How to get picture book projects

I'm getting very busy with picture book projects and others. Re getting picture book projects, it's highly recommended to display your splendid, most confident and unique art work on social media or internet. Publishers and clients are very well researching illustrators who meet their need/texts. They will contact you, if you match what they want.   

Credit on Harry Sowden

My stylefile at ASA is getting many projects this year. ASA stylefile is great (*submission information. Go, try!). Also, my facebook and instagram attract publishers and clients. They directly contact me through facebook as well as stylefile. 
Similarly, SCBWI and other peak bodies will help an illustrator's marketing. Join them and demonstrate your art work in conferences and on their sites, is a good strategy! 
  

I've posted an Australian woolshed based on Harry Sowden's black and white photo. Colours are from my imagination. Whilst working on the picture book projects and portraits, I enjoy looking up secondhand landscape books in a break. Interesting! I love to capture light in Australian bush. 

Friends, let's go and enjoy challenging in our lives. Go every direction. 

Happy Painting! 

How to get picture book projects

Art Unifies Us

Art unifies us and fights against hatred. Lovely, smiling children and mothers talk to me on streets, "You sketched us!" The former work was used for sociolinguistics Prof Ingrid Piller's "Language and Migrationworkshop" and NSW Immigrant Women Speakout 30th anniversary publication. Another was from my daily sketches of women in hijab. A model, a mature student was studying hard, balancing her family business and study.  

Sometimes I meet women in hijab who regularly come to the green grasses to have tea. They allowed me to sit together and sketched them. Ever since, they remember me and include me or invite me to share time. Children soon notice me on streets. "You're drawer!" 

I'm so grateful for my job, being an artist. Art always brings us love, joy, dream, beauty and hope. 

Friends, let's bring love to anywhere. Happy Painting. Your work is shining and will make others happy.    

Art Unifies Us

Samurai Armour, delicacy in brutality

I really enjoyed this sketch in Powerhouse Museum. Samurai Officer Koma Kaemon of Bizen clan, Edoperiod, Japan, 1775. I wanted to feel haiku poet Basho's emotions towards a helmet. In Basho's long walk journey, he saw the helmet kept in a temple and a field. Basho thought of a veteran killed by a young general whom once, the veteran had saved -- a famous episode, Saito Sanemori in Heike Monogatari. 

It is part of my research of our picture book porject written by Libby Hathorn. So, I visited the musem to look into this armour (different from Basho's general though). 
Basho's haiku, "むざんやな甲(かぶと）の下のきりぎりす" ; Alas, how pitiful! A cricket is chirping under the helmet.

Samurai worriers or higher generals were quite intellectual and philosophers, because they created good poems (waka) and studied about Buddhism. Generals thought they would die even today. Also, the generals and lieutenants were, in my eyes, very fashionable in armours. Their colour combinations were defined by seasons, which also showed a rank in army. 
Here, examples. The colour combination of a part of an amour, Odoshi Irome. Originally, it was developed from Kasaneirome, 襲色目(かさねいろめ）women's clothes, serving an emperor.
Japanese, even in war, such brutal events, they sought for beauty.... It touches my heart. 
Now, I'll get back to creating images and character design.
You, too, Friends, have a productive week. 
Happy Painting!  

Samurai Armour, delicacy in brutality

International Women's Day

To celebrate International Women's Day, I created the portrait of Miles Franklin, an Australian writer, feminist best known for her novel "My Brilliant Career." Today, we have Miles Franklin Award, Stella Prize. Libby Hathorn will launch a picturebook "Miss Franklin" illustrated by Phil Lesnie in late May. I can't wait! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miles_Franklin

Friends, have a wonderful day. Happy Painting! 

International Women's Day

Illustrators Showcase at SCBWI conference 2019

In the submitted folio, I demonstrated

• The latest work at the best skill,
• Some black and white,
• Character design, movement,
• Variety of subjects,  
• Colour, front cover, single/double spreads,
• Mock book, 
• Postcards designed for promotion.  

The above has responded to publishers' seeking.  

In detailed advice is here. 
Are You Ready for the Illustrator Showcase at the 2019 Sydney International Conference?
An illustrator may submit 10 images, in all. I included landscapes, figures and other subjects. 

The granted "Basho" project Japanese traditional village in winter

The black and white rough, character design. 

Variety of Subjects. 

A double spread, black and white from the "Basho" 

It's Colour. 

Many of my "postcards" were picked up. Hopefully, publishers, authors, illustrators, teacher librarians and anyone in a publishing industry liked them. 

A local printshop printed them all and encouraged me. Thank you! 

The other side of my postcards. 

More timely information is available on my facebook.  Now, we're already moving towards CBCA national conference. 

Friends, did you enjoy SCBWI conference with me? If you've got an idea how to do a folio, I'm happy. Enjoy drawing and painting. Thank you very much for your strong support. 

Happy Painting!! 

Illustrators Showcase at SCBWI conference 2019

SCBWI international conference

I saw many old/new friends and publishers. Thank you very much, Susanne Gervay and SCBWI team, for organising it. Walker editor Donna Rawlins celebrated my job, "You're achieving so well. Beautiful work." I replied, "You taught me!" Humble Donna said, "No, no, I taught you nothing. Natural." Oh, Donna, you are a wonderful lecturer at Sydney uni Children Picture Book Illustration Course!! 

Illustrators Showcase, Courtesy of SCBWI photo

My folio is at the left hand 

Susanne Gervay

Elise Hurst, an old illustrator friend since my debut, is always sweet and elegant! She has published already more than 50 books, famous for imaginative vintage pen drawings of surrealism, yet, sweet and kind. Elise, you always encourage me. Thank you! (other publishers and friends are in my fb. Come over, Sadami Konchi's FB, if you want to see more.)  

Another interesting workshop was Dr Mari Reisberg in a blue shirt, was presented by US editor and art director (*The Children's Book Academy). Her lecture was practical and logical on both illustration and writing. Alison-Jane Rice well remembered me in the past ASA event, "the one word, one day," fundraising for Indigenous Literature. So kind Libby Hathorn came to support me and promoted me to key persons and publishers. Thanks millions, Libby! Btw, lunch was so yummy!!

I kept in touch with my mentors in Melbourne, Helen and Books Illustrated and informed them ongoings by mobile. They, too, supported my debut in SCBWI and an international market. The conference gave us a wonderful networking and learning opportunity. 

Friends, that's what we, illustrators, authors, publishers do in conferences and workshops. Go and join them and get a chance.  I'll chat over "Illustrator's Showcase" more later. 
Happy Painting!! 

SCBWI international conference