Is it too early for a Christmas themed piece?

I'm not sure if this is allowed, so just disregard it if it isn't, but I wanted to do some speculative book covers for my portfolio so tried to combine it with this month's theme and did a book cover for Peter Pan

Hi guys,

I just want to share the exciting news that I now have an agent! I’m maybe sharing this a bit pre-maturely as I still need to send over all my work and be put up on the website, but I am excited so feel like I have to share I’m now represented by T2 illustration agency. Thank you for everyone’s comments on my other post where I asked advice I don’t comment as often as I should here (I often think other people can sum up my thoughts better than I can!) but I am an avid lurker and feel like the past few months I have been an SVS member have kept me encouraged and inspired. I am looking forward to the next phase of my illustration journey

Bit of a simple concept for my piece but to be honest I struggled with robots, not usually my thing haha!

I've been a bit quiet here lately. I've been experimenting with combing traditional and digital media lately and made this today

Hi guys, I’m signing off for Christmas so here is my illustration

Here is mine! Not sure if I'm happy with it, but have to say that with everything going on at the minute I'm finding it really hard to be creative or want to do anything creative

I actually made this for my agent's Halloween newsletter, but I thought it kinda fit here? Maybe a bit of a stretch but I'm not going to have time to make something else so I'll post it anyway
The idea is that a young girl is invited to a Halloween tea party, but all the other kids are actually the real deal and not just wearing costumes

I saw this going around on Twitter so thought it would be fun to post here! Pick a piece of artwork from 2009 (or as old a piece you can find if you don’t have one from 2009) and redraw it!
Here’s mine:

Well at least I stopped abusing the burn tool on Photoshop I was 14 when I drew the first picture! And a big fan of Harry Potter, I think that was my OC at the time

Here's a couple of my pieces

Are we allowed to post sequential illustrations?

This is awesome! Can’t wait to watch

Oh I love seeing other people's workspaces! This is mine. Nothing fancy, random computer chair, ikea corner desk. Dell laptop, Wacom tablet, Ipad, Epson Scanner. Working out of the wee box room in our house. Would love to try out a standing desk. I have bad circulation and tend to get pins and needles in my legs/feet when I sit for a while

Is it too early for a Christmas themed piece?

I am sure you will be fine! Your work will speak volumes for you
Will they be going over your portfolio with you? I've had meetings with ADs before and the fact that they are flicking through your portfolio puts you at ease as you can just talk about your work with them (though these were IRL meetings so not sure how that would work online!) I wouldn't worry too much about having a big spiel over how you are a good fit for their publishing house. It isn't really a typical job interview and if they like your work then they will see that you're a good fit without hearing a rehearsed speech (unless you actually have something specific you want to mention!)

I'd also use this time with the AD to your advantage. Yes it's amazing to get this chance to show your work, but they also have a lot of knowledge to share so maybe it would be good to think of some questions to ask them about children's publishing e.g. what do they look for in an illustrator, what kind of stories do they love to aquire etc

Definitely ask if you can have their email or the email of someone in their team to share new portfolio pieces with in the future.
GOOD LUCK! I am sure you will be amazing Let us know how it goes

This is awesome! Congrats

I actually made this for my agent's Halloween newsletter, but I thought it kinda fit here? Maybe a bit of a stretch but I'm not going to have time to make something else so I'll post it anyway
The idea is that a young girl is invited to a Halloween tea party, but all the other kids are actually the real deal and not just wearing costumes

I have this problem too! I like to figure things out as I go along so it's a pain if I have to move something and then I struggle to match up the lineart and colour layers perfectly again

I love your ink fairy! It's so cute!

I prefer 1 and 3 where Ellie is looking at the fairy. Ellie's line of sight guides us across the page to the fairy, and towards the page turn of the book.

2 and 4 are a little confusing to me as Ellie is looking back instead of towards the fairy (and towards the page turn/flow of the reader, line of action in a picture book should be left to right in western picture books as this is the way we read!) so it feels to me almost like 2 separate spreads as the 2 elements (Ellie and the fairy) aren't engaging with each other. 2 also doesn't convey to me that Ellie is hidden

@Rachel-Horne I might just put 'Art department', however I'm less likely to send out a mailer in the post if I don't know the ADs name. Have you read the Children's Writers and Artists Yearbook? They release a new one each year and there is contact details for lots of publishers and agents in the back of it and you might find some names there. I have the 2017 one and it was helpful, though I probably should get the updated version!

I follow lots of editors and ADs on Twitter as I like to stay informed, and sometimes they will put out calls for artists on twitter. Once you find one, Twitter often recommends similar accounts to follow so you can find people that way!

I love your fairy ink splatters! I actually prefer your second composition. It has so much more life and energy, and there is more focus on the fairy exploding from the ink bottle, where as in your first composition it feels a bit less dynamic as the girl and the ink fairy are of a similar size and take up a similar amount of space and (in my opinion) is a little less interesting to look at