Hey hey. I have been e-mailing various Australian Illustrators to find about how the whole scene works ie how do you hook up with publishers/authors, what's the time frame like, media used, prices paid, contractual agreements etc.

I was asking about this topic because I'd like to illustrate a kids book just for the sense of accomplishment. It may be some time off yet, but it's always good to have a goal & to plan.

Anyway, I got one reply from Terry Denton. He's a kids book illustrator here in Australia & my kids read his books all the time. He gave some great tips & advice. But the main thing he said was that I needed to stop drawing from photos & develop my own style.

So here goes. I'm going to avoid drawing from photos & draw from my imagination and real life. Andrew Loomis says the same thing. Up to this point I felt that I needed to draw from photos because I was learning the basics. But now I feel I have them under control and can move onto the next phase. Lets see how I go.