Interview with Orlando Arocena

Our guest today, Orlando Arocena, is a great designer and creative consultant for Brand and Shopper initiatives. “I hate erasing, and would rather try to make my ‘mistakes’ work in my favor. It’s my golden rule.” – he says. Learn more about Orlando and his illustrations after the jump.

Hi and thank you very much for this opportunity! I’m a first generation Mexican-Cuban-American, who grew up in the Bronx, with a passion for art and design. I had the honor to be the first person in my family to attend college and graduated from Pratt Institute in 1994 with a Bachelors in Communication Design. Back then, there was only one lonely apple computer, for the whole college…so ruby lith sliced fingers and photo developer bleach stains on my clothing was a daily rite of passage.

I took jobs that would satiate my curiosity, but were still within the realms of art and design. Animation Gallery Curator for Warner Bros. Studio Stores, a security guard at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, starting up “Uptown Arts”, with a focus on representing local urban artists, to just name a few. I wanted to learn more about how people interact and appreciate art and apply that to my own creative endeavors – with the goal of being like an N.C. Wyeth, Howard Pyle or even a Maxfield Parrish – artists that I respect for bridging the gap between the commercial and the fine arts.

Then in 1997 I was presented with teaching art in Mexico or accepting the offer letter to a real design job. At the time I had saved enough to invest in my first computer and decided to take the path of commercial design, with a promise to myself to pursue personal art in the future.

I was first introduced to vector while working at TROMA Entertainment, the guys famous for the Toxic Avenger. Back then my art director, now one of my best friends, showed me the production value of illustrator.

At the same time, I was very much a big fan of Manga, and wanted to emulate the 3 tier tone technique used on their hand-painted production cels. After teaching myself more about the program and becoming more comfortable with it, I found it to be very fulfilling. The overall look and the instant gratification allowed me see my ideas take shape quickly.

I’m still experimenting with it, finding new ways to achieve airbrush-like fades with simple gradients, that in itself is one on my favorite attributes of illustrator – the ability to adjust opacities within the gradient color bar! Adjusting transparencies is another beneficial feature that I use sparingly and try not to abuse. Overall, I enjoy being a bit traditional with vector, plotting and drawing rather than relying on filters.

My responsibilities often consist of collaborating with both the creative departments and marketing/sales teams to build brand awareness. Unlike freelancing as a designer, I actually get to offer up strategic ideas that then get implemented and executed throughout many consumer touch points. I also get a chance to contribute exploratory Hero designs.

I’m most comfortable with designing/illustrating key art for the promotion of any brand. I have a history of working on promoting sports and entertainment as well as consumer packaged goods. At the moment I’m also trying to create a portfolio dedicated to sci-fi and fantasy art, an area that has always intrigued me but never seriously considered pursuing it up until now.

As for accepting work beyond the their scope – I try not to over promise. I’d rather stay grounded with what the client’s expectations are, especially if the initiative is supported by a brief that I can use as a filter for gauging my ideas.

Yeah, a little of both. What mattered most, regardless of success or failure, is always the learning experience. That in itself is always rewarding, getting a deeper understanding about client expectations, reactions from the consumer groups and how it all plays a vital role with future ideas.

The 2012 New York International Auto Show is a recent opportunity that I will cherish, as both an automobile enthusiast and long time fan of the NYIAS.

I decided to offer up a design that would be appreciated by both the mature world-class collector of fine automobiles, to the boy who adorns his bookshelf with a spectrum of toy cars and portraits of popular race car drivers. I drew insights from this level of dedicated fandom with the intent to deliver a key signage that everyone would want to own.

The key visual leveraged the Statue of Liberty (who celebrated a 125th anniversary) in an iconic classic hood ornament pose, with art deco cues implying style and speed, as well as reinforcing NYC’s history as the host for the event.

The speculation of subliminal advertising has always made me laugh. It’s simply just a hoax. Sure there will always be people who perceive more than what is present within any advertising composition. Some designers might try to include something as personal as a practical joke, but in all honesty, what the audience tends to forget is the process of quality control. Before any piece of design is allowed to be released, it is thoroughly checked by the agencies quality control department, ensuring the work is valid and free of any inconsistencies.

“Good Brand building” is about smart ideas that help reinforce the brand personality and the consumer benefit. This all derives from collecting data from many areas: competitive landscape, consumer feed back and also understanding the brand’s history, to name just a few. These are the elements that fuel the building of ideas that are relevant to the target consumer. Relevancy is vital for brand growth.

A small design firm that is able to deliver upon this principal demonstrates to the client that big ideas aren’t just limited to the larger, global agencies. What’s important is how the smaller agency continues to understand and reinforce brand equity to develop brand muscle.

As an in-house consultant, I get to collaborate and offer insights towards building ideas and solutions. These ideas then result in possible tactics for the general market to gain awareness of the Brand. Often at times a write up and a design exploratory is needed to help support the idea.

For me taking on freelance work is more about being selected to deliver an idea through a unique design, and not collaborating upon the many possible tactics that will engage the consumers. Personally, there are several advantages of freelancing:

I really enjoy starting a new job, it gives me the opportunity to build new relationships and get to know different personalities – this applies for both people and brands.The second is about quality of life. Being able to share time with family and friends, but also time to recharge and pursue personal interests. For me it’s a healthier way of exploring and leveraging what influences me and how I can incorporate it later.

Disadvantages: besides the lack of a benefits package, it would have to be the isolation.

I have no problem with being accountable for my work as an individual, but I also enjoy interacting with people, sharing ideas and inspiration towards a common goal.

Wow! Thanks for the compliment. I enjoy a challenge, and lets face it – vector art is so unforgiving!

I’m a traditionalist and enjoy keeping things native to just clean vector. In my opinion combining raster images into a vector layout, turns the composition into a mixed digital medium and no longer a “vector” illustration. Sure I have done work like this in the past, but I wouldn’t solely call them “vector illustrations”. I enjoy keeping my rasters and vectors separate. I guess its all dependent on the overall look that I choose to create.

Mesh gradients, can deliver very impressive results but are also very time consuming, but cheers to all of you that play with this feature – your work is amazing!

Filters are probably the only pet peeve I have. Okay, I sometimes use the bevel and warp for text, but decide to stay away from plug-in effects. Personally, plug-in effects just take all the fun out of exploring the possibilities of creating unique things from scratch.

I think that’s the underlying benefit of what makes a majority of my illustrations unique without relying on outside sources.

I remember being enthralled by the surrealists and their “automatic drawing” technique, at the same time I was really into Buddhist and Taoist philosophy.

And developed this game of sketching with ballpoint, sumi brushes, magic marker – basically any drawing tool that prevented me from erasing. It allowed me to observe and then react, and at times having to find a viable solution to turning what could be perceived as a “mistake” to an actual benefit to the sketch. Now, I feel comfortable enough to “Look and simultaneously react”.

Do I use this in my everyday life and vector/digital art?…Yes and no. I’ve adopted a version of this “Ball Point philosophy” into my personal everyday life. I think its always insightful to “turn the tide” on what could be perceived as a personal mistake, but modifying that same mistake into a positive.

With my vector/design work, I initially play with a conscious idea, do a bit of sketching and then move forward with evolving the visual composition. For vector sketching, working with either the brush tool or pencil has its immediate rewards, especially when a stroke is combined with a gradient fill-in. Cmd + Z is used very frequently along the creative path (no pun intended) only because at this point, I’m working on finalizing a composition and not just trying to quickly capture the essence of the subject matter.

Just like any artist, I’m subject to explore and illustrate different subject matter, especially those that may derive from my interests whether it be sci-fi, fantasy, cultural arts or even fashion. This particular inspiration fuels my imagination and creativity, allowing me to explore new techniques within vector that I can later implement on a future job.

For me, often at times when designing and illustrating, I leverage some of my agency tactics, one of them being to understand that there’s an audience for everything, even one that appreciates a thematic based on “bombastic–attitude totting–death defying–attractive–never say “die” women. I just add my own ingredients to spice it up a bit.

My own personal perspective on women? I think women are awesome, I love them. They are the embodiment of strength and sensuality. But please don’t judge me as thinking that all woman are evil, based on the theme of a few of my illustrations.

For those of you that are considering exploring vector art, it’s a very technical way to illustrate. It will definitely feel foreign and mechanical-but definitely explore it. Include what you know about traditional drawing, and develop an understanding about plotting out paths and anchor points. Just remember one important thing… have fun with it.

Thank You for this opportunity, I really appreciate your support.

View the original article here

An Interview With Yeva Babayan - Artist

She designed one of the first campaigns for major fashion label, Juicy Couture and has side fascination with metaphysics. Just your typical California girl...or not. Graphic designer, Yeva Babayan brings a touch of exotic class to her edgy illustrations. Check out the interview from this bright young artist!

Tell us a little about yourself, where are you from and where are you living now?

I was born and raised in Armenia during the Soviet Union era, came to America at the age of 10 and have been happily living in Glendale California ever since. Frequently I fantasize of living in New York, but the weather keeps pulling me back to Cali.

At what age did you begin illustrating? And when did it become a profession?

I honestly believe I started illustrating while still in my mother's womb. I knew from a very young age that art, in whatever form, would be my profession. In high school I attended the Pasadena Art Center College of Design art program and decided then to apply to their graphic design program. A great way to produce commercially viable work infused with illustration.

What people (artist or otherwise), places or things inspire you, and how? Salvador Dali has always been my greatest inspiration. His work is very metaphysical and never ending, There are infinite worlds in one painting, up for infinite interpretations, which in turn makes it timeless.

Essentially I'm mostly inspired by nothingness, and the phenomenon of rising forms within the nothingness. I usually create best when I stop thinking and let things flow, with no control or premeditation, then whatever comes out I build on. Seemingly insignificant things yield the grandest inspirations.

I'm also inspired by ancient civilizations, African tribes, their traditions, languages and body art.

Are you professionally trained or were you self taught?

I think an artist intuitively possess all the skills they will ever need to create. I've gone through classes in college that teach the "appropriate" way to hold a brush or use certain tools, but I don't think art or creation can really be taught because it's so personal. A teacher can pass on their technical skills, experience and views, but you are you're own best teacher, and in that respect I'm self taught.

What are your most used 'tools of the trade' (i.e markers, pens, etc)

At the moment I love watercolors. It's one medium that carries a lot of freedom and can be used with the least amount of control, which is something I'm a big fan of.

The infamous black ink pen has always been one of my favorite tools. But overall, I think the project dictates the tools to be used. One time I accidentally left a cup of Yerba Mate tea on the stove and was too lazy to clean it up, the next morning when it was all dry, it looked amazing, so for a week I was obsessed with painting with tea.

What are you working on at the moment?

I'm working on a series of paintings exploring the composition of the human body as it is constructed out of the predominant thought patterns a person holds. This is a personal project.

Can you tell us a little more about your 'Juicy Couture' pieces?

It was amazing working on this project as the brand was just taking off and there was no point of reference as far as "keeping on brand", which gave me total freedom to literally do whatever I wanted. The only thing I had to work with was the brand slogans, other then that it was complete mayhem. At the time they were my dream client! Each poster was born out of my interpretation of the slogans, and each interpretation would spring out of the most random things I would hear, see, feel and encounter that day.

What are your other interests beside art?

I love metaphysics, and read everything I can get my hands on. The human mind and the possibilities of it's use have always fascinated me. Foreign cinema and discovering new music is definitely a favorite pastime. Traveling and eating is something I love to indulge in as well, I'm a total foodie.

What is the worst parts of being a full time, working artist?

Well, the worst is realizing that at times the work flow can be so overwhelming that it seems my entire life is spent in the confines of my studio while there is a whole world out there to see and discover. I get a little claustrophobic, then get over it and dive back into the work.

And the best?

The best part is doing what you love and getting paid for it. The work is never repetitive and its beautiful to always be faced with a new challenge to solve. New ways to look at things, and know that what I'm doing is in some way touching or influencing another's life.

Any advice to up and coming artists?

Don't ever compromise your vision.

And there you have it, thanks for your contribution Yeva! We hope to see more of you.

Check out Yeva's other work at Website: [http://www.yevalution.com/]

To view this article with the original images visit http://designtavern.com/2008/11/12/yeva-babayan-artist/

Design Tavern http://www.designtavern.com

Interview with Debbie Glade, Author of The Travel Adventures of Lilly P Badilly

Debbie Glade has a Bachelor's Degree in Creative Writing from Florida State University. She has worked as a freelance writer, specifically as a travel writer for upscale cruise lines. She refers to herself as an "armchair traveler," which means reading, researching and writing without always traveling. Today, she is going to travel with us to Costa Rica through her characters' experiences.

Tyler: Welcome, Debbie. Matthew and I are very curious to learn more about your book. Matthew has a question for you to start us off.

Matthew: How did you get the idea for this story?

Debbie: The story developed as I created the characters. I knew I wanted Lilly to be smart and play the piano. I also wanted her to use her brainpower to solve a big problem. To add to that it was important to teach the readers about geography and culture. Before I wrote one word of the story I made a list of goals for my story. It had to be unique, adventurous, funny, scary and educational. Plus it had to make use out of my voice talents. I hope I achieved all that!

Tyler: Debbie, will you tell us a little bit about the main character, Lilly P Badilly?

Debbie: Lilly is a heroine not just because she saves her family and new friends, but also because she learns to control her fears and emotions by using her intelligence. Like other children (and adults), Lilly has several fears that make new experiences scary for her. But, by talking through these phobias and concentrating on solutions, she bravely makes it through a very frightening situation.

Lilly is always kind and thoughtful. She uses her brain power and book knowledge to solve problems peacefully and rationally. She is curious about everything in the world, and knows that she can learn a great deal through books.

Lilly is also very musically talented. Music both motivates her and calms her down.

Matthew: Why did you choose to have Lilly be a millipede instead of anything else?

Debbie: I love insects! Living in South Florida most of my life, I have been exposed to many crawling critters. When I lived in Denver, Colorado after college, I received comments often about how awful it must be to live in Miami, a place with so many cockroaches, other insects and lizards. I would laugh at the thought that people were afraid of South Florida because of our bugs and reptiles. I am an avid gardener and have seen some of the most unusual insects, spiders and snakes in my yard. I tend to look down when I am walking, so I see a lot of bugs on the ground.

I particularly chose a millipede because I find them to be fascinating creatures. They can fit through very small places, and they thrive in the humid climate of South Florida as well as Costa Rica. (I am sure there are many hiding in and around the Miami International Airport.) I love the fact that they have so many legs! And they live by eating decayed plant matter. What better character for a children's book than one who eats rotting plants only? Also in the real world, millipedes never harm humans or destroy homes like termites.

Tyler: What made you decide that Lilly would be a voracious reader and play the piano?

Debbie: My 15-year-old daughter, Rachel, inspired me to develop Lilly's character. Rachel always loved books, and was read to by many family members from the day she was born. She taught herself to read at a very young age and would beg us to buy her books and go to the library. She is in high school now and is a very voracious reader and a disciplined student. Rachel is an incredible problem solver! I am more of the somewhat excitable type. Her rational, practical way of thinking is very calming to me. She is the first person I go to for advice, and I can honestly say she has always steered me in the right direction. My daughter is also an accomplished pianist, who practices many hours each day. Her advanced sight-reading abilities allow her to experiment with all genres of music. My husband plays guitar and sings, and our house is always filled with music. The only downside is that I often trip on piles of sheet music.

Tyler: And what about Lilly's wonderful lyrical name? Is there a story behind its creation?

Debbie: Yes. My brother, Eric, always called my daughter "Silly Badilly" when she was young. He would tickle her and tease her relentlessly and repeatedly say, "You are such a Silly Badilly!" She would beg him to stop, but he wouldn't listen. Needless to say this was somewhat annoying, but it stuck with me. (Now my brother has 2 kids of his own, and I was planning to get back at him by teasing them, but his kids are too cute. I do talk to them a lot in my cartoon voice though, and they love it!) I liked the rhyming of Lilly Badilly and really get a kick out of it when Grandpa Willie calls his granddaughter "Silly Badilly." Of course, my brother wants full credit for the name.

Matthew: Why did the millipedes have to go to Costa Rica instead of somewhere else?

Debbie: They did not have to go anywhere in particular. But it was important that they travel someplace interesting and unique with a lot of nature. With all my travel writing experience, Costa Rica was the perfect place. Besides, there are a lot of flights from Miami to Costa Rica as well as other Central American cities.

Costa Rica is home to some of the earth's greatest natural treasures. About one quarter of this small nation is protected wildlife. The diversity of plants, animals and volcanoes of Costa Rica are like that of no other place on earth. There are more than 1,500 different species of orchids alone. And brilliant blue morphos are among the countless species of butterflies in the cloud forests and rainforests. One of the most intriguing animals I've ever read about is the leaf cutter ant. There are scientists who devote their careers to studying them.

I really thought that since Lilly is such an avid reader and environmentalist, Costa Rica would be a fine place to travel. I hope that the book sends a message to children everyone that we must preserve our precious environment.

Matthew: Have you ever been to Costa Rica?

Debbie: Not yet, but I am hoping to go very soon!

Tyler: Debbie, how on earth does a millipede travel to Costa Rica?

Debbie: Well, Lilly and her grandparents live in a hole in the wall in Concourse A of the Miami International Airport. They never really seem to go anywhere. It is Grandma Nellie's idea one day that the family members sneak into a briefcase to board a flight to Costa Rica. Of course, most millipedes pack lightly, but the Badillys travel with backpacks.

Matthew: Where were Lilly's parents and why didn't they go on the trip too?

Debbie: That is a great mystery that will be revealed some time in the future.

Tyler: Will you tell us a little bit about Lilly's travel companions?

Debbie: Lilly lives with and travels with her grandparents, Nellie O. Badilly and Willie Z. Badilly. Nellie is very bossy and adventurous. She wears a gray wig! Grandpa Willie is very cautious and gentle, so his wife generally gets to make the decisions! These two characters were inspired by my real life grandparents, who were wonderful and fascinating in every way. Grandpa Willie has some of my husband's traits as well.

Lilly's grandparents are protective of her. But they also look to her for expertise about a lot of things, because they know how smart their granddaughter is and how much she reads.

Tyler: I can't imagine it's easy being a millipede. What kinds of dangers do Lilly and her family encounter in Costa Rica?

Debbie: Being small has its challenges. (And I know this first hand, because I am just under 5 feet tall myself.) The members of the Badilly family have to make sure they are not squished by anyone or anything while traveling. They have to hide in a briefcase or suitcase on the plane, so no one sees them. People tend to scream when they see bugs and cause a big commotion. And it is scary in that darkness! Luckily Grandpa Willie has a flashlight.

Another challenge for them is transportation when they get to Costa Rica. But with proper planning and investigating they figure it all out. It can be convenient to fit in small spaces and squeeze through cracks.

Once they enter the rainforest, the Badillys are faced with unfamiliar territory. Not only do they have to protect themselves from terrible weather without the comforts of home, but they also have to protect themselves and others they meet along the way. All I will say is they encounter a creepy enemy named Ruth Less. It seems as though there is no solution to the sticky situation, but Lilly knows better.

Tyler: Why did you decide to create a companion CD for the book?

Debbie: I have a special cartoon voice I have always used, and it really makes people laugh. I created a few other voice characterizations as well. I wanted to give Lilly a memorable voice and make the story come to life. Also, even though "The Travel Adventures of Lilly P Badilly" is a picture book, it is quite advanced for young readers. With the CD, children who are very young or not quite ready to read at this level can enjoy the story. Even those who read well like the multidimensional aspect of the voices, music and sound effects. All the sound effects of the rain forest are authentic Costa Rican recordings from an amazing website at http://www.naturesongs.com. We are finding that parents are just as into the CD as the kids are, because it is very entertaining.

Matthew: How did you make all of those voices on the CDs all by yourself?

Debbie: I have had my Lilly voice since I was 9 years old. And I am always goofing around with voices. I tried to think about what each of the characters in the book would sound like. Then I experimented with a lot of different ideas before coming up with the voices on the CD. I sure had to practice a lot not to get confused with the different voices while recording it all! It's not as easy as it sounds.

Tyler: Will you tell us about the CD? Who wrote the music and the song lyrics and how it was recorded?

Debbie: As I mentioned, I use different voices for each character. I also narrate the story. The CD is very lively and really brings emotion and depth to the plot. I wrote the lyrics to all the songs. Rachel wrote the entire musical score and then worked with me on the songs to fit in with the themes of each scene. It was a time consuming process, because we wanted everything to be original, funny or scary and lively. Rachel is always swamped with homework from school, so it was challenging to fit time in for writing sessions. Somehow we did it. And I have to say we laughed a lot during the process.

My husband, John, wrote 2 of the songs and really livened up the music with his harmonica! John and Rachel practiced the music together and directed me the day of the recording. I am the only Glade family member without musical talents. I am not that great of a singer, but with my cartoon voice, it somehow works.

The day of the recording was really special. Somehow we recorded the 35-minute CD straight through, from narration to music and voice to voice. We went back and changed a few things, but we were well rehearsed. Cliff, the sound engineer at Sunflower Recording Studios had a good laugh that day at my voices.

John plays the guitar and harmonica on the CD. Rachel plays the piano, sitar and tambourine. I would never have even tried to record the story without music, and I could not have done it without their talents!

Matthew: Why did you decide to put music and singing in the book?

Debbie: Music is such an important part of life. My house is always filled with music, since my daughter plays the piano daily and sometimes the sitar, and my husband plays the guitar and sings often. Plus music is what saves Lilly from her enemy!

Matthew: Why was all the singing really funny? I liked the singing and thought it was funny to listen to.

Debbie: I am glad you thought it was funny! I think readers really want to laugh and be entertained. Even if something frightening is going on in the story, it is okay to laugh. And I can tell you firsthand that parents want to be entertained as much as their kids.

Tyler: I thought the music was hilarious, myself, Debbie, but I want to ask you about the illustrations. They are so colorful and enjoyable to look at. Were you inspired by photographs of Costa Rica in choosing their colors?

Debbie: Yes, I was inspired by photographs and a lot by the gardens around Miami. I have a lot of gardening books too. We have a similar climate to Costa Rica and grow some of the same plants here. Of course, we do not have any volcanoes in Florida! I wanted to make the pictures as colorful as possible. Like most people, I am always drawn to books and art with vivid colors.

Tyler: How did you draw them? It looks like they were outlined with a pen or marker, but did you use paints, or markers or colored pencils or a mixture?

Debbie: I used watercolor pencils, then a wet brush to turn them into paints. I also used pan watercolors to cover large surface areas. And I outlined a lot of the figures with black ink to make them pop off the page. One technique I experimented with was drawing some of the smaller insects and animals on separate sheets of paper. Then I cut them out and glued them on the page over other artwork. After the pages were scanned, those pictures almost looked like they are raised on the page.

Tyler: Did it take you longer to make the illustrations than to write the story? What made you decide to have illustrations and to do it yourself?

Debbie: I spent so many hours on the illustrations, the revisions of the story and the music-over 1 year. But I think the rewriting and proofreading took the longest. I wrote several versions of the book and then started painting. If the paintings were not interesting enough, due to the story not developing quickly enough, I changed the story to make it flow better. It is important to keep the reader interested at all times.

I painted the pictures at the dining room table in my house, because that room has the best natural light. I went back and forth from the dining room to my home office to make copy changes on the computer, on the other side of the house. I wonder how many miles I walked in my own house.

Tyler: Have you been painting for long? What kind of artwork have you done in the past?

Debbie: I have always been an artist of sorts. I used to paint with pastels when I was younger. I have done thousands of craft projects. Rachel and I have volunteered at a senior center several times to make holiday crafts. I am handy at decorating and painting walls. I also love to make quilts, and I made the costumes for my daughter's school play.

Tyler: What age group do you think will enjoy "The Travel Adventures of Lilly P Badilly" and what responses have you received from readers so far?

Debbie: Kids ages 5-10 will enjoy the book. Those who are too young or not advanced enough to read the book can listen to the CD and look at the pictures. Even though many ten-year-olds read chapter books, they will still enjoy this picture book because it is quite sophisticated. The first child who read my book is my friend's ten-year-old son. He is bright but has a bit of trouble concentrating when he reads. He sat still through the entire recording and followed along in the book. He loved it!

So far the response to my book has been very positive. People really laugh when they listen to the CD. I have had a lot of positive feedback on my illustrations as well. My goal is to collect short reviews from all the children who read the book and post them on my website at http://www.lillybadilly.com.

Tyler: Debbie, did you always want to be a writer?

Debbie: I used to want to be an actor, so I guess in a way I had my opportunity on the CD. Ha! The truth is that I entered college with no direction and was confused about what to study. I had chosen Communications on a whim, but quickly learned that it was such a popular major that I had trouble getting the classes I needed to finish in 4 years. I was waiting in a long line to sign up for classes (before computers and internet). I overheard several students saying that it was going to take them 6 years to get their degree, because there were not enough spaces in each class for all the students. I asked someone in line behind me what college was housed in the brick building across the street. I was told it was for English majors, so I left the line and changed my major. I did not want to spend 6 years doing something I should have been able to (and did) finish in 4. Of course, I would not have done it had I not liked to read and write.

What is funny is that I sort of fell into becoming an actual writer. I was working for a bank doing some customer service and marketing work. A lot of people got laid off from their jobs, including me. A woman I had worked with, who also lost her job, got a marketing position at a cruise line. One day she called out of desperation asking me to help bail her out. Her professional writer had a personal crisis and the cruise line had an emergency deadline to finish a HUGE brochure. She had remembered that I was known at the bank for my writing skills. I told her that I knew nothing about travel writing, but I would try my best. They gave me some information I could use about the destinations, and I went to the library and checked out a lot of books about the world. I had to stay awake as many hours as I could during a 72-hour period and write, write, write. It was stressful, but I did it. The photography and layout of the final brochure was spectacular, and the cruise line won an advertising award. That marked the beginning of a 13-year career writing for upscale cruise lines. (The artist responsible for that brochure, Tim Ravenna, helped me with the layout of my book 20 years later!)

I also wrote a lot of resumes and cover letters for people and other marketing pieces for a wide variety of businesses. Over the years, you would not believe how many times my name was referred to people who needed help when their writers did not pull through. Being reliable is just as important as writing well.

Tyler: Debbie, what do you hope children will gain from reading about Lilly and her adventures?

Debbie: More that anything, I wrote the book so children could make reading a life long pleasure. As I came up with the idea for this travel adventure, I kept teachers in mind as well, knowing it could help entertain their students and get them interested in books. Also, geography knowledge among students and adults is something that is lacking in America, and we need to start educating our kids about the rest of the world starting at the earliest possible age.

I'd like to think this book stirs up the curiosity in all who read it to go out and seek more information-whether it is about geography, culture, insects, plants, conservation, volcanoes or music. Just as much as I like to read and write, I love to research. There is so much information out there about any and every subject-not just on the internet and in books, but also in the minds of the many people we meet in our daily lives.

Another message I wanted to relay in this book is that it is cool to be smart and that kids do not have to fit into any specified group to have a happy and productive life.

Tyler: Debbie, do you think Lilly is likely to have any more adventures?

Debbie: I would love to see Lilly board another plane to some place exotic and experience something totally new. There's a whole wide world out there waiting to be discovered.

Tyler: Thank you for joining me today, Debbie. Before we go, will you tell us about your website and what additional information our readers might find there about "The Travel Adventures of Lilly P Badilly: Costa Rica"?

Debbie: My website is http://www.lillybadilly.com. The home page offers those interested in the book a sample of Lilly singing as well as some of the authentic Costa Rican sound effects. There are also sample pages you can click on to hear and see some of the inside of the book. I have devoted a long page to facts about Costa Rica, and I have written about some of the most interesting or most abundant plants and animals. I also painted watercolor pictures of each plant or animal described. There are photos of my family recording the CD and we've each written a paragraph about our experience recording.

I hope readers enjoy navigating the site. There is page to order the book online, and also if you click on Smart Poodle Publishing and then on Smart Poodle Blog, you can add comments. I love to hear from readers, parents, grandparents and teachers alike!

Tyler: Thank you, Matthew, for assisting me today. I bet you have a long career before you as a book reviewer, and hopefully, Debbie, you'll come back again so Matthew and I can continue to talk to you. We wish you and Lilly Badilly many more exciting adventures.

Tyler R. Tichelaar of Reader Views was pleased to be joined by Debbie Glade, to talk about her new children's book "The Travel Adventures of Lilly P Badilly: Costa Rica," Smart Poodle Publishing (2008), ISBN 9780980030792. They were also joined by Matthew Feliciano, the seven-and-a-half-year-old reviewer.

http://www.readerviews.com/

Interview With Artist-Illustrator KC Snider

Do you consider yourself to be a born illustrator?

Yes! I've been drawing since I was 10 years old. I can't remember wanting to do anything else but to be an artist. I greatly admired the work of Norman Rockwell, America's most famous illustrator; his work had a great influence on me. As a young adult, I attended commercial art school and graduated with honors. I intended on becoming a commercial illustrator, but marriage and family came first. With encouragement from many people including my husband, I began to paint again and became more of a fine artist. Now through my association with Mary Jean Kelso and then Guardian Angel Publishing, I have been able to add illustration to my portfolio.

Did you always want to be an illustrator?

I would say that I have always been an illustrator because even when I am painting a piece that is just for my own enjoyment, I am telling a story.

What do you do for inspiration and unleashing your creativity?

When I was illustrating Mayra's picture book, "The Magic Violin," I played classical music. It was a great inspiration to me. Usually, it is not hard for me to get inspiration. Because I love my work so much, sometimes my fingers just itch to pick up the brush or pencil.

Describe your working environment.

I have a studio with lots of windows in my home that is devoted to my work. Right now, we are doing a little remodeling and I'll have a new wood floor and a cabinet with a glass door to display my ribbons and awards for my art. My studio is my sanctuary. My husband, Fred, has a separate studio for his framing which we built this past year. That has given me a lot more space in my own studio which I needed because I may have a number of pieces in progress at any given time.

Are you a disciplined illustrator? What is your working style?

Yes, I am very disciplined. As a trained commercial artist, I know that I have to complete my work in a timely manor. And I love my work; I love the sense of accomplishment when a piece is finished and I get kudos from my family and friends. Although I work at all times of the day, I do a lot of my work in the evening. At times I will get so engrossed in my work that it will be 2 am before I put down the brush or pencil. When I'm illustrating, I typically have a work of fine art in progress that I switch to from time to time just to give me a break. Right now my work in progress is a painting of some pioneer children, their teacher and a one-room school house in the late 1800's.

Do you have a website/blog where readers may learn more about you and your works?

You bet: http://kcsniderart.com/

What are you working on now?

I'm illustrating the second in the series of 'Andy and Spirit' books written by Mary Jean Kelso, titled "Andy and Spirit Go to the Fair." The first in the series, "Andy and the Albino Horse," will be published by Guardian Angel Publishing in April 2008. This has been a very challenging series for me because the subject is much more complicated. Andy is a young boy in a wheelchair, so I have a new dimension to think about. And Spirit is an albino mustang, a very unusual horse. This series promises to be a wonderful story line for children and parents as it teaches about tolerance and compassion.

Where are your books available?

Guardian Angel Publishing, B&N, Amazon or order in person at Barnes and Noble or Borders book store.

What was your experience in working with a writer?

The first book I illustrated was "The Christmas Angel" written by Mary Jean Kelso who happens to be a personal friend. During the process of illustrating that book, Mary had very little input. Then I was given the opportunity to illustrate "The Magic Violin" written by Mayra Calvani. Mayra wanted more input and I want to thank her for all of her assistance during the process. I learned so much about working with a writer as the emails flew back and forth from Oregon to Belgium. It was a great experience. Now that I am illustrating another book for Mary, we are communicating constantly about the illustrations and I feel that my work is better because of this collaboration.

Mayra Calvani is an author and book reviewer. Visit her website at http://www.MayrasSecretBookcase.blogspot.com

Interview with Illustrator Tom Percival

Tom Percival is a writer, illustrator and animator who is based in the United Kingdom. He has created the illustrations for the successful Skullduggery book series and his own picture books, Tobias and Home for Mr Tipps. During the following interview, Tom shares his knowledge and experience on working within the creative and publishing industry.

I made a conscious decision during 2004 to become an illustrator. Prior to this I was working in a web-based design agency in London. The work that I did there was occasionally illustrative, but mainly I did a lot of animated gifs, Flash work, animation and a bit of coding on simple games.

I studied graphic design at University and up until then used to draw all day every day. When I attended university I focused on motion graphics and music production. I guess it was a bit of a deviation, but ultimately any creative skills that you learn feeds back into each other, so it was by no means a waste of time.

Besides, I do a lot of motion graphics work alongside my illustration work to help promote the books that I write and illustrate. Because I can create the music, animation and illustration work, it means that I have a very clear idea of how I want the final piece to be presented.

When I decided to become a full time illustrator I reduced my working week to three days at my full-time job and used the other two days to build up my portfolio. My salary was obviously cut down dramatically, but I did get a good portfolio together and managed to secure an agent.

Soon after I left my job but continued to do freelance graphic design to cover the periods when I wasn’t getting any illustration work. I gradually phased that out until I was a full time illustrator. So it was a pretty cautious approach, I know some people just jump into these things, but having grown up in a caravan with NO MONEY WHATSOEVER, I was very keen to make sure I could actually make a living from illustration before I left a secure job!

I have a lots of different influences as I work across a lot of different styles in a number of mediums and in different genres. To list all the people who have inspired me would take a long time! One thing that I would say is that it’s best to be inspired by the message in someone’s work as opposed to the aesthetic, otherwise you can quite easily just become a clone of them.

I guess the single biggest influence on my work would probably be Dave McKean. I saw an exhibition of his work when I was about 13 and it absolutely blew me away. His approach to his whole career is fantastic and he sets himself no restrictions on the areas that he can or can’t work in.

The most inspiring site I have come a cross recently is Pinterest.com. It’s a fantastic place to see just how much amazing artwork is being created. It can also contain a lot of home decoration material which isn’t really my thing, but you know, ‘horses for courses’!

I get some work through my agent, especially the commercial work – for the last few years I have created all of ASDA’s halloween characters and there is no way that they would have been aware of me or my work if it wasn’t for my agent.

I work two days a week at Harper Collins Publishers doing all their creative marketing for the children’s division so I know quite a lot of people in Publishing now – I guess that counts as word of mouth?

I do pitch ideas for some projects, as that’s how the picture book work comes around. Again, I have an agent who goes to speak to the editors and I don’t do that directly until a contract has been drawn up. Finally, I get work from Twitter and Facebook. By the way if you want to follow me on twitter go to @TomPercivalSays

My studio is a complete mess. I’d love to be one of those people who sits at a pristine desk surrounded by neat filing units but instead my Wacom tablet is the only clear surface in the entire studio.

Currently I have a set of weights, a baby-walker (my sons, I’ve not needed one of those for years) stacks of 1950's national geographic (very cool for research/inspiration), an etching press and LOTS of pieces of paper with drawings, linocuts, screen prints and paintings on.

I always start work by hand, so for example, with a Skulduggery picture, I draw the figures in pencil on cartridge paper and then shade them using Letraset Markers. I used to shade my line art on the computer, but I prefer the look and feel of working with the markers. It’s nice to have originals too.

Then I scan the images in and tint the shading on the computer, adding additional highlights and shadows, digitally if necessary. I finally composite all the characters and background elements together in Photoshop. For the final image I often use 3D assets, photography, painting, drawing and found/scanned objects (to create texture.)

I use vector programs mainly in animation work or for the more commercial illustration work. All of my ASDA Halloween illustration work is vector based, as they need to be able to scale some of the illustrations up to fit across a whole supermarket isle.

I draw freehand in Flash with the Wacom and then export as a FXG file as all the other export options from Flash seem to monkey around with the colours for some reason! I just find the vector drawing tools in flash so much more intuitive, although Illustrator is obviously more precise for ‘pure’ vector artwork.

The agency I was working with on the ASDA Halloween characters had requested Illustrator files, so I used the FXG format to convert the freehand vector drawn images from Flash into a format that I could open in Illustrator, then it was simple ‘file: save as.’

The brief was fairly tight. They had very clear commercial objectives for each character. Each figure needed to appeal to a certain age range or personality type and had to have an appropriate mood. Having said that, how I represented those moods was up to me.

So I received the written brief for the personality type and then got to work with pencils sketching out a whole raft of ideas. These got solidified along the way until we arrived at the character designs that ended up being used. Some of these arrived more quickly than others. A few characters I got with the first sketch, which is always nice, as it maintains that initial excitement!

I don’t think that traditional creative methods will ever die out. They might be replaced in a commercial environment at times, however as illustration is essentially style led, it’s cyclical in the same way as fashion is. So, whilst you might have a period when everybody is adopting the latest technical innovation to express their ideas, you will also have times when more people are utilizing traditional mark making techniques instead.

As long as people are expressing their ideas in some way, I’m happy! I do a lot of motion graphics work and use lots of plugins for AfterEffects like Trapcode Particular that are just amazing! There is no way that you could do the things that they can do with traditional animation, so as far as I’m concerned every method has it’s own unique set of advantages. It’s like the debate about books versus e-books really, it’s not a question of one or the other, both are valid and useful.

Here are a few animations that I’ve made:

I had a certain level of control over the layout of both Tobias and a Home for Mr Tipps. The authors at HarperCollins work with a designer whose job it is to actually make the book work!

I had set ideas on how I wanted certain spreads to work, which I think was viewed in a positive light, as it meant one less thing for the publisher to worry about. It was great to have someone to veto certain ideas I had though, and I can say 100% that the input from the designer improved the look of both of my books.

I wanted to have the book in a square format so that the double page spread would have a similar aspect ratio to widescreen for real impact on the spreads where there’s a big action splash, and the publisher was fine with that. So I guess as long as you and the publisher are moving in the same sort of direction these things aren’t really problems. I suppose it’s different as I studied graphic design and worked for a good few years on both interactive and print design, so I know what I’m doing.

It’s tricky to give advice as I only know what I did and what worked for me at the time. I did a lot of work for free on flyers, club nights, friends bands, charities, etc. Anything really to build up a strong portfolio of work that was visible and out in the real world. I was also getting paid work as a designer so that was feasible for me, it’s tricky if you need to make illustration pay your way from the start.

Working at a design/advertising agency or a publisher also helps, as there are lots of people who you become friends with that go on to become creative directors or commissioning editors. I know that sounds a bit ‘it’s not what you know…’ but the fact is a good working relationship with someone is invaluable. Obviously, your work needs to be as great as you can make it, but if you can’t get on with people, you’ll never get repeat work. So, be passionate but not too arrogant. Be punctual and professional.

In terms of your portfolio, context is key. A bunch of twenty very cool but completely random illustrations isn’t going to make someone feel they should hire you. Divide your portfolio into blocks Editorial (magazine) work, Publishing (split into genre’s if appropriate) Advertising and personal or ‘art’. That way if a magazine editor/designer is looking through your portfolio, they know exactly where to go.

If you don’t have any of those kinds of work then re-make pieces that you like. Take a magazine article and re-illustrate it, dropping your version into the design. Again, this sort of context shows that you understand the industry and that not only can you create beautiful images but that you ‘get’ what they will be wanting you to do.

Lastly, I would say try to get in touch with a working illustrator that you might know or have access to and ask them to have a look through your folio and offer advice. When I was younger a comic book illustrator called Charlie Adlard (he creates art for The Walking Dead) took a look through my portfolio and REALLY helped/inspired me. So I kind of see it as an obligation to help out people when they’re starting out. Besides, when you get old and horribly unfashionable, perhaps one of the people you helped out at the start will offer you work!

I’m currently working on a new picture book called ‘Jack’s AMAZING Shadow’, but I’m still finalizing the last few spreads, and publishing is a sloooow process, so it could be that this won’t be released until next year! Here are a few spreads to give you a sense of how it’s shaping up. World exclusive!

Also coming up I’ve got the new Skulduggery Pleasant book, ‘Kingdom of the Wicked’ coming up, which looks absolutely ace, but I’m sworn to secrecy on anything Skulduggery related! I can reveal that it will probably have a picture of Skulduggery on there though ;)

I’ve also done the UK cover for the first book in a new series by Geoff Rodkey called Chronicles of Egg, which is a rollicking adventure set on the high seas, Chronicles of Egg: Deadweather and Sunrise.

Tom’s next book, Jack’s Amazing Shadow is due for release in March 2013. For more information visit his site at: tom-percival.com.

View the original article here