Portfolio Showcase:
The Portfolio Showcase runs all day Saturday. Illustrators setup their portfolios first thing in the morning and retrieve them at the end of Saturday. To be included in the Portfolio Showcase, you must sign up for it when you register for the conference. There is a small fee depending on premium/regular status. When you sign up, you are automatically entered into the judging for the Illustrator Awards. If you do NOT want to be included in the judging, please email [email protected] to let us know. VIEW PORTFOLIO GUIDELINES HERE>
ILLUSTRATOR AWARDS
Portfolio Showcase participants are eligible to win:
- Portfolio Showcase Grand Prize Winner
- 2 Portfolio Showcase Honor Winners
- Emerging Voice Mentorship
Judging is done by our faculty Art Directors and Illustrators. They will review the portfolios in person at some point in the day privately. Winners will be announced during closing announcements at the end of conference day Saturday.
Emerging Voice Illustrator Mentorship:
The Austin SCBWI chapter is proud to offer the Emerging Voice Illustrator Mentorship. The winner will receive a year's mentorship with a local published illustrator to help bring their work to the next level. Illustrators attending in-person and entering the Portfolio Showcase at the Conference are eligible. The mentor will choose an illustrator based on the portfolios in the Showcase.
This year’s illustrator mentor is Keiko Hayner!
Keiko Hayner
I am originally from Osaka, Japan and came to the United States in 2004 as a student. My initial plan of staying in San Francisco, CA kept extending and having a family led to establish my new home here in Austin, TX. Colorful, whimsical and fun are the best words to describe my work. My art medium is primarily watercolor, but has recently expanded to digital art and block printing. I have always loved to draw, paint and simply make something since I was a little girl. I graduated from Osaka University of Arts and obtained my BA in graphic design in Japan in 2004. After having a family I started questioning myself what I really wanted to do for my life. I knew in my heart that I always wanted to do something creative, but I didn't know where to start at that time. I restarted painting with watercolor in 2019 as a hobby and I realized how fascinating it was as I painted more and more. I started selling some prints to friends and family soon after and I decided to make this official as Keiko Hayner Illustrations in 2020. I usually make my illustrations with inspirations from listening to people's stories, seeing interesting events and objects in the world and simply sometimes my imaginations. This is my true dream that I use my creativity and skills for my job since I was a little girl!