How to get picture book projects

I'm getting very busy with picture book projects and others. Re getting picture book projects, it's highly recommended to display your splendid, most confident and unique art work on social media or internet. Publishers and clients are very well researching illustrators who meet their need/texts. They will contact you, if you match what they want.   

Credit on Harry Sowden

My stylefile at ASA is getting many projects this year. ASA stylefile is great (*submission information. Go, try!). Also, my facebook and instagram attract publishers and clients. They directly contact me through facebook as well as stylefile. 
Similarly, SCBWI and other peak bodies will help an illustrator's marketing. Join them and demonstrate your art work in conferences and on their sites, is a good strategy! 
  

I've posted an Australian woolshed based on Harry Sowden's black and white photo. Colours are from my imagination. Whilst working on the picture book projects and portraits, I enjoy looking up secondhand landscape books in a break. Interesting! I love to capture light in Australian bush. 

Friends, let's go and enjoy challenging in our lives. Go every direction. 

Happy Painting! 

How to get picture book projects

1) Australian Landscape 2) ASA party = Networking

Whilst working on the projects and art work, I enjoy studying landscapes. I post an Australian woolshed based on Harry Sowden's black and white photo. Colours are from my imagination. Paradoxically, following instinct is much better than being distracted by a real subject. Value is crucial in painting. 

Credit on Harry Sowden

A dry brush technique, waxing and scratching were used in this work. I will explore more about techniques and learn the timing of wet in wet.

Now, a Christmas party season is coming. It's the time for networking in publishing industry. We get together, catch up, chat over projects and exchange information. Here's one upcoming is Australian Society of Authors Christmas party, below. 

If you are interested in Australian publishing industry and if you like, you can pop up my facebook page, too. There, especially, people in publishing industry keep in touch. I'll post photos. 
https://www.facebook.com/sadami.konchi
See you there, in an ASA party! 
Friends, Happy Painting!!  

Location
ASA offices, C1.06, 22-36 Mountain St, Ultimo, NSW, 2007

Date & Time
12th December, 5.00pm - 6.30pm

Prices
Free for members to attend

End of year party, NSW

NSW members are invited to the ASA Christmas/end of year party.

Wednesday 12th December, 5.00pm - 6.30pm

Suite C1.06 22-36 Mountain St Ultimo NSW 2007 Australia

Come celebrate and meet the team! Some information on the team, and pictures so you know who we are on the night, can be found here: https://www.asauthors.org/about-us/our-staff

Register below to RSVP (you must sign in to register).

1) Australian Landscape 2) ASA party = Networking

ASA Contract Assessment Service

When you successfully get a contract, how do you handle a contract without a literary agent? A publishing contract has many technical jargon that we are unfamiliar with. Author and Illustrator advocacy body, Australian Society of Authors has a wonderful service, "Contract Assessment Service". It's available to ASA members. I'd like to express my sincere thanks to ASA for their kindness, patience and a wonderful support for me to understand the contracts. 

Btw, this painting has two people : an editor/publisher Helen Chamberlin and Matt Zurbo, an author of Moon that I illustrated. We’ve become lovely friends in a publishing team. In my eyes, they looked like a mom and a son. It was our launching day and we enjoyed dinner together last year. It’s very sweet that we can help each other and build friendship. I'm now getting to know a new publishing team at Ford Street Publishing. I hope we will create a good picture book for "My Dog Socks"!   

ASA has rich and very varied services. Many helpful workshops and events on their calendar. It’s worth following up and schedule.  https://www.asauthors.org/events/calendar
When I studied "Children's Picture Book Illustration Course" at Sydney Uni, lecturer Donna Rawlins recommended us, students to join ASA at the end of the course. 

I deeply thank for ASA and highly recommend to join ASA and use their services! ASA is a sweet mom or a wise granny and a strong dad or a reliable granpa for us.

Friends, happy painting and a happy Illustrator life!

ASA Contract Assessment Service

My File has got in 10 most clicked-on @ Australian Society of Authors

My Style File has got in top 10 most clicked-on at Australian Society of Authors, over the past 12 months. ASA interviewed me in Aug "Member News". Very happy! Thank you for a great support. The Stylefile is famous for its high quality, indeed, the best of best Australian illustrators's showcase. 
How to apply is here. 
Apply and Stylefile Information 
ASA kindly assists your application. 

This image is in my folio.  

The Stylefile is the hot meeting spot for publishers and illustrators. Publishers directly "buy" illustrators from the Stylefile. Always publishers look for good illustrators and new talents who will meet their need. Although it's very difficult to crack into market for emerging illustrators and artists, Friends, it's a good idea to try Stylefile and begin an illustrator career. Many illustrators have got projects through the Stylefile. Your own Stylefile will be a wonderful registered portfolio to prove your drawing skills to publishers and literary agents among the prominent Australian illustrators. 

This image is in the folio. 

How I use the Stylefile :   

• demonstrate my work via Stylefile and respond to publishers’ enquiries along with further samples of my work. 
•  linked my own blog "Sadami's Graffiti" with the stylefile. 

You can find the stylefile at the right side of my blog. Like my self introducing, I always enjoy a chat with publishers, showing my blog and the stylefile. To have a good and appropriate internet site is handy and important to respond or approach publishers. ASA also has "rates and conditions," the recommended minimum wages for ASA stylefile portfolio holders. It's very helpful to discuss about payment and contracts. Here's ASA helpful services.  Being a member is great help for an illustrator. Information of "Join In."

My new team, Ford St Publishing is very happy with my publicity. My mentor, Ann James and a publisher, Helen Chemberlin, and ASA, too, celebrate my achievement.  
I hope all of us will fly like a big pelican following a dream across a bright sky.  
I'm thinking of adding new images to my stylefile such as a clock maker, below. See how it goes. 
Friends, Happy Painting!  

My File has got in 10 most clicked-on @ Australian Society of Authors

1)Style File calls for next round 2)Animal drawings

A little "Christmas present" for you. Australian Society of Authors calls for Style File next round of assessments. Friends, the Style File gives emerging illustartors a great chance. It has a great reputation in publishing industry, particularly, among picture book publishers. Because of the high quality of registered illustrators at Style File, publishers directly “buy” illustrators from the file. Here’s the application site.

http://thestylefile.com/apply

Friday 22 April 2016 is the closing date of the submission.

Also, a currently featured illustrator can update images. All new images are subject to approval of the Style File assessment panel. I’m thinking of changing images or not, now. I still have a time to submit images. 

This is my stylefile site. You can include other information as well as images. I've added a CV. Have a look around in the Style File and you can get a feeling.

Btw, I've loved to draw animals since childhood. 
I see those blue wrens at Narrabeen beach. Yes, we're in the middle of summer in Australia. Another is my dear friend's dogs. Their eyes always capture my heart.

I'm working on two picture book projects, whilst looking after the fractures. I'm getting better. Now, Publisher/Editor Helen Chamberlin and Mentor Ann James are on a holiday leave. Yey!!  

Friends, Happy Painting and have a nice vacation! 

1)Style File calls for next round 2)Animal drawings

New Stylefile, big, long, wide, beautiful!

My ASA stylefile has been renewed. I added new four images! A new portfolio has become modern and looks very nice. A successful applicant may upload maximum 8 images after the panel's acknowledgement. The new Style File website features the work of 52 Australian illustrators, 23 of which have never before been seen on Style File.
Here's my 8 images. Which image do you like? In Stylefile, you can search by names, genres/styles/subjects, intended audience, media/technique to meet your project needs. 

Other wonderful features :

• An image rotation of each illustrator and illustrator's gallery on the homepage. 
• A featured illlustator speciality, browse by genres and styles. 
• A featured illustrator rotation on the homepage.  
• A "my favorites" function helps publishers and users keep track of portfolios. 

A new outstanding feature of Stylefile ; an illustrator can show publication's information together : a front cover, publisher, author, Intended audience, techniques, subjects. I posted the detailed information about "Moon." 

pp18,19,  "Moon" written by Matt Zurbo (Windy Hollow Books)

Intended audience: Adults,Family, Lower primary, Middle primary
Media/Technique: Charcoal, Pen and ink, Pencil, Watercolour
Styles: Impressionistic,Loose/sketchy, Painterly
Subjects: Animals, Country,Educational, Environments,Nature/Botanical, Weather
Yes, my information above is categorised and you can search for the best illustrator who will match your project! 

"Moon" Front Cover 

Now, my other images are below. Although some images are already familiar to you, I hope you will enjoy them all. 

I played with colours, focusing on a child's face expression in this illustration.

Daily sketches gave my imagination "reality" or supportive and concrete evidence. It's fun to produce an image standing between imagination and reality.

I've demonstrated portrait ability, too. This was a commissioned work.  

The Stylefile is famous for its high quality, indeed, the best of best Australian illustrators showcase. The Stylefile is the hot meeting spot for publishers and illustrators. Publishers "buy" illustrators from the Stylefile. Many illustrators have got projects through the Stylefile. 

Friends, it's a good idea to try Stylefile and begin an illustrator career. Here's the information of Application. ASA kindly assists you how to do it. It is very difficult to crack into market for emerging illustrators and artists. Yet, always publishers look for good illustrators who will meet their need. I hope all of us will fly into a bright future like a big pelican following a dream.  

Friends, Happy Painting and Illustrating!

New Stylefile, big, long, wide, beautiful!

Sadami Update & ASA Stylefile

Hi, Friends, how is your life? I'm working on the book cover project for Oxford University Press. OUP is the largest university press in the world, and the second-oldest, after that of Cambridge University Press. I've been really enjoying this project. Nearly there. Later, I'd chat over the author and the book to be published next year! I'm renewing my images for ASA stylefile. A bit busy. 

In this post, I upload the work based on photos taken at my friend's all hand-made house in bush. Contrast and value are enhanced in the work. Colours and light fascinate me in any subjects. I really liked this attic bedroom there and took many photos of it. Btw, it seems, Friends, you like this one more than the other in feedback.  

Although I wanted to depict light coming into a shed, in my eyes, an outcome is a bit questionable... (* there aren't the clear visible lines of light in a real photo -- all from my imagination.) Anyway, I'll keep on experiments.

Now, you may ask, what is "ASA Stylefile"? It is the showcase of Australia’s most talented book illustrators. Australian Society of Authors calls for new applicants. Here's the application. http://beta.thestylefile.com/apply Go for it and take a chance! 

If any illustrators are searching for a reliable and trustworthy illustrators "show and tell" place, it's ASA Stylefile! The Stylefile is famous for its high quality, indeed, the best of best Australian illustrators showcase. The Stylefile is the hot meeting spot for publishers and illustrators. It is well-known that publishers "buy" illustrators from the Stylefile. Many illustrators have got projects through the Stylefile.   

Right now, ASA is reconstructing the old style file to the modern one. I'm reorganising my old images and adding four more images. A panel will examine the quality of new images and give me an answer. 

Another wonderful fact is that the Stylefile gives "credit" on emerging artists and promotes successful applicants. Because the Stylefile does not discriminate artists who have not published picture books, it's a great advantage for any artists. Why not add credit on your portfolio and a CV? In my experience, agencies asked me, "Do you have Stylefile?" It meant, "Are you a qualified professional?" or "Do you have an equal and enough drawing ability to a professional?" Got it? People in publishing industry highly recognise the Stylefile. Yes, the Stylefile is the big warranty of illustrators on market. 

I still remember the moment when I got through the selection in 2011. Kind ASA staff celebrated, "Have champagne!" over the phone. Yes, I did! Oh, sweet, how happy I was! 

Also, I'm enjoying portraits by watercolour between the projects. Ah, I most love figures and portraits, although I enjoyed these light and a room for a break. What do you think about these tries? I'd greately appreciate your feedback. 

Now, I'm preparing for a good start for 2015. The two publications, the academic book and the picture book are a great joy. OUP is fantastic and exciting!
You, too, enjoy drawings and get opportunities. Thank you for warm supports for the news of the shortlisted "Poetic Justice". 
Friends,  Happy Painting! 

Sadami Update & ASA Stylefile

ASA "Stylefile," Meeting Spot for Illustrators & Publishers

Very good news, I was selected for Stylefile(Sadami Konchi) run by Australian Society of Authors.  Soooo happyʚ(ˆ◡ˆ)ɞ!! The final step is to put my own information on the site. The Stylefile is the great online showcase of Australian picture book illustrators selected by ASA. Publishers acknowledge the Stylefile as the reliable meeting spot to find useful artists. In short, often publishers pick up illustrators from the Stylefile. Can you hear illusrtators' shouting, "Buy me! Buy me!"? Browse it, you'll find so many famous illustrators there. Wow...now, I'm one of them!!

ASA regularly accepts candidates for Stylefile. Wimp Sadami hasn't tried it, as I've heard it's quite a narrow gate. But with other people's cheers and help, I submitted the illustrations this February (=submission date, condition etc)and got through it at once. Wow~~~! Kind ASA staff celebrated, "Have champagne!" Yes!!
Well, you may wonder what ASA is.
ASA is the guardian angel for Australian writers and children picture book illustrators, literally, for both professionals and wannabes.
For example, ASA sets "rate & conditions" for members (=illustrators' minimum wages!). Illustrators use that rate to negotiate clients and publishers. As well as labour conditions, ASA handles members' legal issues such as copyrights, payments, contracts etc, etc. So, an ASA lawyer advocates members and ASA does lobbying on behalf of us.

Not only advocacy and handling legal issues, ASA has a mentorship program for talented writers and illustrators with projects seeking publishing opportunities. Mentors are famous writers and established illustrators. They back up emerging talents to get projects published. Yes, you can make your dream come true. Sounds nice? More info, check here, FQ&A. Go for it a next year.Regarding copyrights, ASA is a mother body for CAL, Copyrights Agency Ltd . I have a CAL membership, too. Do you know who collects copyrights money from uni reading packages and hands it over to copyrights holders? It is CAL that also checks payments and examines illegal cases. So, publishers and authors join CAL to protect copyrights. It is critically important for a copyright holder to register work at CAL after publishing work.

CAL and ASA often run workshops on hot topics in publishing industry such as e-books & copyrights, Internet impact on publishing etc, etc. Seminars update our knowledge. Otherwise, legal changings and rapid digitization would leave us behind.At the same time, ASA workshops are good networking places for publishers and us. The best networking place is... ASA Christmas party!! We really look forward to it and get together. Illustrators and writers at a poverty line hug each other there, saying,
"Are you still on the earth?"
"Oh, yes!" Hugs. Hahaha, gulp?!Join ASA, if you are interested in becoming a professional or already being a professional writer and an illustrator in Australia.
Thank you, Friends, for your great support!!
Have a wonderful week and happy painting!

ASA "Stylefile," Meeting Spot for Illustrators & Publishers