I have no formal art training so can't help you with this, sorry.

After being chosen for the SCBWI Illustration Mentorship Program, I did ask one of my mentors (Cecilia Yung, the Art Director at Penguin USA) whether I should be taking art courses. She advised me to NOT to take any courses or join critique groups at this point in my career because they might change my illustration style, and publishers seem to like my style. 

Not having formal art training has made it challenging for me in some aspects. I'm pretty ignorant about fundamental stuff that trained artists take for granted.

It makes me even more grateful to Justin Chanda at Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers (and my art director Laurent Linn and author Michael Ian Black), for taking the chance on me and offering me a book contract despite my lack of training and experience. I learned SOOOOO much during the I'M BORED process from Justin and Laurent. And I'm continuing to learn.

One thing I have always done and continue to do: to draw every day. It could be a comic, a stream-of-consciousness doodle, found object art, a scribble in my daily journal, a colour experiment, etc. 

Last updated on September 16, 2019 by Debbie Ohi