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School of Visual Storytelling

@svslearn

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Is creative value measurable? In this episode, we review pushback on the idea that artistic processes can or should be optimized for efficiency. We analyze the balance between creative play and consistent work and how to preserve the joy of artistic discovery while pursuing career growth.

#3pp #3pointperspectivepodcast by @svslearn

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5 days ago

It’s go time! 🖤 Wherever your October finds you, we hope you’ll find some time to dabble in the inky arts 🖋️ Is this your year to do Inktober??

#inktober2026 #inkdrawing #inkonpaper by @svslearn

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17 days ago

Magical little book nook📚✨ Lovely work from EJ Pefanis McAuley💕 by @svslearn

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a month ago

My DYNAMIC COMIC COVERS workshop with @svslearn is open for registration for the new few days! Check my story and BYE OH! by @svslearn

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3 months ago

Paper Stories Live Q&A: Is This Workshop Right for You? (LINK IN BIO)

Join me live tomorrow at 12 PM EST on YouTube for a casual Q&A session. Ask me anything about the workshop, materials, live sessions, time commitment, or the process of building these tiny paper worlds.

No pressure, just a chance to chat before class begins on Saturday (I'm just a little excited ;)).

Link in Bio!

*Tomorrow, 12 PM EST
*Paper Stories begins Saturday
*Enrollment closes Thursday

Hope to see you there!

#PaperArt #PaperArtist #DioramaArt #MiniatureWorld #3DIllustration #HandmadeIllustration #PictureBookIllustrator #ChildrensBookIllustration #VisualStorytelling #IllustrationWorkshop #CreativeCommunity #MixedMediaIllustration #IllustrationProcess #CutPaperArt #PaperStoriesWorkshop by @svslearn

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5 months ago

Art has a lovely habit of lingering.

Long after a project is finished, it stays with you.

Not in the artwork itself, but in the way it affected your emotions, and how you move through the world afterwards.

This little trailer for Thankful (written by @elainebvickers ) was built from painted paper, cardboard, and lovely little lights.

As a new group prepares to join me for Paper Stories in just three days, I thought I'd share this little reminder of why I fell in love with this process in the first place.

Paper Stories begins June 6th.
Enrollment closes Friday, June 5th. Link in Bio.

@svslearn
❤️

#PaperStoriesWorkshop #PaperArt #PaperIllustration #DioramaArt #MiniatureWorlds #PictureBookArt #ChildrensBookIllustration #IllustratorsOfInstagram #VisualStorytelling #CreativeProcess #BehindTheScenesArt #HandmadeArt #StorytellingThroughArt #CreativeCommunity #Papercraft #PaperArtist #IllustrationWorkshop #MakeSomethingToday #PapierenKunst #Illustratoren by @svslearn

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5 months ago

(Enrollment ends June 5th)
Looking back through my books, I realized that my favorite illustrations are rarely the complicated ones.

They're the ones filled with connection.

That's true of my teaching too.
Again and again, I find myself drawn to small moments of connection.

A hand reaching for another hand.

Someone making room for someone else.

The comfort of being seen.

The joy of sharing a moment together.

When I look back through my books, these are the scenes that mean the most to me.

They are also what I love most about teaching.

Paper Stories is about gathering people together who want to make things that feel alive.

People who want to tell stories, are curious, and willing to play.

Over the last year, one of my favorite parts of this workshop has been watching complete strangers encourage one another, share discoveries, and celebrate each other's tiny worlds.

That's the community we're building.

And if you've been thinking about joining us, I'd love to save you a seat at the table.

Paper Stories starts this Saturday! (Link in Bio)

#ChildrensBookIllustration #IllustrationCommunity #PictureBookArt #IllustratorsOfInstagram #PaperArt #CreativeCommunity #VisualStorytelling #PictureBooks #ArtistLife #SVSLearn #PaperStoriesWorkshop #IllustrationProcess #samanthacotterill #Papierkunst
#Papierkunstenaars
#Illustratie
#Illustrator
#Kinderboeken
#Boekillustratie

(Books featured: A Grand Day, written by Jean Reidy. Thankful and Heartfelt, both written by Elaine Vickers. )

@svslearn by @svslearn

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5 months ago

There’s fungus among us! Fun mushroom design by Sydney Phoebus, from our Designing Rocks and Plants course🍄✨ by @svslearn

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5 months ago

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5 months ago

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5 months ago

Today's student spotlight is artist PJ Lyons!

From the very beginning, @lyons.pj brought not only her beautiful work, but such a generous spirit to the group during our first Paper Stories workshop. With years of experience in mixed media, she was always ready to share the tools, tips, and small discoveries she had gathered along the way. And not just with the other students, but with me as well (Thank you PJ for introducing me to the magic magic of T-pins for holding foamcore together… something I now can’t imagine building without).

What unfolded because of that generosity was something really special.
The class became a space where everyone felt comfortable sharing. Students passed along links, little breakthroughs, helpful fixes, and those moments of “oh, this works so well!”. We supported each other through the tricky parts, and celebrated the small wins right alongside one another.

It’s one of my favorite parts from that first class, and became the seed that made Paper Stories feel like a true studio with all of us hanging out together.

Sign up coming tomorrow!
Paper Stories
June 2026

#illustrationcommunity
#artistcommunity
#creativewomen
#womenwhodraw
#illustrationmentor
#illustrationeducation
#onlineartclass
#paperillustration
#mixedmediaillustration
#kidlitartist
#illustrationmentor
#illustrationeducation
#onlineartclass
#paperillustration
#mixedmediaillustration by @svslearn

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7 months ago

Being here in Upstate New York, I think I’m starting to long for spring just a bit. All this cold and snow has me dying for color (and the warm sun!) to return, as this winter has felt extremely long. Oof.

It got me thinking about how different this next round of Paper Stories might feel. The first workshop took place in the fall, and so many of the scenes carried that crisp, quiet, autumn vibe.

This time, we’ll be building our seaside worlds in June, right in the heart of summer here, and I’m so curious to see how that shift in season finds its way into the work.

Because of that in mind, It felt only right to bring a few more flower tutorials into the class this time around. A little way of inviting in that sense of growth, warmth, and play as we build our dioramas.

And as you can see here, my flowers are never really about perfection… they’re more like drawings in 3D. Each petal carries a line, a mark, a small decision of the hand.

I always find myself wondering: how do we show our voice as illustrators, not just in a drawing, but in the way we build something in space? A question I ALWAYS ask myself with every book I make.

What will your summer seaside look like?

Paper Stories @svslearn
June 2026

#illustrationstudents
#illustrationworkshop
#illustrationclass
#illustrationprocess
#childrensbookillustration
#picturebookillustration
#visualstorytelling
#illustrationcommunity

#paperillustration
#paperdiorama
#cutpaperart
#3Dillustration
#papercraftart
#handmadeillustration
#paperstories
#paperstoriesworkshop
#svslearn
#creativepractice by @svslearn

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7 months ago