We often talk about what to put in a portfolio but we rarely talk about which illustrations gets the job. I was always curious about this. Us illustrators put so much effort into promoting outselves. We use unstable social media and post our art that might get stolen. We put our own money into making and sending postcards. We go to conferences and try to connect with others. All in hopes of editors and art directors noticing us. But which illustrations truly catches their heart? Let’s talk about it.
Case No. 1 : I asked my editor
When I worked on RAMEN FOR EVERYONE (ATHENEUM, SIMON & SCHUSTER) I got to do a presentation with her for Junior Library Guild. It was a super rare opportunity so I asked THE question. “Which of my illustration made you hire me?“
My editor said the illustration to the right. I was surprised. RAMEN FOR EVERYONE is about food. So I assumed she had to see my food illustrations. But then I remembered the book is also about family love. It’s about dad and a son working and respecting each other in the kitchen. Then it hit me.
I created the illustration above because I missed my home. This was my home in Japan. The kitchen counter had a fax machine. It was also where I would peak into my mom making dinner. I was probably really hungry so I hoped my mom would let me eat a “sample“ or “end bits“ of whatever she was making.
I would often ask “is there anything I can help with?“. My mom usually replied with “you watching is the most important job“ so I believed her. My dad was never home. She was probably lonely. I was lonely. So Spending time together even though we didn’t talk much helped. I poured all of that nostalgic, mixed emotions into this illustration.
So for my editor to pick this illustration made sense. I never talked in detail about the meaning of the illusration above. But I felt like I was seen and trusted.
Case No 2 : I did an art test
ANIMATED SCIENCE : PERIODIC TABLE (SCHOLASTIC) almost didn’t happen. I got an email about it from my agent. Then nothing happened for few months. Then suddenly they asked me to do an art test. The book was made during the pandemic so nothing was certain. So I understood and quickly went to work.
What is an Art Test? Great question! I often did them when I was applying for jobs as a game artist. After the (usually) face to face interviews, I often had to do art tests. Sometimes I was asked to redesign a UI layout. Other times it was redesigning the flow of the UI.
So when the editor asked me to do an art test for the book, I treated it similarly to a game art test. They wanted me to design two characters based on the description. It was IRON and CARBON. The description was simple. They gave me a scientific description and a character description. Iron is a common metal but strong so maybe a strongman. Carbon is a diamond so maybe a flashy condifent one? Now GO!
So i sent the pencil sketches above. And I made sure I was neat and simple with the presentation. Think about it. Editors are BUSY. They probably are looking at art from multiple artists a day. And they have to respond pretty quickly so they wouldn’t be the one holding up the process. So what do they want? Simple, organized and eay to read information. Here’s what I paid attention to when I was organizing my character sketches.
Each character style was in pairs. So if you compare each Iron and Carbon character, each vertical row showcases a style (similar proportion, facial features, even sometimes attitudes)
All of the characters are in one line
Character type is labeled
Characters are numbered at the bottom
By doing these things, it helps with smooth communication. My editor got back to me pretty quickly and wrote “I like the Iron row 3, Carbon row 1. But can you make it more strong? Can I see a color sample too?”
So I created color samples (see above). See how easy it was for the editor to communicate with me? Making book is a team effort. I personally love to put in effort like this.
Case No 3 : Editor asked for me
I love when the editor asks for me. I love it even more when they describe why they are asking for me. This is the email my agent forwarded me when she started talking about BABY STEPS (ABRAMS APPLESEED). The editor wrote,
“We love the warmth, humor, and rich colors in her art, not to mention the amazing way she captures emotional connections between her characters.“
See so many buzz words? My illustrations are warm. Funny. Rich colors. Captures emotional connection. WOW. I might have to put this in my bio now.
Feedback like this is super helpful. We don’t get these unless we ask (or pay) for a critique. When I started working on my portfolio, I thought about what kind of books I want to make. I wanted to create a space for kids to escape and immerse themselves. That meant comfort. Fun. Adventurous. Feel the feels. Isn’t it pretty close to what the editor wrote? I did a mini celebration ice cream break that day <3
Here’s an example of how amazing my agent is! When we got the email above, I replied to my agent with a YES I’m interested. So my agent replied to the editor with that news. But here’s the extra magic she puts in. She included the image to the left. She didn’t have to do that. Editor was already excited about my work. But just to make the whole process more exciting and inviting, my agent puts in images like this.
I didn’t make this image. It was another interesting “report card“ I accidentally got. This image shows what my agent thinks interesting about me. It includes gallery work, wood workings, murals I did for a children’s museum, books I worked on and a portfolio piece. It showed me that my agent sees everything I do everywhere (website / social media).
Here’s three examples of how I got my book jobs. I hope it was useful. Hopeful?
My agent is not the only one responsible for promoting my work. I am still figuring it out. For example, I started sending physical postcards again! I am nervous. But also so excited. There’s no one right way to spread the word. But I believe that at least I have to continue talking about my work. Because I’m excited to work on books. I want to make more spaces for kids to escape and immerse. Thank you for reading. See you next month <3
Love and timid feelings, Shiho