw post portfolio. I originally had 18 illustrations, but cut it down to 14 illustrations, plus a beginning and end page that has my contact information. The images broke down to: 3 pen and ink, 1 black & white value, 10 full color. There was a blend of diverse children and animals, interior and exterior, character designs, and a couple sequential images. To see the post about my portfolio transition from last year, click here.

My Pina Zangaro Screw Post Portfolio

One-on-One

        At the time of registration, I didn't have a manuscript, so I decided to only purchase a portfolio review. I sat with an associate art director from Viking, Nancy Brennan. She had some great suggestions for my portfolio. I learned that having facing images that feel similar is great, but if the character expressions are the same, you aren’t showing emotional range. I will be creating a few new images and moving a couple illustrations around.

Networking

        I made sure to keep refreshing my postcards with my portfolio and with my juried art show piece. I also kept a small stack with me in case I needed to give one out. I was able to meet a whole bunch of new people in the children’s literature community. I even met a few editors, and agents. I’m looking forward to submitting my work soon.

The Saturday Night NJSCBWI Faculty Social

Illustrator’s Intensive

        I attended Nancy Brennan’s illustrator’s intensive. We had a special guest, David Wiesner. I asked everyone about the lighting and perspective. The major points that we discussed were the lighting and contrast. Everyone thought I could go a little darker. Mr. Wiesner pointed out some lighting considerations. I will be adjusting the lighting to improve the focus of the characters and the overall look of the room.

 

My original illustration from Nancy Brennan's Illustrator's Intensive workshop

Juried Art Show

        The theme was the first 6 words of W.B. Yeats’ poem, The Lake Isle of Innisfree, “I will arise and go now.” I took the theme quite literally and illustrated the whole poem. Where I believe that wound up limiting the amount of people that understood what I was illustrating, I learned so much about myself. I really enjoyed researching and world building. I enjoyed hiding clues that could make the viewer appreciate the piece at another level. That will be invaluable as my storytelling and illustration begin to intertwine.

My entry for the Juried Art Show, "I will Arise and Go Now"

For me, the NJSCBWI 2016 conference was all about improving my craft, putting my best foot forward to launch a long career in children's literature, and spending time with friends in the kidlit community. Thank you NJSCBWI, for organizing a spectacular event. I can't wait until next year. 

Website:  Ciccotello.com

Facebook:  The Art of Mike Ciccotello

Twitter: @ciccotello
Instagram: @ciccotello