So in a couple of weeks, IlustraTour, the International Festival of Illustration, kicks off. And guess what? I'll be there!
You'd be forgiven for thinking that I'm going purely for the sunshine - I mean, the festival takes place in Valladolid, Spain. But, no, my reason is far better than that - I'm going to take part in the IlustraTour Network and help Mark Mills, founder of Plum Pudding Illustration, judge the Plum Pudding Prize.
The IlustraTour Network gives illustrators the chance to show their work to industry professionals - all they need to do is arrange an appointment and show up! And the prize is really exciting - not only does it give illustrators the opportunity to put their artwork in front of people who could really kick-start their careers, it also rewards the winner and runners up with a minimum of one month's portfolio consultation with Mark. What an invaluable experience. Of course, it's not just the winner and runners up who will benefit from this prize. Last year, our senior designer, Zoe Waring, spotted the work of a wonderful illustrator called Erica Salcedo. Next thing you know, Zoe's commissioned her and Erica has a book deal with Bloomsbury Children's Books.
If you're attending Ilustratour this year then I'd love to hear from you - and hopefully I'll see you out there. In the meantime, there's still two days left to submit prize entries, so if you haven't yet, then do!
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