I began my journey into children’s publishing four years ago when the pandemic hit and I desperately needed an outlet. Being a voracious reader, I lost myself in almost 300 books and decided to rekindle my love for bookmaking and art-making. During that time, I discovered I wasn't just an artist or dancer or singer. I identified as a storyteller—a griot if you will.
Quick anecdote! The closest person to a griot in my family was my late, great-uncle, Augustine Jurry, who performed cultural shows at the Queens Botanical Gardens. When I saw him perform as a kid, I'd be whisked away to another time and place, into stories steeped in my family's history, and culture from Liberia. He is one of my biggest inspirations and was a guiding force in my pursuit of telling stories. Check out this video of him!
Today, I am a professional dancer by trade with the hopes of melding my two passions into one. I definitely have my Uncle Jurry to thank and I wish to bring arts and culture to our community as he did.
If you want to check out my
sweet moves, you can browse my performance website at
www.justincampbellnyc.com
So today's blog topic is:
Portfolio Planning
In this blog, I want to share what I've learned about portfolios; what should be in one, how to germinate ideas, and how to plan personal projects to help build your portfolio.
Once I decided to pursue a career in children’s literature, a literary mentor of mine suggested I look into SCBWI, and attending my conference was a game-changer! As a new illustrator, I wanted to put myself out there, be brave, and get feedback!
But first things first, I had to do my research on what actually goes into a portfolio. My portfolio was/is still evolving but after reading, watching, and asking around, I realized I first had to ask myself:
What is your target audience, Justin?
What type of art do you want to make, broski?
What inspires you, man?
Is there a particular genre you are passionate about, ie: picture books, book covers, chapter books, etc—uh—dude?
Once I asked these questions, I started to generate an action plan. Remember my last blog post? I'm Type A, so being drawn to charts, tabs, and PowerPoints, my plan of action consisted of a PDF called—
"My Portfolio Plan"
First, I started by answering some of those questions.
If I had the choice, I'd love to draw picture books, book covers, and early readers.
I want to draw art with movement and energy, incorporating my dance background and the brilliant vibrancy of Black and Brown cultures.
Then I compiled a list of "What/Who INSPIRES me?"
I set a timer and wrote as many as possible. My list started with general ideas like "African Folklore" and "Mermaid" but soon, specific names like "Aaliyah" and "Prince" or TV/films such as "Steven Universe" and "Encanto" came forth. This list has since grown and it was a great foundation for me to see the connective tissue between them.
The sooner I understood the heart of my inspirations, the sooner I figured out what makes me tick, artistically.
Next, I gathered my countless INSPIRATIONS and put them all into PDF form!
Ugh, what a beautiful acronym...PDF.
Um— I digress.
I update this PDF periodically, adding new artists, inspirations, and ideas.
Next, I created a
long list of numerous illustrators I love and admire, new and old. I collected illustrations by those artists and compiled them into slides. Some of those artists included Brett Helquiest, Glen Keane, and Sha'an D'anthes, which I've linked on each slide. Remember, always cite your work! ;)
During this process, I tried to find works that spoke specifically to me, my taste, and my sensibility, in attempts to hone into what styles, compositions, and colors I was attracted to.
I made over 50+ slides with the artist's website or socials linked, so I could keep track of where I found their work and to keep up with their portfolio updates.
From there, I wrote notes. Right on the PDF. And I took very details ones at that.
This helped me discover what I truly liked about each artist's art, and style.
This was a great exercise, because though there were many artists I admired, once I began to break down what I LIKED about their work, I was able to see specifically what I wanted to achieve, emulate, and adopt into my art stylings, and illustrative work.
It was like journaling and brought amazing perspective. Sometimes it was the movement, sometimes it was only the color palette. The more specific, the better.
Next, with all this new info, I broke down what I wanted my portfolio to look like. I brainstormed some ideas, thinking of the subjects I loved seeing from other artists but also, things I have yet to see.
This is what I did to create my first portfolio for my first in-person conference, which I submitted to the SCBWI Portfolio Showcase. Sure, I was terrified, but I learned so much and received great feedback.
Another tool that I use to generate ideas is the "100 Things" exercise.
The exercise is from Drawing is Magic by John Hendrix and it has been a wonderful addition to my process and has helped me organize my artistic process even more.
It was introduced to me at that winter conference by Owner/Agent, Christy Ewers, from The CAT Agency.
At first, it was difficult to list 100 things but soon, I found myself well over 100 prompts.
Below is my personal list!
100 THINGS JUSTIN LOVES TO DRAW
I go back to this list often when I feel lost or need inspiration. Combine some of the prompts and make an illustration. Pick one prompt and draw multiple versions of the subject. Make it an art challenge. This will keep you observant and doubles as a great daily practice.
With "My Portfolio Plan" and my "100 Things" list, I felt equipped to find my unique voice and continue to make my portfolio amplify that voice.
I felt empowered to tackle the behemoth that is THE PORTFOLIO!
Disclaimer: This is an ongoing process for all illustrators, and I am currently in the throes of revamping and updating it. But be process-oriented, not result-oriented, and give yourself grace as you build your portfolio.
Below is a compiled list of some of the advice I've received from several resources: from conferences, YouTube, seminars, webinars, friends, and colleagues and I'd like to share what I've learned with you!
PORTFOLIO TIPS
DOs
For children’s literature, you want to have a range of ages from children to adults. Demonstrate that you can make the distinction between all of them.
Let your art reflect the world around you. Draw people of different ethnic backgrounds, and cultures (with proper research), differently abled, neurodiversity, body shapes, features, and genders—the world is a big, beautiful, UNIQUE tapestry of humans. and you want your work to reflect that.
This is an opportunity to draw TONS of animals. You can even make it a challenge. Draw a spread of animals from different terrains. Include your favorites in your portfolio. Show the potential client what you can do.
Showcase all environments from cityscapes and nature. Make them as real or as fantastical as you want, but show that you can set your story in different places and spaces.
Perhaps a library, a classroom, or a dungeon with a dragon peacefully sleeping—Take advantage of setting your illustrations in rich, inside and out, environments. This is an opportunity to add details to the story you are conveying. Your environment tells its own story.
In daylights, in sunsets, in midnights, in cups of coffee...uh, yeah, you get the picture. Draw different times of day. This is a great opportunity to work with some amazing color palettes and subject matters.
- Character-driven/ Story-Centered (pieces over Design)
Let the characters tell the story they need to tell. Be emotive and active with the players you choose to draw. I am learning to be more active in my art. Instead of just a subject standing in a pose, I like to write a sentence or two about what is happening to them. Try to tell that story with no words.
This is a great way to showcase your skills in making picture books. I like to re-imagine fairytales/folklore with my own style and sensibilities. This is an easy way to create some microscopic projects where you can practice spreads and spot illustrations. Retell those stories we know so well! It is a great foundation to get started.
Maybe reimagine a book cover of your favorite book.
Some illustrators don't want to write but there is a lot of free domain work that can be the catalyst for your creative work i.e: The Little Mermaid, Snow White, Sherlock Holmes, Pinocchio.
Use these ideas and pretend that it is work for a client. It is good practice to conceptualize and execute a story, even if the client is YOURSELF!
DONTs
- Do not include things you DON'T like to draw in your portfolio
I don’t like drawing cars. And so if I’m hired to illustrate a car picture book off of that ONE car illustration I did three years ago, I would want to jump in MY car and speed away. I don’t actually own a vehicle, MTA being my special form of torture, but only put work in your portfolio that you want a potential client to hire you for.
*cough* Mermaids *cough*
I am guilty of this, but try to limit this type of work. Create your OWN original characters and create scenarios for them. One or two pieces of fan art might be okay, but maybe you could reimagine those characters or use them as a foundation/jumping-off point for something else.
If you are trying to be hired for children's books, book covers, etc., include work that reflects that. Make sure your work is thematically appropriate.
Perhaps you like to draw scary/darker-themed art like horror or grotesque monsters. Including that in your portfolio for children may not be the best move.
BUT most importantly:
Draw THINGS YOU LOVE TO DRAW and HAVE FUN!
Those who view your work will see that love in it.
And though this isn't a blog on how to build your portfolio website, here are some free/affordable options I've used to help you get started:
So, explore what makes you tick as an artist. Find your inspirations! List your favorite things! This is your personal showcase and a reflection of who you are. Let your point of view of the world shine through! Be patient and don't give up! Keep working at it! We need your stories and we need your art!
That's it!
Thanks again for reading! Stay tuned for next week's blog!
If you'd like to check out my work, you can visit my portfolio HERE! Follow me on Instagram @themermancam and on Bluesky!
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