Make a Splash in Illustration with Mark Mitchell -- Plus a PRIZE

Mark Michell has been posting for the Smart Dummies challenge for several years now. Mark always creates such wonderful posts for Smart Dummies. Not only that, but his newsletter is has been very inspirational for me. I have learned so much from Mark's newsletters over the years. One thing we haven't talked about is his course and his Group Guest Critiques, both of which are amazing but you don't have to take my word for it! Here is the link to the course: https://daniduck--marksandsplasheslearning.thrivecart.com/make-your-marks-and-splashes-copy-2/ (If you use this link to sign up it helps out Smart Dummies and me personally!)

Don't forget to check for a PRIZE at the bottom of this post!

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Dani: First things first: How did you get started with your website and courses for your “How to be a Children's Book Illustrator” website?

Mark: The original course in late 2009 or 2010 was a set of homemade web pages.
It was based on classes I've been teaching for years at the Art School at Laguna Gloria in Austin, Texas. I wrote out the lessons, trying to get words around the ideas.
They were on the site in PDF format. Later I added little videos for a 'multi-media' experience.


Dani: What are a few things that you've learned from the Group Guest Critiques?

Mark: Guest Group Critiques are a separate offering from the online course, which is called Make Your Marks and Splashes.

In the original Marks & Splashes course, we had a live group critique component. But I was doing all the critiquing. After a few years, I started bringing in other illustrators to be guest teachers so we could hear new ideas and different points of view.


Because of the expense involved in that, we've since pulled Guest Group Critiques away from the course and made it into its' own separate subscription product.

It's a way for students to continue with live sessions after they've 'graduated' from the Marks & Splashes main course. But we also let non-alums, non-students subscribe, too.

To answer your question, what I feel I've personally learned from these guest sessions is what a vast variety of art styles and approaches exist in children's publishing today. And how practically anything goes, as long as you can make it 'work' through fun storytelling and the classic design principles.


Dani: How does “Group Guest Critiques” help illustrators with their craft?


Mark: First, it provides challenging Illustration prompts every month from guest instructors – who are published illustrators or author-illustrators. (Sometimes they're agents, art reps, or art directors.) Their prompts nudge you to create new work or make that portfolio piece even better. Plus they're a good, consistent practice opportunity for you, as are similarly repeating programs like Illustration Friday or Inktober.

Second, the critique, if your piece is selected to be examined in the live session by a professional. Plus the reactions and feedback from the community group via the lively text chat each session. You have lots of eyes on your piece when it's up.

Third, tips and tricks. Every critique has an instructional component. Guest critiquers teach a lesson or give a little talk before they go into the critiques when they pick about 10 pieces to discuss from the submissions.

All of this prepares you for that big SCBWI conference where you're bringing work, or that all-important postcard or PB dummy mailing.



Dani: What's new for the Make Your Marks and Splashes course in 2018?


Mark: It's graduated up to a WordPress membership site with everything in one easy place. All the original lessons videos are there. And new videos on best 2018 practices for marketing and promoting your art and resources available.

The original Drawing (Marks) and Painting (Splashes) modules have added new videos – workshop, interview and/or critique videos with illustrators and author-illustrators.

The Find Your Fit module, about promoting yourself to agents and publishers has added videos on marketing best practices for 2018), resources available for artists and writers and hours of workshop and interview videos with six agents, five art directors and four publishers and self-publishers.

A new module, Julie's Story Town focuses on picture books. It's about building your dummy and secrets to incorporating story craft into your illustrations. This module has videos (ranging up to two hours long) with 10 author-illustrators.

The new course also features live group homework reviews – monthly events starting this month [Septmeber] – to make sure that everyone who wants the feedback is on track with her lessons. We're introducing a five-month semester cycle on these.

They're not the elaborate critiques of the old days, because that's what the
Guest Group Critiques and Workshop Series like the Drawing Children series we did and the workshops we're doing now with the Girllustrators are for.

Instead, the homework reviews are to check off on your submitted homework, so you'll know when you've 'got' the idea and skillset of each lesson and exercise – or you don't and it's time to try again.


Dani: What are some of the things that illustrators will learn in “Make Your Marks and Splashes?'


Mark: They'll learn a natural approach to illustration that removes needless struggle and guesswork from drawing, composition and color planning. This approach also shows you how to make the most of what you already have working for you in your art.


They'll learn to become comfortable and confident with traditional watercolor painting.

Confidence results in more beautiful pictures. With the basics handled (drawing, composition, and color) you can enjoy the process and give the lion's share of your attention to where your greatest value as a children's book illustrator lies – your characters and storytelling.


Dani: How is “Make Your Marks and Splashes” different from other courses out there?


Mark: The ones I know of out there are all good, provide plenty of value for the investment and are all a little different from each other.

What distinguishes this course, I think is its emphasis on the 'natural method' based on the ideas of Kimon Nicolaides, Betty Edwards, and others.

The confidence this method gives you frees up your creativity and uniqueness, which makes the method ideal for children's book illustration.

Also the many classroom-tested lessons on painting in traditional watercolor, which can help you with any kind of painting.

And the sheer number of original videos. The course holds more than 100 videos immersing you in the world of making art for children's publishing, including sessions with 50 illustrators and author-illustrators who work in a variety of media (including digital) and styles.

Years in the making and doing, Marks and Splashes is an old-fashioned art class at heart – except the pictures you create are children's story scenes.

My students have ranged from beginning artists to MFAs, living in just about any country in the world you can imagine. Many have since had their work published.

If you'd like to receive email notifications about this and other Marks & Splashes offerings and new blog postings, sign up here.







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Mark is the author-illustrator of "Raising La Belle: The Story of the La Salle Shipwreck", which won a Spur Award from the Western Writers of America for best juvenile nonfiction book. He has also illustrated and written other books and for many children's magazines.


Mark G. Mitchell

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Follow Mark:

To join the course: https://daniduck--marksandsplasheslearning.thrivecart.com/make-your-marks-and-splashes-copy-2/ (If you use this link it helps out me and Smart Dummies!)

Blog: http://HowToBeAChildrensBookIllustrator.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MarkGMitchell


PRIZE

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Marla Lesage: A Portfolio Critique OR Dummy Critique!

You must finish your dummy to win this prize!

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