Frequently Asked Questions
1.) What can I expect from the course?
You'll be able to satisfactorily complete the illustration
project you've set for yourself, be it a picture book dummy, partial
dummy or some strong painted samples for a mailing or your portfolio,using the lessons as your roadmap..
You'll acquire new strategies, skill and confidence in drawing, design, color and painting.
You'll have a better
understanding of children's publishing and how to
promote your work in this changing market. You'll have the steps for proceeding with just about any assignment, from thumbnails to full-color final art.
2.) How long does the course last?
The course is self-paced and you have a lifetime to put the lessons to practice.
But to answer your question officially, six months.
3.) How much is it?
Tuition is $249 upfront or $54 per month for five months with the sixth month free.
This includes
your membership in the online community,
resource sharing site and monthly online group critiques with
Mark.You also have the option to extend your membership and critiques
beyond the course for a nominal monthly fee.
4.) I've never taken an art class before and can't draw a straight line. Will I be out of my depth here?
If you've never taken an art course, you'll find this an exciting
introduction to drawing, painting and children's book
art.
5.) I've studied art. Will this curriculum be 'old hat' for me?
Many
of our students have some college backgrounds in
art or paint or have even worked in art-related fields. Some of the
ideas taught here may be familiar to them. Many of our
students have reported that they appreciate the review.and though
the course reintroduces
some familiar essential concepts, it fills in some knowledge gaps.
Make Your Splashes is designed to help artists at all levels meet the challenge of pictorial composition, and support all students on their paths
to publication.
6.) Can this online course be a substitute for art school?
No more than taking guitar lessons at a local music shop cansubsitute for earning a university degree in music.
Still, you don't need a degree in music to play the guitar, or write and record a song.
The same goes for painting a picture. Plenty of visual artists have been 'home schooled.' Make Your Splashes - Make Your Marks! falls
in a time-honored tradition of individual
study, informal classes
and workshops with teachers to develop craft.
Taking classes at an accedited college or professional art school is always encouraged. But for those unable to attend classes on the ground, good online instruction offers a powerful alternative, providing access to information quickly.
FAQs answered or grappled with in the course:
- How
and where do you
find work as an illustrator?
- Is there enough work
even for the best?
- How do you get
started?
- How do you know what
to leave in and what to leave out in a picture?
- What
captures a child's imagination? How
can an illustration create a magical page that transmits
the
meaning of the story in a way that it sears itself into a
young mind?
- How do you develop a
personal style of illustration that will appeal to
children?
- How much
detail is
"too much?" in an
illustration?
- What should you
include in your portfolio to catch a
publisher's interest?
- How do you
lay out a book?
- Do
I need an
agent?
- What types of
contracts and terms might an illustrator be faced with and
what
pitfalls should he
be aware of?
- In what form do you
submit your illustrations for a book proposal?
- What is the process
from illustration to publication?
- How
do I take a
character, or characters that will appear in many
different
perspectives in the book and make him look like the same
person
each time? How do I make a
character visually consistent from page to page throughout
a
picture book?
- How
do
you translate a story into a cohesive flow of words and
pictures?
- How
do you gain
confidence in
illustrating a
children's book?
- I've heard over and
over that it's a long shot. What do you think?
- Do you need formal
training to illustrate a children's book?
- How do I get as many
published "clips" as fast as I can?
- Is it better to try
to develop a "style" for children's illustrations or just
do
the work and let your natural way of doing things be your
"style?"
- How do you balance
the work of illustrating and
marketing to find more work?
- I
have both my BFA
and MFA, but how do you "get your work out there" to the
children's book industry? What steps must you take to
enter that
world as both an artist and a business person?
- How
do I bring out
that 'something extra' in my pictures and words that will
make
my book stand out?
- What basic knowledge
do you need to illustrate a children's book?
- How do I make a
dummy book?
- Can I really make a
living at this?
- How does one get
past
the fear of doing one illustration or book?
- What
guidelines are there for submitting to a publisher?
- Is my work good
enough?
- How
do I
get better?