Illustrator's Day '03
by Nate Evans and Stephanie Gwyn BrownPhotos by Jaime Zollars
Jim LaMarche was the first presenter of the day. He shared his approach to illustration through many beautiful examples of his work, including a piece from his latest book in progress THE FIR TREE by Margaret Wise Brown. Jim talked in detail about his technique of intermixing acrylic washes and colored pencil. His presentation was followed by a question and answer session, filled with tips and advice.
The next speaker was Claudia Sloane, Vice President of Tallfellow/Smallfellow Press of Los Angeles. She presented a variety of books published by her company, and talked about the arc of her career.
Famed children's television producer and children's book author/illustrator Dan Yaccarino delighted the audience with an animated video of his characters created for his TV series Oswald. Dan shared his illustration techniques, too!
Marijka Kostiw, Art Director for Scholastic Press, Orchard Books, and Arthur A. Levine Books, spoke about the process of creating and designing children's books and the many design decisions involved in creating cohesive book design. Attendees gained a broad perspective on how she works with illustrators and her role at Scholastic Press. Marijka shared many examples of the hundreds of books she's designed.
Next was the portfolio display with tremendous participation! Diversity was the theme of the day. Our featured art directors took plenty of time to review all the work displayed. llustrators used this opportunity to network with other illustrators and guest speakers, building necessary professional contacts while having a lot of fun.
The day wrapped up with fabulous prizes and a farewell to all who attended. Contest winners Tina Marie Pesch and Yoko Tanaka each won a prize for their "book cover" entries created at the event.
See you next year!
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