Showing posts with label illustration. Show all posts

Monday, December 16, 2019

Mermaid Evolution: The making of "The Castle That Kai Built" by Tammy Yee, Island Heritage Publishing

Before there was Kai, there was an anglerfish.

Who was roughly based on my bulldog, Roxy.

And since every memorable character needs a sidekick, I gave her a mermaid.

Who looked something like this...

And this.

Mermaid study, acrylic.
This was back in 2013. She wasn't ready for the world, so I put her aside and worked on other things.

When she was finally ready to come out again, I decided to soften her. And make her more representative of children everywhere. After all, diversity isn't represented in the color of your hair, whether it be pink or purple. So Kai got several makeovers.

The final illustrations were done in Procreate on an iPadPro.

And that's Kai's story!

The Castle That Kai Built

By Tammy Yee
Island Heritage Publishing
Hardcover: 32 pages
ISBN-10: 1617104108
ISBN-13: 978-1617104107

What happens when Kai the mermaid and her loyal pet anglerfish build a castle under the sea?

They are joined by a rollicking cast of sea creatures — including a mischievous octopus, a school of jellyfish and playful dolphins — whose wild antics stir up trouble. Tammy Yee's bright illustrations invite children to search for details as the follow Kai on her aquatic adventure.

The Castle That Kai Built is a cumulative tale in which the story repeats and builds as more characters are introduced.

Saturday, September 14, 2019

Behind the Scenes: Two More Illustrations from Shark Patrol!

I just uploaded two new videos showing my illustration process for the book Shark Patrol, written by Ron Hirschi and released this year from Mutual Publishing.

And stay tuned for information about my upcoming book signings in November, just in time for Christmas!

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Behind the Scenes: Illustrating "Shark Patrol"

Shark Patrol

Written by Ron Hirschi, illustrated by Tammy Yee
Mutual Publishing, 2019

Illustrating Shark Patrol, A Discovery Adventure in Hawai'i presented a unique and fun challenge: how to incorporate author Ron Hirschi's fact-filled lively text and rich illustrations into an 8" x 9" 32-page format.

Working with Ron and Mutual Publishing editor Jane Gillespie, we gave this story of young explorers Kai and Lehua, as told through mail correspondence, a fresh update by having the characters post their adventures on social media via Shark Grams.

Shark facts were personalized by presenting them as journal entries made by the budding scientists...something that I did as a child pretending to be a researcher aboard Jacques Cousteau's famous vessel, the Calypso. Other devices included photos taken by the crew and Post-it notes from the desk of the ship's biologist, Auntie Jan.

Here's a sketch of the layout. Each character has an avatar for their Shark Gram. And social media is no fun without emojis!

Another idea derived from my nerdy childhood was to use the endpapers to illustrate the relative size of sharks as compared to Kai and Lehua.

Growing up in Hawaii, you'd think I'd know a little about sharks--but there was much to learn! Threshers and great whites, blacktips versus whitetip oceanics (not to be confused with whitetip reef sharks)--so many sharks! This meant a lot of research and a lot of sketching.

My favorites were the deep-sea sharks. Did you know that Hawaii has two bioluminescent (glow-in-the-dark) lanternsharks? One was recently discovered in 2017.

The final illustrations were done in Procreate on an iPad Pro, which allowed me to record the illustration process.

And the best fun is receiving a box in the mail and seeing the book for the first time!

For more information about Shark Patrol, visit Mutual Publishing. And stay tuned...more videos from the creation of Shark Patrol will be posted on my YouTube channel, https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnNilsL1o_gI_SReou04B9A.

Tuesday, May 29, 2018

The 19th Biennial Conference on Literature and Hawaii's Children: June 8-9, 2018

Interested in writing and/or illustrating children's books? The 19th Biennial Conference on Literature and Hawaii's Children, June 6-9 at Chaminade University is free for anyone interested in children's and YA literature.

I'll be presenting three topics:

FRIDAY, JUNE 8 • 3:00 p – 4:15 p 
CREATING LITERATURE: How to Write and Sell Picture Book Biographies
Ellie Crowe  and Tammy Yee
There is a constant market for good biographies in the school market. Ellie Crowe tells how to pick a great subject, research, plot, escalate the stakes, and provide a good climax and ending when writing biographies for elementary and middle school readers. Tammy Yee tells how to research the background for meaningful illustrations that create and add depth to a picture book biography.

SATURDAY, JUNE 9 • 10:15 a–11:30 a  
CREATING LITERATURE: Write Like an Illustrator; Illustrate Like a Writer
Tammy Yee
 Like the lyrics and melody of a song, the words and art of a picture book work synergistically to create a composition that is richer than its individual parts. In this session we’ll explore the nuances of writing and illustrating picture books, and how to create memorable characters and stories by writing what the pictures don’t show and illustrating what the words don’t tell.

SATURDAY, JUNE 9 • 1:00 p – 3:15 p 
TEEN TRACK: Creating Impact in Children’s Book Illustration
Tammy Yee  
Bring along a sketchbook and pencil, and we’ll explore how to bring characters to life and create compelling visual narratives through composition, symbolism and pacing. Optional: Bring portfolio samples (no originals, please) for feedback. (Workshop for youth, only.)

Thursday, March 23, 2017

Illustration Challenge: Asp Turtle or Aspidochelone

Just playing...Procreate illustration of an Asp Turtle or Aspidochelone, from medieval bestiaries. #illustration #illustrationchallenge #kidlit #medieval #bestiary #art #procreate

Water was finished in Photoshop.

Friday, October 7, 2016

Day 6 Illustration Challenge

I haven't been sticking to my goal of one a day, but I have been sticking to working as quickly as possible and finishing each illustration in a single sitting.

Monday, September 26, 2016

Day 4 Illustration Challenge

The Roxy illustration challenge continues! One of my favorite poses, a combo of "What did I do?" + "Talk to the Butt." #illustration

Here's the video of my process...

And once again, here's my dainty princess. That face says it all...she's clearly embarrassed by my sophomoric attempt to familiarize myself with a new medium.

Friday, September 23, 2016

DAY 3 ILLUSTRATION CHALLENGE

Quick rendering of my niece...I loved the play of light in this underwater scene.

Tuesday, September 20, 2016

Illustration Challenge: Week 1

I started off calling this "The Roxy Challenge." My goal was to loosen up each day with a quick sketch of my bulldog, Roxy. She's funny, she's flatulent, and she sleeps 20 hours a day (mostly under my drafting table)--the perfect model for a children's book illustrator!

However, Roxy wanted no part of that modeling nonsense. She scratched. She fidgeted. She licked her toes. And she insisted on critiquing my work, nosing through all of my sketchbooks before finally resting her chin on my iPad.

Day 1

Day 2

Clearly, she's unimpressed with my work.

Friday, February 26, 2016

2016 SCBWI Hawaii Conference and Workshop

My introduction to writing and illustrating children's books was Uri Shulevitz's guide, Writing With Pictures--I still have it on my bookshelf--and the thought of attending an SCBWI conference terrified me. I came away from my first conference overstimulated and overwhelmed, but also energized and inspired. Through the years, I've learned that there is no better way to meet other author and illustrators, develop your writing and illustrating, and learn from the best in the industry.

So if you happen to be in Hawaii this March, join us for our 2016 SCBWI Hawaii Conference:

Smooth Sailing
in the Sea of Children’s Book Publishing

March 18 – 19, William S. Richardson Law School, University of Hawaii at Manoa

with

DAN SANTAT, Author-Illustrator, 2015 Caldecott Medal Recipient

SUZIE TOWNSEND, Agent

NAOMI LONG EAGLESON, Editor

KIRSTEN CARLSON, Local Author-Illustrator

Featuring workshops and breakout sessions for authors and illustrators, First Pages/First Look Critique Panel, industry tips and more.

For information and registration, visit https://hawaii.scbwi.org/events/2016-scbwi-hawaii-annual-conference/.

If you would like to attend Dan Santat's Friday workshop, Art School in One Day, contact hawaii@scbwi.org.

FACULTY BIOS:

DAN SANTAT, Author-Illustrator, 2015 Caldecott Medal Recipient

Dan has been a proud member of the SCBWI since 2001. He has since published over fifty books for children, which include the Ricky Ricotta's Mighty Robot series by Dav Pilkey, Oh No! (Or How My Science Project Destroyed the World) by Mac Barnett which won the Silver Medal from the Society of Illustrators, and the New York Times best-selling book, Because I'm Your Dad by Ahmet Zappa. Dan has also the author of the graphic novel, Sidekicks, which has won numerous state book awards, and is the current recipient of the 2015 Randolph Caldecott Medal for his book, The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend. He is also the creator of the Disney animated series, The Replacements. Visit him at www.dantat.com.

SUZIE TOWNSEND, Director of Literary Services & Literary Agent, New Leaf Literary & Media

Suzie represents all brands of children's and adult fiction. She is actively looking to build her list. In adult, she's specifically looking for new adult, romance (all subgenres), fantasy (urban fantasy, science fiction, steampunk, epic fantasy) and crime fiction (mysteries, thrillers). In Childrens' she loves YA (all subgenres) and is dying to find great Middle Grade projects. Suzie loves strong characters and voice driven stories that break out of the typical tropes of their genres. For more info on her clients and projects: http://www.publishersmarketplace.com/members/sztownsend81/. Follow her on twitter (https://twitter.com/sztownsend81).

NAOMI LONG EAGLESON, Editor

Naomi Long Eagleson is the founder of The Artful Editor, a book editing company based in Los Angeles. She helps writers improve and polish their manuscripts for publication. She has an MFA from the Iowa Writers' Workshop and has worked as an assistant editor at Manoa Journal and as a manuscript reviewer at Mutual Publishing. She has edited over a hundred books, including children’s books and young adult fiction. www.artfuleditor.com

KIRSTEN CARLSON, Author-Illustrator

Kirsten’s background in biology, scientific illustration and graphic design lend themselves well to interpreting stories about nature for children. In addition to picture books, her work as an author/illustrator has also appeared in periodicals, including National Geographic and Phycologia. She won the First Place Award for Realistic Portfolio at the 2003 and 2004 SCBWI Conferences. Kirsten is the Illustrator Coordinator for SCBWI Hawaii, and a past Regional Advisor for SCBWI Germany+Austria. www.kirstencarlson.net

The Art of Creating Children's Books

Interested in writing and illustrating children's books? SCBWI Hawaii is presenting several events that might be of interest to authors, illustrators, educators and librarians:

THE ART OF CREATING CHILDREN’S BOOKS

Free art exhibit and panel discussion at the Hawaii State Library Adult Reading Room

FREE PANEL DISCUSSION: SAT., FEBRUARY 27, 2-4 p.m.
https://hawaii.scbwi.org/events/so-you-want-to-write-a-childrens-book-2/
Join us for a free discussion on getting started in writing and illustrating for children, and meet our panelists, authors and author-illustrators James Rumford, Scott Goto, Sue Cowing, Chris Caravalho and Vera Arita.

ART EXHIBIT: FEBRUARY 11 - MARCH 30
https://hawaii.scbwi.org/events/art-exhibit-the-art-of-creating-childrens-books/
What does it take to create a children's book? View the notes, rough sketches and final children's book artwork of SCBWI authors and illustrators. Featuring the work of Chris Caravalho, Kirsten Carlson, Sue Cowing, Scott Goto, Leslie Hayashi, Mariko Merritt, Elizabeth Oh, Esther Szegedy and Tammy Yee.

Sunday, November 8, 2015

Business Tips and Taxes for Writers and Illustrators Webinar with author, CPA, Carol Topp

We work diligently at our craft, but what about the business side of writing and illustrating? The Texas Chapter of SCBWI is hosting a webinar this Tuesday, November 10 to help you structure your writing and illustrating business, keep records, and understand sales tax and deductions. The fee is only $10 for SCBWI members--one of the many reasons to renew your membership or join!

For information and registration, visit https://northtexas.scbwi.org/events/webinar-business-tips-taxes-with-author-cpa-carol-topp/

Friday, June 19, 2015

EASY BUTTERFLY ORIGAMI INSTRUCTIONAL VIDEO AND BOOK

Video step-by-step directions for folding patterns from my new book, "Easy Butterfly Origami" featuring 30 bold full-color patterns designed to accurately portray the dorsal and ventral sides of some of the most beautiful butterflies from around the world!

Fun facts about behavior and distribution accompany each butterfly model!

From the vivid green Cairns Birdwing to the striped Tiger Swallowtail and the Blood Red Glider, these beautiful butterflies feature a kaleidoscopic array of colors and patterns. Includes simple instructions for folding, and perforated pages for easy removal.

Many butterflies have iridescent patterns on the top, and drab undersides for camouflage while they rest with their wings folded up. The origami patterns in this book are specially designed to highlight the diversity of species--when folded, the models accurately portray the variation in the insects' top and bottom views.

Each butterfly model is accompanied by fun facts about behavior and distribution. For example, did you know that the Mountain Alcon Blue butterfly tricks ants into feeding and protecting its caterpillars? Other caterpillars, like the Moth Butterfly, are carnivorous and feed on ant larvae and pupae.

List of butterflies included in the book:

Apollo
Black Swallowtail
Blood Red Glider
Blue Morpho
Boulder Copper
Cairns Birdwing
Chestnut Tiger
Claudina
Cleopatra
Colorado Hairstreak
Common Buckeye
Dead Leaf
Emperor of India
Malachite
Malaysian Clipper
Mocker Swallowtail
Monarch
Moth Butterfly
Mountain Alcon Blue
Noble Leafwing
Painted Beauty
Painted Lady
Pansy Daggerwing
Peacock
Purple Spotted Swallowtail
Queen Purple Tip
Red Flasher
Shining Red Charaxes
Tentyris Forester
Tiger Swallowtail

You can order your copy at: http://store.doverpublications.com/0486784576.html

More information: www.doverpublications.com

Tuesday, January 20, 2015

Interested in Writing and Illustrating Children's Books?

Registration is now open for the

SCBWI-HAWAII (Society of Children's Book Writer's and Illustrators)

2015 ANNUAL CONFERENCE IN HONOLULU, HAWAII

MARCH 6-7

This year's annual craft workshop and conference will feature three special guests: authors Susan Fletcher and Sarah Ellis, and Associate Editor Kat Brzozowski. The optional craft workshop, led by Susan and Sarah, will help you hone your skills in plotting. The full-day conference will feature breakout sessions by Susan, Sarah and Kat, first-page critiques, optional manuscript and portfolio critiques by professionals, and ample networking opportunities. Space is limited, so sign up now!

https://hawaii.scbwi.org/events/2015-scbwi-hawaii-annual-conference/

http://hawaii.scbwi.org/wp-content/blogs.dir/32/files/2015/01/Registration-Packet-AC-2015.pdf

Saturday, August 30, 2014

Family Book Night Interview

Interview on Family Book Night Blog:

An Interview with Tammy Yee
Tammy Yee is the author/illustrator of more than 24 children's books set in the Hawaiian Islands. I feel very fortunate to have had the opportunity to interview Tammy about her projects and what she enjoys most about being an author and illustrator. You can read more about Tammy and her many projects at tammyyee.com.

You've written and illustrated a number of books. Do you have a preference for either writing or illustrating?

I love both writing and illustrating. I tend to be very visual as I create--a book develops like a movie or a storyboard in my mind, with different parts of my brain toggling on and off. As a writer, I begin with a blank canvas that I must fill with interesting characters and a fresh, compelling story. As an illustrator, I'm given a story and I must create a visual world that doesn't merely interpret, but adds to that story. Because writing is more intellectually and creatively challenging, it can be tempestuous. Because illustrating (32 pages of art) is more physically challenging, it can be arduous. Both are just as gratifying.

Read more...

Friday, February 11, 2011

SCBWI (Society of Children's Book Writers & Illustrators) Conference in Hawaii

2011 SCBWI-Hawaii Conference Preview

Reka Simonsen, executive editor at Houghton Children’s Books

Author John Ritter

Illustrator Michael Furuya

Our 2011 conference is set for Saturday, February 19, at the Ala Moana Hotel, Ilima Room, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Featured guests will be Reka Simonsen, executive editor at Houghton Children’s Books, author John Ritter, and illustrator Michael Furuya. Plan to come and “be with your people” at this inspiring annual event!

In addition, John Ritter will lead an optional fiction workshop, “How to Give your Stories Depth, Interest and Intrigue,” for conference attendees the day before the conference, Friday, February 18, at Paki Hale from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., followed by lunch and schmooze until 2:30 p.m.
We have emailed complete information recently, and it is also available at the link below, but here are some of the highlights.

For all:

“A Primer on Queries and Synopses and Postcards” with Reka Simonsen.
“How to Make Your Website Work for You (even if you don’t have one yet)” panel discussion with John Ritter, Tammy Yee, Sue Wyshynski and Elizabeth Oh.
first-pages/first look session with Reka Simonsen, John Ritter and Michael Furuya.
optional manuscript and portfolio critiques.

Especially for writers:

session with acclaimed novelist John Ritter (www.johnhritter.com ) “Is Your Issue Showing?: how to explore cultural or political themes in our books without sacrificing story”
optional fiction workshop with John Ritter (for novelists and picture book writers)

Especially for illustrators:

“From page to Stage and Beyond,” session with children’s book illustrator and ‘Ohi‘a Productions co-founder Michael Furuya.

Costs and Deadlines:
The cost of the February 19th conference (including lunch) is $90 for members, or $120 for nonmembers, with additional fees for optional manuscript, dummy, or portfolio critiques.

The cost of the optional February 18th fiction workshop with John Ritter is $60 for members and $85 for nonmembers (space available); optional lunch is an additional $15. Please note: you must be registered for the conference to attend the workshop.

Postmark deadline to register for the conference with manuscript critique is January 18, 2011. You must send your manuscript(s) in with your registration and fee(s).
Deadline to register for the conference and fiction workshop is February 11, 2011.
Deadline to register for the conference alone or with portfolio critique is February11, 2011.

2011 SCBWI-Hawaii Conference Information and Registration

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