by Jessica Cooper
Calling all Los Angeles-area artists and writers! Come join the fun!
Goin’ On Safari with … Alexander Vidal
26 Wednesday Feb 2025
Tag Archives: Illustration
“Wild Things” Continues
22 Wednesday Jan 2025
Posted in Community Corner
Tags
art, Denver Art Museum, Events, exhibition, exhibitions, Illustration, Maurice Sendak, Nina Snyder
by Nina Snyder
Those lucky enough to have seen the traveling exhibition Wild Things: The Art of Maurice Sendak at the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles this past summer know it’s a show worth seeking out. There’s still a chance to take it in, with a plane hop to Denver. Or hop online to view the virtual events and extras—one happening live this week, most available through the show’s run—created for this new iteration. Rocky Mountain SCBWI member Nina Snyder provides details.
Continue readingSpark New Ideas in the New Year
10 Friday Jan 2025
Posted in Central Coast, Illustrator's Perspective, Tips and Tools
by Jaime Zollars
Happy New Year!
I hope you all ended up on the nice list and took some time to rest and reflect before diving into goals for a new year. Have you made a list of resolutions?
I’ve always been quite a fan of lists. They hold so much promise. To-do lists, goal lists, recipe lists, gift lists, idea lists, bucket lists, reading lists—the list goes on. While I must admit that I’ve been known to transfer the unchecked items off any given list to its next incarnation (sometimes indefinitely), the simple practice of writing them can spark growth and creativity.
In the spirit of new ideas for the new year, here are four fun list-making exercises that may jump-start your creative streak in 2025:
Continue readingBe an SCBWI Mentor in 2025! But first … a word from our 2024 mentor
11 Wednesday Dec 2024
Posted in Contests & Grants, Los Angeles, Mentorship Contest
Tags
Illustration, Jaime Zollars, Kristin Marine, mentorship, publishing, SCBWI community, SCBWI members
by Jaime Zollars
When I saw last year’s call for SCBWI mentors, I was instantly motivated to apply. I credit the SCBWI with my first successes as an illustrator, and I miss teaching and mentoring college students (something I did for several years before going back to full-time freelance work). It seemed like an exciting opportunity to share some of the knowledge I’ve learned along the way and to give back to the organization.
Announcing the 2024 SCBWI-L.A. Mentorship Contest Winner!
24 Wednesday Apr 2024
Tags
author-illustrators, contests, Illustration, illustrators, Jaime Zollars, Jessica Woo, Kristin Marine, Mentorship Award, picture book, SCBWI community
by Jaime Zollars
In January, we invited illustrators to apply for a six-month mentorship with one of our Published and Listed members. This year’s mentor, Jaime Zollars, joins us to announce the winner and share some of the submission highlights.
It was a wonderful experience reading the entries for this year’s mentorship contest. It made me realize just how much I have missed my teaching days among so many promising students, and how exciting it is to share in the process of creating lasting stories. I loved reading the entrants’ goals, ideas, and thoughtful answers to my questions.
Continue reading#KTIllustrates 2021 Contest Winner: Sienna Kim
03 Wednesday Mar 2021
Posted in #KTIllustrates, Illustrator's Perspective
Tags
#KTIllustrates, Candle Light, contest, Illustration, illustration contest, illustration prompt, inspiration, PolkaDotWhaleStudio
In SCBWI-L.A.’s first #KTIllustrates contest, illustrators were given a few lines from an old nursery rhyme to inspire them: “If your heels are nimble and light, you may get there by candle-light.” The entries could be in any form (spot, spread or cover design) and in any medium. The winner receives a gift certificate to ArtSupply Warehouse and is featured on the Los Angeles Region’s social media pages.
Congratulations goes to Sienna Youngsun Kim, our winner of the #KTIllustrates 2021 contest! Read on to learn more about Sienna and to view her wonderful work, filled with whimsy and delight.
Am I Too Old to Be an Illustrator?
21 Wednesday Oct 2020
Posted in Illustrator's Perspective
Tags
Globe Pequot Press, Illustration, Illustrators Journal, kidlit, Lon Levin, networking, publishing
by Lon Levin
When are you too old to become an artist?
I always envisioned myself with white hair and a beard wearing drawstring pants and sandals wandering through my studio filled with large paintings sipping on some nice wine. A true Impressionist’s fantasy.
I had trained to become an illustrator. I graduated from Art Center in the late 1970’s and couldn’t find enough work to continue down that path. I thought I may not be good enough so I turned to art direction which I thought suited me better.
Drawing Inspiration: The World Inside
24 Wednesday Jun 2020
Posted in Illustrator's Perspective
Setting is a powerful tool. When authors describe setting, they often use sensory descriptions and figurative language to bring out the story world. But when illustrators need to translate those descriptions, what do we do? We can’t draw how something smells or feels. Or can we?
Continue readingCreating Magic with Juxtaposition
30 Wednesday Oct 2019
Posted in Illustrator's Perspective, Tips and Tools
Tags
Halloween, illustrating, Illustration, illustration prompt, illustrator, illustrator tips, illustrators, inspiration, Jessica Chrysler, tips
by Jessica Chrysler
Fall brings fond memories for me. Even though I grew up in sunny Southern California, there were a few special trees in the neighborhood that would change color and drop their leaves. I’d dreamt about how endless forests of these trees would look and had read fairytales about how spirits would change the colors of the leaves. I’d wonder how they’d lived with all the other creatures in the wood, and if they would all gather into little caves, sleeping together through the long, cold winters. For a kid that never experienced the seasons, this magic seemed so real, even if just beyond my reach. But I was able to capture some of that magic when it came time for Halloween. Continue reading
SCBWI-L.A. Twitter Banner Contest Winner: Illustrator Gela Kalaitzidis
26 Wednesday Jun 2019
Tags
digital illustration, illustrating, Illustration, illustrator resources, illustrator tips, prompt, Twitter Banner Contest
In SCBWI-L.A.’s latest Twitter Banner Contest (a bi-annual event), illustrators were asked to submit their most creative response to our prompt: EXPLORE. The winning contestant’s artwork is featured on the Los Angeles Region SCBWI Twitter Profile until the next contest with a feature article published here on Kite Tales. Illustrator Gela Kalaitzidis won! Read on to learn more about Gela, her tips and tools, and her own illustration prompt for anyone looking for some inspiration.
Kite Tales 