SCBWI-Southern Breeze 2015
ILLUSTRATOR MENTORSHIP
The Challenge
Create a scene based on your completion of the prompt phrase:
“ L’il Rusty looked around, then decided to______
______.”
You will want to think about these elements as you plan your scene:
- First, decide what age your young reader is, and then—
- What is the situation? An adventure? Danger? A mystery? A trip? Something fun? Something curious? Something sad? Something unusual, a surprise, or the unexpected?
- Where does the action take place? Is it light or dark? Where does the light come from?? Why? How? What is the weather like? Indoors or out?
- What era is this? Fairy-tale land? Fantasyland? Today? Yesteryear? The future?
- What is the main character like? Human? Critter–either real or imaginary? Anthropomorphic? Boy, girl, or other?
- Are there others in this scene? Who are they? What are they? Why are they there? What do they have to do with the action at hand?
- What is the “snap-shot instant” that you want to capture? Is it happy, funny, dramatic, scary, fast, slow, loud, quiet, exciting? Create the tension and atmosphere you want the reader to live in and respond to.
- What is the point-of-view that you want your audience to experience? Is it top, looking down? Is it from a low level looking upward? Close-up? Distant? Panoramic?
IMPORTANT—Please keep all your notes about completing the prompt phrase and why you picked the one you illustrated.
Keep character studies and roughs.
Keep scene studies and roughs—anything that will document your journey. Collect them in one place such as a folder or shoebox. This will become your story of this exercise to keep for future reference and to share with others as you choose.
Keep and document your reference sources.
Parameters
Your final color finish will be in the ratio of 9.5 x 11 inches. This represents a typical Peachtree trim size, and for this exercise, we will consider it a single page as opposed to a double (2-page) spread.
The book format may be vertical (portrait or upright) or horizontal (landscape), as you choose.
If you want to do a double spread, you may, and an upright measure would then be 19” wide x 11” tall. A landscape measure would be 22” wide x 9.5” tall. Make light marks at top and bottom at the center of the format; this is the gutter area. Please be mindful that important visual info is not being cut by this center line, such as faces and bodies. Plan carefully to keep ALL your visual information at least a good ½” away from either side of this center line; ¾” to 1” is even better.
Let’s assume the illustration will bleed over all trim edges OR be reduced to fit into a frame on the page. I am interested in picture content and execution, not page layout, so don’t worry about allowing for text.
You may make your final piece either smaller or larger, but it must be proportional. Many illustrators like to work at about 110-120%.
Suggested Scheduling Timetable—counting down toward Illustrators’ Day, March 13, 2015
Developing the Rusty character—Now to Thur, Jan 15, 2015
Absorb the prompt phrase:
“ L’il Rusty looked around, then decided to______
______.”
(This phrase can be as simple or as expanded as you want it to be. Write down a tiny descriptive scenario that gives us a context for the action….)
• Jot down and try any and all situations and characters that might pop into your mind. Think them over and discard all but 2 or 3, then think some more. Discard the next one. Think even more, and choose your favorite. (Whatever is left over, you can discard. Unless it’s really brilliant. In which case, save for future projects!)
• The specific words are not so important, but rather the possibilities that the words suggest are.
• Explore all phrases that show promise and that appeal to you.
• Carry a small notebook or sketchbook with you at all times.
• Become the uber-observer wherever you go and look for interesting moments that might trigger ideas for a magical, compelling, blockbuster scene!
• Savor the process…. Settle upon your final choice of phrase and what the character(s) and scene will be.
FIRST DEADLINE: Thur, JAN 15 Character Sketches. For this, please let me see your choice of character. This can be pencil drawings or any-medium roughs, not finishes in color. Let me see the character’s facial expression and body posture of at least three emotions of your choice from this list (no backgrounds or other characters are needed):
• happy• excited• surprised• afraid• angry• tickled
• puzzled• loving• unsure• exhausted• exasperated • devilish
• goofy• sneaky• furtive• sleepy• fascinated• confident
• any other emotion of your choosing…..make it really good!
I will do my best to have quick notes back to you by Monday, Jan 19. Meanwhile, you will be putting your character to work in the scene you have chosen.
SECOND DEADLINE: JAN 30 First rough of scenario—Friday, Jan 30, 2015
Between Jan 15 and Jan 30 you will be working out the scene you want to take to finish.
• Make exploratory drawings of all characters, costuming, setting, action, situation.
• Collect and categorize references.
• Begin thinking of possible color palettes.
• Decide what page format will work best for you.
Send a jpeg of your proposed scenario. If you want to include any supporting comments, please do so.
I will do my best to have notes back to you no later than Friday, Feb 6. Meanwhile, you should know what your format dimension will be and have it set up to go to finish as soon as you get your notes backl
Begin Finished Piece— no later than Saturday, Feb 7
Finish Execution—Work your finish on your own timetable.
THIRD DEADLINE—FINISH DUE DATE IS FRIDAY, MAR 6—I want the weekend to review your work and prepare my own notes for the following BIG DAY, Friday, Mar 13
Please think about these questions:
• Will you work only nights and weekends?
• Do you have time during the day?
• Are the kids home and what demands do they have on your time and attention?
• What about holidays and shopping, daily meals, church, volunteering, soccer-mom-ing or dad-ing, caring for others, downtime such as vacation or fitness, etc.?
• Try hard to schedule a specific block of time, at specific intervals, on a regular basis and ask that others around you help you keep it sacrosanct.
• It’s also a huge plus if you can devote a small spot in your living-environment to just this project, so that you don’t have to take it out and put it away each time…
D-DAY-MARCH 13— Presentation before assemblage of your peers! How exciting! Bring your lovely self and your beautiful finished painting or color printout to share with one and all…..Yay!