Laura Jacobsen
Laura has been drawing, painting, doodling, beading, sculpting and generally making a mess her whole life. She was very fortunate to have both parents and teachers who not only indulged her creative whims but also encouraged them.

She finished her formal school career at The Columbus College of Art and Design where she received a B.F.A. in Illustration. She has since been enrolled in the graduate program of How to Make a Living Sitting on Your Fanny Drawing.

Her work has appeared in many, many textbooks, wonderful magazines like Cricket, Spider, Ladybug, Ask and Highlights for Children, and in the picture books My Brother Loved Snowflakes, Animal Mischief, and The Best Eid Ever. Her most recently published picture book is A Party in Ramadan, published by Boyds Mills Press.

Laura would be happy to share her talents and experience with your class or group.

Presentations
This is What I Do

Laura will go through the process of making a picture book, starting with how to get an art director’s attention and get the job (also known as How To Be A Pest 101), reading through the manuscript, the first set of sketches all the way to finished art and the wacky fun in between. Additional topics covered include, how to convince the art director your idea is better than his without losing the job, why your studio does not have to be neat and the pluses and minuses of working all day in your pajamas.
The Same, but Different

Laura talks about illustrating the books The Best Eid Ever and A Party in Ramadan. She goes through the process of researching and learning about a different culture in order to portray the holiday traditions and every day life as accurately as possible. Laura will talk about the many things that were different from her experiences, but also the many things that were the same, such as family, doing for others and the pride kids can feel in attempting and accomplishing something “grown-up”. She will invite the kids the talk about their own family holiday traditions and experiences and how they are different, but also contain elements that unite us all as human.

This is How I Draw Faces

Laura will walk students through the basics of drawing a face while they draw along. Topics include “Noses: How Big is Too Big?”, “Eyes: Are Two Enough?”, and “Can a Mouth be Just a Line?” This is a fun and interactive presentation for all ages.
The Buffet

Laura can also design a presentation to fit your current lesson plans or group needs. Presentations can be tailored to fit time constraints and can include drawing people and animals, and how writing and illustrating go together.