How long have you been a member of SCBWI? What’s the most impactful thing you have learned from being in SCBWI? I’ve been a member since 2020, but I started coming to SCBWI meetings in early 2022 when I began a Children’s Book Illustration certificate program through UCSD. I learn the most from the comments and feedback being given to everyone’s work in SCBWI’s peer critique. I’m learning to “see” illustrations differently, which helps me improve my own work. What medium(s) do you use to illustrate? I love collage probably because I can do all mediums, use them at the same time, and just call it one thing. I make my favorite collage papers using a gelli plate, which is a thick, reusable gelatin sheet that you can put mixed media on and pull prints. These two illustrations were made that way. The dog is from multiple pulls on the same sheet of paper (added the bowl later), and the crab is collaged from a variety of papers that had been created with the gelli plate. For children’s book illustrations, I’ve been teaching myself digital techniques in Procreate and Photoshop that mimic collage, because digital collage looks more polished and is much easier to change in response to feedback. I’m learning to incorporate my own papers into digital drawing. What is your illustration process? I like researching my subjects, so I will spend a fair amount of time looking at reference photos and reading about what I am drawing. I then do “realistic” sketches, because drawing realistically forces me to really look and understand. Then I get impatient drawing that way, start looking for shortcuts, and a stylized form begins to emerge. I use the stylized sketches I like to form the basis of the shapes I cut out and layer digitally. I add details using Procreate and Photoshop. This example actually is not digital; it’s gouache because that’s what I had to do for a class, but it was a good example of research moving to sketches and final outcome for my process. It’s an underwater take on Little Red Riding Hood.   How long have you been illustrating? How did you first get into illustration? I’ve only been intentionally making illustrations for the purpose of children’s book illustration this year. Before that, I took in-person and online art classes in my spare time for seven years. My children are grown now, so I have a little more time to illustrate and focus on a goal. Are you self taught or did you study illustration? Self taught. Do you have a dedicated art space? I am extremely fortunate to have a home office for my non-illustration business (grant writing), and since most of that work is on the computer, my office can be dominated by art supplies. What would be your dream book to illustrate? I’m really excited about my current book project, so I would love to see it come to life. I would also be interested in writing/illustrating a graphic novel-style book aimed at younger ages and illustrating non-fiction topics, since I enjoy researching so much. The harder it is to explain, the more likely I’m going to want to try. Are you working on any fun projects now? I’m working on character sheets and a book dummy for one of my book ideas, trying to get them done in time for the fall conference. The book idea is a fictional autobiography of the Tic Tac Toe Chicken, who was a real chicken that played tic tac toe in an arcade in NYC’s Chinatown. Here’s drafts from the character sheet and a repeat pattern I made today for the end papers. Do you write children's books as well or have any plans to do so? Working on it! Any tips for illustrators that are starting out? Tips for myself? Persevere and keep it fun, because this is a long journey. Join SCBWI and other children’s book spaces, because the people there are super nice and generous in their help. It’s a really wonderful community. Do you currently have an agent? If so, how did you end up with that agent? Not yet, but I would love to work with an agent. List 3 to 5 interesting things about yourself. My day job is as a freelance grant writer for social justice nonprofits. I’ve been doing this work for 20 years and taught grant writing at USC for eight years. I still play Animal Crossing New Horizons almost daily. One section of my island is dedicated to the monasteries of Meteora in Greece, and I’m slowly working on a Gravity Falls-themed section now. I used to do conferences and interactive workshops where I taught a variety of economic concepts using ten chairs. I also taught my children the basics of tax policy using their stuffed animals; this is likely the source of their early childhood trauma/genius. I enjoy encaustic painting, because I get to use a blow torch to paint and collage with molten wax. I also enjoy using my mini printmaking press by Open Press Project. Where can people find more of your work?   IG: @kimberlytso Substack: https://kimtso.substack.com/ Twitter: @kimberlytso __________________________________ To see our Previous Get to Know Our Illustrators, click here.