The Key To A Successful Art Career with Simona Ceccarelli
Art by Analise Black
Simona Ceccarelli joins Jake Parker and Lee White to discuss how she became a full-time children’s book illustrator, the keys to success in the industry, and the differences between American and European illustration markets.
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SHOW LINKS
Simona Ceccarelli: smceccarelli.com, books, Instagram @simona.ceccarelli
Bologna Book Fair
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Book fairs are some of the last places to meet art directors in person and show them your portfolio. If you want to stand out from the sea of artists online, this is the way to do it.
Taste is subjective, so don’t take offense if art directors reject your work. Be curious and learn why.
An illustrator’s job is to solve problems for others; if you create only to express yourself, you’re better off as a fine artist.
Give your clients illustration options! Take them from thinking, “Is this the right person for the job?” to, “Which of these ideas should we choose?”
The first idea is often the worst. Thumbnail and create variations of every piece you make until you find the best one.
BIO
Simona Ceccarelli is an Italian children’s book illustrator and writer. She began her working life as a medical research scientist for ten years before pursuing art at San Francisco’s Academy of Art. She studied concept art before settling into her career as a children’s book illustrator with the help of classes from SVSLearn.
In 2016 she received her first paid book job and spent the next three or four years illustrating books here and there. As her popularity grew, Simona felt ready to take the risk of illustrating full-time. She quit her job as a creative director in 2020 and gave herself two years to match her former income with illustration work.
Four years later, she is a remarkably successful illustrator with books published across continents. Simona has worked with Sterling Children’s Books, Penguin Random House, Scholastic, and many more, and is a household name in the German market. She is known for her highly complicated illustrations and loves drawing animals and busy, multi-character scenes.
Simona lives in Switzerland with her husband and two children. Keep an eye out for her next book, which she both wrote and illustrated!
LINKS
Jake Parker: mrjakeparker.com. Instagram: @jakeparker, Youtube: JakeParker44
Will Terry: willterry.com. Instagram: @willterryart, Youtube: WillTerryArt
Lee White: leewhiteillustration.com. Instagram: @leewhiteillo
Daniel Tu: danieltu.co.
Lily Camille Howell: lilycamille.com
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