KIDLIT ISSUE
the journal LevinLand’s
Illustrators
The "Kidlit" Edition Volume 1
Front Cover Art : Will Colenso
Contributing Writer Heather Leary
Illustrators Journal/Special Kidlit Edition All artwork depicted in TIJ is owned by the creators of that art and the work cannot be used or copied in anyway without the written expressed agreement of the creators ©2020 Levinlandstudio
Editor-at-Large Jade Dressler Publisher Lon Levin
“Be the change that you wish to see in the world.”
― Mahatma Gandhi
CHRIS PIASCIK Colorful and wildly inventive illustrator/designer tackles art and life with vigor. WILL COLENSO Illustrator, painter and archirectual designer from down-under displays his passion for life and and art. YVONNE DURAN Versatile designer talks about her life and practice. DRU HARDY Passionate children's book illustrator and storyteller. talks openly about her career. ART THAT WARMS THE HEART Wendy Edelson specializes in colorful, fanciful artwork that features fantastic animals and families. KIDLIT ANIMAL LOVER Julie Mellan is a French chldren's book illustrator whose charming creations bring smiles to kid's faces worldwide.
“There is no
innovation
and creativity
without failure. Period.” BRENE BROWN
it's just
my opinion by Lon Levin
cra·zy /krāzē/ extremely enthusiastic.
Have you ever thought to yourself, I must be crazy having a goal of succeeding as a artist? Along the way you've been praised, criticized, ignored yet you persist. What is that all about? Why do we continue? I've asked myself this so many times I've given up asking. It is what it is,...right? Years ago I was months away from graduating from UCLA School of Fine Arts. My teacher at the time was Richard Diebenkorn. He looked at my senior project and offer this advice. "You need to find another profession." He went on to explain. "It's not that you don't have talent, you don't strike me as committed to your art and to make it as an artist, you need to be all in...totally crazy about your art." At that moment my already fragile ego took a major beating. Was he right...was I faking it or did I really care about being an artist? Ever felt that way? I graduated in June of that year and had only a vague idea how to get work. I'd spent my whole life in school concentrating on how to render figures, mix paint and copy master drawings in charcoal. Maybe my father was right, I needed to get a real job. As luck would have it I met a girl Marilyn, who was attending Art Center College of Design...the old school on 3rd street. She suggested I take a look at enrolling in their master's program as a painter. I made an appointment to see the admittance supervisor soon after. When I arrived for my interview I walk thru the halls that were covered with all sorts of student work. I was stunned to see the level of professionalism and knew I needed to go there if I was ever to have a chance to succeed in the art world.
Illustration by Lon Levin
"Was I crazy?" my father yelled at me when I asked him to finance my latest idea. "You need to join the real world!" After a lot of fighting and arguing with my parents we agreed to co-finance my folly. I would get loans and scholarships and they would match it dollar for dollar. In addition I had to get a part time job. That added up to 40 hours of classes, 40 hours of homework and 15-20 hours of paid work. I have no idea how I made it thru that gauntlet but I did and I graduated Art Center as an Advertising/Illustration major. Soon after I started getting freelance projects and in time a job as an art director in the entertainment business. For 23 years I created art, flm campaigns, movie trailers and online advertising for several different studios...and now,"still crazy after all these years" I am painting for myself and loving every second So, if you feel lke a "ball of confusion" about your career choice in art, feeling like you must be crazy... never fear you're on the right track.
PIASCIK s i r h C
An interview by
Lon Levin
When did you first think about what you wanted to do as an adult? Were you encouraged or discouraged by family, friends, teachers, mentors? When I was a kid I used to take apart the album packaging around the house and recreate my own. One time when I was doing this my uncle,
(I think that’s who it was) said something like , “Hey, you’re going to be a graphic artist one day.” I told him I didn’t know what that was and he explained it was the person who made the album artwork. It blew my mind that was a job. I couldn’t understand why anyone would choose to do something different.
My Uncle said, "“Hey, you’re going to be a graphic artist one day.” I told him I didn’t know what that was and he explained it was the person who made the album artwork. It blew my mind that was a job. "
"The female part of the family is artistic and little crazy,
the male part is more down to earth - so when I need some precise help I call my Dad and when I need to cry over my shoulder - I call my Mom."
What kind of kid were you? Where did you grow up? What were your influences? I was a bit quiet, and I drew all the time. Aside from drawing I was really into skating and riding BMX. Whatever I was doing, I was very obsessive about it—I still am. I grew up in a small shoreline town in CT. My first influences were album cover designs and logos; Aerosmith, The Beach Boys, Chicago, etc., Ren & Stimpy, The Simpsons, Beavis and Butthead, The Green Day Dookie album art. Tell us how Aerosmith played a part in your choosing to be a graphic designer? When I would redraw album artwork I always liked copying the logos. The Aerosmith wings script was one of my favorites. I would say that’s what initially led me to design instead of illustration, but to be honest I didn’t really know there was a difference.an Your website bio says you became an illustrator by accident. Can you enlighten us how that happened? I went to art school and graduated with a Graphic Design degree, and immediately starting working as a designer.
Who influenced you? Artists ? Teachers, family? In my early days - my Mom as she is an artist herself - then there was the internet and other artists - now mostly it’s my husby - he has this power to make me better person and better artist. He is an art director, director and an illustrator himself which makes him an artist, teacher and family all in one. And he has magic patience - that’s what makes him great wife puppet master! If you weren’t an artist or a photographer what do you think you’d like to do? I would sat on a stone and cry my eyes out than I would probably became a farmer. I’m pretty good with horses (not so great with cats - that’s why I have one - obviously) and I would drive a tractor all day long as I love to drive!
A few years in I realized that I wasn’t really drawing anymore, the only drawing I was doing was sketching for design comps. That kind of freaked me out because drawing was such a big part of my life. I decided I wanted to change that—and for that to happen I needed to trick myself into actually doing it because otherwise it won’t happen. So I committed to posting a new drawing, of anything Monday through Friday, on my website and Flickr at the time (this was pre-Instagram). That commitment was enough for me to consistently do it without missing a day for a very long time (12+ years). After about 1 year I started getting random commissions every now and then based on my dailies. 2 years in they were somewhat regular and I decided to pursue being an illustrator full time. What medium do you like using to create art and why ? What’s your process?
Currently I work almost exclusively on my ipad. Before moving fully to digital I would do my line work in black ink on marker paper and then scan it in and color digitally. The drawing tools within Photoshop and some of the drawing apps have gotten so good that there’s no different in line quality and feel for me, especially with the PaperLike screen cover I use. I love that I don’t need anything else to work, and there’s no mess, no scanning, revisions are simple, no giant stacks of paper. My process is pretty simple, I do lots of sketching until I’m happy with my composition, etc. It’s funny even though I’m working digitally I still choose a “pencil” brush in the app because I need sketches to look like sketches. I make new layers and refine my drawings over the sketches like you would with tracing paper. Sometimes I do that a lot. Once I’m happy with the drawing I’ll move onto color—that’s a fluid process where I change my mind a lot—another reason why I love working digitally. You went to art school. How did that affect your art? Did you feel you needed to go to school to validate you as an artist?
I went undergrad for graphic design. Even though I’m an illustrator exclusively now I’m still happy I made that decision. The fundamentals of design are just as important to illustration as the actual drawing itself. About 4 years into being a fulltime illustrator I decided to go to grad school for illustration. For the majority of my career I’ve taught a class each semester at the Hartford Art School. I learned about their low-residency MFA program
and started to consider applying. It was ideal for me because I could continue to work since it wasn’t fulltime, in-person, which would make it so I didn’t have to take on more student loans. I was also eligible for a discount as an adjunct professor. At that point, my career was already in a good place and even though I had done illustrations for clients like Facebook, McDonalds, Coca-Cola, Nike, I still sort of felt like I wasn’t a real illustrator. It seems sort of silly in hindsight but I guess you could say I partly went to grad school to validate myself as an illustrator. Explain your experience at the Boston studio and how it affected your art and outlook on your career??
Working at Alphabet Arm in Boston was sort of like the realization of a dream. While working there I was actually designing album art. It definitely seemed like my dream job. It was a small studio, and I became close friends with my co-workers. As perfect as it was, it did help me to realize that I really wanted to be an illustrator—I just didn’t know that was a possibility. What’s does your daily process entail? Start to finish. Can you give us a short step-by-step?
It starts with trying to figure out what I want to draw. Sometimes I’ll have an idea ahead of time, but often I don’t. If I can’t think of anything I’ll usually just start doodling and see where it takes me. I start with rough sketches, pretty much scribbles, and then I make a new layer and trace over it refining as I go. I’ll sometimes do that a bunch of times until I’m satisfied. Once I’m happy with the lines I’ll wrestle with color for a bit, often changing my mind a million times. What do or did you do to promote yourself? What exciting projects are you working on now?
I’ve relied very heavily on, almost exclusively, on my daily drawings. They’ve pretty much been the root of everything in my career. When new clients reach out its almost always because they had seen one my daily drawings somewhere. I think the quantity and consistency of them is just an easy numbers game. Currently I just wrapped up a giant mural for a skate distribution company. I’m working on some character concepts for a boardgame and I’m doing a custom painted motorcycle helmet for an auction to benefit prostate cancer research in conjuction with the 10th anniversary of The Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride. In addition, I’ve been creating some classes for Skillshare.
Will
Colenso Will is an Australian illustrator, painter and architectural designer based in Los Angeles.
When did you first think about art as something you wanted to do? Were you encouraged or discouraged by family, friends, teachers, mentors? It’s really only been quite recently. I started studying aerospace engineering but I was terrible at it, so I switched and became an architect. I’ve been lucky enough to work for some really artistic architects, so I suppose I’m coming into art and painting through architectural drawing and design. To be honest I never really asked anyone what they thought, I just trust my instincts. I’ve found that if you work hard people are very willing to teach you what they know.
What kind of kid were you? Where did you grow up? What were your influences? I grew up in Brisbane in Australia. It was a wonderful place to grow up. As a kid I was pretty happy to entertain myself and I really liked long walks. But as I got older I got bored really easily, so I’d have a new hobby every couple of weeks – it must have been exhausting for my parents but they let me run with it. It let me test new ideas fast and I think that’s something that has definitely stuck with me. I’d say this openness to new experiences and experimentation is something I’m extremely grateful for my parents encouraging, it sounds simple but I’ve actually found it’s quite rare!
How has the background you got at school played a part in your career? My early education was pretty traditional, my high school felt like an old English boys school – long socks and blazers – that sort of thing. But things really changed for me during my masters in architecture when I got the opportunity to study under Peter Corrigan in Melbourne.
He just blew the doors open! I learnt a lot about the value of a proper drawing and was encouraged to use wit and humor in my work. I also learnt how little sleep I could operate on.
You’ve worked in a couple different genres with your clients. How did that evolve and was that an asset for you or a problem getting those clients? I’m pretty willing to give most things a go and really enjoy the challenge of visual storytelling. It just evolved out of submitting work to people and a willingness to experiment. Being easy to work with is also really important. Whether its science fiction, children’s art or a something more dark and surreal – I think being flexible is teaching me a huge amount and has definitely been an asset. How do you stay up to date on styles/process outside of your projects? What do you recommend to younger artists who are just developing their portfolios?
Oh this is a tough one and I can only give tips based on my personal experience. I don’t know if I’m up to date or not? I don’t have any formal art training, so I lean heavily on my architecture skillset and learning from artists’ work I like. I really deep-dive into peoples’ work, try and work out how they express their ideas, watch their tutorial videos if they have them, read interviews with them. A lot of my learning comes from piecing ideas together in this way particularly from interviews. In my portfolio I only ever show the type of work I’d like to do – it seems to have been working so far so that’s something I’d recommend. You do a few different types of art and design. What is your favorite area to work in? I love illustration and drawing because it’s the most direct way I’ve found of telling stories. In architecture there’s so many constraints - the story often gets watered down because everything is so expensive. But drawings are really accessible and that’s what I love about them. It’s like having a conversation with someone, it can be really intimate. Can you explain what the experience of working on children’s art is all about for you?
I really just love to tell stories of weird and wonderful worlds. I love thinking them up, painting them and then transporting people into them. Even if it’s just for a few minutes it can change how someone thinks – especially kids. I want them to ask questions and hopefully see that weird is great! Your fantasy artwork is great. Love the “Piano Mill" and “Nannageddon” pieces. These are very moody pieces. Are you a moody guy? Where does your sense of the absurd come from? Thank you! I love to hear when people have enjoyed my work! Tough question! I wouldn’t say I’m a moody guy – but maybe ask my partner she might say otherwise? Humor is really important for me, and so is complexity – I’m not interested in things that are oversimplified and I think kids know when something has been simplified for them so I try to avoid that. The absurd is exciting, it’s filled with humor and leaves a lot of room to for people to explore. I like to get people to pause and say is this actually absurd or is there some truth in it? Maybe it’s not so absurd?
What’s going on in your head when you work on a piece/campaign? Your fears, anticipation, confidence, etc. How do you know something is finished? A lot of the time spent working on a drawing is just thinking. I try to stitch random pieces of information together in my head, images I find, interesting sentences from The New Yorker – usually when something makes me laugh I know something is worth drawing. Then I usually follow that with hours and hours of doubting whether it will be any good, lots of revisions and lots of self-critique until eventually I start to get excited about where the drawing is going. I usually know something is finished when the image tells more than one story by itself without any words. Who if anyone influences your work? I try to find inspiration in anything– writers, painters, everyday objects, drawings, set designers, architects and landscape designers – pretty much anything that catches my eye. Anyone doing weird work or making strange or curious things is ok in my book. To begin with it was Belgian comic book artist Francois Schuiten whose work "The Obscure Cities" really got me interested in drawing. JK Rowling’s work also had a huge impact on me when I was growing up – It’s probably where my love of parallel worlds that are just out of sight came from.
I’m curious about how you choose what to work on. Is there a certain type of project or client you gravitate towards? I usually enjoy working with people who are adventurous and willing to try something new. Strong storytelling is important for me, so if someone is ambitious with the story they want to tell or how they’d like to tell it then that will usually get me really interested. I think flexibility is super important so I’m always up for a challenge. What do you do to promote yourself and get work? I’m just starting out so most of my outreach is submitting work to people. I look for people who are receiving submissions and send some samples of my work. I’ve also been sending work to some agents and publishers introducing myself and entering some competitions on the side. I keep a pretty active presence on social media, I’ve found it’s a great way for me to connect with artists whose work I love – I’ve found people to be welcoming and receptive if I have questions or ask for advice. What’s the future hold for you? Any ultimate goal? I’d like to make paintings and picture books that tell great stories. If I can make a book that adults and kids are both excited about then that would make me really happy. If you could meet anyone in the field you’re in who would it be and why? Oh this one is easy - Shaun Tan! His work is what got me interested in picture books and totally changed my perception of who they’re for. He somehow manages to mix happiness and sadness within this wonderfully open-ended and surreal way of telling stories. It leaves a lot of room for the reader because there’s no ego. So Shaun, if you’re reading this, I’d love to buy you lunch!
"Humor is really
important for me, and so is complexity."
YVONNE DURAN WITH STYLE "It was because of the big influence of the Polish illustration school that I finally found the way I want to develop my style. "
When did you first think about art as something you wanted to be involved with? Were you encouraged or discouraged by family, friends, teachers, mentors? My aunt took me to a play in Los Angeles and it opened up my world. I wanted to be a costume designer at first but when in school I changed my major to graphic design. What kind of kid were you? Where did you grow up? What were your influences?
I was born in Texas and grew up in a suburb of Southern California. I was not the kid who drew, I was the quirky girl with unlimited imagination. I did a lot of pretend play and daydreaming and little did I know how that would be a big part of the
work I do. I was encouraged by my parents and friends but I was so driven, I don’t think anyone could’ve stopped me. Everything left an impression with me, I felt like a scientist, observing people, their clothes, gestures, expressions, behavior. I studied magazines for hours, trying to figure out how they were put together.
How has your background played a part in your career? Nobody in my family is creative or an artist, I was the odd one and that helped push me because it was the thing that nobody could do, I was the trailblazer. How did your interests in art direction evolve into working with magazines? I was obsessed with magazines since I was 10, I collected stories and layouts. When I discovered graphic design, I was able to put the magazine and design together. After a dismal year as a production artist at Grey Advertising I focused on magazines. I called all the magazines in Los Angeles that appealed to me and got a job as an assistant art director at Shape Magazine. How do you stay up to date on styles outside of your projects? What do you recommend to younger artists/ art directors who are just developing their portfolios?
Follow other artists (designers, art directors, illustrators, animators, photographers, design studios) on social media. Use Pinterest to find art that speaks to you. Join groups like AIGA, Society of Publication Designers, Society of Illustrators, conferences like ICON 11. Get together in small groups with other art people and do a show, you’d be surprised how inspiring that can be.
You do so many different types of articles and designs. What is your favorite area to work in? I love all of it, the variety is what I like. The children’s area is fun in that I commission about 20-30 pieces to children’s book artists each month, it’s really a dream to do that. Art directing health magazines was using different skills, I used more sophisticated design which is more challenging and fulfilling in the design. I try to break into a new category every few years. During Covid, I took on 3 books, a toddler sticker book, a children’s non-fiction book and a craft whiskey book for adults, these really made my year. Being challenged creatively is what we should always aim for, that is what makes this work fulfilling. Can you explain what the experience of working on a publication is all about? There’s 3 parts: 1. Discovery: Ideas, pitches, dreaming, creating the vision. 2. Planning and Hiring: Reading stories and assigning to photographers and illustrators and doing rough layouts. 3. Executing: Directing photoshoots, placing final art, finalizing the design. In between all that is collaborating with editors/designers on stories, word counts and any details. There are parts where negotiating and being personable really help to get a crew or editor to work with you to package a story, most of the time you are working with other creatives and your job is to help them do their best work.
" Be that person that is fun, warm, a problem solver and inspiring to work with, people will always recommend you to others."
I’m curious about how you choose what to work on and who to work with on it. Is there a certain type of project or artist you gravitate towards? The potential project has to have 3 of these 5 things: Pay well/Good people to work with/Will be a portfolio piece/Autonomy/Subject I believe in or love the idea. I only work with good collaborators; whenever I work with someone who I clash with, I don’t accept any more projects with them if freelance. If I am working on staff and I don’t like the people, I find another job.
Do you freelance? What do you do to promote yourself and get work? Yes, I always freelance, we should always keep those doors open. This is the most important piece of advice I can give to a designer/illustrator/art director:
"I always design something quickly after I read the brief or story, it is my first impression" What’s going on in your head when you work on a piece/campaign? Your fears, anticipation, confidence , etc. How do you know something is finished? I always design something quickly after I read the brief or story. It's my first impression, I am still fresh on the concept. From there I research and look for inspiration. The beginning of any project is my favorite time, I’m excited and it’s full of possibilities. The middle part is the hardest for me, it’s all about the details. I almost never like what I design or art direct, I’m too close to it. I am done when the deadline hits. It’s only after time has passed do I know if I like the project. When I look back at my work, I can see the strongest pieces better.
Be that person that is fun, warm, a problem solver and inspiring to work with, people will always recommend you to others. I have never advertised; most my work comes from people I’ve work with. Even more than talent, your ability to be personable is the reason you will get more than enough work. That doesn’t mean you have to force being pleasant or that you don’t stand up for yourself rather you handle problems and difficult situation with confidence and solutions which makes you proactive and positive. What’s the future hold for you? Any ultimate goal? I’d like to move into video and do more books and do some interviewing on camera. Ultimately, I’d like to create a product.
Who if anyone influences your work?
If you could meet anyone in the field you’re in who would it be and why?
Fred Woodward, Fabien Barron, Debra Bishop, Chipp Kid. Sometimes I just walk around a book store and get really inspired.
I’d love to interview and brainstorm with Grace Bonney from Design Sponge, Linzie Hinter (illustrator), Lisa Congdon, Stephen Fraser from Spoonflower.
Dru HARDY Interview with
Lon Levin
communicates a message of encouragement and support to all my students. And I did do that for a number of years. Vengeance was mine! What kind of kid were you? Where did you grow up? What were your influences? I was a somewhat shy, sensitive kid with a sense of humor, which kept me buoyant. I was born in Chicago, but grew up in upstate NY in a small town near Rochester. While I prefer city life, I am grateful to have had the small town experience. My influences in high school were the Regionalist painters and the Ashcan School artists. Painters like Thomas Hart Benton and George Bellows were particular favorites. I also loved the Surrealists, with Magritte being key among them. His work is symbolic, conceptual, and funny. I went off to earn a BFA in drawing and painting at Carnegie-Mellon. There, I began to be influenced by The Harry Who and the Chicago Imagists, a group of artists who approached their work with an idiosyncratic style and sense of humor. I took my junior year abroad to study at Goldsmiths College of Art in London. I was lucky enough to meet Glen Baxter, one of the professors at Goldsmiths. He is best known for his comic, single-panel, absurdist illustrations. When did you first think about art as something you wanted to do? Were you encouraged or discouraged by family, friends, teachers, mentors? I’ve wanted to be an artist for as long as I can remember. As a matter of fact, the first time I said it was when I was three years old. The adults I told cautioned me that I wouldn’t be able to make any money at it because only famous artists make money. I then responded, “Ok I’ll be a famous artist then!” That settles that! Was I encouraged or discouraged? Yes! I was encouraged by my mother. One vivid memory was going plein-air painting together when I was in grade school. It was something we had in common and it gave me the message that I was capable as an artist. However, I was discouraged by my high school art teacher, which was particularly hard because I really wanted his approval. When I told him I was accepted into Carnegie-Mellon University and Rhode Island School of Design, he said in front of the whole class, “Well, they are lowering their standards now.” I was devastated because I anticipated that he would be pleased that one of his students would be continuing to study art. I had straight A’s in art so it came out of left field. In retrospect, I think he may have been disappointed in his own life as an artist, and that it was probably nothing personal. On the bright side, I think his criticism fueled my desire to prevail as an artist. This incident also made me want to be an art teacher, one who
How has the background you got at school played a part in your career? My fine art work has always tended towards illustration. I think of an idea and try to communicate that idea with figurative imagery. My high school art teacher emphasized drawing from life in our sketchbooks. We had to do four drawings a week. I had three younger brothers who would sit still for me so I could draw them and did so regularly, much to their dismay. Because of this practice, I became
quite good at drawing the figure. In college I added surreal or symbolic narratives to my paintings and began to develop a flatly painted cartoony style. I later took online illustration classes and this was when I found out that I was capable of drawing illustrations that had commercial application. I took a few children’s book illustration classes and fell in love with it. Being a mother and art teacher helped to inform this work.
"Children’s books can be a magical event for a young eager mind."
You’ve worked in a couple different genres. How did that evolve and was that an asset for you or a problem? I think it has been an asset. I feel that my style has many applications in terms of genre and subject matter. Since I have a variety of interests, I don’t consider genre-hopping a problem. How do you stay up to date on styles/process outside of your projects? What do you recommend to younger
artists who are just developing their portfolios? I try to keep practicing and evolving my style. I have taken online classes. One in particular that is great for developing a portfolio is called “Make Art That Sells with Lilla Rogers.” This is a great way to find out what you truly love to do. It was how I learned I wanted to do children’s books. I took several of her Illustrating Children’s Books classes with the wonderful Zoe Tucker.
(cont)
Next, I took classes at the Art Center in Pasadena with the great Marla Frazee on how to write and illustrate my own children’s books. These classes changed my life and left me with a portfolio. I go to tons of art museums and galleries. I try to soak up as much art as I can. I also look at Instagram to see what’s current, but I would caution people to trust their own voice and vision and not get too caught up in trends and styles. You do a few different types of art and design. What is your favorite medium to work in? I love doing children’s books. I use pencil, procreate, and photoshop. I use other real materials like oil paint and watercolor for my personal work. Can you explain what the experience of working on children’s art is all about for you?
I like working on children’s books because they are unique art objects unto themselves. You can hold them in your hand, the words and pictures have a rhythm with the page turns, and with each turn a new surprise awaits. Children’s books can be a magical event for a young eager mind. They are meant to be read out loud, creating a profound dialogue be tween reader, child, and story that is memorable and transformative. And if they are good books, they will be revisited again and again. Your “people” artwork is great. They are very funny pieces. Is it hard to put humor in your work? Thank you! I think it comes down to the question “What is my authentic voice?” I have an interest in humor, I like to think I am funny, so this comes out naturally in my work. This was just the culture of my family. There were six kids, all trying to make my parents laugh. We tried to top each other’s jokes. What’s going on in your head when you work on a piece? Your fears, anticipation, confidence, etc. When I work, I sometimes have thoughts of self doubt, like any artist. It comes with the territory of creating. Even though those thoughts are mine, I imagine them coming from an actual bully. I say to the bully, “You may have a point, but, for now, I am going to keep working and will consider what you are telling me when I have finished.” Then I push through. I find I feel better for having stood up to that voice. The more you work, the better you recognize that the bully’s words are not the truth, and it becomes
easier to ignore them. It’s like an insistent, problematic friend who you politely usher out of your head. I try to make my work as much like play as I can and trust my instincts. Sometimes I realize that I hadn’t even recognized what it was that my subconscious was trying to say. Later, when I look at something I’d initially rejected, I find something worth pursuing. Who if anyone influences your work? The profound poetry of Marla Frazee’s children’s books is such an inspiration. Maurice Sendak, not only for his unparalleled illustration style, but also for his deep emotional bravery and ability to respect what children know and can handle. E.H. Shepard for his sweetness, line quality, and characterization. Lynda Barry for her approach to creativity. And last but not least, my husband, Peter Hannan, who is a prolific, multi-talented artist. I am so lucky to have him to go to for feedback. Fun fact: we met when we were six years old.
I’m curious about how you choose what to work on. Is there a certain type of project you gravitate toward? I always have a number of ideas for picture books in my head. If one seems to rise to the top, and it is personally compelling to me, that is the one to work on. The idea will have staying power and will continue to resonate and develop into something that I may not have anticipated. I begin by drawing characters and then I ask each character what it wants from me as if it is a living breathing being. The story begins to flow and form. This discovery is the fun of it. Solving the puzzle of the 32-page picture book is quite a compelling task. What do you do to promote yourself and get work? I attend SCBWI events, post on social media, and send out promotional pieces. What’s the future hold for you? Any ultimate goal? Your guess is as good as mine! The world is a mercurial place at the moment. But my primary goal is to build a successful, enduring career in children’s publishing.
Wendy
edelson
An Interview with Lon Levin
ARTWORK THAT WARMS THE HEART When did you first think about art as something you wanted to do? Were you encouraged or discouraged by family, friends, teachers, mentors?? I started drawing when I was two. Almost all children start scribbling around that age but I began in the back of the family station wagon when we moved from New York City to Southern California. To keep me entertained ( quiet ) I was given paper and pencils and began drawing mothers holding babies, animals, children playing, the landscape out the windows…I would hand my drawings up to my parents in the front seat, and from what they tell me,,, they were very surprised. My parents both had wanted to be artists, my Dad a sculptor, my Mom a fashion designer… so they were very aware, of art and drawing.
I never stopped after that fateful cross country trip. My Dad had a sort of studio in our garage and he mostly carved large figures in wood, from fallen trees. I would draw there, to be with him. I remember being tired and saying I was going to go in the house and he looked at my drawing and said,“ NO! you cannot stop until you get that foreshortening of the foot right!" To be a great artist you must first be a great draughtsman, you must draw, draw, draw and make sure the anatomy is correct… that your figures can STAND on those legs…until then, any technique is worthless, color is meaningless….The drawing, the skeleton MUST be accurate!!!!” He was very passionate and not kidding, so I’d stayed and drew until he told me it was good My family was enormously encouraging and never said I should “learn X in case
the art didn’t work out, so I’d have something to fall back on,” like many well meaning parents do. They were kind of all or nothing people. When I was in seventh grade a friend of mine’s father was a fairly well known painter. After a while I’d just go visit him in his studio. He introduced me to mediums other than pencils, like pen and ink and technical pens and gouache and watercolors.
encyclopedia for children called The Wonder Book of Knowledge, which was filled with engravings and B & W drawings and color plates by artists like Howard Pyle, the pre-Raphalite Brotherhood and Arthur Rackham. I was positively smitten and he brought me all the books he could find by them. I particularly loved “The Wonder Clock” by Howard Pyle and also the wonderful fairy tales from Russian illustrators.
What kind of kid were you? Where did you grow up? What were your influences?
All of these influenced me greatly, the strong drawing,
I was very fortunate and was surrounded by people who encouraged and supported me. To be honest, I was a kind of strange kid. I was an only child, the daughter of two bohemian parents who had no interest at all in “ fitting in “. I was a loner and spent virtually all my time drawing. I went from kindergarten straight into the second grade so I was always younger than the other children. I grew up in Chatsworth, California. My Dad used to go to yard sales and estate sales all the time and brought me an OLD
"To be honest, I was a kind of a strange kid."
You do a lot of whimsical art work. How did that happen? Do you prefer kidlit art to other forms? I really love drawing and painting the subject matter that often lends itself to children’s books, fairy tales and fables, natural animals or animals in outfits, magical creatures, children and elderly people, forests and gardens, imaginary scenes…I didn’t really start out wanting to illustrate children’s books…rather I wanted to draw and paint what appealed to me and it naturally led to children’s books. A lot of my work has also been licensed for puzzles, decorative items, fabrics…a lot of various applications. Has the computer affected your work? Do you work traditionally and digitally?
I work traditionally almost exclusively. I use PhotoShop to clean up pencil drawings, occasionally flop or shrink/enlarge elements in a sketch and I print my final pencil drawings which I often change to a light
sepia onto 140# Arches hot press watercolor paper on a wide format printer. From then on, it’s all watercolor and often some acrylic gouache when I want to paint lights over darks, like sunlit leaves What’s going on in your head when you work on a piece? Your fears, anticipation, confidence , etc. How do you know something is finished?
The drawing is the work, it requires much more focus and more quiet. When it flows it is pure joy, other times a hand needs to be drawn 20 times until it just “feels” right. The painting is my favorite part, I just love everything about it. While I’m painting I often
(continued from previous page) watch British mystery series or listen to audio books… often times a particular bit will become somehow embedded in the painting and I can look at a particular section of a painting and the scene from the movie or passage from a book will come flooding back! The piece just tells me when it is finished, and I’ve learned to listen. Your work is reminiscent of classic warm and fuzzy children’s art. Is that intentional? Who if anyone influences your work?
Not really intentional, it’s just how I see the world. I really would enjoy creating some “ fantasy art” projects but a lot of them need to be kind of dark and I just don’t pull that off very convincingly. As I mentioned before, early on I was influenced by the pre-Raphaelites like John Waterhouse, Millais and Burne-Jones…also William Morris, Arthur Rackham and Howard Pyle, Norman Rockwell and Maurice Sendak. I’m curious about how you choose what to work on. What’s does your process entail? Start to finish. Can you give us a short step-by-step? A lot of my work over the years has chosen me. As a working artist, besides being my avocation and calling, it has also been my means of support. Luckily for me, as time has gone by, because of my very particular and recognizable style, the projects that come my way are ones that I am happy working on. No one ever comes to me for an edgy, very graphic digital illustration with no detail! When I begin a project there is usually a period of percolating and marinating…if it is a commercial piece, an editorial or advertising piece that is usually very short as those generally have tighter deadlines. Then I begin looking for reference photographs, medieval villages, elephants, bumblebees, oak trees, people leaping….I don’t look to copy photographs but rather to look at the form of a wing, the texture of that particular bark, anatomical information. Then I begin scribbling. At first it is blobs which represent people, things, animals …just to get the rhythm of the piece, pieces, the book. If it is a book I need to get to know the characters… what do the people look like, who are they? Sometimes I’ll write little bios for them, for myself to help me know their personalities and how they carry themselves…all the little details that contribute to how I draw them.
My favorite projects are those stories written without many adjectives or adverbs. One of my heroes is author/illustrator and Caldecott Medal winner, Uri Shulevitz who wrote a book called “Writing With Pictures”. In it he describes how words and illustrations in a picture book should be like a string of pearls, that the illustrations should SHOW things that the words do not SAY, so together words and pictures create the book. When I receive a story to illustrate I am overjoyed if the words just say, “ Joe”, and I can show that Joe is tall and gangly and has red hair that sticks up and a long, sad face. From there I continue tightening and refining the sketches , adding detail, light and shadow. Eventually I feel the sketches are finished and then I submit them to the Art /Creative Director with whom I am working. If I am supremely fortunate they will tell me they LOVE my sketches and to go PAINT!!!! Often times some changes will be made, usually fairly minor and relatively painless….VERY ( luckily ) occasionally major changes will be requested and then one complies, happy that no one is a fly on the studio walls. Finally the go ahead is given and the painting can begin. I scan my very finished pencil drawings, clean up unnecessary pencil lines, fix previously unseen tangent, ghosts etc. and scan them, and colorize the sketch to a light brown Then I staple the printed sketch onto a brown gatorboard panel and slosh water all over it. When it dries, it is tight and will not ripple or buckle under subsequent wash. Depending on the image, sometimes I will paint a very light blue or raw sienna wash over the entire piece. Also, at that point I might apply frisket, masking fluid to certain details, areas that I want to remain untouched as I apply washes to the surrounding areas.
From that point on I apply many light layers, glazes, of watercolor, building up the color and working all over the painting. My process is slow, but I am pretty fast at it, and it makes me happier than almost anything else. When they are finished I scan them at a high resolution and send them to the publisher via an ftp service, or occasionally send the publisher the actual completed paintings… and feel a sense of accomplishment that another book has been completed but also feel a bit adrift and overwhelmed at the thought of beginning the whole process again. When I finish a book very late at night it’s a little weird, there one is, finished, after many months of work and one is just simply finished There is only the finished work and the silence, broken only be a softly snoring dog…. Once to remedy that my husband made me a recording of a cheering crowd, rousing applause. I feel silly playing it but it makes me smile just to know I can. What do you do to promote yourself and get work? Have you worked for publishers in European countries like England or France? If not would you want to? Not nearly enough. For most of my career I have had agents who took care of that for me, but at the moment I am unrepresented. I think about promo campaigns and mailings, postcards, portfolio sites, looking for new representation but I am currently busy with several projects so I tell myself maybe in the Fall since Summer in publishing is so sleepy. I have never worked for any English or French publishers, but would love to. Many European books are very beautiful. There is a Russian publisher who is publishing some wonderful children’s books… I would jump at the chance to work with them given my love for Russian illustrated children’s books, fairy tales, and admiration for what they are publishing now. What’s the future hold for you? Any ultimate goal?
Good things! I am involved in several projects that I am loving and the beginnings of something very special. Ultimately, I would love to author, not only illustrate picture books. If you could meet anyone in the field you’re in who would it be and why?
I would love to meet Uri Shulevitz. He really
brought home the magic and joy of picture books as an art form to me. His own illustrations and words are beautiful and clear and full of emotion and sweetness. I would love to thank him for being such an inspiration.
"My process is slow, but I am pretty fast at it, and it makes me happier than almost anything else."
Julie Mellan Interview by
Lon Levin
When did you first think about art as something you wanted to do? Were you encouraged or discouraged by family, friends, teachers, mentors? I always loved drawing, since I could hold a pen. As a child, I used to draw and paint all day long, and I simply never stopped. When I was 5, I told my mother that drawing for children books must be a pretty cool job… Luckily, my parents told to my brothers and I that we could do whatever the jobs we wanted as long as we did it well, and with passion. Yes, I felt encouraged by friends and family despite I knew that working as a freelance won’t be a bed of roses everyday. What kind of kid were you? Where did you grow up? What were your influences? I was a regular, happy little bookworm! I’m French, always lived in France. My family is a real cliché: my
parents, my two brothers and I lived in a suburban area with our Labrador in the late 90’s. I was surrounded by friends of my age in this lovely neighborhood and (when I wasn’t reading), we spent entire days playing in each other’s backgrounds or rooms… We also watched a lot of Disney’ s movies. I definitely was inspired by these in the first place. After the high school, I entered an art school, in order to learn the animation. There, we studied academic drawing, painting, illustration and animation. But when I had to choose my path, I rather preferred illustration: its delightful for me to spend several hours painting a detailed scene, but a real pain when it’s for hundreds of animation’s keys gestures. Your style and take on creation of art is very unique. Did you work on developing a style or is that what naturally came out of you?
I don’t have the feeling I have my own style yet !
" could hold a pen.
I always loved drawing, since I
"
"I simply find animals funnier than humans to draw."
joy. Then, I transpose it with animals because I simply find them funnier than humans to draw. Has
the computer affected your work?
traditionally and digitally?
Do
you work
I still work traditionally, with watercolor. Some illustrators manage to do magnificent digital paintings but on my side, I’m so bad at it ! I simply can’t. That’s alright, because I love this traditional way, from the process to the final rendering. Sometimes, people tell me that they actually like this classic look, that it reminds them oldfashioned illustrations. Nothing makes me more proud
(Continued) I think this is like an handwriting, it comes naturally, you can try to improve it, work on it, but it represents intrinsically who you are. Several art teachers told me for years that my characters looked too much like Disney’s. I try to avoid that, to go beyond and add my touch, but this is what it comes naturally for me ! You do a lot of lovable warm character art work. How did that happen? Usually, I draw my characters based on a feeling, then comes what they will look like. I guess this process gives them more depth. Then, I’m inspired by nature: for example, have you noticed how cute a baby wombat is? Will you explain a little about the origins of your characters and their meaning to you? Do they come out of your head or from people you’ve seen or know? As I said, I start with an idea, a feeling, a posture. I’m often inspired by my two sons. Toddlers and kids have their own gestures and attitudes, their games or funny words. As an example, my son recently reached the minimal size to ride Space Mountain, I had to paint this smile! There’s so much in it: pride, excitation and pure
than when I heard “it reminds me of Beatrix Potter’s art.” However, I do paint little colors thumbnails on Photoshop before I start the actual painting. It helps me to easily settle the color scale and harmony, the light sources, and the contrast of an illustration. What’s going on in your head when you work on a piece? Your fears, anticipation, confidence How do you know something is finished? Once I have my idea, I start sketching. I have two big fears: The first one is that it looks too much like Disney. (But I love Disney!) As practice, I copied the characters
"Some illustrators manage to do magnificent digital paintings but on my side, I’m so bad at it ! I simply can’t."
for years when I was a kid, and I still love the movies; but I heard so often that is was boring, that it gave a déjà-vu feeling, that I try to add my own personal touch every time. Also, my second fear is to be too classic, almost outdated. I work traditionally, I paint cute animals with watercolors. I’m pretty far from whacky, scatty and cool illustrations that are made these days. I do my best to go beyond my smooth, reserved nature. Also, I must confess I’m never really confident when I start a new piece. I’ll discover the final rendering at the very end: sometimes it looks like what I had in mind, sometimes it doesn’t. Finally, an illustration is finished, obviously, when everything is done. If this mouse needs whiskers, it’s finished when they have been drawn. But I really don’t know how to explain when the mouse needs whiskers or not. It’s like cooking: some people would add a little more salt, some wouldn’t! Your work is so unique, how did you attract clients when you first started out. Were you concerned about getting found by the right client? Oh, when I started, freshly graduated at 23 years-old, I was concerned by getting found, merely! Working in illustration: welcome to the jungle! I have launched dozens of portfolios to French publishers, with more or less success in the first months. In the beginning of my career, I did a lot of birth announcement cards and wedding invites,for living. Happily, I found editorial projects pretty quickly, and I keep working with my first publisher since then. Few years ago, I also started to post my work on social medias, it gave me some global visibility, and I am now represented by an international illustration agency who brings me some projects and support me with the contracts. I’m curious about how you choose what to work on. What’s does your process entail? Start to finish. Can you give us a short step-by-step? It was hard at the beginning, but today, I can afford to choose on which projects I want to work. Usually, I receive the text in the first place, if I like it, if it inspires me, let’s go for it! I start with tiny (and pretty ugly) thumbnails, I settle the storyboard this way, so I can have an overlook of the book and its sequence. I try to diversify the compositions in the several pages. When it looks good for me, I do the sketches in the right size, then I send to the publishers to get his green light, and continue on the paintings.
What do you do to promote yourself and get work? Have you worked for publishers(print and gaming)/ animation companies in European countries like England or France or US? If not would you want to? In order to promote my work, I just post my latest illustrations on social medias and my online portfolio. And sometimes, between two paintings, when I have some time, I knock at publishers’ doors to let them know that I’m here… But in general, they rather come to me when a project is launched and they need an illustrator to work on it. I work with few publishers in France, from Netherlands and the US. My style of illustrations seems to be too classic, too formal for the French publishing… I would love to work with publishers from the UK! Fingers crossed! What’s the future hold for you? Any ultimate goal? I wish I could live from illustration for many years. Let’s go for even more books! And pretty good ones. Actually, I’m really often frustrated by the timelines. As I work traditionally, I need time to complete a book project while publishers schedule the publication just few months later. My ultimate goal would be to have the opportunity to work on a beautiful illustrated book, full of clumsy, cute animals, and having enough time to enhance it as much as it’s necessary. If you could meet anyone in the field you’re in who would it be and why? Does it sound creepy if I say I would like to meet a bunch of dead people? Seriously, I’m a huge fan of classical illustrators like Breatrix Potter (obvisouly, already said it), Arthur Rackham, Kay Nielsen, Grandville, Gustave Doré. I would like to know what their lives looked like at their time. All of them were real precursors in their field! But of course, there are also many great illustrators these days! I had the chance to study with one of my favorite illustrator, Jean Claverie, who was a teacher in my art school. He is a master of watercolor, and he undoubtedly taught me to be really exacting with this demanding medium. Beyond the living, I admire Rebecca Dautremer, Christopher Denise, Geneviève Godbout, Quentin Gréban, Frédéric Pillot… and many others I forgot. To be honest, I think I would be too shy to ask them anything, if I could, I would just sit quietly, and watch them working.
The Illustrators Journal Questions You Should Ask Yourself. Were you encouraged or discouraged by family, friends, teachers, mentors? How is that affecting your life? How has your background played a part in your career? How do you stay up to date on styles/ processes outside of your projects? What’s going on in your head when you work on a piece/project? Your fears, anticipation, confidence , etc. How do you know something is finished? What do you do to promote yourself and get work? What’s the future hold for you? Any ultimate goal? Answering these questions for yourself can help bring clarity to your quest to be an illustrator.
Lon Levin • 1129 S. Point View Street • Los Angeles, Ca 90035 • 818-268-9953 • lonfellow@gmail.com ©2020 Illustrators Journal/Levinland Studio. All Interviews and stories contain with the publication are the sole property of The Illustrators Journal and Levinland Studio and cannot be reproduced in any medium without the expressed written permission of the publisher.
