Register NOW for Inside the Illustrator's Studio!

SCBWI University - Elevate Your Craft, Expand Your Career

"Guidance, information, and honest answers to vulnerable questions are the pillars of support that every creator needs during the publishing process. SCBWI University is that support: an invaluable resource for both writers and illustrators as they navigate their projects and their paths to publication.” 

Sara Sargent, Editorial Director, Penguin Random House

Inside the Illustrators Studio:

A new 3-part online course starts TODAY, May 12th, specifically for author/illustrators and illustrators! The series focuses on using thumbnails to build your story, visual character development, and the secrets to building a winning portfolio.

Register HERE!

Be Best Friends with Thumbnail Sketches with Marla Frazee

Tuesday, May 12, 2026: 1-2:30pm Pacific/ 4-5:30pm Eastern

Thumbnail sketches will be the foundation on which you build your story. They will be the map that leads you to your treasure. They will help you feel calm and happy. And they will keep you out of trouble! Please bring about a dozen pieces of 8.5” x 11” copier paper and a pencil to the session.

On Dastardly Rats, Cephalopods, and Other Characters Great and Small with Isabel Roxas

Tuesday, May 19, 2026: 1-2:30pm Pacific/ 4-5:30pm Eastern

Where do characters begin—and what do they want? SNACKS. Obviously. Author-illustrator Isabel Roxas shares a character-led approach to storytelling for children. Through drawing and guided exercises, we’ll explore how shape, gesture, and small visual decisions suggest a whole inner life, and what happens when they get hungry. Bring a handful of characters who’ve been living in your drawer (or quietly shelved). We’ll tease them out, set them in motion, and see what trouble they get into. You may find one or two already carrying a story.

The Good, The Bad, and the Anatomically Incorrect: What Makes (or Breaks) a Portfolio with Lauren Rille
Tuesday, May 26, 2026: 1-2:30pm Pacific/ 4-5:30pm Eastern

Discover the secrets to creating a portfolio that attracts the attention of agents, editors and art directors.