It’s a dream to live in a town that supports artists. Greenville’s Town Magazine is running a feature this month on four local illustrators. The article, “Illustration Nation”, profiles the lives of four illustrators living in Greenville, SC. Artists Cory Godbey, Justin Gerard, Bonnie Adamson, and myself-Alice Ratterree-had the opportunity to share our journey into the business and what drives our passion.

Click here to read the full article on page 74.

cover illustration
Town Magazine, May 2013

Town Magazine features Greenville illustrators Alice Ratterree

A blank sheet of paper can be intimidating for both writers and illustrators. Nothing else can inspire creativity and instill fear both at the same time. Even when I can “see” the finished image in my head, it doesn’t just flow out onto the paper. A writer re-writes rather than writes, and an illustrator needs visual reference, something to work from, rather than pulling a perfect image from the brain. This is a one-step process for still life or portrait work, but what about when you need a witch flying on a broom, or a beanstalk climbing into the sky? Don’t see that around every day, do you? Or do you….? The elements in every fantastical illustration are all present in every day life. We just need to find them and harness them into one frame. Here’s where Photoshop has become my number one tool of late to perform what I’ve heard referred to as “Frankenstein Reference Imagery”. By using the program to create a collage, you then have something tangible to work from.

Here are some examples:

Step 1) Collage using Photoshop. I took a photo of my son in the pose I wanted. As you can see, the photo I took of him didn’t represent the angle and stance I wanted for the hind leg, so I inserted an alternate leg pose that embodied the energy I was trying to achieve. I then found some trees in our back yard that provided the roots and perspective. Then incorporated third party images for the clouds, birds, and the cottage.

“Frankenstein Reference Imagery”
using collage to create visual reference

Step 2) The finished illustration. Using the collage as a starting point, I’m inspired and feel free to make changes and embellishments and make it my own.

Jack and the Beanstalk
illustration by Alice Ratterree

And another example:

Step 1) The collage in Photoshop this time also incorporating my own sketch work:

“Frankenstein Reference Imagery”
using collage to create visual reference

Step 2) The pencil work in progress

The Book Balloon (work in progress)
illustration by Alice Ratterree

Illustrator of the day: Rebecca Dautremer

How To Use Collage For Visual Reference Alice Ratterree

image by Alice Ratterree

Illustrator promo of the day: Lisbeth Zwerger. Let’s get real, she needs no promo from me…just want everyone to know about her. Hands down, one of my favorites.

Here’s some images of hers on tumblr: http://www.tumblr.com/tagged/lisbeth%20zwerger

Daily sketch work Alice Ratterree

A tribe, according to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, can be defined as “a group of persons having a common character, occupation, or interest.” As illustrators, we are a lonely bunch of people. We wrestle in isolation with our visions, attempting (most of the time in vain) to harness them into reality. We have very personal (sometimes dysfunctional) relationships with our materials, work space and that beast called time. These often dominate our attention more than our family and friends. And while our non-artist family and friends support and care for us, do they really understand our madness?

SCBWI is just that- a tribe. But it is a large tribe, so it is also beneficial to find a tribe within the tribe. Find a group of people to connect with on a regular basis to help propel you towards being the best artist you have the potential to be. And sometimes your tribe will find you, like mine did for me. While attending a regional conference in 2011, I met David Diaz, award-winning illustrator and SCBWI mentor. He invited me and Bonnie Adamson to what is known as “Lost Weekend,” a weekend that he hosts in his home for the SCBWI LA Mentorship Program recipients.

The Mentee Tribe
(Photo by Maple Lam)

From there, the origins of the “Mentee Tribe” was born. This is what the tribe means to me: I’ve been illustrating children’s books professionally now for almost 4 years, and in that time I went from knowing close to nothing about the business of children’s book publishing to walking the streets of Manhattan with some of SCBWI’s finest award-winning illustrators to visit two first-rate publishing houses. And that was what Diaz’s “Mentee Monday” was all about – getting a glimpse behind Oz’s curtain.

The day began with brunch at Balthazar.

Balthazar hosts a scrumptious brunch

check out the hazelnut waffles fellow illo pal Jessica Lanan had!
(Photo by Lessica Lanan)

Before starting the rest of our day, our fearless leader, David Diaz had a little art project for us.

It wouldn’t be New York without a little
live street art, would it?
Mentee Tribe Leader David Diaz works his magic

The final product

Mentee Tribe Was Here.

Then it was off to Books of Wonder where there were indeed books full of wonder, like Rackham’s Cinderella, which of course I snagged for more silhouette inspiration….

Books of Wonder, the city’s leading
specialist in children’s literature
(another note: Books of Wonder is one of
the last remaining independent bookstores)

The mentee gang outside
Books of Wonder
(Photo by David Diaz)

Cinderella, Arthur Rackham

We then sported the subway to head over to Abrams, our first publisher stop, but not before sampling the chili-laced hot chocolate, thick as maple syrup, at City Bakery, where you can also find homemade marshmallows.

City Bakery, home of the richest
hot chocolate you will ever taste
and homemade marshmallows!

At Abrams we were warmly greeted by Editorial Director Tamar Brazis, who introduced us to Creative Director Chad Beckerman and Associate Art Director Maria Middleton. They all spoke about how they find illustrators and what makes them want to work with an illustrator. The team seemed to indicate that all they need to see can be found on a simple postcard. The key however is to have a postcard that moves them to put it up on the bulletin board. Chad’s biggest requirement is an illustration that evokes strong emotion in the viewer. In the end, we all had the privilege of handing our own postcards to each of them in person, with the hopes that they find their way to the bulletin board!

Tamar Brazis and Chad Beckerman of Abrams
discuss what it takes to get noticed by art directors.
(Photo by Jessica Lanan)

The Tribe enjoys a tour at Abrams
(Photo by David Diaz)

Next stop, Penguin Young Readers!

The Penguin Portal

The Mentees offer portfolios at Penguin

Upon arrival at Penguin, we drop off our portfolios for Art Directors viewing. We are then escorted by Cecilia Yung, VP and Art Director, to a conference room where we meet representatives from Grosset & Dunlap/Price Stern Sloan, Dial Book for Young Readers, and Philomel Books, which are all additional imprints of Penguin. We quickly get the picture that Penguin is a factory! Each representative describes the types of books they produce and provides examples of artwork appropriate for each imprint. Before we take a tour, we are offered each a current catalogue of new releases by Penguin and its various imprints!

Penguin looks like most large offices, lots of cardboard and lots of cubicles. The only difference here is you find Caldecott award winning art displayed on the walls, and then you remember that you’re not in Kansas anymore! My absolute favorite part of this tour was visiting the color correction room, a small room filled edge to edge with a large slanted table. Above the table sits a panel of specially balanced light (perfect mix of warm and cool tones) carefully installed at the precise angle on the table below. The color correcting stage of book publishing can be a tedious and lengthy back and forth process between illustrator, art director and printer. It was thrilling to discover this is where Cecilia Yung’s passion lies. She informed us that even long after the illustrator is satisfied with color, she will still arrive early in the morning to discuss color with a printer in China. So you can take comfort knowing that your artwork lies in the committed and capable hands like the pros at Penguin!

Before picking up our portfolios, we stop for what is called a “sunset alert.” Well, with windows like these, you can see why…

The “Sunset Alert”, from Penguin Group

Other highlights from the weekend include:

1. Getting to catch up after SEVEN years with my old Beantown pal, Heidi Hendricks (Who is now an SCBWI member! A great addition to the organization, I must say)

with writer Heidi Hendricks

2. Writer/illustrator/fellow Mentee tribe member Debbie Ohi dons her new potato wardrobe designed by Simon & Schuster, in honor of her release I’m Bored

Debbie Ohi as “the potato”

3. Fellow Mentee Tribe member Andrea Offermann wins the portfolio showcase!

Andrea Offermann and her winning portfolio

4. Meeting and talking silhouette art with artist Tomie dePaola!

with Tomie dePaola

In the end, I learned that there’s a place for everyone in this industry. That there’s always more than one way to illustrate a book. That there are no wrong questions. That sometimes illustrating is more about ideas than just good technique. That a tribe is important. That we all wrestle with the same barriers. That we’re all in this together!

Visit the Mentee Tribe member pages and read other recaps about Mentee Monday on these websites:

Bonnie Adamson

Lisa Anchin

Jen Betton

Juliana Brion

Arree Chung

Christina Forshay

Kimberly Gee

Jessica Lanan

Maple Lam

Juana Martinez-Neal

Andrea Offermann

Debbie Ohi

Erin O’Shea

Karyn Raz

Heidi Scheffield

Eliza Wheeler

Brian Won

Andrea Zuill

Mentee Monday: a post-SCBWI conference adventure Alice Ratterree

My fascination with Alice continues, this time in her encounter with the caterpillar. He asks her the famous question, “Who are you?” I believe this question is the very heart of Lewis Carroll‘s brilliance. It is his confrontation with Alice’s escapism, as if holding up a mirror to his own character. (Is it a coincidence that the second volume is entitled “Through the Looking Glass and What Alice Found There”?) An interrogative dialogue ensues, leaving Alice flustered, unable to explain herself. Fed up, she tries to leave, embracing escapism again. The caterpillar bids her to return, this time with a command, “Keep you temper.” We don’t blame her for loosing her temper, we identify with Alice. It isn’t easy and is often unpleasant to examine what lies in the mirror.

“Keep Your Temper” – Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Lewis Carroll

When we were children, people asked us, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” When we meet someone for the first time, inevitably the question arises, “What do you do?” When we look to higher education, we must ponder what interests us, what talent we harbor, what we want to study. The pattern here? “What,” “What,” and still more “What”… “What?” is a fine and necessary question to consider and define, but it’s the “Who are you?” questions that need our real time and efforts as illustrators. I myself will always be going back to this question, digging for the answers, which needs a life’s work of tending to grow and refine. And in the meantime, I also try to keep my temper.

My universe aligned again this week when I attended the annual F.I.R.E. Session hosted by Brains on Fire. The opening talk was given by Jackie Huba, author of the upcoming book, Monster Loyalty: How Lady Gaga Turns Followers into Fanatics. Bet you didn’t think you’d find anything out there that went from Alice in Wonderland to Lady Gaga, but bear with me. I must admit, I’m not a follower of Lady Gaga, and no fanatic, so I can’t officially call myself a “Little Monster” but I do find brilliance in her ability to connect with her fan base, which is what I learned from Jackie this week. And it is in this quest to connect with her fan base, which is value-driven, that Lady Gaga has defined a core group of identity questions, thus enabling her success as an artist. Jackie revealed to us a concept created by Simon Sinek called the Golden Circle that succinctly sums it up:

So here are the three questions, that if well-defined, embody a successful product: What do you do? How do you do it? Why do you do it? Seems simple enough, right? Start trying to really answer these questions about yourself. The “what” is the easy part. It’s your product, plain and simple. So what is Lay Gaga’s “what”? Her “what” is basic: she writes and performs catchy pop songs. But is that really the sum of it all that “Little Monsters” would say when asked “Who is Lady Gaga?” There are plenty of singer/songwriters out there writing and performing catchy pop songs. So what makes her different? The answer lies deeper. Next question: How does Lady Gaga do it? This is what puts her at the top of talking trends today in social media circles. She lives her life as performance art. Think Andy Warhol. Do only the images of his artwork come to mind? No, it is his entire identity. His life style. Go further and you get to the “Why?” Lady Gaga has a platform based on a clear set of values. She is passionate about transforming culture to embrace differences and celebrate individuality, and has created the Born This Way Foundation to promote this value system.

So let’s apply this to illustration work:
WHAT do you do? Illustrate (and for some of us, write also) books for children and youth. This question does not require much introspection and is not highly individualized.
HOW do you do it? This can be defined as your style, ie: the treatment of characters and composition, and the choices that are made in the process. Do you employ realism or are your illustrations whimsical, comic or graphic? Maybe somewhere in between? Are the materials you use an integral part of this unique style? How does this flow into your life style and image? Does social media play a role?
WHY do you do it? This is where it gets purely individual. It is the core, a set of clear values that you harbor and is linked to a larger message you want to impress upon our viewer. Think back to what drove you to pick up that pencil, pen, brush, in the first place. So reflect carefully on the reason you wish to connect with children today and what you want them to see in your work. Because in the end, that is what it is all about. Connecting with our audience – children.

Clear definitive separation of “What” “How” and “Why” is the key. And “Why” is the engine that must fuel and drive the “How” and the “What.” So why do so many of us only stop and focus on “What?” It seems to be a little backwards, right? We start with “What”, then move to “How” then try to fit “Why” in there somewhere. Maybe if we start with “Why” and work outward, then we will finally be able to face that caterpillar when he asks “Who are you?”

The most important question illustrators need to answer Alice Ratterree

An exciting week – The 2013 Tomie dePaola award presented by SCBWI was announced and my entry was given an honorable mention by Tomie himself!

Alice Ratterree’s cut out silhouette stood out. I liked that she secretly added a pair of scissors on one side and a profile of Mark Twain on the other…(more) • Tomie dePaola

I couldn’t be more thrilled to be given this special nod of encouragement. There were so many outstanding entries, which you can view at the Unofficial Gallery of the Tomie dePaola Award. A very special thank you to Diandra Mae for developing this blog, where we have the chance to view all the artists’ creations.

Congratulations to Sandra Ure Griffin for her first prize entry! And congratulations to the following artists who were also given special recognition for their illustrations:

Brent Beck

Anni Matsick

Bradley D. Cooper

Stephen Ingram

Sarah Dvojack

Andrea K. Lawson

2013 SCBWI Tomie dePaola Award announced Alice Ratterree

My entry for the 2013 SCBWI Tomie dePaola Award.

Papercutting is an art form that has been practiced for centuries in many different cultures throughout the world. Being a bit biased, I am particularly drawn to the Southern American heritage of artform of silhouette. A few months ago we discovered this Carew Rice paper cut:

Charleston Gate • Carew Rice • 1933

Rice, a South Carolina native who has been hailed as “America’s Greatest Silhouettist” by the poet Carl Sandberg, was extremely prolific with the medium and brought sophistication and prominence to the technique. The practice derived its name from Eteinne de Silhouette, the French finance minister under Louis XV who imposed high taxes. Since paper-cuts were a more economical way of obtaining a portrait at the time, the business thrived and became a symbol of the economic times, thus forever linking the same “silhouette” with the practice. Silhouettes arrived in America and quickly became the rage in the 18th and 19th century until photography took the forefront. It is now revered for its aesthetic charm and elegant simplicity.

SCBWI‘s annual Tomie dePaola Award is given annually to an SCBWI member illustrator that demonstrates potential and is chosen by Tomie dePaola. The award grants tuition, transportation and accommodations to the New York Winter Conference held in Manhattan, and the winning piece is featured at the annual winter conference in New York.

The guidelines for this year’s award were to pick any passage from any one of the following novels: The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (Twain), Little Women (Alcott), The Yearling (Rawlings) The artwork must be in black and white, including half-tones.

This inspired me to pay homage to the southern heritage of paper cutting and the silhouette artform with Mark Twain‘s classic, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. My intention was to create two narratives. One being a silhouette depiction of the scene, which takes place in chapter 9, and then another on top of that, which is a commentary on the practice of paper cutting depicted by the rendering of the scissors and the framed silhouette portrait of the author. I chose to lay the text in white on top of the black to further intensify the horrific action the boys are witnessing in the graveyard.

Tomie dePaola, reknowned for his books for children, is an illustrator who has been published for over 40 years and has written and/or illustrated nearly 250 books with over 15 million copies of his books sold worldwide. His work and achievements have been recognized with the Smithson Medal from the Smithsonian Institution, the Kerlan Award from the University of Minnesota for his “singular attainment in children’s literature,” and the Regina Medal from the Catholic Library Association. He was also the United States nominee in 1990 for the Hans Christian Andersen Award in illustration. The American Library Association has honored him with a Caldecott Honor Book, a Newbery Honor Book, and the 2011 Laura Ingalls Wilder Award for his “substantial and lasting contribution to literature for children.”

Tomie financially provided the award until 2011 when SCBWI assumed it in recognition of Tomie’s outstanding contribution to SCBWI and to the member illustrators in particular. He has been a member of the Board of Advisors, aided in changing the name of the original organization to include illustrators, founded the Illustrator’s Committee of the SCBWI board, and taught the first master class at an SCBWI conference.

Tomie dePaola Award: Illustration Using Silhouette Alice Ratterree

This past weekend, SCBWI Carolinas celebrated their 20th annual conference in Charlotte, NC. I love returning to the well. Inspiring keynotes and energizing breakouts filled our time for three whole days! Illustrators arrived early on Friday for an intensive session with the charming illustrator Priscilla Burris. We were given an assignment ahead of time which was:

1. Characters Page:  Create and develop two characters.  Name them.
2. Main Image: Create and Color Finish an image involving both characters, interacting. (Either one page or 2-pg spread)
3. Before Image: Create and Sketch an image that shows what happened before the Main Image part of the story.
4. After Image: Create and Sketch an image that shows what happens after the Main Image part of the story.

Daunting to say the least. No restrictions, not even dimensions. Wide open. I have to admit, when I received this challenge, I was rather disappointed, and frankly had a bad attitude. I wanted something to work with. Please oh please don’t leave me alone in the dark recesses of my shallow creativity to make something completely original! I felt like I was suddenly being asked to write, and I wanted to illustrate! Sadly, I realized that I’ve been relying on someone else’s work to propel me into my work. How was I going to start with a completely blank canvas?

The answer was in creating boundaries. I’ve heard it said that if children are playing in a large field with no fence, they will gather together in a tight radius near the middle and not venture out very far from each other, playing within a very limited space. If, however they are provided a fenced in perimeter, they will utilize all the space for play. I read that Dr. Seuss had only a 225 word list with which to work from in writing Cat in the Hat. Boundaries propel us into creative thinking by forcing us to solve problems. Last year at the convention, writer John Bemis left us with a most inspiring keynote that provided some tools to work with when we are faced with creative blocks. We were all asked to write 20 words, then step back and look at them. What did they say? Where was the common thread? Is there any imagery that comes to mind? Next he shared with us a game that included asking a question, then find a picture (from a magazine or a book). The last step is to connect your question with the image you found. How does the image you found answer your question?

So I decided to play this type of game with my lucid characters I had floating around in my head. I knew I wanted a doll and an owl, but that was where my big idea ended. So I played what I call the “Blind Dictionary” game. This is where you close your eyes and open the dictionary and point. My goal was to find 10 nouns and 10 verbs. Of course I came upon some adjectives and adverbs, but I moved on and didn’t use those. Here were the 10 nouns: (doll and owl I already had), harlequin, thread, hame, factory, kimono, shilling, wheelie, lichen. The 10 verbs were: conspire, spy, twitch, liberate, lick, burn, blow, scoop, retain.Well, I guess that turned out to be only 9, but what resulted was this lush visual material I had now to work with!

So without further ado, meet Commelina:

and her various transformations:

and the clockwork owl, Li:

The illustrated plot sequence:

In the end, I realized I may have some stories to tell after all. If the material is not provided for me, there is material out there if I cut and paste it together and make boundaries. Thank you, Priscilla Burris, and once again, thank you SCBWI!

Today's illustrator promo: Rebecca Evans

Illustrating with boundaries Alice Ratterree

Here are some excepts from my interview in Pen & Palette as SCBWI Carolinas First Place winner for the 2012 Art Contest. Congratulations to Brenda Gilliam and Jennifer Noel Bower who were also recognized for their work.

Rather than focus on a single illustrator, this issue showcases the top three winners of the 3rdAnnual SCBWI Carolinas Art Contest. Alice Ratterree’s first-place entry is featured as this issue’s cover image. Illustrators participating in the contest were asked to render their interpretations of the opening lines of Lewis Carroll’s classic, Alice ’s Adventures in Wonderland :

Alice was beginning to get very tired of sitting by her sister on the bank, and of having nothing to do. Once or twice she peeped into the book her sister was reading, but it had no pictures or conversations in it, “and what is the use of a book,” thought Alice, “without pictures or conversations?” So she was considering in her own mind (as well as she could, for the day made her feel very sleepy and stupid), whether the pleasure of making a daisy-chain would be worth the trouble of getting up and picking daisies, when suddenly a White Rabbit with pink eyes ran close by her.

What about this year’s prompt spoke to you? What aspect of the story drew you in?

ALICE RATTERREE:  I am always inspired by the classics, and particularly have identified with Alice. Maybe it’s the name thing—as silly as it sounds—but as a child I really did believe this was a story written just for (and about) me! I had a healthy dose of Lewis Carroll growing up (being the child of a schoolteacher who devoted an entire unit to the Alice books and Carroll’s use of political satire and mathematics), so naturally, when faced with the prompt, I already felt at home with the text.

What drew me into this challenge was the lushness of the introduction. In only a few sentences, we are given a vast amount of information on the lazy setting of the afternoon and Alice’s attitude about it, then immediately propelled into the story. The task of portraying Alice’s restlessness and boredom juxtaposed with the action of the rabbit was, in my mind, the foundation for the composition.

How did you decide what your approach would be (style, composition, medium)?

ALICE RATTERREE:  So many artists have tackled this work, and we’re all standing in the shadow of the giant, John Tenniel. I wanted to offer something fresh and surprising, but honor the timelessness of the story. My goal was to utilize a classic illustration drafting technique inside a modern era setting, costuming Alice in hoodie and jeans (complete with the pre-adolescent pout) and portraying her sister as the consummate graduate student (perhaps herself not entirely thrilled with having her sister tag along due to whatever multitude of reasons this circumstance could be translated to today) and involved in her many textbooks “without  pictures.”

The process and composition sort of evolved, as opposed to being a conscious decision. The most challenging aspect of the prompt was that each character is seemingly independent and unconnected with each other, involved in their own spheres of activity (or inactivity), and while we know that Alice eventually sees the rabbit and reacts by following him down the hole out of curiosity, we, the readers, are introduced to him (I believe) the moment right before she actually sees him…or at least that split second between a double take.

It is this rabbit figure that grabbed me most because Carroll elevates him by capitalizing the “W” and the “R” and I couldn’t shake the feeling that this character carried an omnipotent quality. He’s the one who takes us by surprise out of that lazy afternoon by the riverbank, and as a reader, I am as much surprised by the appearance of him as Alice. Therefore I wanted to make him not only the one active figure in the composition, but to also be the connection between the viewer and the illustration, looking straight at us (inspired by Lewis’ poignant mention of the pink eyes), and literally emerging from that still place.

With all of that floating around in my head, and without structure, I started drafting each figure independently, and the whole process started to work like a pop-up book. Using Photoshop, I manipulated each figure like paper dolls in three spatial planes of existence – first the rabbit, then Alice, and then her sister and landscape. So once the final composition came together, I completed the piece by painting in Photoshop.

How did the exercise of completing the contest entry, and the feedback from the contest judge, benefit your work?

ALICE RATTERREE:  The main lesson I learned through the exercise was commitment and conviction. Somewhere in the process of trying to connect these three independent characters, I started traveling down the road of self-doubt and started over completely with a few new drafts. In the end, I came back to my original concept, determined to commit to it and attempt to make it work.

The feedback was very helpful because the viewer addressed this accountability for the two choices I had made that deviated somewhat from traditional expectation: 1) Alice in somewhat of a visually secondary role to the rabbit, and 2) the lack of connection between the rabbit and Alice. This observation has helped me realize that when making choices, particularly those that may be unconventional and unexpected, I need to work on making them clear and intentional. Commitment and conviction.

SCBWI Carolinas Pen & Palette Interview Alice Ratterree

A tip of the day from Art and Fear, by David Bayles and Ted Orland:

“Fears about artmaking fall into two families: fears about yourself, and fears about your reception by others. In a general way, fears about yourself prevent you from doing your best work, while fears about your reception by others prevent you from doing your own work.”

After a little over a month of Petite Paintings I must step back and make sure I’m staying focused on what it is that I do – illustrate stories. While these little daily exercises have helped me get back into traditional material, free up a bit, and are a nice sense of accomplishment, they are not representing that priority. Completely valuable and of course they will continue as planned (365 days!), but I will no longer be posting these exercises on a daily basis. Monthly posts of P3 will occur around the 7-10 of each month (based on the date I started the project). Instead, daily and weekly blogging will focus on illustrating stories, thereby challenging myself further to remember that priority of daily practice in addition to P3. I say this after taking a hard look in the mirror and facing fear about myself and about my reception by others. Thank you, David and Ted.

Take courage, illustrators, and stay tuned….

image provided by Alice Ratterree

Today's illustrator promo: Andrea Offermann

The two faces of Fear in artmaking Alice Ratterree