For a long (loooong) time I have harboured a dream to illustrate children’s books. One of my resolutions is to get a portfolio started that is geared towards that market. The portfolio I have now is totally inappropriate since it was compiled with the computer games industry in mind and so is more horror and game character/location based.
What my portfolio needs to consist of:
1. Ten to fifteen pieces of my best work.
No half-hearted scribbles. I need to work on my colour skills this year (I knew I should have worked harder at this class in college).
2. A consistent style (if you’ve got different styles it might be better to have different portfolios).
I’m working on developing the style I have and simplifying it.
3. A range of subjects.
In the case of kid’s books: indoor, outdoor, night, day, groups, animals, different age groups/activities, unusual angles, etc.
So, I’ve got a long ways to go. As I study other illustrators and take an honest look at my own drawings, I don’t think my artistic skills are up to par yet but you’ve got to start somewhere. Hopefully in the process of working up a portfolio my abilities will improve and one of these years I’ll have something good enough to send to a publisher.
Above is my first sketch which I’m agonising over right now. I’m trying to figure out what to have in the background…simple or detailed, abstract shapes or proper drawn location, country or city. I think a bit more experimentation is in order but I’m happy with it so far.
Here’s a larger version
