I'm a writer looking for an illustrator. Will you illustrate my book?
Always a tough one to answer, but unfortunately the answer would be, "Probably not." Editors and art directors like to pair up their writers and illustrators based on their (editor's and art director's) experience, not yours. Unless you're also the illustrator (and if you are, you wouldn't be asking me now, would you), you should just send the editor your manuscript and let them do the illustrator-hunting. An article posted on the SCBWI Web site might help: http://www.scbwi.org/pubs.htm. Click on SCBWI Publications, and then 10 FAQs About Children's Book Publishing, and read question # 4.
I want to see how you might illustrate a book before I decide if you're the right fit. Please draw me a rough of how you see the cover of the book and another one for the inside spread.
Although it's not technically a question, it deserves an answer. Illustrators pay money for Web site hosting, and we are more than happy to send you samples of our work. What you're asking for is work on "spec." That means that, as an illustrator, we are expected to spend time on a project with the possibility of never getting paid. Ever. Would you want to go to work with the understanding that, if your boss didn't like what you've done that day, he or she wouldn't pay you? An entire Web site is dedicated to educating the public about this problem, and they have posted an article at: http://www.no-spec.com/archives/i-wish-i-had-written-this/. It was originally written by Dave D’Esposito of ArtMonkey Studios, Inc.
Where are you?
My studio is located in Southwestern Pennsylvania, USA.
What's your problem?
I'm still a kid at heart. Give me a break.
How much do you charge?
There are a lot of things that go into determining how much I need to charge for a job:
What medium do you use?
I do working sketches by hand. Good ol' antiquated pencil and paper. For the most part, I scan those into Photoshop and tweak them if I have to. The actual painting I do is in Painter, then back to Photoshop for some fine tuning.
The other answer to that question is acrylics and graphite. Mostly depends on what it's for.
Don't I recognize you from somewhere?
Maybe.
Why do you have three Web sites?
Besides this one, I have another site for editorial illustrations, graphic design and fine art. You can see that one here. I wanted to keep that separate from my kids illustrations so people wouldn't be confused with what I have to offer. I'm working on yet another site that will just be about The Rots.
What are The Rots?
In June 2006 I finally hiked my first overnighter. I took along a small sketch book, and I knew before I put pencil to paper what I wanted to draw; I had seen the twisted little images in my head for weeks. I finished a page in half an hour. With a little tweaking, the characters matured and grew into the oddity I named The Rots.
Any other questions?
Ask me to my face: illustrations@nora-jayne.com
