LittleTribe

Hello all!

With the holiday season coming around the corner I thought I’ll post something a little different today. I’ve compiled a list of gift ideas for people who are planning to buy something for their artist friend/family member, but don’t know where to start! These are just a few things that I’ve come up with or would personally love to receive as a gift.

1) Tools – It never hurts to have more tools! Of course, these are our essentials to making great art! Depending on the type of medium your person uses or the level at which they are at in their career, you might consider purchasing some of these:

• pens
• brush pens
• pencils
• erasers
• markers
• brushes/brush set
• colored pencils
• watercolor/watercolor set
• ink
• paint
• paper
• sketchbooks
• drawing pads
• digital drawing tablet & pen
• laptop
• desktop
• scanner
• camera
• external hard drive

2) Gifts for the Workspace – Having stuff for the workspace is also an essential component of our art making. Maybe the person you’re gifting actually needs a nice place to work or a way to store their art supplies? Well, here are some things you can considering gifting:

• desk
• table
• chair
• bookshelf
• shelves
• lamp
• storage/filing cabinets
• wall art

3) Subscriptions/Memberships – I know I work with Adobe Photoshop and InDesign a lot, but to do so I must buy a subscription! If you know your artist uses an art service or might be interested in taking online art course, how about consider gifting them a membership or paying for their class? Below are a few examples:

• Adobe suites subscription
• Online art courses
• Tickets to conferences, conventions, or workshops
• Premium accounts (DeviantART, Patreon, etc.)

4) Books/Artwork/Miscellaneous – As much as we are artists, we are also art lovers and consumers! We are most likely fans of another artist’s work or collect items of some sort. If you know your artist friend/family member well,  here are some ideas of stuff to consider gifting:

• art books/“art of” books
• art prints
• posters
• plushies/toys
• stickers/sticker books
• buttons
• enamel pins
• patches

5) Gift Cards/Money – Yes, it never hurts to gift them a gift card! Chances are, the artist will probably have a better idea of what to get themselves. Here are some places where artists shop for art supplies:

• Michaels Arts and Craft
• Hobby Lobby
• Dick Blick
• Amazon
• Ebay

6) Something you created! – We love thoughtful handmade gifts as well, so if you’re on a budget consider making us something!

I hope this helps some of you out. Again, the holidays isn’t about just gifts! Gifting your time and attention is the most important gift of all.

Duachaka

I listen to a lot of videos from children's book illustrator Will Terry. He gives great advice about illustration in general. Here are some notes I took from his video on the kinds of work you can include in an illustration portfolio. You can view his video here: 

What to include in an illustration portfolio:

1. Spots, vignettes, spreads, full page illustrations
   
2. Full color, black and white, monochromatic color schemes
3. Ages: adults, teens, children, babies
4. Race/Ethnicity: Asian, African American, Native American, etc.
5. Groups of people: family, friends, classmates, different occupations...show them doing something together
6. Animals (with human characteristics)
7. Creatures: aliens, ghosts, monsters
8. Vehicles: cars, trucks, planes
9. Props: items in different environment
10. Environments: interior and exterior, modern vs. ancient/vintage, winter vs. summer, land vs. sea, arctic vs. tropic
11. Showing action: slow/fast
12. Emotions: anger, happiness, sleeping, pain
13. Camera angles/point of view: establishing shot, low angle, bird view, mid-shot 

Some general advice I've obtained from listening to art podcasts.

1. Make great art.
2. Create everyday/carry sketchbook with you.
3. Consume great art (borrow/copy).
4. Learn and improve. Always outdo yourself and enjoy what you do, but don't settle.
5. Set goals. Plan for things to happen.
6. Surround yourself with positive/talented people.
7. Don't wait around for people to shape your own career because it hasn't been chosen/published.
8. You have to live a great story to tell a great one. Take risks, have adventures, live a life that's worth telling, do the things that's more interesting. 
9. Work on your craft (keep practicing).
10. Keep going. Find ways to create your own opportunities for yourself and finding what others need from you.
11. Study books you love.
12. Be passionate about your work --be exceptional. Fall in love with your work by doing it more. 

Benefits of Attending a Children's Book Conference

1. Informs you on the publishing industry/vocabulary 
2. Hearing professionals speak lets you know where you fit/where your work lands in the industry 
3. You get to meet other illustrators/authors
4. Networking

Start off with regional/chapter events or small conferences, then move on to larger conferences.

Things to do after attending a Children's Book Conference

1. Make sure you schedule an extra day off
2. Set reminders on your calendar if you have to call an editor a week after the conference
3. Organize notes into a format you can read later; create "later" and "now" piles
4. Go on Twitter and search for/go over hashtags (#) from the event
5. Get on speakers' mailing list
6. Go over any feedback received
7. Follow up
8. Send thank you notes
9. Blog about it --teach others who couldn't go
10. Share with others

CONGRATS! You just graduated from art school (or with a degree in Art or Design)! First of all, give yourself a big pat in the back for pursing something and getting it done! Hopefully the degree was not a waste of your time and you've made the most out of it!

So last year around this time I graduated with a degree in Entertainment Design and concentration in Comics and Sequential Art. I was happy, my family was happy, and life was good. I took a few months to reorganize my life and readjust back to the “real world.” I was no longer in school, which meant no more late nights, homework, and classes! Although this meant a ton of stress off my shoulders it didn’t mean everything was set and good. Unfortunately, being out of school meant that you were given “other responsibilities” —some of which you have to learn to manage and maintain with over the years.

After graduation I had a mini postgraduate crisis about my next steps in life. What do I do next? Where was I going? Was this really it? Then I remembered some advice that were given to me from professors and peers about what to expect after college. I reminded myself of these and here I am a year later feeling on track! So, here’s a list of advice I’ve come up with to help a postgraduate:

1) Get a job: As much as we would like to stay in our rooms and make art for the rest of our lives, we know this won’t happen unless we pay for rent, food, our student loans, and other expenses. You have to get a job, ANY job really; it doesn’t even have to relate to art (although it might be nice if it does)! What matters is at the end of the day you don’t mind working there and it pays you enough to live!

2) Make work: Yes, making work or having personal projects is WAYYYY harder to manage outside of school. Besides the fact that there isn’t an evil professor overlooking your shoulders and having deadlines for you, YOU have to be the person planning and making these decisions. Plus, you have to work around your job and other daily priorities. Sometimes you just got to sit down, turn off your distractions, and make stuff!

3) Put your work out there: This means posting it online, making a website, opening an online shop, going to conventions, applying for residencies or call for artists, etc! Anything to get your awesome stuff out! In an ideal world, it’ll be nice if an employer just found us one day and gave us our dream job, but that won’t even happen unless we have stuff to show!

4) Stay connected: Being an artist can be a lonely occupation, so why not surround ourselves more with like-minded individuals? In college we had our art peers and professors there to support and guide us. If you can, try to stay connected with those who you’ve already made connections with; however, even if you didn’t made much connections in college, there are local and online communities out there to support individuals just like you. Find one that fits. Surrounding yourself with supportive individuals will hopefully aid your growth and remind you to keep making art.

5) Be patient: Maybe you’ve always wanted to be a children’s book illustrator, but is stuck flipping burgers 5 days a week. Keep in mind that “success” does not come immediately and that it’ll probably take time (maybe years) to get to where you want to be. What matters is you work at it everyday and remind yourself what your purpose is.

6) Enjoy life: Take this time to enjoy life! Making art is important, but also remember that the stuff we produce comes from our experiences and everyday life. Don’t spend your entire day in a room drawing. Take the time to go for a walk, go to the movies with your partner, catch up with friends, travel, and whatever else you want to do. Give yourself a break once in a while and be ready to go back to the studio refreshed!

That’s all I have for you. Hopefully you guys found this useful as it was for me after I graduated. Pass it on to someone who may be in need of some post-graduate advice, or advice in general. Until next time!

Duachaka Her