I’ve been an active member of SCBWI since 2021, and I especially cherish the inspiration, instruction, and connection of the in-person conference experiences. In addition to the new friendships, the illustration workshops in particular have been the most impactful for me. I’ve grown so much artistically from the portfolio critique and break-out art sessions this year that it feels like I’ve gained wings!
The media I prefer are pencils, ink, and watercolor, together with digital media. While I used to see analog and digital as distinct practices, preferring the tactile experience of paint on paper, I now intertwine the two and I love the results. For my process, I begin with daydream-drafting and quick notebook (or napkin) sketches as I shepherd my kids through our days. These concepts then enter my tablet as gesture drawings with increasingly-refined line work until I’m ready for color. Then, it’s back to using paper once more! I watercolor both specific shapes within transferred lines and also unrestrained swaths to use as primary material scans in my Procreate patchwork. Thanks to SCBWI workshops, I now have lots of great techniques for combining the texture and pigment of watercolor with the flexibility of digital art.
If you count the unicorns that traipsed through my school notebooks, I’ve been illustrating for decades! But my first true foray into children’s book illustration was in 2015 when I wrote a book about our family dog, Earnest, for our baby daughter. Since then, I’ve been writing picture books and chapter books and creating illustrations for both with increasing confidence — I’m now querying and hoping to find representation soon. I also enjoy stretching my art muscles with portraits, stationery, coloring pages, and many other types of illustration.
I’m not school-taught, but neither am I self-taught, because I can’t disregard the wonderful impact of my many artistic mentors! My first and most continuous is my big sister, an exceptional artist who has guided me always both by example and with patient and marvelously meticulous advice. Add to that my school teachers, museum visits, picture-book reads, and current professional colleagues and critique partners, and I’m definitely not learning alone.
In increasing formality, my dedicated art spaces are (1) my closed eyes, (2) the notebook in my purse or whatever’s at hand, (3) the sunny side of the couch, feet curled up, my dog at my side, tablet on my lap, and (4) the patio table with a portable paint box.
My own stories have kids and magic and meaning, which are my favorite things, so I’m working on living my dream! I would also love to illustrate MG fantasy series (my favorite genre to read). And my impossible dream would be to work with Hayao Miyazaki on character & scene designs!
Professionally, I’m enjoying every moment of developing my dummy of Odd-Duck Dreams. Devin has a singular delight in ducks, but trouble blending in with fellow humans. As the story follows her quest for friendship, I get to draw so many feelings, faces, feathers, forest explorations, and more!
I’ve also been busy with community and family art — I’ve recently made:
(1) a story-writing curriculum for our Girl Scout troop
(2) stickers for a friend’s new business
(3) flyers for my daughter’s elementary school
(4) activity pages for a friend’s baby shower
(5) a graduation portrait for a family track athlete
(6) a duvet-cover design for my son
(7) a memorial painting of a furry friend
(8) plans and installation of seasonal art for our open-and-affirming church
(9) yearly calendars and stationery for sale
(10) moving announcements for my grandmother
(11) coloring books for my kids
I’m an author-illustrator. I’m working diligently on several picture books right now, in varied stages of development. Besides Devin (mentioned above), some of my protagonists include: (1) indecisive Alice, (2) fidgety, fiercely kind Esme the dragon, (3) change-averse “Same-Same” Sam, and (4) perfectionist artist Penny. I’m also writing a chapter book, a graphic novel, and a middle grade story. I adore developing complex characters with relevant struggles and big imaginations — and they’re mostly neurodivergent like I am! I believe we need neurodivergent representation in every genre, not just in inclusion-focused stories.
My tips are: (1) Draw every day, even if it’s a solitary scribble — and push beyond your topic and art media comfort zones. (2) Find community. SCBWI is great for this, as are the 12x12 challenge and other groups. It’s so meaningful, uplifting, inspiring, and informative to connect with others on a similar path. And in connection to this — (3) Seek education, and not just about art but also about industry norms and opportunities. Build your own internship out of workshops, webinars, classes, conferences, and colleagues — and be that internship for others. (4) Join a critique group. Critique partners are absolute treasures for bettering your projects and craft, and they’re also wonderful to know! (5) Put yourself out there. This was so hard for me at first as an anxious neurodivergent artist, but I’m so glad I’m doing it. Enter contests, join art events, share your “kidlit postcard” on social media, create a website portfolio… and query agents! You’ll hear “no” a lot — but that just means that by the time “yes” comes, you’ll be even more proud of your progress as a creator, and even more ready to shine.
I don’t have an agent yet — but I’m working on it! Some awards I have won are: PBParty honorable mention in illustration 2023 and 2024
PBRisingStars runner-up 2024
You can connect with me on:
my website (portfolio and blog): https://carrieschneiderauthorillustrator.com Social media: @cs_auth_illus, @CarrieSchneider.bsky.social
Some things you don’t know about me are (1) I’m autistic with ADHD, but I didn’t know it until I was an adult! (2) I’m fluent in 3 languages and conversant in 3 more (3) I have a literature PhD in Spanish & Portuguese and have taught at 4 California universities (4) I listen best while I’m drawing, making origami, or tapping my fingers (5) I believe in fairies, dragons, and unicorns, and nothing can convince me not to!