conference notes
I should mention that none of the things listed on my previous post were covered in the conference and I didn't suffer a gut wrenching critiquing. It's just my anger issues of why can't I seem to break into the market. They are the accumulative basics that I have heard and read over the last 4 years. I'm hoping now that I've written them down, maybe I'll start paying attention.
Here are some juicy notes from the conference:
Tony Sansevero talked about casting a wide net as an illustrator. He has two separate portfolios, one for an older market and one for picture books, along with fantasy work, portraits and even tattoo designs. The tearsheets that he sends out are customized to the market. In a sheet of 6-8 samples he'll adjust it for the educational market, a market that focuses on animals or a general sample with a combination of his best work. He sends out samples 4-5 times a year. He uses models for everything, even alien mice. It was fun to see tough burly guys as the models for his furry creatures. He researches a lot, which adds depth to his images. Of course, this included a working vacation to a tropical rainforest for some hands-on studying.
Don Tate showed us the journey that he took to succeed as an illustrator, with the promise that every illustrator has a unique path to publication. He encouraged us to research and use models as well, cautioning to take particular care when portraying children of specific nationalities, don't generalize. He uses a program called Poser, which is a virtual mannequin and he even constructs clay models for the animal characters that he creates. He works mostly with editors on his book projects and has a great licensing rep to find homes for his favorite images and ideas. Along with some wonderful books, his work has appeared on home decor, fabric and even calendars.
Licensing basics were presented by Suzanne Cruise. Licensing art is a 6.3 billion dollar industry. Licensing art is an agreement between artists and manufactures to use images. This is a complicated business and if you think your work would be a good fit, it's highly advisable to seek out an agent rather than trying to work on deals for yourself. If you are going to try to license your work on your own remember:
1. You have to be serious about this business and be aware of the legal matters. When negotiating contracts you must be impartial and unemotional.
2. Having a lawyer look over a contract is the most important thing to do before you sign it. Never give away all rights.
3. It takes a financial commitment to produce samples and market your work at the national trade shows.
An agent will do all these things for you. When searching for an agent be aware of the importance of this relationship. You need to find a rep that matches your personality and that you trust.
To see if your work would fit in the licensing game go spend a day at Hallmark or another gift shop to see what is popular and what kind of work and images succeed in licensing. Here is an article from the Greeting Card Association that I found helpful.
