Since I was announced as the quarterly winner in 2022 for the illustrators of the future awards on behalf of Galaxy Press, I’ve been officially granted opportunities beyond my wildest dreams. I’ve been shaking hands with art directors, professional illustrators, and editors of book publications that have generously extended their advice about what it takes to survive in the industry!
Just over two weeks ago I’ve met some of the industrys most impressive illustrators, I even had the privilege to meet one of my childhood heros Larry Elmore! If you don’t know who he is or what he paints, I highly suggest you check out his work! Larry Elmore worked at TSR back when dungeons & dragons was first arriving into its popularity. His dragons, characters and environments are incredible! Not only did I get to finally meet this amazing man, but we shared heart warming conversations about painting, color, career paths and pretty much anything we wanted to share. This was one of the highlights of the week!
Another moment that has made my heart increase in size with gratitude was the great “Art Reveal” it was the day the illustrators has been waiting for! Up until now, the authors who wrote their award winning short stories had never seen the artwork that was created specifically for their written works.
My author couldn’t be present physically to see the art, but her writing teacher was present with a live zoom call so my amazing author Marianne Xenos could view the artwork when the final reveal commenced. Not only was she so excited but was moved that her writing could help conjure an idea within me to share with her on behalf of both of our creative abilities.
The incredible amount of advice and guidance was overwhelming in the best possible way and I sincerely hope I can use the workshop as a jumping off point to learn where can I fly too from here?
You can now see my original illustration inside the pages of the Writers and Illustrators of the Future volume 39 now available for purchase on Amazon!
Comentários