Ken W. Min ~ Illustrator for Hire

SCBWI Summer Conference 2008

i have to say, i had a pretty good conference.

it's always nice to attend the scbwi summer conference and this year was no exception. took in some wonderful talks from the likes of bruce coville, mark teague, adam rex and susan patron and informative workshops from cecilia yung, steven malk abigail samoun and melanie hope greenberg. i think my favorite was the "writing humor" panel featuring sid fleischman, lisa yee, david larochelle and lin oliver. but to me, what makes the weekend event truly enjoyable is catching up with old friends and making new ones.

and this was an exceptionally cool year for me. i was awarded 2nd runner up in the portfolio showcase. yeah, pretty wild. i remember turning to my friends at our table and asking, "did...did she just call out my name??" and they all responded, "hey stupid, stand up". but really, i was just so flattered and this is such a great vote of encouragement. it just makes me want to continue working to get better at my craft.

and let's not think that all the excitement has gone to my head. the day after the conference, i was home doing my laundry and taking out the trash. i'm keeping it real, but am working hard on the next project. (no, not scrubbing the bathtub- something art related :)

A Princess

 

part of the character design process for a story of mine in conjunction with the last post. i'm looking to put together another postcard mailer and am looking at this as the back image of the card.

Hippo-pot-o-mine

 

here's a piece from a story idea of mine. the story is still a work in progress, but i like the general direction of it enough to play with some imagery.

H&G

 

here's an image i did for a local contest. the idea behind it was to illustrate a scene from the story "hansel and gretel". i also wanted to play with the idea of foreshadowing, by way of the witch's shadow beside the house and the smoke coming up out of the chimney.

(editor's note: looking back on this one, i'm feeling i was too subtle with the witch hiding beside the house. i was going for a second read, but i don't think the witch even registered with most people. so i went back and redid her. gave her some color but still hope she stays relatively in the background. otherwise those poor kids are in trouble :)

What a Long Strange Trip...

i admit, it's been a while since my last post. immediately after i returned from nyc and the conference, i moved. not two steps to the right, but a full on, "pack up the belongings and hire some movers", kind of move. then it was unpacking and trying to figure out where everything goes and before i even got settled, the antiquarian book fair came upon me.

so my head has been spinning ever since, but everything seems to be settling down and i only occasionally feel woozy.

the ny conference was really nice. interesting to attend a seminar outside of my backyard, here in l.a. but it was fun. heard a lot of good speakers, attended some good workshops and saw some of the sights of the city. because the conference was an all day event, i only really got to look around the city the last two days i was there. i've always had this bias against ny because i'm a west coast guy but i was really taken with the town, nyc, and really came to enjoy and appreciate it. something about it's aura and energy which i found invigorating (or was that just the brisk, cold air...?) it was cold while i was out there. even got to see some different weather patterns. a little rain, some snow. and i learned when someone tells you to bring a cap, they aren't talking about a baseball style cap, they mean something that will cover your ears cause i seriously thought they were going to fall off the side of my head. but it was a blast. i even got a hang for using the subway system. didn't get lost or take the wrong train once by my last day there. one small thing i took pride in...:)

so here i am, back in l.a. and trying to figure out which box i packed all my art brushes in. so in the meantime, i'll share a picture i did before my trip.

Book Fair Banners

so, a very long while ago, i had written postings on a book fair i was working on. I was responsible for the art and designs and the event is now almost upon us. it's coming up on february 15th (thru the 17th) and one can view the street banners of my images around los angeles. it's pretty wild to see them all on display like that. it's a bit of a kick. i've included some pictures i took today. yes, as you can see in the pictures, it's cloudy and grey here in l.a., but i won't complain. for a little while, i'll have artwork stretched out on 8 foot long banners. it's crazy. :)

   

She's Back

young medusa returns in a new illustration.

thinking about medusa, here was a gorgon who, later in life, was thought to be a monster and who could turn men to stone at a glance. but i wondered what she was like in her youth. did she have a happy childhood? did she always have the ability to turn people to stone? was she lonely for friends and companionship? did she not get asked out to the school prom because all her potential suitors couldn't look her in the face to ask her out or were just afraid to go there...so, with my youthful medusa, i envision a sad medusa. a freckle-faced, contemplative soul looking for beauty in the world before it all changes and crumbles away.

then, there is that squirrel. unfortunately the squirrel happened onto the scene at the wrong place and at the wrong time. poor guy.

Sketchbook Section

i thought i might add a new "album" of sorts to the right hand column.

i'm not one to go out and sketch a lot. mainly i draw and design when i have a picture i want to create or for a story idea. but now and again, i'll make up stuff to play around with "technique" and character styles.

when i do doodle, i like to channel some of my favorite artists like paul grist and jill thompson (from the world of comics) and egon schiele (the austrian expressionist). i am most taken with their style and hope a little of their approach is expressed in my linework. (i do like those long figures and the body language)

so for the initial batch of sketches, i culled together some bits and pieces and collaged them together. now and then you might see a ghostly impression underneath the drawing. that's because i tend to draw on the back of old sheets of paper. hopefully, nothing of a scandalous nature will show through (ha ha) later on, as i draw something i like, i'll just post it straight away and then add it to the album.

Blue Girl

another experimental piece. i'm starting to envision some kind of combination of this look with what i was doing with the lion.

The Lion sleeps tonight...

well, he's not sleeping, more like posing.

again, playing with some painting ideas. nothing too radical from what i usually do and yet, pushing on the boundaries of my painting principles.