Robert Liu-Trujillo's Blog, page 2

School visit-CCA Picture Book Workshop 2

Alright so I must be lucky or highly favored or something because I’ve been invited to give a workshop to young artists at one of the most prestigious art schools in the Bay; California College of the Arts. And, they allowed me to come in and speak about a format of art that i LOVE. Picture books!!!!!

I’ve taken classes about making picture books. I have literally read hundreds of them. I’ve illustrated them, and written a few. I love making them, reading them, studying them, and I have enjoyed sharing what I know about the mechanics of picture books as I understand them.

OG artist, Papa, cartoonist, and professor Fred Noland invited me to speak and I began by talking about my non linear path to a career in the arts. I laid out a series of picture books for the students to check out. Some really old, some from the last twenty years, some new ones, and some of my own.

On the table is a series of picture books by creators that also worked in comics.

In this workshop I focused on:

CharacterStory taglinesSynopsisThumbnailsPicture book spread

I asked the students to go through the process of coming up with a picture book story as an exercise and they DID! We used original and existing characters to achieve this. Then we shared them so they could see each others work.

I started doing a similar method of exercise that I began doing 20 years ago teaching while teaching graffiti lettering to young people all over the Bay Area and NYC. Its a way for me to teach but also for them to learn from their peers who inevitably have a different take on it.

All in all, one of my favorite things about being a visiting artist for high school or college undergrads is being able to give no bullshit answers about what its like to make your living doing this. Sometimes the answers are dreamy and sometimes they’re more blunt. Fred’s class had great energy and questions. I feel like I learned from them too.

Dig this? Check out these other visits to colleges.

California College of the Arts Modesto Jr College San Francisco State University

Inspiring Artist-Eva Sánchez Gómez

I came to Eva’s work through Instragram. In the general feed (if I’m checking out illustration) I occasionally see some heat and I loved this image right away when I saw it. Eva is a DOPE illustrator from Spain who uses traditional media such as water color and colored pencils to create some of the illest illustrations I’ve ever seen. Check out more of her work here.

Her work has a fierceness and softness to it that is unmatched. I love the down to earth emotion and the wild out there fantastical elements to it.

What’s this? This is where I share inspiring artists that have been inspiring to me in my work sometimes directly and other times indirectly. I loved seeing Eva Sánchez Gómez’s work online and hope to check some of her picture books one day if I can get them in the United States. Here are some other artists to check out:

Bea Gifted – illustrator

Elizabeth Catlett – Sculptor and fine artist

Olivia Fields– Illustrator, cartoonist

Helen Mingjue Chen– Illustrator, concept artist

Check out an interview w/Eva here.

Dig this? Check out my last inspiration board

School Visit – San Francisco State University

This past month I got the opportunity to speak to undergrad and graduate students in “Ethnic Studies” and the “Department of Latino/a Studies” at San Francisco State University (SFSU) in California. Leticia Hernandez-Linares, a bad ass poet, professor, mama, activist, and my co-creator of “Alejandria Fights Back/ La Lucha de Alejandria” invited me to speak to a room full of students of all ages.

SFSU is the first college I went to straight out of high school. While there I took classes in design, fine art, and ethnic studies before transferring to an art school. I didn’t realize it then, but going to a school so rich in different types of people, and having access to so much knowledge about my culture was a gift. It was once I went to other schools that I realized what I took for granted. SFSU is the first college alongside UC Berkeley to fight for a curriculum that centered Black, Brown, indigenous, and Asian American history in the United States ever! Also know as Ethnic Studies which I talk about a lot here. Learn more about that college HERE.

Short videos about Ethnic Studies

PBS Origins video about the strike that led to Ethnic Studies in 1968 (10 min) Danny Glover on 1968 student strike for Ethnic Studies-History of the Bay (1 min) Theresa Montaño on why Pro Israeli groups want to censor Ethnic Studies (1 min) Ethnic Studies is Anti White Supremacy not Anti White! (1 min) Dr Allyson Tintiangco-Cabales giving a presentation about Ethnic Studies (25 min)

I spoke about:

A career in the artsBenefits/ effects of Ethnic Studies courses at SFSU and how I incorporate it into artPublic ArtFreelance IllustrationPolitical ArtChildren’s BooksSolidarity and coalition building

Walls by muralist Juana Alicia (mural by artist above left), was greeted by the mural of Malcolm X by Spie One (above right).

While I was there I took a very brief walk on campus to reminisce about some of the buildings. The quad, the cafeteria, the huge grass field, the murals, etc. As a student I often attended my classes and went back to Oakland and Berkeley to hang with my homies. While I love them and doing that, I built some strong bonds w/other students and wish I would’ve taken advantage of the container of community there.

I spent sooo much time in this building as a student there. Books, food, sleeping, lol. Even met the mother of my first child there, ha!

I had a great time speaking to the students and I’m trying to be honest, forthcoming, respectful, and open minded not only as a visiting speaker but as someone who answers questions about what its like to be a professional artist or to be multi-disciplinary in my work.

Dig this? Check out these other visits to colleges and libraries.

Modesto Jr College California College of the Arts

Cody Hammer – photographer

Cool short video about this indigenous photographer out in Oklahoma named Cody Hammer.

Dig this? Check out this video about Stephanie Bueno (photographer/lowrider)

Picture Book Recommendation-Our Little Kitchen

This is a picture book I read recently and love. Our Little Kitchen by Jillian Tamaki is a great book about community, mutual aid, and of course cooking a meal! Check it out from your local library or purchase it from your local bookstore. Watch my review.

Dig this? Check out “Gathering the Sun”

Fairyland Children’s Book Fest-9/20/25

Hey fam, I will be at this years “Fairyland Children’s Book Fair” supporting the Youth Writers Workshop. This past Spring I had the distinct pleasure of working with artist Michaela Ellis to design and plan an awesome series of workshops incorporating team building, games, writing, and drawing exercises, and time to work on their own stories. Some of those stories have been completed and will be published in a journal which you can get that supports young writers. At this years Fest Whitley Gilbert and I will be introducing some of these young creators to you and tabling with them where you can come get your book signed by them

Ok, come check us out and meet one or two of the 30+ authors who will be there such as Nidhi Chanani, Natasha Triplett, Laura Atkins, Bo Lu, Eugenia Yoh, Malick Sickstein, Charlotte Cheng, Angela Dalton, and more.

September 20th , 10am-4pm

MORE INFO HERE

Dig this? Check out their Instagram

Story Sunbirds Virtual Summit (Panel)

Hey fam, I have the pleausre of speaking on a panel for the Story Sunbirds, a new children’s book organization. This is their mission:

At Story Sunbirds, our mission is to cultivate a dynamic and inclusive children’s literature community rooted in justice and anti-racism and anti-colonialism. As a collective of writers, illustrators, and publishing professionals, we prioritize the holistic growth and needs of all children, ensuring their voices and experiences are at the forefront of our creative work.

I will be on a panel called “Finding a Unique Path That’s True to You” which will be about getting into making children’s books by any means necessary, with Intisar Khanani, Navjot Kaur, Zetta Elliott, and moderated by Danielle Davis.

REGISTER TO JOIN US

Here is a schedule for the other panels and discussions. Even if you dont ask questions or speak, you can still participate by attending.

Dig this? Check out their Instagram

History: Sears Roebuck Catalogues

This was an excellent video about a little known fact about US and White history here in America. Apartheid. Jim Crow. Basically separate worlds and laws for White Americans and everyone else, especially Black Americans. And this was not that long ago, 50 maybe 60 years ago. For context, I am 46 years old. My mother is 65.

Watch

Dig this? Check out the Contract Buyers League

Warm up First – Vinyl sticker

I did two versions of this and scrapped the first one in favor of this. Its hand writing. instead of painting and I like how it came out. Its a gentle reminder to warm up before you get to business creatively. Maybe you’re a singer, a sculptor, designers, dancer, athlete, coder, organizer, painter, photographer, whatever. It helps to warm up or practice first.

Get a sticker HERE

Dig this? Check out this “Stay Principled & Curious” sticker

Character 183 – Portal

I just took a Loish class online which was inspired by Eliza Ivanova and a few others and tried out what they do using pencil and smudging or shading and it came out dope. Using her reference I made this and thought of sister opening a portal.

Dig this? Check out my collage of characters 2022-2024