I'm sure you know that SCBWI offers so many incredible panels, keynotes, sessions throughout the conference and this year, I want to shine the spotlight on one particular offering, the Illustrators' Intensive. Here to help me do so is the incomparable, Pat Cummings!
1. Thank you so much for joining us here on the Official SCBWI blog! A prolific creator, mentor and children's publishing icon, in your own word, would you tell us about yourself and your role within SCBWI.
Hi Justin,
I’ve been on SCBWI’s Illustrators’ Committee for about 360 years, ever since Cecilia Yung and Tomie DePaola invited me to join them.
I got my first children’s book to illustrate shortly after graduating. I had NO idea what I was doing but I did know someone who knew someone who had once dated Tom Feelings. So, I called him up cold and he walked me step by step through illustrating a book. When I thanked him for his generous guidance, Tom said that he hoped I would help others when they needed it.
At SCBWI, I found people who shared that attitude. Members tend to be generous with advice and support. As a member of the Illustrators’ Committee on the Advisory Council, I help plan the Intensives and help with our Mentorship and Narrative Art Award programs.
2. What makes the SCBWI Illustrators' Intensive different/ unique compared to other intensives and workshops?
The Intensives always focus on one critical aspect of illustrating picture books. The faculty is chosen to include masters of the chosen topic who know how to break down their techniques into teachable lessons. Hands-on exercises at the Intensives hone in on the topics so specifically that participants will be exposed to techniques and concepts that can take their work to a new level.
3. What advice would you give an illustrator on how they can make the most of the Illustrators' Intensive?
Come with an open mind. Be open to experimenting, to playing, to surprising yourself. Be rested. And definitely take note of what materials to bring so that you’ll have everything you need.
At SCBWI, I found people who shared that attitude. Members tend to be generous with advice and support. As a member of the Illustrators’ Committee on the Advisory Council, I help plan the Intensives and help with our Mentorship and Narrative Art Award programs.
2. What makes the SCBWI Illustrators' Intensive different/ unique compared to other intensives and workshops?
The Intensives always focus on one critical aspect of illustrating picture books. The faculty is chosen to include masters of the chosen topic who know how to break down their techniques into teachable lessons. Hands-on exercises at the Intensives hone in on the topics so specifically that participants will be exposed to techniques and concepts that can take their work to a new level.
3. What advice would you give an illustrator on how they can make the most of the Illustrators' Intensive?
Come with an open mind. Be open to experimenting, to playing, to surprising yourself. Be rested. And definitely take note of what materials to bring so that you’ll have everything you need.
4. How do you hope the attendees will grow creatively, as well as technically?
The wonderful thing about SCBWI is that everyone seems to learn from everyone else. I have yet to meet anyone at a conference, beginner or pro, who doesn’t want to further develop their skills. Hopefully, attendees will find that the techniques and concepts they learn will enhance what they already love doing when creating illustrations.
5. What message would you give to an artist’s who maybe unsure about attending the Illustrators' Intensive?
Attending is an investment in yourself. Not only can you expect to discover new techniques but you’re sure to leave brimming with ideas for new projects. What’s really cool is that I’ve seen people find new friends who are on a similar path, friends who continue to inspire and support them.
About
Pat Cummings is the author/illustrator of over forty books for young readers. She also edited the award-winning series, Talking With Artists, which profiles prominent children's book illustrators. She teaches at Parsons and Pratt, and her children's book illustration class has a growing number of notable illustrator/authors among its graduates. Pat serves on the SCBWI Board of Advisors as well as on the boards of the Authors Guild, the Authors League Fund, The Authors Guild Foundation and The Ezra Jack Keats Foundation. She is a member of the Writers Guild of America, East. Her annual Children’s Book Boot Camp brings writers and illustrators together with agents and top editors and art directors from major publishing houses.
The wonderful thing about SCBWI is that everyone seems to learn from everyone else. I have yet to meet anyone at a conference, beginner or pro, who doesn’t want to further develop their skills. Hopefully, attendees will find that the techniques and concepts they learn will enhance what they already love doing when creating illustrations.
5. What message would you give to an artist’s who maybe unsure about attending the Illustrators' Intensive?
Attending is an investment in yourself. Not only can you expect to discover new techniques but you’re sure to leave brimming with ideas for new projects. What’s really cool is that I’ve seen people find new friends who are on a similar path, friends who continue to inspire and support them.
Pat Cummings
Author, Illustrator
About
Pat Cummings is the author/illustrator of over forty books for young readers. She also edited the award-winning series, Talking With Artists, which profiles prominent children's book illustrators. She teaches at Parsons and Pratt, and her children's book illustration class has a growing number of notable illustrator/authors among its graduates. Pat serves on the SCBWI Board of Advisors as well as on the boards of the Authors Guild, the Authors League Fund, The Authors Guild Foundation and The Ezra Jack Keats Foundation. She is a member of the Writers Guild of America, East. Her annual Children’s Book Boot Camp brings writers and illustrators together with agents and top editors and art directors from major publishing houses.
An Intensive for Illustrators, Friday, January 16th
Movement is the key that unlocks the themes, narratives, and emotions of an illustrated book. Visual stories rely on movement to bring characters to life, introduce change in static scenes, drive the engine of the narrative, and propel the reader to the visual climax. In individual scenes, motion can reveal characters’ personalities, articulate body language, and fuel the energy of the moment. But how do we achieve that in a two-dimensional medium like a book? Four noted illustrators will show us their unique ways of harnessing motion effectively and dramatically without the benefit of animation, sound, or dimension. Join us to learn how they bring their stories to life and make it look effortless.
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