Most recently, I was on the faculty of the 6th Annual SCBWI Illustrator Day in San Francisco, participating in a panel about breaking into the children’s book industry as an illustrator and conducting individual illustration portfolio critiques.
I’ve presented workshops to students, teachers, graduate students, and aspiring authors and illustrators for almost a decade. These presentations describe the process of how a children’s book comes to be, from finding a story to the delivery of finished books. My presentations include plenty of show-and-tell (and question-and-answer time) and are a fantastic glimpse into the publishing process and how authors and illustrators interact with editors and art directors throughout that process. When presenting at illustration classes, I am available to do individual portfolio reviews for students during the course of the class.
“Over the course of several semesters, Dana visited my Graduate Children’s Book Class at Academy of Art University. Dana always provided great content about the editorial process. In addition she carefully reviewed portfolios, and gave students relevant, helpful feedback. I plan on having her come back to visit my class again and again!” – Angela Domínguez, illustrator and art instructor
“Dana is a fabulous speaker that keeps the audience engaged with her lively and attentive presentations. She provides wonderful information, and extremely useful feedback for portfolios — especially for young professionals who are hungry for advice! I eagerly look forward to her next visit.” – Joie Brown, artist/illustrator
If you’re interested in booking a presentation, get in touch.