Children’s Art for the American Market, A Portfolio Talk

Mela Bolinao of HK Portfolio was invited by SCBWI Philippines to review illustrator portfolios as well as to give a talk on the children’s illustration market in the US.

Based on the talk and the Q&A that followed, here’s what you need to do in order for your children’s illustration portfolio to break into the US market:

Americanize your portfolio. which not only means illustrating caucasians, but also african americans, hispanics, etc. (Safe bet is to just illustrate caucasians) They have to be wearing clothing Americans would wear. Yes, sneakers instead of tsinelas
Focus only on ONE style. Now if you do that here in the Filipino market, you probably won’t be getting a lot of jobs, but over at the American market that’s the name of the game… and the game of the name. That’s how illustrators in that market get work and achieve high recognition – through one very marketable style.
Focus on what you enjoy illustrating. Show a portfolio with works that don’t just show something spectacular, but works that you also enjoyed doing. Whether it’d be children, animals, monsters, landscapes, or transportation, you better enjoy it — because the publishers over there are very picky. If they have a story about pirates in mind, and they see pirates in your portfolio — you may be drawing pirates for a month! If you don’t have pirates, don’t expect them to get back to you.
Show emotion and interaction. Show characters and environment relating to each other in a full range of emotions. That’ll give you a leg up in even the fiercest competition.
Study the market and the competition You may practice illustrating for 0-3 year olds, 4-7 year olds, 8-13 years olds, and then 14 and up. Also check out the artists who are stacked against you (very American to do so) and see if you can do better or show something they don’t.

As for my thoughts on the matter of talent representation. There are bad agents, good agents, and there are talent managers who are clueless. There are deals are that good for the artist, there are those that aren’t so hot. I don’t have anyone representing me but myself – but I know artists who are being represented. To those who are thinking of getting an agent:

• If you feel you are working for your agent rather than the other way around… you’re not a talent, you’re an employee.
• If your agent drops you from his/her roster for not accepting a project, find another one who won’t or just bag the work yourself.
• Most agents know their target market very well, good agents constantly educate on how this affects you as an artist, and how you can take advantage of that market further.
• Good agents are tactful, bad agents make you feel stupidfor the sake of sharpening your sword.
• Good agents book you with regular quality work that doesn’t stop unless you want it to. With bad agents, you have to take a sideline doing something else.
• Deals that chain you to agents exclusively for years and years aren’t hot. Watch out for a contract that ties you to the agent for anything between 3-5 years, without the possiblity of parole or pardon. If that agent gives you poor performance for all those years… you’d have wished you didn’t sign up.
• Deals that have the agent taking 40% or more of your illustrators net profit aren’t hot. Worse if the projects you are getting from him/her are few and far between. EVEN more worse if the agent has hundreds of artists at his/her command.