IF: BREEZY

Spring Fling
© Diana Ting Delosh
Ink & Watercolor Illustration

Mr Hopwell and Lady Quack are ballooning on a lovely, breezy, spring day. Here's my entry for this week's IF prompt.

IF: CELEBRATE!

FRUIT PUNCH!
© Diana Ting Delosh
Ink & watercolor illustration

Hip, hip hoorah! Pour the fruit punch and make a toast. Cheers - it's time to celebrate. I wonder what good news the animals are celebrating. This is my illustration for this weeks Illustration Friday prompt, Celebrate.

IF: TIME

Time Expired Portfolio

© Diana Ting Delosh

Unfortunately for the ill-fated illustrator on her way to see the NYC Art Director, her portfolio's freshness time was about to expire. TICK... TICK... TICK... BOOM!
My response to this weeks Illustration Fridays prompt: TIME - 1 of my nightmares.

Fri Illustrator's Intensive: Part II - NYC Art Directors

Tips & Commentary from the 2009 SCBWI Winter Conference NYC Art Director's Panel.The Panel consisted of 3 AD's representing 2 trade pubs and 1 mass market pub. They reviewed previously selected samples from 10 anonymous illustrators. Fresh, New, Exciting, Dated, Cliche, art labeled according to the perspectives of the AD. If the retro look is a current and an exciting new trend what made something else dated?

What they want from our illustrations:
- Strong Characters
- Impact: Does it grab you and draw you in?
- Narration: do they tell a story?
- Dependability
- Creatitivity
- Craft
- Concept: Is there an original ideal? Does it make you want to see more?
- Something accessible yet fresh.

How to get noticed:
- Send Postcards. Make illustration image big. Contact info type to a minimum and smaller. Do 3 or 4 mailings a year.
- Get published in other related markets (kid's magazines, greeting cards, etc).
- Websites and blogs. Websites are great because they can share the url with colleagues when discussing a project. Blogs give insight to the person behind the art.

Misc Tips
- Illustrator source books have gone the way of the dodo.
- If there is a product in your illustration make up your own product logo vs doing a known company logo to avoid possible lawsuits and other complication. Ex: the 3 bears are making porridge don't draw your favorite brand. Design your own!

2009 SCBWI Portfolio Room: No feed back... you only know if someone liked your work if they took a sample and than of course you would only know whom, IF they contacted you. Unsatisfying - but the equivalent of doing a multi-pub house drop off.

Fri Illustrator's Intensive: Part I - Workshops

*I will be using initials, etc. where/when the info is proprietary to the SCBWI.
Fri, 1/30/09. 5am rise & shine - got to catch the 6:38 train! Yikes - glad I don't have to commute daily. Anyway I'm at the Hyatt for the SCBWI Winter Conference, Illustrator's Intensive and I'm very excited about my 2 workshops: Digital Painting and Graphic Novels.

Big Changes in 2009. Publishing is in transition. Time to reinvent , re-define. There are more & newer forms of publishing: electronic, web, etc. but not more $$. What worked before may not work anymore. A crisis is a Terrible thing to waste! Do you see a theme here? Illustrators evolve, adapt or else??? -And this was just the opening!

Leo & Diane Dillon, illustration royalty, gracious and awe inspiring, showed a body of work that was constantly changing. They were lucky to have never been pigeon holed in any particular style, given the freedom to constantly experiment at whim. Through out all from woodcuts to friskets, Sci-fi book jackets to picture books, the one and only constant was the Dillon's aesthetic taste. Somehow they escaped the concept that one must have a style/Brand to successfully market oneself as an illustrator, and were able to create to the project.

A Traditional Aproach to Digital Painting - taught by illustrator William Low. This was an amazing workshop. I'm a traditional illustrator with knowlege of photoshop 7 vs the latest CS whatever. However I went home w/pages of notes and a semesters worth of info and loads of ideas on how to work smarter w/some digital help from PS7. Needless to say I can't wait to buy a new computer and be able to play w/the latest CS.

Attention Picture Book Writer/Illustrators: You Can Create a Graphic Novel: Here's How - This workshop should have been called: Survival tactics for illustrators. Elise Primavera showed how she adapted her style over the years to stay on top of the changing market. From her early work, classic pen & ink to her best seller; Auntie Claus, pastels, to her recent graphic novels, Fred and Anthony Escape from the Netherworld, loose doodlely ink line. She exhorted us to copy (as a way of learning) what we felt was current to digest and ultimately make our own - until the next cycle. She also told us (and this was a theme that ran through the whole conference) to mine our childhood journals/sketch bks/memories for Mid grade/teen & graphic novel ideas. Tips on staying fresh: Get uncomfortable! Try new things, techniques. Welcome the squirmy feeling. Don't be afraid of beginning with a chaotic mess and keep that energy going.

So Yes - I will create a graphic novel and be very squirmy doing it and have it sub ready before the trend expires! GWAH! I'm very uncomfortable now!

Apres SCBWI Winter Conference!

Groundhog Escapes!
© Diana Ting Delosh, Ink & watercolor illustration

This past weekend, I attended the SCBWI Winter Conference. Which meant 3 very early mornings and long days. I'm still recovering and feeling a bit numb. I'll blog in more details once I've digested my experience. So what are my overall impressions of this conference? Any exciting tips to share?

Art directors, editors, literary agents, oh my - apparently are all looking at artists and writers blogs! Yay - or might that be - Uh Oh!

Websites for illustrators are a must. Art Directors prefer to search the web for artists vs illustrator source books.

Publishers paper catalogs will also soon be extinct.

The conference was in general inspiring - but is it my imagination that the 2009 message for the writers was kinder and hopeful, compared to the illustrators message of adapt, evolve or else. Hm-m-m -m. I'll definitely have to give it a few days to percolate before I write about that one!

- Happy Groundhog's Day!
Puxatawny Phil predicts 6 more weeks of winter, but my local groundhogs, Chuck and Mel predict an early spring. I'll go with my local boys.

CBIG: Illustrator Tips - Endpapers

Recently, I attended a CBIG meeting on Jan 11th, our guest speaker was NW, Assoc Ed from a medium sized NYC trade publisher of Books for Young Readers. Sorry about being so mysterious but some info is proprietary to CBIG. Nor would I want to incur the wrath of NW! Here's what I learned from the meeting that I can share with my fellow children's picture book illustrators/writers:

3 types of End papers and how they effect the Picture Book page count.
Self-Ends: Illustrated by the artist & are counted in the page count. They are printed on the same kind of paper as the interior of the book. They account for 8 pages in a 32 pg bk. Pg 1 begins on the side that's actually glued into the hardcover. Pgs 2 & 3 are the actual illustrated front endpapers. Pg 4 maybe left blank, maybe illustrated, or the © info may appear here facing the Title page on pg 5. Title page is on pg 5. Story starts on pages 6, ends on page 29. Pg 30 & 31 are your illustrated back ends and pg 32 is glued into book.
Colored Ends: Colored paper inserted in book. Not counted in page count and are different stock than the interior pages.
Printed Ends: Artist designed/illustrated but on different stock than rest of book and maybe 1 color vs the full color interior pages. They are treated as Colored Ends and aren't counted in the page count. Rarely used nowadays.

8 x 10 is the most economical size for a PB: PB's are printed on large sheets of paper in signatures of 8 pages. They are then folded, gathered and trimmed. The 8 x 10 size allows for the least amount of paper waste on the most commonly used paper size.

Storyboard your Book dummy. Helps you to make sure art & story isn't static.

IF: RESOLVE!

Hamster Resolves - © 2009 Diana Ting Delosh.
Ink Illustration.


I, like Hamster, resolve to do many things in 2009. My list, when boiled down to it's essence:

1 - Create art daily!
2 - Do concrete artbiz actions daily!

Felt the need to make Creating Art Daily a Major Focus this year because so much of being an illustrator involves mundane tasks: updating, tweaking,promoting,networking, paperwork, etc. that time for actually creating art seems to be endangered.

Happy 2009

2009 Scribble Type - © 2008 Diana Ting Delosh
I begin 2009 with guarded optimism, despite all the gloomy news around me. For me 2008 ended on a hopeful note that better things may be round the corner art biz wise. So here goes: What worked in 2008 that I plan on doing more of in 2009:

• ChildrensIllustrators.com/DianaTDelosh - made a point of doing monthly tweaks that led to increased site exposure, several job leads and work. Will continue with the monthly tweaks.

• New in 2008, my website dianadelosh.com - gave me credibility and exposure which landed the assignments. Continue tweaking & updating site.

• Targeted Submissions - resulted in contracts. Must do more!

• Promo Postcards - Did 2 mass promo campaigns. Did see increased traffic to my website. Yay! As well as direct replies to my mailings. Shoot for 4 campaigns in 2009.

• GreetingCardUniverse.com/dianascards - focused on creating cards for holidays and quadrupled my sales from 2007. New goal: double my sales. Add new designs weekly.

• WingedRabbit.ImageKind.com - updated to a platinum account in Nov 2008 for the premium site exposure and gallery space. Images are definitely getting more views - which hopefully will lead to more sales!

• Networking via forums, listservs, IF, etc. I get the most referrals to my website and POD stores via SCBWI discussion board and CBIG.

IF: Balloons!

5 Animal Friends
© 2006 Diana Ting Delosh
Ink & Watercolor

Here's my entry for this week's Illustration Friday word - Balloons. Bright, beautiful, happy balloons. Where are the 5 animal friends off to? Raccoon has a bouquet of balloons. Perhaps it's a party.

Busy Busy October!

Wow - can't believe I was too busy to post for a month! So what Have I been up to? Loads.

Worked on a flash animation project with a new client, the Woo Agency. Woo found me through my portfolio on ChildrensIllustrators.com/DianaTDelosh. I'll be posting more about this very exciting flash animation project when they're finished with the animation magic.

Added new designs to my GCU store. Now over 250 whimsical cards at Diana's Cards!

And I'm busy helping my fellow CBIG officers prep for our annual CBIG November Portfolio/Dummy Review.

Needless to say October was a very hectic, whirlwind of a month!

IF: CLUTTER

Hamster/Mind Clutter © Diana Ting Delosh Marker

My mind is cluttered: brilliant ideas, daily minutiae,
distracting fears; all muddled together in a mental goulash. The trick is to remember: I am not a hamster.My mind is not my wheel.

IF: ROUTINE

TEA CUP © Diana Ting Delosh
Marker


My morning routine, is to ponder my day over a hot cup of tea with a drop of milk. I'm out of sorts if I can't do this.

Peeping Zombies!

How's this for an eye catching title - Do Dead People Watch You While You're in the Shower? Can you imagine? What a concept! Yes, this is a real title of a book I saw while browsing the shelves of a bookstore. It's non-fiction. Definitely stopped me dead in my tracks and made me look. No I didn't buy it. Now if Hitchcock's movie, Psycho didn't creep you out about showers, here's this lovely thought.

Pip & Squeak!

Down the Hill
© Diana Ting Delosh
1 of 6 original sketches for Pip & Squeak. (not submitted to High Five)

Highlights/High5 magazine just accepted my pre-school verse Pip & Squeak for publication. YAY!

I had originally submitted Pip & Squeak with sketches to Babybug magazine. Recently decided it was time to have it make the rounds again... this time without suggested art to High Five.

IF: POOF!

BIRTHDAY MAGIC
© Diana Ting Delosh
Ink Line & Watercolor

Wish I could just wave my paint brush and POOF art - from my brain into tangible form. The closest thing I come to magic is pulling serendipitous art out of my flat file. Which doesn't happen too often...but this is 1 of those instances. So here is my entry for Illustration Friday - POOF.

Birthday Magic just happens to be something I'm working on for my Greeting Card Store. It still needs to be spiffed up, loaded, OK'd...before Poof it becomes available as a birthday card.

Bubble Trouble: From Idea to Publication.

I'm so happy to announce the publication of my poem, Bubble Trouble, in Highlights/High Five magazine, July 2008, pg 12 & 13 illustrated by Holli Conger. Yay!

If you're interested in the submission process - Read on. Bubble Trouble from idea to published poem took 4 submissions and 7 years. Note: there is more to my life between 2001 and 2008 than this 6 line poem but that's all I'm blogging about here.

I first thought up Bubble Trouble in 2001, scribbled down the rough draft and posted it on a corner of my drawing board. All the better to keep an eye on it while I worked on illustrations /graphic design assignments, other ideals, life, etc. Every now and then I'd tweak a word or line until it took pretty much the same form as it is today -a 6 line poem. I also thought it would make a cute rebus and created a double spread layout.

Submitted my BT poem & suggested sketch layout along with sample illustration and SASE to Ladybug magazine fall of 2001. Why Ladybug? Because they were publishing my In the Garden, illustration and counting activity. And I thought it was perfect for their readers aged 2 - 6. Waited - way past the 4 months they said it took to review & return submissions before finally sending a query. It is the spring of 2002 when I get a reply that they don't keep records of unsolicited subs but I may resubmit. I do. More months pass - finally my SASE comes back at the end of 2002- REJECTED! Albeit a personal rejection. They have a surplus of bubble submissions!

After some sulking, I revamp art for a single spread and submit to Highlights Magazine 2003. They do use rebuses but I still think it's a longshot. More months of waiting - but it does come back - form letter rejection. Well I did think it was a long shot.

BT submitted to Turtle magazine July 2003 and is rejected that December. I sulk, indulge in massive quantities of chocolate, file it away.

2006/2007 - I read in my newsletters: Children's Book Insider and Children's Writer that HighLights will be coming out with a new publication. High Five magazine will be aimed at 2 - 6 year olds. I make a note to myself to submit art samples and maybe create a proposal. One day it dawns on me that I have a perfect project for them in my files. BT is: reviewed, tweaked and submitted July 2007. September 4,2007, my sketches are returned but they are interested in publishing my poem. I'm a bit surprised as I always thought that my art sold my writing but I accept. A month later, the editors send me edited copy to review and a publication date of July 2008!

UGH! Lost Another Dummy

It's been 7 months, 3 submission status queries and no response/no dummy/nothing. Yup - IT'S BEEN LONG ENOUGH. I can now file my picture book dummy/manuscript submission, UGH!, officially under lost/rejected. It was a requested submission so I was assured it would be returned in my S.A.S.E. But I guess not. It takes 5 hours to make my dummies. Which is why I try and be careful where/to whom I'm subbing. But mistakes do happen. This is most frustrating. I hate that many book publishers have switched to this policy of only replying if they are interested. I preferred the form rejection note. At least they returned your work!

On the otherhand it may not even be the publisher's fault. A friend of mine reported that a dummy, that he assumed had been trashed was returned to him by the postmaster with a note saying that it had separated from the envelope and they were sending it to the address on the business card pasted in the front of the book. The package had made it to his local postoffice, where the postal machines chewed up the envelope and spit the dummy out on the floor. Months later - the dummy was found and luckily they saw the business card pasted into the front of the dummy. Hurrah for the USPS for trying.

So what's there to do? Grumble grumble -some teeth nashing - vent & whine. I can't even have the satisfaction of OD-ing on chocolate as it's not even a real rejection. Oh well - I guess I'll just whip out the duplicate dummy and sub it to this place that still returns submissions via S.A.S.E. and hope nothing goes wrong. I'll take a clear cut rejection anyday over as I haven't received a reply I assume it's rejected.

IF: PUNCH LINE!

Moo Shoe Pork
© Diana Ting Delosh
ink & watercolor illustration
Here's my PUNCH LINE. Maybe it's more of a pun. Anyhow hope it makes you smile.

IF: BABY

TV MAMA

© 2007 Diana Ting Delosh. Ink line & watercolor.

This is my entry for Illustration Friday's word of the week - BABY. It is my attempt at an editorial illustration. I had been reading and hearing on the news about how babies were viewing more and more TV.

My current illustration portfolio is geared towards children's publishing. I'd like to expand my repetoire. Have a few more tricks in my bag and be viable to more markets. Any suggestions, comments, hints would be appreciated.