Master Class in Illustration: Narrative Picture-Making 2020

Online Workshop Info:

This 4-day intensive includes live demos, feedback sessions, and narrative art assignments. If you are looking for a push to get back to your picture book art, this is the course for you. With daily check-ins, small group support, and time to ask questions about style, art, and design, this program is for illustrators who are serious about getting their work ready to show publishers, art directors, and agents.

Online Workshop Participant Cap:

18 students.

What You’ll Learn & Experience:

Craft your own artistic style with leading industry professionals illustrators Anna Raff, James Ransome, and their special guests during an intensive weekend of discovery to expand your illustration practice.
This workshop offers:

• Opportunities for feedback on your illustrations and portfolio.
• Independent assignments to explore narrative storytelling.
• Strategies for color, composition, and drawing to communicate visual ideas.
• New digital and traditional techniques to strengthen your illustration.
• Activities to refresh and deepen drawing fundamentals.
• Opportunities for networking and creative collaboration.

Attend If:

• You are an intermediate or advanced illustrator. This workshop is for artists who would like to push their work to the next level, revitalize their portfolio, and/or find a more individual artistic voice.
• You are looking for critical review of your work to find out what works and what doesn’t. If you have already received general feedback on your work, let James and Anna offer you more direct review of what areas of your portfolio or project need target revision.

Program Schedule:

Day 1: Wednesday, October 21
Starting at 4pm:

• Welcome, introductions and opening presentation with Q&A.

Starting at 6pm:

• Digital portfolio reviews: students bring 5-7 sample images from portfolios for review from James and Anna.
• Informal discussions in the general meeting space.

Day 2: Thursday, October 22
Starting at 10am:

• James will provide small assignment on Visual Storytelling with resources in the virtual classroom.
• Open Work Suite: Artists can come and create together in a shared space.

Starting at 5pm:

• Students will meet in small groups to discuss progress on Visual Storytelling assignment.

Starting at 6:30pm:

• Presentation with special guest Oge Mora.
• Followed by demo and Q & A.

Starting at 10am:

• Anna will provide small assignment on Digital Techniques with resources in the virtual classroom.
• Open Work Suite: Artists can come and create together in a shared space.

Starting at 5pm:

• Students will meet in small groups to discuss progress on Digital Technique assignment.

Starting at 6:30pm:

• Presentation with special guest Jessica Love.
• Followed by demo and Q & A.

Day 4:Saturday, October 24
Starting at 10am:

• Open Work Suite: Artists can come and create together in a shared space.

Starting at 2pm:

• Students will meet in small groups with James and Anna.

Starting at 3pm:

• "The Business of Illustration" Panel with Oge Mora, Jessica Love, James Ransome, and Anna Raff.
• Followed by final notes and farewells

Resources

James Ransome’s website
Anna Raff’s website
James Ransome interview
James Ransome: Working with Watercolor
James Ransome: Building a Drawing
James Ransome: KidLitTV
Let’s Get Busy Podcast: Interview with Anna Raff and Charise Harper
Seven Impossible Things Interview with Anna Raff
Breaking Through Those Creative Blocks, Anna Raff

Testimonials

“Faculty was wonderful! It helped that there were five different illustrators with very differing styles and thoughts, and that we were able to interact with them one on one and in the smaller group atmosphere.”

“I appreciated the forthright comments in the one-to-ones, especially that they pointed out what was working well and clearly explained why other elements did not work and/ or worked against what I was trying to accomplish.”