What is it?
Use the Art Director Assignment below as a prompt to create an illustration submission to be included in one of the Illustrator Assignment sessions. The art director on faculty will give on-the-spot feedback for these assignments in a small group setting. Spaces are limited.
How do I participate?
A maximum of 10 preregistered participants will receive feedback on their Art Director Assignment. However, all Illustrator Day participants are welcome to sit in and learn from the professional feedback in this session.
Deadline:
- Send your illustrations to Berrie, [email protected], by midnight on 9/13/25.
- Please put “AD Assignment submission_Illustrator Day 2025” in the subject line of your email.
What to send:
- One AD assignment as .jpg or .png file(s) (5 MB max)
What to name your files:
⇒Please SAVE YOUR FILES as follows: last name_AD Assignment_Illustrator Day 2025.
⇒For example, for Berrie Torgan-Randall's file, she would label it: Torgan-Randall_AD Assignment_Illustrator Day 2025.
What do I send?
There are three options to pick from for the workshop. Pick the one you feel most comfortable with and have fun with it!
Option #1: Character Study of a Child
Children are our main audience and often our main subjects, so how you draw them is very important. This assignment is designed to give you great portfolio pieces.
Create a child character shown in two/three spot illustrations. Here are some guidelines to help you create your pieces:
- The child should be shown with various facial expressions, at various scales (up close, full figure), and in different settings (at school, in their bedroom…)
- Each spot should visually tell a small story: for instance, the child is about to surprise someone with a present, or they just dropped their ice cream. They could be playing in their bedroom or outside, cooking with a parent, interacting with other kids, etc…
- Keep in mind that the character’s appearance should be consistent. If possible, supply the spots as one jpeg so we can see the character’s consistency. You can also supply each spot as a separate jpeg.
- The art could be detailed sketches or finished color pieces—whatever you prefer.
Option #2: Nonfiction Picture Book Cover
Biographies are a solid part of the children’s book nonfiction market. If likeness is one of your skills, you should show it off in your portfolio.
Create the cover for a picture book biography of your favorite celebrity or public figure:
- Your subject should be doing what they’re famous for: for instance, Jane Goodall interacting with a chimp, Simone Biles doing gymnastics…
- The art does not have to be realistic, it could be stylized, but we should be able to recognize who is depicted.
- The cover art can be any trim size you decide. The only requirement is that it is in a vertical format.
- Supply your cover as a finished piece of art with no text as a jpeg. Don’t add title or credits but remember to leave room for them.
Option #3: Share the First Spreads of Your Own Picture Book Project
As with any book, the first few pages of a picture book are crucial to grab the reader’s attention. They introduce the main character(s) and set the tone of the story.
Share the first three spreads of your work in progress picture book:
- The art doesn’t have to be finished; clear sketches would be best.
- The spreads should include the text so we can see how art and text complement each other.
- Share the spreads as three different jpegs, and if possible, also all together as one image so we can see at once how you sequenced and paced the story.