Hi all,
Just wanted to point you all to a few weekly art prompts over on Twitter if you weren't aware of them already, they have a big audience and are a lot of fun to take part in to keep you drawing and being imaginative!
1. Colour Collective - @Clr_Collective
A new colour each week that you incorporate into your illustration

2. Animal Alphabets - @AnimalAlphabets
A new animal to illustrate each week, sometimes they do mythical creatures or fictional animals to mix it up a bit!

3. Sketch Dailies - @Sketch_Dailies
A random thing/place/character to sketch each day! It can literally be a sketch or a finished piece if you're a wizard at producing finished pieces in one day 😃

They're probably on Instagram and Facebook too if you don't have Twitter 🙂 Anyways, they're cool and thought I'd spread the word! Hope you're all having a great day x

Hey everyone,

I signed into Twitter today for the first time in ages and saw that
their is a Twitter Pitch Party happening TOMORROW.

Our next #PBPitch will be Thursday, February 21st, 2019, from 8am to 8pm EST!

http://www.pbpitch.com/

I have never pitched on Twitter before if anyone with experience has any suggestions I would greatly appreciate it.

Jessica Jolicoeur

@KathrynAdebayo Your comment had me curious and I checked out his website too.
@Ben-Migliore WOW! You've got skills man! To hear you speak I thought you were in the beginning stages of learning anatomy and lighting or something, but no you're actually REALLY advanced. You've carved out a really good set of skills for yourself and you're way past the point where you can slow down the theory and start just making work. Don't worry, you will still keep learning by doing pieces that challenge you. I think Kathryn is on to something, you've fallen into a trap of forever perfecting your technique and not getting on to make work. Remember that technique is only a tool to convey what you want to express, and is not an end all be all by itself. Don't keep refining your technique forever, because for some of us perfectionists it's never going to be good enough. You can't let that stop you from drawing the pieces in your heart that are waiting to be drawn. And if you have no pictures in your heart that you want to get out... it goes back to my previously mentioned question: do you truly want to draw?

That's great news! Also, I just wanted to mention there's a Twitter PBPitch tomorrow (2/21) if anyone does have a manuscript ready to pitch. Lots of agents/editors are gonna stop by: http://www.pbpitch.com/

A portfolio website first and foremost. Either hire someone to make it for you or learn how to make it. I don't have a website myself but I'm building one at the moment. I haven't been on Instagram in nearly a month. Honestly I'm getting tired of it.

Remember that you are 'renting' the space off Instagram. You've signed up to their Terms and Conditions so they have complete control of what you post. They also have the ability to change how that platform works without any notice. I recently had an art piece removed by Instagram because of a copyright issue (the record label requested it be removed and it came up in my notifications) so you have to factor in that too. When you have your own site you could post anything you like. You have Behance too...you could easily integrate your projects into a site using Adobe portfolio.

Also, there no guarantee these sites are around forever...your own website will be there as long as you want. Who uses MySpace now? It was THE thing a while back LOL. It will happen to Instagram too.

Thanks for sharing your time lapse link. It will be fun to see your process!

@SketchyArtish yes, when I first opened Jakes class, in the right section you could see discussions according the class. something like "where can I find this pen" or "i can't find the pdf for the exercise"
Some i found quite useful.

@arent-draper sounds great!

You really captured the "love" in this, nicely done!

@Jason-Bowen Far out! Love these!! Looking forward to seeing more.

Irina,

I am so glad that you started a thread on this discussion.
I am currently working on my website and I am planning to approach some agents and publishers this year.

I am also wondering about the best way to arrange my website.
I am a painter and illustrator but my work ranges from children's style illustrations to portraiture and landscape paintings.
I am not sure if I should focus my website on illustrations that are geared towards children's illustration and avoid putting my other art like my portraiture and landscape work on the same website.
Or have one website with categories for the different type of art that I do.

I am also wondering how the process of getting published works when representing oneself.
Is it better to have an agency represent me rather than approaching the publishing companies directly?

I do know that many publishing sites do have a section where you can submit your project directly but I imagine they receive many submissions via email and it is probably easy to get lost in the masses.

How should one approach a publisher as an illustrator and author?

Jessica Jolicoeur

I am finding this out with the "How to Draw Mammals course." Everything I tried at first looked really ripped because I was focusing on bones and muscles. I had to go back and look for where the animals stored fat and what is the natural gesture. That really helped.

Not this year, but next year is a real possibility...Please, please, please let us know how great it is!

@murielle Oh wow that was so interesting and learnsome! (Apart from learning your dutch as well! :p) Thank you so much for your awesome tutorial. ♥

I use Inprnt.com to sell prints and find it really good. I find the quality of the print really good. Lovely pic by the way. Inprnt like society6 or redbubble take care of the sale, printing, shipping etc. so you get a percentage of the sale. I found Inprnt to be the best percentage wise.

Anyone on Format?

https://www.format.com/magazine/galleries/illustration/illustration-portfolio-examples-2016

Oh this is so great and handy! Thank you so much for sharing it with us! 😃

@Coreyartus you’re welcome! Hope you can use it. 🙂

I joined up in November. I think the Big Book directory is great! lots of helpful info in addition to up to date contacts. My local chapter Nor Cal is very active too. I’m attending my first Local Chapter conference in May and am looking forward to the portfolio critique. I will also be attending the Summer conference in LA which I am anxious and excited about. The members are helpful and have answered every question I’ve had very quickly. As said earlier there are contests and grants that are offered for writers and illustrators. I haven’t gone in for any yet but I plan on it.

That's awesome!