Learning and creating together - the SCBWI Japan Art + Writing Café is open to all.

October 2023 - Report on SCBWI Japan Digital Café Workshops - comments from the team.

 Learning and creating together - the SCBWI Japan Art + Writing Café is open to all. 

 

Introduction, by Kazumi Wilds, with further comments from Dan Schallau and Petar Tasev. 

From May through to September 2023, SCBWI Japan ran a series of workshops, ‘The Digital Café Workshops’ at the Tokyo Women’s Plaza. These in-person meetings were an opportunity for attendees to explore how using an iPad with the app Procreate might help their illustration careers. This program was made possible by an Illustrator Grant from SCBWI. We thank them for their generosity in funding these workshops.

As both the organizer and one of the participants, I would like to thank the instructors, Daniel Schallau and Petar Tasev, who generously offered their preparation and knowledge through this workshop series. The workshop room was like an elementary school classroom. Daniel, the homeroom teacher, provided step by step instructions and gave us homework, and Petar, the assistant homeroom teacher, walked around busily between the novice students who were having trouble understanding what was going on. Every time someone took their eyes off the screen when they shouldn’t, they were ‘cautioned’ by the teacher, and then we broke into warm laughter. Despite the focus on learning how to use the app, I realized the great joy of having our members working in the same place and a lot of information about each other's activities and prospects was exchanged spontaneously. The three hours of the workshop flew by, but the questions and discussion did not stop there. They continued as we went to a local restaurant to share a meal. 

We creators spend a lot of time working individually, and sometimes our activities become stagnant. While answers to technical questions can often be found on Google, and conversations can be held online, I  still believe that time spent together with like-minded peers in person is priceless. I think there are some things we can inspire each other in, only through this way.

So, despite the Digital Café Workshop Series coming to an end, we decided to continue and expand the original idea of these workshops by creating a "SCBWI Japan - Art and Writing Café". We held our first meeting on October 7th and it was an opportunity for illustrators and writers to come together for a few hours and work on their own projects or seek advice from each other. Everyone who attended was eager to continue with this as a regular event, which we plan to do. 

Comments from Digital Cafe Instructor, Daniel Schallau.

 

The first ‘Art and Writing Café’  event felt like an extension of the Digital Cafe workshops this past summer, but more relaxed and informal—like a bunch of friends getting together. Because I was there as a participant rather than an instructor, it also meant I didn’t have to worry about equipment failure or cables making the projector flicker and blurry during the workshops.  

I brought some colored pencils and a drawing of my own to work on, but ended up going around the room answering various questions about digital stuff.  It was fun to see people trying Procreate for the first time.  One member usually works on a Wacom tablet in Photoshop, but she said she liked the direct feel working on the iPad gives when using the Apple Pencil stylus.  I talked to her about increasing the resolution of her drawings so that they print better.  I usually recommend working as big as possible in case a client or publisher wants to make a poster after the fact.  It’s great to be able to share tips like this in a casual setting. 

Petar Tasev, who I’d worked with on the ‘Digital Café Workshops’ had his usual digital expertise to share with other members in the group who were busy working on drawings on their iPads. There were writers too, who also brought their computers to work on and were discussing their W-I-P. 

The white noise from the buzz of 3-4 conversations going on at once made it a nice place to work for a few hours.  It can be fun to work on individual projects amongst others doing the same.  I have wanted to have an event like this for the longest time where nothing is really planned, just to come and talk about stuff that concerns us illustrators, writers and translators—or just to hang out.  

I look forward to the next Art Cafe.  

Comments from Digital Cafe instructor, Petar Tasev.

I believe drawing is fun or at least it should be fun for the most part, and digital tools are there to enhance that. They help you do cumbersome things faster and more easily. IF you learn them. Which can be a daunting task – unlike traditional drawing materials where your pencils and paints are limited by physical space and your wallet, in digital you have access to all the colors and all kinds of possible tools! And if you're new to it, the infinite possibilities can make it seem impossible to even know where to start. Of course, there are books and tutorials online, but nothing compares to getting guidance face to face! You can quickly resolve what you're struggling with and get answers to the specific questions only you may have. I was happy to be able to help the participating SCBWI members with exactly that - and share some of the tips and tricks I've learned  on my own over the years. I hope we can continue to meet up, share what we've learned, and encourage each other.

Find out when the next Art + Writers Café event is by checking the events page on our main website.

SCBWI Japan - Creative Exchange

 

SCBWI Japan Region Creative Exchange

Post by Amy Lange Kawamura

We met together via Zoom on Sept 29, 2023 for our regular Remote Creative Exchange. After introducing ourselves, we divided up into groups to give each other tips about our works-in-progress. It’s always great to hear other writers’ thoughts about our manuscripts. Using the ‘rooms’ feature in Zoom also allows us to divide into smaller groups so that each person gets more time for feedback and a chance to discuss their work. This time round we split into two groups, YA and translations, picture books and middle grades. This worked out well, and everyone managed to have their work critiqued.   

 

At the end of the critique part of our sessions we got to share some member news. First was the announcement of the publication of The House of the Lost on the Cape. Written by Sachiko Kashiwaba this is the second of her books translated by SCBWI Japan member Avery Fischer-Udagawa. This is an MG book about three generations during the aftermath of the 2011 quake. Avery’s translation of Kashiwaba’s Temple Alley Summer, won the 2022 Batchelder Award, a major award given for outstanding books for children in translation. 

Another recent publicationby one of our members, Chris Green, is ‘On the Beach: The Winter Visitor’ Blossom Spring Publishing. This is the second picture book in the series.  

 One of our newest members, Ambika Vora-Nagino was also celebrating the cover reveal of her upcoming YA fantasy novel, Spin of Fate, written under the name A. A. Vora. The book’s cover is illustrated by Sidharth Chaturvedi, and it is striking. Spin of Fate will be released on May 7, 2024. Congratulations, Ambika!

 Finally, we got to celebrate one of our member’s illustration work. For twenty years, the banner for SCBWI Japan has featured a boy on a carp, illustrated by Naomi Kojima. It’s a beautiful banner, but it was decided that it was time for a change. The new banner is illustrated by Dionnie Takahashi. It shows various animals seated around a red circular table. Dionnie said that the animals were chosen from Japanese myths and legends, and the table represented the flag of Japan. Also, she wanted the animals to reflect the writers, illustrators and translators in our group. It’s very cute, and represents SCBWI Japan so well. 

You can see the new banner and logo on our regional site, and while you’re there you can check out other illustration work and register for some upcoming events.

 

Amy Lange Kawamura writes middle grade fiction and lives in Japan.