ILLUSTRATOR IN ACTION SCBWI Conference 2022
This Conference was the top of the year to me! Not only did I get to meet very special friends whom I work with and admire — like a couple of fellow Words&Pictures editors —, but also keep my focus on SCBWI illustrators, the very people we are proud to represent and feature through our magazine.
On Friday's Fringe, I was in charge of leading the Sketch Crawl at the Manchester Art Gallery. We all had a blast creating illustrations inspired by the items on display, sketching at first and then adding imaginative elements. We then illustrated striking phrases displayed at the Constellations hall, a positive journey into finding power!
The Conference was held at the Metropolitan University, and the first thing you saw once inside was the Sketchbook Exhibition! I was amazed by the huge panel filled with artwork by SCBWI illustrators’ — some featured over the Open Sketchbook Feature.
On Saturday and Sunday, we took a dive into the mind of illustrator keynote Jim Field. He shared sketches, character developments, and even fun personal stories about collaborating with authors. On a picture book making session, Jim spoke about different ways of creating composition inspired by classic movies. My favourite anecdote was about his initial ending to Oi Frog!, which you can watch on the video.
By the end of the Conference, we had a hands-on workshop with Paul Morton. We explored drawing with our non-dominant hand, and developing characters based on characteristics such as their likes and dislikes. Paul shared the creative process of Bug Belly, telling us about his initial idea and the important steps to create the physical book. I loved his frog cutouts and fun little paper creations - great for giveaways and school visits!
I certainly felt powerful during the whole Conference, feeling energised by my passion subject and wonderful peers.
Take a look, I am sure you'll want to join us next time!
Header: Paul Morton photographed by Tita Berredo
Tita Berredo is the Illustration Features Editor at Words & Pictures. She has a Master's degree in Children's Literature and Illustration from Goldsmiths UOL, and a background in social communications, marketing and publicity. www.titaberredo.com
Follow @titaberredo on Instagram and Twitter
Email: illustrators@britishscbwi.org
Wonderful report and stupendous video Tita. Smiling and spine tingling at the same time. x
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