Scholar-in-Residence Presentation by Julia Maisen
Nov 02, 2025
Online event
Whether you’re just beginning to explore color theory or looking to take your work to the next level, you’ll leave this session with a clearer understanding of how to use color and light with purpose—and a plan to apply it in your own illustrations.
Scholar-in-Residence Presentation by Julia Maisen
Join Scholar-in-Residence Julia Maisen for a deep dive into the world of color and light—two essential tools for bringing illustrations to life. This webinar is designed to help illustrators understand how color and light function not only from a technical or observational perspective but also as powerful storytelling elements that shape mood, guide the viewer’s eye, and create immersive, emotionally resonant scenes.
Key topics include:
- Using color and light to support narrative and mood
- Guiding the viewer’s eye with saturation, contrast, and value
- Creating emotional impact through thoughtful color choices
- Using plein air painting to observe and understand real-world lighting
- Practical exercises to strengthen your sense of color and value
- And more
Whether you’re just beginning to explore color theory or looking to take your work to the next level, you’ll leave this session with a clearer understanding of how to use color and light with purpose—and a plan to apply it in your own illustrations.
You’ll also receive a handout of curated resources to help you continue developing your skills.
About Julia
Julia Maisen is an author-illustrator who works primarily in traditional media and has a deep affection for the unpredictable nature of watercolors. Driven by a curiosity about how the world works, she earned an undergraduate degree in Physics before shifting her focus to storytelling, eventually earning a Master’s in Children’s Illustration from the Cambridge School of Art. She was a recipient of the SCBWI Asilomar Conference Scholarship and winner of the SCBWI SF People’s Choice Award for her Portfolio and this year, she participated in her first kids’ comic anthology, Let’s Go!. Always motivated by a desire to connect with her audience, she is constantly exploring new ways to craft more engaging and meaningful stories. When she’s not at her day job, she’s hard at work on two projects: a picture book featuring castaway animals and a band of pirates, and a graphic novel set in an aquarium. You can find her at juliamaisen.com or check out her newsletter at https://juliamaisen.beehiiv.com/.