chronicle Issue Two
What I learned from the yeti with no pants and other portfolio mishaps
This is the yeti illustration that I had in my portfolio in 2018 for my critique with Pat Cummings. (I collaged the pants on for this article.) It’s not a great illustration, but at the time I was very new to art making and was still figuring out everything. Because I included it in my portfolio review, Pat used it as a teaching tool and I learned a lot from my short 15 minutes with her. She was the third critique I’d ever had. I would go on to have many more.
This issue of the Chronicle will focus on what I consider another important tool to use when figuring out your voice and art style and that tool is having your work critiqued.
I’ve found the many portfolio critiques that I’ve had over the past 5 years to be enormously helpful. And I’ve learned a few things about how to get ready for a critique of your work, many because of the mistakes I’ve made. This is an article that I wrote for the winter 2023 issue of Highlighter for my Mid-Atlantic SCBWI chapter. I hope you find it helpful as you prepare for any upcoming critiques.
I had my first portfolio critique in the fall of 2017 at my very first SCBWI conference, and to say that I was not prepared is an understatement. I’d just learned about SCBWI a month before, and had only been drawing for about a year before that. I was truly and utterly green—a tiny illustrator seedling.
That first 15 minute critique was with an art director from Penguin Random House. This was the very first time anyone, apart from my family, had ever seen my art work. I was beyond nervous, and I wasn’t yet sure that I even belonged in the kid lit world. But, I reasoned, there was only one way to find out.
The first SCBWI conference I attended was in 2017 where I had my very first critique and also won the illustrated folder competition. At that conference I knew that I’d found my people. After that conference I began focusing on children’s book illustration.
James Ransome and myself at the 2020 SCBWI Winter Conference portfolio showcase. It was my privilege to have my second ever critique in 2018 with Mr. Ranscome. I met him again at the 2020 conference and he remembered me!
Talk Less, Listen More
The week before my first critique I bought a modest portfolio. I didn’t have much kid-lit friendly art in those days, so I selected pieces that included some degree of visual story-telling. I was proud of my work because I knew how far I’d come in my few short months of art-making—which was basically from nothing. Naively, I had no idea how very far I still needed to go.
I spent time preparing for the critique by rehearsing what I’d say about myself. I felt it was important the art director know about my modest art-making history for context. But, what I didn’t consider is how very short 15 minutes is, and to use up a big chunk of that time by talking about myself meant that I didn’t get a full critique. It was an opportunity lost in some ways, but I did learn how to approach my next critique—talk less and listen more.
Portfolio Layout and Pacing
My next critique took place a few months later in the spring of 2018 at another SCBWI conference. This critique was with James Ransome. Yes, that’s right, the multiple award winning illustrator James Ransome. I was ready to listen. My portfolio was still woefully lacking, and I was again nervous, but because I was listening, I did walk away with valuable feedback.
One of the biggest take-aways from this critique was about how to set up a portfolio to best show off the work. James pointed out these considerations: keep all art facing the same way (I had some pieces turned on their side so he had to keep turning the portfolio around); coordinate the art on the spreads so the pages relate to, or play off of one another; and mix up larger pieces and smaller pieces to create a more visually appealing pacing of the work.
Consider Content and Context
The third critique that I’ll share before I dive into a handy check list, was with the incomparable picture book maker Pat Cummings. By this time I was about two years into my art-making journey. I was still learning about materials, working on drawing skills and style development. I was also trying to educate myself about the kid-lit market, and was aware of its complexities and feeling overwhelmed by them. My knowledge of kid-lit makers was still pretty minute, so I had no real idea who Pat was. Only later did I realize I’d had spent time with one of the greats. If only I had understood her place in the industry, I might have generated some questions specific to her background.
Pat was blunt with her critique of my work, and I’ve since learned that this is her style. She brilliantly gets straight to the heart of things, which is perfect especially when you only have 15 minutes. I’ll never forget one of her comments—her tone stern, like a parent scolding a misbehaving child, “Why didn’t you put pants on the yeti? You can’t have half-dressed anthropomorphized characters!”
Yes, I had drawn a yeti wearing only a shirt and no pants. Now, you can disagree that yeti’s need pants when wearing a shirt because, you know, Donald Duck and Winnie the Pooh dress that way (but I wager that in today’s market, poor Donald and Winnie’s attire choice probably wouldn’t make the cut). Whether you agree or not, what I got from this comment is to always carefully consider your art before putting together your portfolio. Even the tiny details.
In hindsight, another lesson is not to take a critique personally. I didn’t take Pat’s comments personally, but I can see how someone might. Keep in mind that the people critiquing your work are genuinely doing it because they want to help you. Every portfolio reviewer will have a different style and the reviews are often tightly timed, so blunt, while it can seem harsh, it is often a wonderful time-saver.
THE CRITIQUE PREP CHECKLIST
Since those first memorable portfolio critiques, I’ve had many more. Most of them of the 15 minute SCBWI “speed” critique variety. I’ve also paid big money for longer portfolio critiques outside of SCBWI with art directors and agents, and I’ve had critiques as part of workshops and peer groups. All of them have offered me something valuable when I’ve come prepared and ready to listen. I credit the critiques I’ve had as one of the important tools I’ve used to build my style, find my voice and to a generate a kid-lit ready portfolio.
Today, even though I have an agent and am working on books, I still need and value feedback, and so I’ve signed up for a critique at the upcoming 2023 winter SCBWI conference, and I’ll be ready to listen. Now, here’s that list.
1. Select your best work.
Since this article is not about the contents of your portfolio, please take a look at what other people have to say. Here is a link to the SCBWI website that also includes links to portfolio showcase winners’ tips. https://www.scbwi.org/portfolio-tips-from-scbwi-mentorship-winners/
If you are new and don’t necessarily have a lot of kid-lit appropriate work, put in your best work and explain (briefly) that you are new to the field. Your reviewer will totally understand.
Need help deciding? Ask a trusted friend, a peer in the kid-lit world or your critique group. It can be difficult to evaluate your own pieces, and just because you worked really hard on something does not necessarily mean it has earned a place in your portfolio. Don’t make judgements based on blood, sweat and tears. Base it on kid-lit appropriateness and other attributes as seen in the above link I’ve provided.
2. Organize your work. Once you’ve selected your work play around with the arrangement. Start with and end with your strongest pieces. Then, figure out what goes in between. Play the pieces off one another and use a bit of your “story telling” inclinations when ordering the pieces. Mix larger full page pieces up with smaller vignettes. And remember, have all pieces facing the same way so that the reviewer does not have to flip your portfolio around to view them.
3. Do your homework. If you have a choice in who critiques your work (often at conferences you do), select someone who fits where you are and what kind of work you want to do. Are you looking for an agent? Choose an agent. If you are into YA cover art, then choose a YA cover art director. If you are a new artist, then perhaps an illustrator could offer the best advice. After you make your selection, read up on them. That way, you can better target your questions to their knowledge base and expertise.
4. Talk less, listen more. Yes, do have a little intro about your background for context ready to go. This can be brief—you don’t need to take up a big chunk of your critique time this way. If you are new, say so. If you’ve never had art lessons, that’s important to know. If you’ve been doing this a long time but don’t feel like you are getting anywhere, share that too.
5. Have some questions ready. Be aware that the reviewer might start by asking you what you want to get out of the critique. This is your time and as much as possible you can direct the critique to make it work best for you. Think about what you want from the critique. Is it something specific like “what do you think about my character style?” Or is it something general “overall, what do you think I need to work on?” For the standard 15 minute conference critique I’d prepare 3 or so questions. Ask the most important one first.
6. Go with the flow. Critiques can sometimes take on a life of their own. You are excited and maybe the reviewer is too and this can lead you down many tangents. Just go with it. I guarantee you’ll still walk away with some valuable tips.
7. Don’t take it personally. Say this to yourself. Now. Out loud. We all work hard and often the pieces are very personal to us. So, hearing something that we perceive as negative can feel a little hurtful. But, to be in this business you must be ready to take criticism. Making picture books is a collaborative process and even when you land that first book, you will be getting “feedback” on everything you do during that whole process. Critiques don’t end when you start making books.
8. Take notes. You might not be able to do this during the critique, but have some paper ready to jot things down if you can without taking time away from the critique. After you exit the critique, as soon as you can, write/type up your notes. I keep a running list on my computer and can go back and review it later.
9. Show respect. Manners matter. Always. First impressions are a real thing. Say “thank you” and you’ll feel good and they will too.
10. Now what? You should walk away with something, even if it’s just one thing. Think about the feedback and examine it later. Talk it over with a critique buddy. Sometimes you might disagree because there is a ton of subjectiveness about illustration. But, after you’ve had a few critiques and you keep hearing the same comments, then it’s a thing and you need to address it.
Turning the Page
In parting I’ll leave you with another valuable nugget given to me by Pat Cummings during my critique by her. She delivered this to me in a shocked tone as if I’d left a door wide open on a blustery winter day. “Why are your characters often facing to the left? It doesn’t make sense to me. You want the story to progress to the right with the page turns, so your characters and action should mostly be facing right.” Indeed. Thank you Pat, for another lesson I’ll never forget.
Curiosity is the number one tool in my art-making toolbox. I’m curious about the world around me, the people, the creatures, the sights and sounds and smells. All of it. I’m always absorbing, looking and listening. It’s a process I use to gather ideas and find inspiration. Recently I began collecting one found item, sometime during the week on one of my daily walks. Once a week I use that found object to inspire a painting and a word for that day. So far since the beginning of 2023 I’ve made one painting a week. A warm-up before I start my work for the day. I made this painting after I plucked a branch from a Star Magnolia tree. I brought it home and placed it in water on my studio table. It had little buds on it, a very early sign of the spring to come.
As you go about your life this next month be looking and listening. Stand still and absorb the moment you are in and all that is around you. It’s hard to stop and take that moment. Believe me I know how hard that is to do. Life doesn’t stop and wait for you after all. But don’t fret, you can always rejoin it and I can assure you that you will not have missed much. Instead, you will have that moment to inspire you throughout your day.
LETS CONNECT!
Next month this curious girl will travel to New York for the 2023 SCBWI Winter Conference, my portfolio in hand. I will be in the portfolio showcase and I have scheduled a portfolio review with an art director as well. Hoping to gain some insights. You can be certain that I’ll be looking over my checklist to be well prepared.
If you are there, please seek me out! I’d love to meet you. I’ll be the one standing still and absorbing everything around me, trying not to feel overwhelmed. You can also DM me on Instagram @ceecliff_art.