Lessons from picture book illustrators

Yesterday my kidlit bookclub discussed Dilys Evans’ title Show and Tell: The Fine Art of Picture Book Illustration.

I’ll admit that I wasn’t sure this would be the most relevant book for me, since I focus on writing YA and I’m definitely not an artist. But I’m so glad I read this book. I discovered new illustrators and learned fascinating things about the ones I was already familiar with. And I definitely will look at picture books with a whole new level of appreciation. But perhaps most importantly, this book reminded me of three things that are important to any artist in any medium:

1. You are what you eat: So many of the profiled illustrators grew up in homes that were filled with art, or were exposed to diverse visual sources and inspirations at an early age. Lane Smith’s mother, for example, brought home interesting objects from her antiques business, which influenced Smith’s style of collages and decayed finishes. The lesson for writers? Keep reading to your kids, of course. But surround yourself with interesting objects and writing, too. Even if it doesn’t seem directly relevant to your genre or your current work-in-progress, seek out what fascinates you. It’ll find its way into your art.

2. Every artist’s career and body of work is “seat of the pants”: Not a single one of the illustrators sat down and drew up a 30-year career plan, or even a 5-year career plan. Most did actively seek out work and I’d say every single person eventually found a mentor or partner who helped to shape their career. But they built their impressive careers one project at a time, choosing the work that spoke to them and growing with every book. Writers, we don’t have to know what’s coming 10 years from now. Write what you believe in, take advantage of the opportunities that you do discover, and then do they very best you can with it. It’s all you really can do. If you set out with one particular path in mind, odds are you will be disappointed.

3. Follow your bliss: David Shannon finds that he’s still drawing the things that fascinated him as a kid (such as, oh, the pirates that helped to make HOW I BECAME A PIRATE such a smash hit). Trina Schart Hyman was obsessed with Little Red Riding Hood when she was a very small girl and won the Caldecott Medal in 1984 for her illustration of that story. As artists we shouldn’t dismiss the things that fascinate us—we should embrace them, even if we worry that they’re silly or childish. Our interpretation of those things will deepen and mature as we grow as artists.

I will caution any writer or artist that reading this book has a dangerous side effect: you WILL want to immediately set to work on creating your own picture book. Hmmm, maybe it’s time to pull GO HOME GRANDMA out of the dustbin for some polishing (did you hear my agent just shudder?)….