Inside the Illustrators Studio: Secrets to Success and Studio Tours - An SCBWI University Offering
May 12, 2026 - Jun 30, 2026
Online event
A new 3-part online course specifically for illustrators and author/illustrators who want to take their careers to the next level. The series focuses on using thumbnails to build your story, visual character development, and the secrets to building a winning portfolio. Tuition includes all three classes and access to video replays for 30-days after the final live session. (Classes may NOT be purchased individually). After registering, go to MEMBER HOME > MY EVENTS > MEETING INFO to access Zoom Links.
Tuesday, May 12, 2026: 1-2:30pm Pacific/ 4-5:30pm Eastern
Be Best Friends with Thumbnail Sketches with Marla Frazee
Thumbnail sketches will be the foundation on which you build your story. They will be the map that leads you to your treasure. They will help you feel calm and happy. And they will keep you out of trouble! Please bring about a dozen pieces of 8.5” x 11” copier paper and a pencil to the session.
Tuesday, May 19, 2026: 1-2:30pm Pacific/ 4-5:30pm Eastern
On Dastardly Rats, Cephalopods, and Other Characters Great and Small with Isabel Roxas
Where do characters begin—and what do they want? SNACKS. Obviously. Author-illustrator Isabel Roxas shares a character-led approach to storytelling for children. Through drawing and guided exercises, we’ll explore how shape, gesture, and small visual decisions suggest a whole inner life, and what happens when they get hungry. Bring a handful of characters who’ve been living in your drawer (or quietly shelved). We’ll tease them out, set them in motion, and see what trouble they get into. You may find one or two already carrying a story.
Tuesday, May 26, 2026: 1-2:30pm Pacific/ 4-5:30pm Eastern
What Makes a Winning Portfolio with Lauren Rille
Discover the secrets to creating a portfolio that attracts the attention of agents, editors and art directors.
