“Book Covers Catch the Art Directors Eye”

2017 SCBWI Utah Southern Idaho
Illustrator’s Conference
Any questions? email sherry@sherrymeidell.com

Click HERE to Register.

Utah/Southern Idaho SCBWI Illustration Conference
“Book Covers – Catch the Art Directors Eye”
February 18th, 2017 at the Sons of the Utah Pioneers Building, 3301 East 2920 South,. Salt Lake City, Utah

Schedule:
8:30 – 9:00 dried bread and water, networking, set up portfolios ($5.00 for portfolio display bring cash  if you want to participate) and grab a seat
9:00 – Welcome and announcements
9:15 – Nicki Carmack, Creative Director Peachtree Publishers in Atlanta Georgia.
10:15 – Greg Swearingen & Hala Wittwer Swearingen:
“Practical Strategies for Making Great Images Happen on a Deadline”
Their topics will include:  generating ideas, composition strategies, reference gathering, and simplifying rendering.

12:15 – lunch: hot bowl of soup and water (local art directors check out portfolios and have a bowl of soup)
1:15 – Nicki Carmack, Greg Swearingen and Hala Wittwer
First Look Critique of middle grade novel covers from us illustrators
2:15 –  Illustrator to Illustrator
2:45 – 3:30 Panel: Nicki Carmack, Greg Swearingen and Hala Wittwer Swearingen

Nicki Carmack Creative Director from Peachtree Publishers will be doing a limited number of 10 minute Portfolio reviews. The fee is $45.00 Email sherry@sherrymeidell.com to get info on paying and signing up for the Portfolio reviews.

There will be a Portfolio display again this year. Notify Manelle Olipant at illustration@manelleoliphant.com if you have any questions and bring $5.00 the day of the conference to participate. The portfolios will be viewed by local art directors and Nicki Carmack from Peachtree. You need to be registered for the conference to participate in the Portfolio Display.

(Portfolios should be no larger than 11 x 14, bound portfolios with 15 images max -no original art-one set of contact information card such as postcard or business card) No digital portfolios. You can attach one or two book dummies to the portfolio attached with a string.
If you have published books they can be displayed on our published books table.

Go to http://utahsouthidaho.scbwi.org to register – go down to upcoming events and click on Illustrators Conference. That will take you to the registration page.
Early Bird Prices Register before January 23, 2016:
SCBWI Members: $60.00
Students: $65.00
General Public $75.00
Portfolio Display $5.00 (bring cash the day of the conference)
Register after January 15, 2015
SCBWI Members $70.00
Students: $75.00
General Public $85.00
Portfolio Display $5.00 (bring cash the day of the conference)

Nicki Carmack

Nicki Carmack graduated from the University of Brighton, England with a degree in Visual Communications in 1987.

Her design career started in the field of financial marketing, but she soon discovered a love for book design, and worked for Dorling Kindersley in London.

In 1992 Nicki moved to the United States and returned to the financial industry as a senior graphic designer, and ultimately creative director for Harland Clarke. However, she still loved the creative process of publishing design, and discovered Peachtree Publishers in Atlanta. Nicki worked as a contract designer for Peachtree for some a number of years, and was taken on as creative director when she left her corporate role in 2012. Her responsibilities include creative development of everything from picture books to young adult titles, advertising, marketing collateral, catalogs and tradeshow graphics.”

Greg Swearingen, Illustrator
Greg Swearingen has been illustrating professionally since 1998. He has created book covers for Harper Collins, Scholastic, Random House, and Disney Press among others. His work has received awards from Communication Arts and he has been awarded medals from Spectrum, SILA, and Society of Illustrators New York. www.gregswearingen.com

Hala Wittwer Swearingen, Illustrator

Hala Wittwer Swearingen (MFA Art Institute of Boston) joined the SUU illustration faculty after six years of teaching graduate and undergraduate illustration at California State University Fullerton. She is the illustrator of Dragon Egg by Mallory Loehr and Meow by Jane Yolen. Her work has been recognized in Spectrum and Society of Illustrators New York. She has received awards from SILA, Communication Arts, and the Hiii Illustration Annual China.
www.artbyhala.com

www.peachtree-online.com
peachtreepub.blogspot.com
www.artbyhala.com
www.gregswearingen.com

www.utahsouthidaho.scbwi.org

First Look Illustration 2017

Do you want the chance to get an in-person critique of your work from an art director?

Then you’re in the right place!

This year for our “First Look” panel, Art Director Nikki Carmack (Peach Tree Publishing), and Illustrators Greg Swearingen and Hala Swearingen will be critiquing YOUR Middle Grade Novel cover at the Utah/Southern Idaho Illustrator’s Conference on February 18, 2017.

Submission guidelines:

Research: Look at as many middle grade novels as you can to see what types of  book covers are selling in today’s market (such as the covers seen above).

Illustration specifics: Illustrate one middle grade novel cover with at least one 12-13 year old and at least one animal. Leave space for the title and author’s name.

Dimensions: 5 1/2 x 8 inches with a 1/4 inch bleed all the way around. 1200 pixels on the longest side, 300 dpi.

File format: JPEG

File name: lastname_firstname.jpeg

Send to: Shawna Tenney at shawna(dot)tenney(at)gmail(dot)com.

Email subject line: First Look 2017

Due date: Turn in your illustration no later than midnight on February 12, 2017. Entries turned in later will not be accepted.

Questions? Email Shawna with any questions you might have about your “First Look” illustration entry.

Don’t forget to register for the conference! Registration information coming soon.

See you there!

Get Ready 2017 Utah/Southern Idaho SCBWI Illustrator’s Conference

The Utah/Southern Idaho SCBWI Illustrator’s Conference is coming up. Mark your calendars now.

More information coming.

Three Internet Sensations The 2016 SCBWI Utah Southern Idaho Illustrator’s Conference

Shawna Tenney introducing Giuseppe Castellano

Giuseppe Castellano ArtDirector from Penguin Random House

Sensation #1: You get to hear about some people before you meet them in person. They have a presence on the web. Giuseppe Castellano the art director from Penguin Random House does a good job on social media. He also did a great job presenting. He talked about putting your personality into your art and gave information to help us raise the quality of our illustrations. He also gave great advice on web sites and getting your art out there. He was introduced by Shawna Tenney who had previously interviewed Giuseppe on the Oatley Academy podcast, Stories Unbound.

The illustrator’s at the Utah Southern Idaho SCBWI 2016 Illustrator’s Conference

Will Terry presenting on the Four Step Art Tune Up

Jake Parker presented with Will Terry. Friendly banter ensued.

Sensation #2 and #3: Will Terry and Jake Parker presented together with some friendly banter back and forth. They talked about four ways to improve your art. The good thing about Will’s presentation was the visual examples he used to really show what he was talking about. He taught in such a way that you really got it.

Jake Parker talking about his soon to be released Picture Book

Jake Parker demonstrating thumbnails with audience participation

Jake Parker put his money where his mouth was. He put us all on snap chat before he started his presentation. Jake has come up with some of the most ingenious ways to use social media. He demonstrated how he does thumbnails and drew a double spread from prompts from the audience. It was great to see his thought process and principles of art as he created the spread.

Giuseppe Castellano, Will Terry and Jake Parker during First Look

Giuseppe, Will and Jake participated in critiquing first look. You could see your art flash on the screen and get their first impressions of your art. You learned not only from your own critique but also from the others put up front.

Richard Ericksen Art Director from Shadow Mountain Deseret Book and his wife Gorgeous chat with Will Terry

Margaret Weber, Art Director from Covenant Communications chats with illustrators

We were excited to have Bob Cross from Gibb Smith, Margaret Weber from Covenant Communications Mckelle G. from Jolly Fish Press and Richard Ericksen and his wife Gorgeous from Shadow Mountain attend and take a look at the portfolios. There were chances to visit with the other illustrators who attended. There were also chances to ask questions of the presenters. I had things that I needed reminding of and learned things that will improve my illustrations.

Checking out the portfolios

It is great for us illustrators to get out of our studios and get around others who are working and creating art. It helps to improve not only our art work but the ways we work. A big thank you to the illustrating committee, Manelle Oliphant, Jennifer Eichelberger and Shawna Tenney, our presenters and to all the illustrators who joined us for the day. Keep on creating.

Giuseppe Castellano speaking on tangents

Giuseppe Castellano

Checking out the portfolios

Checking out the portfolios

Jake Parker, Will Terry chatting with Brooke Smart who won honorable mention in the 2016 New York SCBWI Conference

Will Terry and Jake Parker

Grabbing a little lunch

Giuseppe Castellano (@pinocastellano) Twitter

Will Terry http://www.willterry.com

Jake Parker mrjakeparker.com (Twitter)

Elevated Illustration 2016 SCBWI Utah Southern Idaho Illustrator’s Conference

Questions? email sherry@sherrymeidell.com
Registration scheduled to open November 16th, 2015 at https://utahsouthidaho.scbwi.org/events/elevated-illustration-utah-southern-idaho-illustrators-conference/ 
Register by January 22rd, 2016 to catch the Early Bird Price
Go to http://utahsouthidaho.scbwi.org to register – go down to upcoming events and click on Illustrators Conference. That will take you to the registration page.
Utah/Southern Idaho SCBWI Illustration Conference
“Elevated Illustration” 
February 27th, 2016 at the Sons of the Utah Pioneers Building, 3301 East 2920 South,. Salt Lake City, Utah

Schedule:
8:30 – 9:00 dried bread and water, networking, set up portfolios ($5.00 for portfolio display bring cash  if you want to participate) and grab a seat
9:00 – Welcome and announcements
9:15 – Giuseppe Castellano, Art Director Penguin Random House A Children’s Book Art Department: An Inside Look
Meet Giuseppe Castellano, a senior art director at Penguin Random House! Through an inside look into how he runs an art department for five different imprints, attendees will gain further insight into the business and practice of illustration. Giuseppe will discuss what he looks for in illustrators; and what methods he uses to find them. From copyright protection to finding your voice, this presentation aims to help attendees scale the mountain of freelance illustration.
10:15 – Will Terry, and Jake Parker will do a combined presentation with a ten minute break in the middle on 4 Step Art Tune Up – A complete inventory of your work. Will and Jake have presented around the country and are two of the most sought after presenters on illustration.
12:15 – lunch: hot bowl of soup and water (local art directors check out portfolios and have a bowl of soup)
1:15 – Giuseppe Castellano, Will Terry, Jake Parker
First Look Critique
2:15 –  Illustrator to Illustrator
2:45 – 3:30 Panel: Giuseppe Castellano, Will Terry, Jake Parker
Giuseppe Castellano, Art Director from Penguin Random House will be doing a limited number of 10 minute Portfolio reviews. The fee is $45.00

There will be a Portfolio display again this year. Notify Manelle Olipant at illustration@manelleoliphant.com if you have any questions and bring $5.00 the day of the conference to participate. You need to be registered for the conference to participate in the Portfolio Display.
Giuseppe will take a look at portfolio display and take contact information of what he is interested in. Local art directors are being invited to come and take a look at the portfolios. (Portfolios should be no larger than 11 x 14, bound portfolios with 15 images max -no original art-one set of contact information card such as postcard or business card) No digital portfolios. You can attach one or two book dummies to the portfolio attached with a string.
If you have published books they can be displayed on our published books table.

Giuseppe Castellano
Art Director Penguin Random House

Giuseppe Castellano is an award-winning Designer, Illustrator, and Art Director at Penguin Random House; with over sixteen years of book publishing experience. He oversees the imprints of Grosset & Dunlap, Price Stern Sloan, Frederick Warne and Co., the Penguin Young Readers, and Cartoon Network Books.
Giuseppe has been invited to be a guest speaker, critic, and teacher at schools including: Art Center College of Design, Falmouth University, Maryland Institute College of Art, Northern Michigan University, Parsons, Pratt Institute, Rhode Island School of Design and many more. His web site is http://www.gcastellano.com

Will Terry

Will Terry has been a freelance illustrator for 23 years. He was horrible at math, english, and science…luckily he found art. After finishing his BFA project at BYU he began working for magazines and newspapers not far from where he grew up in Washington D.C. His early clients include publications such as Time, Money, Wall Street Journal and ads for Sprint, Pizza hut, M&M Mars, Fed Ex, and Master Card. He has illustrated about 30 children’s books for Random House, Simon Schuster, Scholastic, Penguin, Klutz, and Albert Whitman. He has created several indie ebooks that have sold tens of thousands of copies and has started a story app series with Rick Walton beginning with “Gary’s Place”. He also co-owns Folio Academy and svslearn.com – online illustration classes for children’s book illustrators selling in over 50 countries. Will’s web site is http://www.willterry.com

Jake Parker Illustrator

Jake Parker is an illustrator based in Utah. For the last 15 years he’s worked on everything from animated films to comics to picture books. He has lived in six states, working at the best studios with the most amazing and talented people in the country. Now he freelances out of his home studio. Check out his kick starter campaign at https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/jakeparker/skyheart-book-i-the-star-seed

Below is a list of some of his projects.
The Little Snowplow Candlewick (October 13, 2015)
Rocket Raccoon Marvel (March 3, 2015
The Tooth Fairy Wars Atheneum Books for Young Readers (July 15, 2014)
Nuthin’ but Mech, Volume Two Design Studio Press (June 15, 2014)
Explorer: The Lost Islands Amulet Books (October 15, 2013)
The Girl Who Wouldn’t Brush Her Hair Schwartz & Wade (September 10, 2013)
Nuthin’ But Mech Design Studio Press (August 15, 2012)
Apples A to Z Scholastic Press (August 1, 2012)

Registration opens November 16, 2015. Register by January 23rd, 2016 to catch the Early Bird Price
Go to http://utahsouthidaho.scbwi.org to register – go down to upcoming events and click on Illustrators Conference. That will take you to the registration page.
Early Bird Prices Register before January 23, 2016:
SCBWI Members:  $60.00
Students:  $65.00
General Public  $75.00
Portfolio Display $5.00 (bring cash the day of the conference)
Register after January 15, 2015
SCBWI Members  $70.00
Students:  $75.00
General Public $85.00
Portfolio Display $5.00 (bring cash the day of the conference)
To participate in the First Look Critique, after you register, send a jpeg file of your illustration to jennifer@jeneart.com . Because of time constraints  we may not be able to critique everyones art but we will try our best.
In Subject line put: SCBWI First Look Art
1. File format: .jpg files (no exceptions)
2. Resolution must be 300 dpi
3. Image size must be set so the longest dimension is 1200 pixels.
4. Each image file must be named as follows: scbwi, your last name, painting number (1, 2, ) .jpg extension.
Example: scbwi Sherry Meidell, 1st entry, “ghost train” would be: scbwimeidell1.jpg
5. Attach the image(s) to an email and send them to jennifer@jeneart.com

Come join us for a great day of illustrator comradery, networking and learning from some expert illustrators and our art director. Questions? email Sherry Meidell, Utah Southern Idaho SCBWI Illustrator Coordinator at sherry@sherrymeidell.com Bountiful Davis Art Center 91 North Main Street, Bountiful is having a show, “Illustrators Utah!” from February 26th through March 25, 2016. There will be a $`15.00 fee to enter. Art needs to be framed with wire on the back ready to hang. The art of Will Terry and Jake Parker will be showcased. The opening will be February 26th, 2015. Art can be delivered February 9th-13th. More Information at http://www.bdac.org

(Illustrator Volunteers: Shawna Tenney, Manelle Oliphant and Jennifer Eichelberger)
Utah Southern Idaho SCBWI:     http://www.utahsouthidaho.scbwi.org
Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators:     http://www.scbwi.org

Shawna Tenney     http://www.shawnajctenney.com
Manelle Oliphant     http://www.manelleoliphant.com
Jennifer Eichelberger:  jeneart.blogspot.com
Sherry Meidell     http://www.sherrymeidell.com

Utah/Southern Idaho SCBWI Illustration Conference “Do the Work”

Art work by Shawna Tenney

 

Register by January 23rd, 2015 to catch the Early Bird Price

Go to http://utahsouthidaho.scbwi.org to register – go down to upcoming events and click on Illustrators Conference. That will take you to the registration page.

 

Utah/Southern Idaho SCBWI Illustration Conference
“Do the Work” 
February 21st 2015 at the Sons of the Utah Pioneers Building, 33001 East 2920 South,. Salt Lake City, Utah

Schedule:
8:30 – 9:00 dried bread and water, networking, set up portfolios ($5.00 for portfolio display bring cash  if you want to participate) and grab a seat
9:00 – Welcome
9:15 – Mark Pett: “How I Get from Blank Page to Bookshelves.”  “We’ll cover everything from brainstorming ideas, pitching to my agent, making a dummy, selling to a publisher, and finishing the book!”

10:15 – Kristine Brogno, Art Director from Chronicle Books:

Words + Pictures/Pictures + Words: What’s the Difference?
Picture books are the perfect marriage of text and art, but sometimes you need more of one and less of the other to make the book as strong as it can be. We’ll look at examples of picture books and picture book design where text and image play off each other successfully and talk about why they work so well.

11:15 – Guy Francis: Title to Come

12:15 – lunch: hot bowl of soup and water (local art directors check out portfolios and have a bowl of soup)
1:15 – Kristine Brogno, Mark Pett, & Guy Francis
First Look Critique
2:15 – Sketching Children from life, bring your sketch book & pencil or pen.
3:10 – 3:30 Panel: Questions from the audience

Kristine Brogno Art Director Chronicle Books

Featuring Guest Speakers:

Kristine Brogno
Children’s Design Director, Chronicle Books
Kristine Brogno is an award-winning art director and designer and is currently the Design Director of Children’s Publishing at Chronicle Books in San Francisco. She’s had the great honor of working with a broad range of children’s artists — from first-time book illustrators to seasoned veterans, including Carolyn Conahan, Ward Jenkins, Calef Brown, Tom Lichtenheld, Andy Rash, Melissa Sweet, Jen Corace and Meilo So, among many others. When she’s not reviewing sketches and looking for the perfect typeface, you can find her exploring the Bay Area and beyond with her two sons.

 

Mark Pett

Mark Pett

 

Mark Pett:  

 

 

Writer and illustrator Mark Pett makes books. He is the “authorstrator” of The Boy and the Airplane, The Girl and the Bicycle, and The Girl Who Never Made Mistakes, as well as the forthcoming Lizard from the Park. Before books, he created the syndicated comic strips Mr. Lowe and Lucky Cow. Mark lives in the Mountain West. 

 

 

Guy Francis

Guy Francis Art

 

Guy Francis
Guy began illustrating at the age of 9. His first projects included his 4th grade bulletin board and numerous cartoon characters commissioned by his friends for 25¢. It wasn’t until high school that Guy realized a person could make a living being an artist, and while attending Brigham Young University, he got his first children’s picture book job illustrating Showdown at Slickrock by Pat Bagley. Since then he has published a variety of work including book covers, children’s games, early chapter books and picture books. He is thrilled to be making a living doing what he loves.

Display your portfolio for Local Art Directors and Kristine Brogno (additional $5 fee to participate. Bring cash the day of conference.)
(no original art – 10 – 15 illustrations in bound portfolio – one set of postcards for art directors to take)
If you have published books they can be displayed on our published books table.

Register by January 23rd, 2015 to catch the Early Bird Price
Go to http://utahsouthidaho.scbwi.org to register – go down to upcoming events and click on Illustrators Conference. That will take you to the registration page.

Early Bird Prices Register before January 23, 2015:

SCBWI Members:  $60.00
Students:  $65.00
General Public  $75.00
Portfolio Display $5.00 (bring cash the day of the conference)

Register after January 15, 2015
SCBWI Members  $70.00
Students:  $75.00
General Public $85.00
Portfolio Display $5.00 (bring cash the day of the conference)

To participate in the First Look Critique, after you register, send a jpeg file of your illustration to sherry@sherrymeidell.com  Because of time constraints  we may not be able to critique everyones art but we will try our best.

In Subject line put: SCBWI First Look Art
1. File format: .jpg files (no exceptions)
2. Resolution must be 300 dpi
3. Image size must be set so the longest dimension is 1200 pixels.
4. Each image file must be named as follows: scbwi, your last name, painting number (1, 2, ) .jpg extension.
Example: scbwi Sherry Meidell, 1st entry, “ghost train” would be: scbwimeidell1.jpg
5. Attach the image(s) to an email and send them to sherry@sherrymeidell.com
Come join us for a great day of illustrator comradery, networking and learning from some expert illustrators and our art director. Questions? email Sherry Meidell, Utah Southern Idaho SCBWI Illustrator Coordinator at sherry@sherrymeidell.com

(Illustrator Volunteers: Shawna Tenney, Manelle Oliphant and Jennifer Eichelberger)

Utah Southern Idaho SCBWI:     www.utahsouthidaho.scbwi.org

Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators:     www.scbwi.org

Chronicle Books      www.chroniclebooks.com

Mark Pett      www.markpett.com

Guy Francis     www.guyfrancis.com

Shawna Tenney     www.shawnajctenney.com

Manelle Oliphant     www.manelleoliphant.com

Jennifer Eichelberger:  jeneart.blogspot.com

Sherry Meidell     www.sherrymeidell.com 

Save the Date for the Utah/So.Idaho SCBWI Illustrators Conference.

We are delighted with the illustrators and art director presenting at the upcoming Illustrator’s Conference February 21, 2015.  Registration opens December 8, 2014. Early bird price ends January 23rd, 2015. If you have any questions, you can email Sherry Meidell: sherry@sherrymeidell.com It’s going to be another great conference. Lunch will be provided in the form of Hot Soups. See you all there.

Art work by Shawna Tenney

 

Kristine Brogno Chronicle Books

Utah/So.Idaho SCBWI

Mark Pett

Guy Francis

Shawna Tenney

Utah/Southern Idaho SCBWI Illustration Conference 2014

illustrated by Jennifer Eichelberger

Utah/Southern Idaho SCBWI Illustration Conference

“Juggling Art & Life” 

February 1st 2014 at the Sons of the Utah Pioneers Building in Salt Lake City, Utah

 

Schedule:

8:30 – 9:00 dried bread and water, networking, set up portfolios and grab a seat

9:00 – Welcome and demonstration on juggling

9:15 – Nathan Hale: Title to Come

10:15 – Bethane Andersen: “HELLO What New Hell Is This” The dailey fight in the studio.

11:15 – Kristyn Crow:  “Writing a Powerful Read-Aloud”

12:15 – lunch: hot bowl of soup and water (local art directors check out portfolios and have a bowl of soup)

1:15 – Break into groups and choose runners up for illustrator challenge. Judges will choose final winner

2:15 – Panel Discussion with questions from audience

Featuring Guest Speakers:

Nathan Hale (Children’s Book & Graphic Novel Illustrator)

Schedule

“Nathan Hale is an award winning children’s book illustrator and author with a background in scientific and natural history illustration. Nathan has worked in natural history museum display, painting scientific murals for museums around the U.S. He studied illustration at Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle. He divides his time between picture books, natural history/educational illustration and graphic novels. Books written and illustrated by Nathan Hale: The Devil You Know, Walker Books Yellowbelly and Plum Go to School, G.P. Putnam’s Sons The Twelve Bots of Christmas, Walker Books Books illustrated include: The Dinosaur Sterobook, Becker & Meyer The Jungle Book series, Sterling Graphic Novels illustrated: Rapunzel’s Revenge, Bloomsbury (Eisner nominated, “Best Book for Teens,” CYBIL Award winner YALSA Great Graphic Novel for Teens, Al Roker’s Book Club Pick) Calamity Jack, Bloomsbury Nathan collects LEGO sets and runs marathons (seven so far–marathons, not LEGO sets.) He creates an ongoing web comic for children, with new [posts every weekday.”

– Shannon Associates

Bethanne Andersen (Children’s Book Illustrator)

Title of Presentation: “HELLO WHAT NEW HELL IS THIS” The fight in the studio to get in and work hard with all your life happening.

Bethanne is a professor at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. DSome of the books she has illustrated include: Louisa: The Life of Louisa May Alcott, A Packet of Seeds, Georgia’s Bones, Ten Queens: Portraits of Women of Power, Ten Kings: And The Worlds They Ruled, Patience Wright: American Sculptor and Revolutionary Spy, Seven Brave Women, Noah’s Wife: Noah’s Wife, Bluebird Summer and Kindle Me a Riddle: A Pioneer Story.

“Her eventual Plan, however, was to be a painter, not an illustrator. “I was going to be Rembrandt,” she recalls. At BYU Andersen studied abstract painting for both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees. It wasn’t until 10 years later, with artwork displayed in museums and private collections across the country, that this “half mom, half artist” –as her son described her-first considered illustrating.” I used to love to look at picture books with my boys”, she says. “I actually had Where the Wild Things Are memorized.” – Painting Stories by E. Liza Richards, BYU Magazine Winter 2002

Kristyn Crow (Picture Book Author)

Title: “Writing a Powerful Read-Aloud”

Kristyn Crow is a children’s author who likes to use rhythm, rhyme, and repetition to make reading a fun experience for children and parents everywhere.

Her book include Bedtime At The Swamp, The Middle-Child Blues, The Really Groovy Story of the Tortoise and the Hare, Cool Daddy Rat, Skeleton Cat and Zombelina

Display your portfolio for Local Art Directors (additional $5 fee to participate)

(no original art – 10 – 15 illustrations in bound portfolio – one set of postcards for art directors to take)

If you have published books they can be displayed on our published books table.

Register by January 15th 2014 to catch the Early Bird Price

Early Bird Prices Register before January 15, 2014:

SCBWI Members:  $60.00

Students:  $65.00

General Public  $75.00

Portfolio Display $5.00

Register after January 15, 2015

SCBWI Members  $70.00

Students:  $75.00

General Public $85.00

Portfolio Display $5.00

Participate in the Illustrator’s Challenge and win free registration to the next illustrator’s conference. 

Choice #1

Size: Illustration that will reduce to 5” wide x 6” high

Topic: Illustrate one scene from the first two chapters of Treasure Island such as,

“I remember him as if it were yesterday, as he came plodding to the inn door, his sea-chest following behind him in a hand-barrow; a tall, strong, heavy, nut-brown man; his tarry pigtail falling over the shoulders of his soiled blue coat; his hands ragged and scarred, with black, broken nails; and the sabre cut across one cheek, a dirty, livid white. I remember him looking round the cove and whistling to himself as he did so, and then breaking out in that old sea-song that he sang so often afterwards: “Fifteen men on the dead man’s chest— Yo-ho-ho, and a bottle of rum!” – Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson

Choice #2

Size: 81/2” wide x 11” high

Topic: One illustration from Aesop’s Fable The Tortoise and the Hare

Come join us for a great day of illustrator comradery, networking and learning from some expert illustrators and our amazing writer. Questions? email Sherry Meidell, Utah Southern Idaho SCBWI Illustrator Coordinator at sherry@sherrymeidell.com To register go to http://www.scbwi.org click on our region Utah Southern Idaho-click events-click on Utah Southern Idaho Illustrator’s Conference (Illustrator Volunteers: Shawna Tenney, Manelle Oliphant and Jennifer Eichelberger)

Utah Southern Idaho SCBWI:   www.utahsouthidaho.scbwi.org

Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators:   www.scbwi.org

Nathan Hale:  spacestationnathan.com

Bethanne Andersen:  bethanneandersen.com

Kristyn Crow:  www.kristyncrow.com

Jennifer Eichelberger:  jeneart.blogspot.com

Shawna Tenney

Manelle Oliphant

Sherry Meidell

Meeting the Writers who Write for the Kids

First Story at the King’s English Book Store, Salt Lake City, Utah

Kings English and the Utah/So. Idaho Region for SCBWI (The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators) has been chosen as one of 12 regions in the U.S. to pilot the International “Inside Story”. November 2, 2014 at the Kings English at 11 a.m., you can meet and hear from five children’s authors. Jean Reagan author of “How to Babysit a Grandpa”, Anne Bowen “Scooter in the Outside”, Bobbie Pyron “The Dogs of Winter”, Platte Clark “Bad Unicorn”, and Kim Williams-Justesen “The Deepest Blue”.

These authors will share their inside story on writing their books. There will be drawing for special prizes including a drawing to win a phone call from a famous author and a grand prize drawing across all bookstores to have a character in a new Almost Identical book by Lin Oliver named after them. In addition, First Book will donate a book to a child in need for every book purchased at an SCBWI Inside Story event.

This event has two purposes: to provide an opportunity for young readers, teachers, librarians, and children’s book lovers to become acquainted with new releases, and to build traffic and sales for independent bookstores. This is scheduled to be a yearly event and will go world wide.

About First Book

 

First Book provides access to new books for children in need. To date, First Book has distributed more than 100 million books and educational resources to programs and schools serving children from low-income families throughout the UnitedStates and Canada. First Book is transforming the lives of children in need and elevating the quality of education by making new, high-quality books available on an ongoing basis.  Learn more at http://www.firstbook.org.

About SCBWI

Founded in 1971, the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators is one of the largest existing writers’ and illustrators’ organizations, with over 22,000 members worldwide. It is the only organization specifically for those working in the fields of children’s literature, magazines, film, television, and multimedia. The organization was founded by Stephen Mooser (President) and Lin Oliver (Executive Director), both of whom are well-published children’s book authors and leaders in the world of children’s literature.  Learn more at http://www.scbwi.org.

Jean Reagan:    www.jeanreagan.com

Anne Bowen:   www.annebowen.com

Bobbie Pyron:   www.bobbiepyron.com

Platte Clark:    www.platte-a-tudes.blogspot.com

Kim Williams-Justesen:    www.kwjustesen.com

Guides for Critiquing Picture Book Illustrations

The Utah/So.Idaho SCBWI is getting ready for our Great Critique on August 24th. Here is some information to help you critique picture book illustrations:

sketch book

Critiquing picture book illustrations by Sherry Meidell

• What is your first impression of the art?

• How is their use of line and color?

• Are the faces and characters consistent throughout the book dummy?

• Do the illustrations show place? (where the characters dwell)

• Do the characters show emotion through face expressions and body language?

• Do the illustrations show a variety of vantage points?

• How is the composition? (Is the page designed nicely?) (Is an important part of the illustration hidden by the gutter?) (Is there a surprise with each page turn?)

• Do the illustrations create a mood?

• How is the pacing of the book? Is suspense created by the page turns? Do the book illustrations move from left to right unless there is a wanted impact?

• Does the illustrator have a distinctive voice? and style?

• Is it an original story? or an old story told in a new and original way?

• Do the illustrations add to and tell an additional story which grows from the words?

• Do the illustrations stray from any details that are described in the words?

• Are there words that can be cut out of the text because they are shown better in the illustrations?

•Do the pictures and story tug at some deep human emotion?

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