It always takes me a few weeks (or more) to process the heady experience of attending an SCBWI conference. The highlights of last month’s gathering here in Maryland:
Betsy Bird’s entertaining and insightful rundown of current trends
The chance to reconnect with illustrators I haven’t seen since last year
Senior designers Mallory Griggs and Jess Tice-Gilbert’s illustration intensive
The last included an inside peek at the rebranding of one of my favorite childhood series. It was heartening to see the increasing acceptance of digital and digitally-assisted art, both raster and vector.
On the subject of peeks, here are a couple spreads from my current dummy-in-progress, currently titled Ambrose’s Beasts. The story celebrates the imaginative power of medieval bestiaries, with nods to Hieronymus Bosch, Maurice Sendak, and Dr. Seuss.