As I mentioned in our first interview, Arizona has attracted many wonderful illustrators seeking sunshine on their gnarled and frostbitten drawing fingers, but sadly we do occasionally lose a few. Many of you are no doubt VAGUELY familiar with a certain illustrator by the name of G. Brian Karas. Brian used to reside in our sunny valley before heading back east, and I was lucky enough to have been part of an illustrator’s group he belonged to that would meet occasionally at a local bookstore. (I know, “How’d you swing that?” you ask. Well, bug the right people long enough and they’ll let you tag along just to shut you up. That or take out a restraining order–it’s a fine line.) I can remember  listening to Brian talk about one of his current projects and being just blown away that this well-known artist was so willing to share his process and answer questions from a newbie, no, not even a newbie, a WANNA-BE newbie. I credit Brian with teaching me a lot in those few meetings (including where to get good transparencies printed in Phoenix. Who remembers transparencies? Yes, yes this was a long time ago. Sigh), and have immensely enjoyed name-dropping in the years since: “Oh, Brian Karas? Why, yes I know him, he used to live in Arizona you know.” So whether you live near or far, please join me in welcoming and getting to know G. Brian Karas.

1. Describe yourself in five words:

Curious. Reticent. Wholehearted. Daydreamer. And the word, if there’s one, for someone who likes a good laugh.

2. Now, please tell us how you got started in picture book illustration (in more than five

words)…

The answer to how I got started is the same as the answer to where I got started — in art school. I saved some of my work from then. In many ways it’s like what I do today. At that time I was working out problems like how to handle media and visually express ideas — that’s all we did for four years. My school, Paier School of Art, had a strong drawing and painting program firmly rooted in Realism. We learned how to draw and paint realistically but I was more interested in less representational work. Abstract painting, graphic art, folk art — work that wasn’t being studied much in our illustration department. My interest in children’s books began much earlier, but for different reasons. I loved reading. I loved books. I had no idea when reading picture books that being the artist of one was something I could ever do (or that anyone did, they just were.). That idea occurred to me in my first year of art school. I had many fine teachers and several were respected and well known book illustrators — Leonard Everett Fisher and Jean Zallinger to name just two. They introduced me to the world of children’s publishing and I knew right away that was a way to combine my two strongest interests — drawing and reading.

3. If you had to describe your work in terms of your artistic influences, you would say it is…

…a difficult question. My work is influenced by comics, tribal art, folk art, modern art, Chinese art, Romanticism, modern design, music, children’s books, children’s artwork, nature and about a hundred other things.

I don’t think of myself as making one kind of art. For children’s books it’s really the story or book idea that guides me to what I look to for inspiration.

4. Of the six fundamentals of 2D design (line, shape, volume, perspective, shading, and color):

a. Which is your greatest strength?
Line or shape, I have a hard time separating the two.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         b.Which poses your greatest challenge?

Volume. In art school, in figure drawing, my teacher said my work looked more Asian, or Eastern, I don’t remember exactly. I didn’t know what he meant. I think what he was saying was that my eye saw volume but rather than use of shading, perspective and other techniques I tend to associate with classical Western art I relied more on line and shape to define the volume I was seeing. To a large extent that’s how I continue to work. Flat but not on one plane.

5. Given that illustration is different from many day-to-day jobs, how to you manage your time and maintain a daily routine?

I’m list driven. I have lists for everything. I’m overly organized and I have to be busy. I feel anxious and guilty when I’m not working. It’s like a pie with three slices. Right now my work slice is about 45% and home life 65%. Quick math will tell you my own personal slice is running a deficit of -10%. Not an ideal balance. I’d love more pie for myself but trying to cut equal slices is not always possible. My creative time gets scheduled just like bill paying time and other mundane chores but somehow that works.

6. What’s the best piece of career advice you’ve been given as an illustrator?

Many years ago when I was a brand new freelance illustrator with a portfolio I felt good about, I showed my work to Steve Heller at the New York Times Book Review. He zipped through and said, “No content. There isn’t anything happening in these pictures. They look nice but they don’t say anything. We’re a newspaper and we work with ideas.” That stung. I was unappreciative and actually annoyed that he gave me a critique I hadn’t asked for! It took me years to realize what a gift that was. It changed the way I thought about my illustration, that it doesn’t matter how my images look, it’s what they say and how effectively they do so that matters. I also think of what Miles Davis once said (of musical notes). If you hit a wrong note, it’s the next note you play that determines if it’s good or bad. That can apply to painting, illustration, and everything else in life.

7. What new projects have you got coming down the pike?

A lot of book projects. Some are stories of mine, others are written by other authors. There’s a real mix of subjects — an old oak tree and the changing world around it, a rainy day in the city, whalers and whale watchers, farms, food and fish. All are fun and interesting and every one a challenge in its own way. Also on my desk are small characters I’m carving from stone. They’re part of a story that’s emerging around them. It’s a personal project at this point.

8. When being interviewed, what question annoys you the most? :->

I get annoyed at myself, not the question, when someone asks me who my favorite artists or books are. My thinking shuts down and I suddenly can’t recall the names of the people or things most important to me and/or my artwork. I’m not unappreciative of what they mean to me, just scatterbrained. I think I’m going to start writing those answers on my hand before any more interviews.

G. Brian Karas has illustrated many books for children, some written by him and some by different authors including Norton Juster, Susan Orlean, Issa Kobayashi and Margaret Wise Brown. His books have won numerous awards including a Boston Globe/Horn Book honor, a New York Times Best Illustrated Book, a Christopher Award and the California Young Readers Medal. His books have been published in eleven different languages and his work has appeared in national and international exhibitions. Before writing and illustrating books his artwork appeared on greeting cards and in magazines and newspapers. Brian lives in New York in a small village on the Hudson River.

Visit Brian at:
www.g.briankaras.com
www.facebook.com/gbriankaras

  Fifteen years ago, I was invited to join an email list serve for illustrators. I could scarcely have been called one at the time, but found myself welcomed nonetheless by a warm and witty group, all willing to share the ups and downs of this career path. One of those illustrators was Kevan Atteberry. To call him “witty” would be an understatement. His dry, off-beat humor has left me collapsed with tears of laughter streaming on more than one occasion, and this humor comes through in all of his work. Oh yeah, and he’s also the creator of Clippy. Yes, THAT Clippy. You won’t need any assistance enjoying this interview though, so please sit back and get to know the “odd is good” world of Kevan Atteberry.

1. Describe yourself in five words:

Odd. Anxious. Scattered. Self-deprecating. Procrastinacious. Yes, I made that last word up.

2. Now, please tell us how you got started in picture book illustration (in more than five

words)…

Even as a small child, I always wanted to illustrate children’s books. And write them. As an adult and as I faked my way into the graphic design field, I kept my illustration roots close at hand and tried to incorporate illustration into my design work where and when I could. “You know what would really make this logo awesome?? A Dragon!!” And I always had the thought of illustrating kid lit in the back of my mind. Joining the SCBWI in the mid 90s helped me immensely. There were/are all these experienced people willing to share. It was a veritable gold mine. I tapped that knowledge, volunteered for our local chapter, and continue to do so today. I think surrounding your self with others pursuing like-minded goals can only work to your benefit.

3. If you had to describe your work in terms of your artistic influences, you would say it is…

My artistic influences come from a variety of different disciplines; visual art, music, movies, writing. I don’t think my work is directly reflective of the pieces and artists I hold in high regard, but my sense of irony, humor, the absurd have certainly been influenced. My illustration technique has bits and pieces of so many illustrators I’ve loved and I hate to compare it to any one or two artists in particular for fear of failure in comparison. But I will say, that the illustrator/writer I would most like to give props to would be Walt Kelly. His wit, his writing, his character development were so complete. They all worked so well together. Being able to tell fun, sometimes absurd stories with little or nothing to read into them, and at other times had thinly hidden agendas that worked without affecting a strong story was genius. All delivered by endearing characters in a world that you wanted to explore and be a part of yourself. I would love to be able to do what he did.

4. Of the six fundamentals of 2D design (line, shape, volume, perspective, shading, and color):

a. Which is your greatest strength?

Probably Volume – but even that I’m not totally comfortable with my efforts.

b. Which poses your greatest challenge?

Perspective. I understand the basics, but implementing it, my mind and sensibilities work against me. I’m always impressed when illustrators forgo any normal sense of perspective. It is very hard for me to do it realistic, and it is also very hard for me to not pay heed to it. Sigh.

I’d also mention here that I have “Line Envy.” I am constantly taunted (in my mind) by those with great line work. I’ve never been happy with my line work other than when I was working in black ink.

5. Given that illustration is different from many day-to-day jobs, how to you manage your time and maintain a daily routine?

It is particularly difficult for me and getting harder because I have a wife who has a continuously declining disability and who needs more and more of my time. I moved my studio home from downtown a year and a half ago to be here for her. I try to get up at least three hours before she does and get a good chunk of work done then.  After that, there is really no routine. I work as much as I can between interruptions and doing all the chores around home. It has impacted my work time greatly but I manage. I think we all manage the best we can for our own situations. I don’t believe there is any ascribed consensus on time management for creatives.

6. What’s the best piece of career advice you’ve been given as an illustrator?

Draw. Draw, draw, draw. I know that is kind of cliché, kind of obvious, but there’s a reason: it works. Never be without a sketchpad, pencil, pen, whatever tools you need to bang something out while waiting for the dentist. Or the waiter. Or riding a ferry. Or on an airplane. Wherever, whenever. And this, I speak of first hand . . .

definitely do not become so dependent on your digital illustration tools you stumble when you go back to traditional, tangible media.

7. What new projects have you got coming down the pike?

I have a new book coming out late summer next year; HALLOWEEN HUSTLE by Charlotte Gunnufson. I’m working on a few unsold projects that I am excited about, including (maybe) a graphic novel. And I’m rebuilding my website, making postcards, other miscellaneous marketing efforts . . .

8. When being interviewed, what question annoys you the most? :->

Curly fries or regular? It is such a difficult decision.

www.kevanatteberry.com

www.facebook.com/kevanatteberry

Kevan has been illustrating since he was knee-high to a crayon. There are few things he loves more than a well-told, well-illustrated story. He has illustrated many books for children, including Tickle Monster, Frankie Stein, and Lunchbox and the Alien.

Welcome, welcome to the third week of our mini-interview series. Yes, it is Thanksgiving week, but we will NOT be taking the week off. The interviews will continue on as scheduled, and we know you are very thankful for that. So in between finally tackling those ceiling cobwebs, putting out the guest towels that are too pretty to use so everyone just wipes their hands on their pants, and baking up the three different kinds of pie (pumpkin, pecan AND apple), please take a moment, pour a beverage of your choice and join us this week while we sit down and visit with:

Greg Pizzoli on Juana’s blog

Kelly Light on Molly’s blog

David Christiana on Mikela’s blog

and Kevan Atteberry on Friday back here with me!

I can remember being very skeptical of finding anything worthwhile on this new thing called Facebook. I’d been an e-mail devotee for awhile, and had forgone my morgue files for Google image search, so what more could the world wide web possibly have to offer? Ten minutes later, or maybe a week, I was hooked. A whole community of artists and their muses was there for the friending. I soon fell hard for several illustrators’ styles, and Mary Sullivan’s was one of them. Her illustrations are so full of quirky fun and silliness they never fail to make me laugh out loud, or at least giggle, and are also beautifully drawn and superbly crafted. If you haven’t met Mary, allow me to introduce you, and if you already know her, sit down and get to know her and her work a bit better.

1. Describe yourself in five words:

Chilled

Funny

Procrastinator

Eeyore-like

Confused

2. Now, please tell us how you got started in picture book illustration (in more than five

words)…

In the beginning of my career, I was all over the place doing logos, t-shirt designs, card design, lots of graphics and some fine art. I decided to pick one area and devote all of my time to just that area.  So, I decided to try to get illustration work with kids magazines.  Got a job pretty quickly with Highlights for Children magazine.  I had sent them a packet of postcards and stuff and they liked what they saw.  About a year later, I got my first picture book illustration gig with Boyd Mills Press. I was stunned.  I hadn’t really imagined this happening.   It feels like it kinda all happened by accident.

3. If you had to describe your work in terms of your artistic influences, you would say it is…

Narrative. I grew up surrounded by Norman Rockwell. My mom had prints hanging all over our house, I was completely drawn to him.   His work had a major influence on my art as an artist child and also on my art during my high school art career as well.   Each one of his illustrations told me a story, and to this day, I do that. I tell stories with my art.

4. Of the six fundamentals of 2D design (line, shape, volume, perspective, shading, and color):

a. Which is your greatest strength?

Line. I LOVE line and shading.

b. Which poses your greatest challenge?

Color and shape. I don’t see things as shape and color confuses me.

5. Given that illustration is different from many day-to-day jobs, how to you manage your time and maintain a daily routine?

The only thing routine about my day is that I get up, drink a cup of tea or coffee and I walk the dogs.  I do not manage my time or maintain a daily routine.  But somehow, I get things done.  It’s like magic.  I am not disciplined at all.

6. What’s the best piece of career advice you’ve been given as an illustrator?

Don’t put all your hopes and dreams into your first picture book job.  It won’t be your best work.  It won’t make or break your career.

7. What new projects have you got coming down the pike?

My book BALL coming out this Spring.  I’m excited about that. I can hardly see past the projects that I have right now but I think Kathleen O’Sullivan at Houghlin Mifflin wants to see some more of my work. She’s excited about what I do. Sooo…need to get that together!

8. When being interviewed, what question annoys you the most? :->I’m not easily annoyed. I’m waaaaaay too laid back for that.  I did have an interview recently and the interviewer was only asking me questions about the author. The author is a celebrity of sorts and I had to explain several times that I did not know her and that I was not working directly with her.  They really didn’t care much about me!

Thank you so much for agreeing to be part of our Month of Mini-Interview’s Mary!

  Mary’s first book as both author and illustrator comes out this Spring 2013 from Houghton Mifflin. You can reserve your copies now (I know I have!) Please check out more of her work at her website, blog and social media sites. www.marysullivan.com

https://www.facebook.com/marycolleen

http://marysullivanartist.blogspot.com

https://twitter.com/MaryDraws

AND for some more fun, take a peek at some of her Highlights for Children Hidden Pictures!

http://www.highlightskids.com/hidden-pictures/interactive/coffee-shop
http://www.highlightskids.com/hidden-pictures/interactive/snorkeling-cat
http://www.highlightskids.com/hidden-pictures/interactive/backstage-preparations

We’re lucky to have a lot of good things here in Arizona: sunshine over three hundred days a year, balmy winters, mountains, brilliant dust-fueled sunsets, and a lemon tree in every yard. We also have many accomplished artists, lured here by aforementioned good things and family members who themselves have defected from colder climes. That’s how we landed the esteemed presence of award-winning author and illustrator Wendy Watson.

Wendy has not been content to simply soak up the sunshine since her arrival. Instead she has thrown herself enthusiastically into building the illustration community here and we consider ourselves indeed lucky to have an artist of her caliber who also possesses such warmth and generosity of spirit in our midst.

So sharpen your pencils and take notes.

1. Describe yourself in five words:

disorganized     passionate        whimsical      determined     merry

2. Now, please tell us how you got started in picture book illustration (in more than five words)…

My paternal grandparents were professional artists and writers.  My father is a professional artist and author.  My mother was a professional author and poet.  How could I NOT become a picture book illustrator and author?  I started submitting manuscripts, with dummies, at age 8.  I published my first book while in high school.  I started making personal rounds in NYC with my portfolio of samples—3 times a year—at age 19.  Youth was not an advantage in those days…but when I was “old enough” (i.e. age 22) I was given my first straight illustration job. The rest is history.

3. If you had to describe your work in terms of your artistic influences, you would say it is…

Rooted in the classics I was brought up on—in painting, music, literature, illustration.  Expanded and heavily influenced by more modern ideas and approaches.  Spiced with my own peculiar sense of humor.

4. Of the six fundamentals of 2D design (line, shape, volume, perspective, shading, and color):

a. Which is your greatest strength?

I think my work is equally competent in all 6 areas.  That’s MY opinion.

b. Which poses your greatest challenge?

I’m very comfortable employing all 6 of these fundamentals.  Again—MY opinion. On another note:  in addition to these 6 fundamentals, I believe that there are two other elements which are critical for successful picture book illustration:  energy and movement; and emotion.  We all know of illustrators whose work is technically well executed, but that feels lifeless.  In fact, compositions that are energetic and full of motion, and renderings that are full of feeling and emotion, can outweigh weaknesses in those 6 areas of 2D design.  And we can all think of illustrators whose work falls into that category, as well.

5. Given that illustration is different from many day-to-day jobs, how to you manage your time and maintain a daily routine?

I’m actually not very good at time management.  Three things help me greatly in that area.  One, I never could stand to work for someone else.  Figuring out how to schedule myself (as opposed to having someone else schedule me) was the lesser of two awful evils.  This is an enormous incentive.  So—I make to-do lists for my professional work—with daily, weekly, and monthly goals.  Since (in spite of the to-do lists) I’m never able to estimate accurately how long something is going to take, I write ample time into my contracts for deadlines. I try to keep my studio and house as neat as possible so I can at least find things —hopefully.  Two, note the word “determination” in answer #1.  This helps a lot in picking up whatever slack there is.  I don’t give up easily, if at all.   And three?  I try to be forgiving of my disorganization.  The result?  I’m not efficient, but I do manage to get things done.  And enjoy myself while doing it (see the “merry” in answer #1).

6. What’s the best piece of career advice you’ve been given as an illustrator?

7. What new projects have you got coming down the pike?

Several picture book projects.  Several story book projects for slightly older readers.  Several teaching possibilities.  Life is exciting!

8. When being interviewed, what question annoys you the most? :->

“How old are you?”  I plan to live forever, so the question is irrelevant.

Hear, hear Wendy!  Wendy’s newest publication is the inclusion of her “Bedtime Bunnies” in The Family Bedtime Treasury, published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Books, September 2012. Please visit Wendy’s blog, website and social media to find out even more about her and her wonderful work.

http://thewendywatsonblog.blogspot.com

https://twitter.com/WendyMcWatson

https://www.facebook.com/wendywatsonauthorillustrator

http://www.wendy-watson.com

Next week’s interviews include, Amanda Shepherd with Juana on Tuesday, Lynne Avril with Molly on Wednesday, Alexandra Boiger with Mikela on Thursday and right back here on Friday with Mary Sullivan!

Wow, what a week. We here in AZ watched in horror as Sandy bore down on so many of our good friends and colleagues. To say we are left feeling at a loss as to how to help is an understatement. Rather than start a virtual canned-food drive, I think the best thing for all us with home and livelihood intact is to make a donation to the Red Cross.  

The Mini-Interviews in honor of Picture Book Month will go on, and we are relieved and thankful to have all of our guests still willing and able to participate. My distinguished guests will appear on my blog every Friday and include:

Wendy Watson

Mary Sullivan

Kevan Atteberry

Brian Karas

You can find out who else will turn up and when on the blogs of illustrators Molly Idle, Mikela Prevost and Juana Martinez-Neal!

You never know who you will meet here in virtual AZ!

“Everything I learned in college, can now be found for free on Wikipedia.”- bobbiblogger,  Sept., 2012

Yeah, that sums it up pretty well. Don’t get me wrong, I went to a great art school, The Columbus College of Art and Design (although not as great as it is NOW after apparently a jillion dollar endowment–I mean we had classes in an old garage for crying out loud). But I have to admit I have amassed far more knowledge since I left by talking to and copying, I mean learning, from other artists, both in real life and online. Last year, our little band of local illustrator buds, Molly Idle, Mikela Prevost and Juana Martinez-Neal and I, interviewed each other, and learned so much in the process that this year we decided to expand our class offerings. Consider this our graduate program. In honor of National Picture Book Month classes begin in November, conveniently located on a blog near you, and, best of all, this education is FREE!

Our gracious and distinguished faculty include:

Kevan Atteberry

Lynne Avril

Alexandra Ball

Alexandra Boiger

David Christiana

Kent Culotta

Adam Gustavson

Jeremy Holmes

Brian Karas

Kelly Light

John Parra

Greg Pizzoli

Amanda Shepherd

Mary Sullivan

Constanze Von Kitzing

Wendy Watson

So set your alarm for November and don’t be late! (Three “lates” will count as an absence and go on your permanent record!)

What?

Oh, right, right, right, the contest!

The doodle that garnered the most votes was this one, December 17

with December 13 and 18 coming in second and third.

I am very happy with the picks. They were three of my favorites too, and it is always nice to know that despite outward appearances, one is not completely clueless about what works.

Now for the big news. My random.org-generated winner is…Bryan Ballinger! Applause, applause!

But wait, there’s more! I plan to do finishes of several of my HoHoDooDa doodles and will post them here and on Twitter and Facebook, and as a giant Valentine smooch to all of you who took the time to vote, I will happily send you an archival ink and paper print out of any one that strikes your fancy, OR a high res digital file for you to print out yourself (international peeps, it sure would be SWELL if you picked this option). When you see one you like, just pop me your address via Facebook or e-mail. I will even put it in a professional plastic sleeve because I am THAT professional.

Thank you again to everyone who took the time to vote and for all your wonderful comments and suggestions.

So let’s not! In the interest of getting a head start on the 2012 holiday card (so, you know, I might actually finish it in time to mail out) I am asking for your help. Do a quick run through of the sketches I posted for the month of December’s sketch challenge, HoHoDooDa, and vote for the one (or two or three) you would like to see as a full blown illustration. Leave a comment on the blog or on Facebook and at the end of January I’ll pick a random.org winner and that lucky, lucky participant will win an archival print of the piece that garners the most votes. Voice your opinion, possibly win free art–it’s win, win!

While I don’t plan to try and come up with a doodle every day from now on, I am hopeful that I have started a new habit of sketching a bit in the evening before bed. I think I’ve got two or three sketches from HoHoDooDa I’d like to expand upon and that makes it more than worthwhile for me.

I will close with a wish for 2012 to move everyone down the road a little closer to their dreams.