This month I'm chatting to Lisa Williams, Children's Illustrator, about her lifelong passion for drawing, and how she got into children's illustration and now works closely with authors on their projects.
Here's some of her story/bio:
"My love of drawing started when I was a just a wee toddler. The only thing that kept me quiet and focused, according to my parents. As early as primary school (ages 5-11) I had decided that I wanted to be an illustrator. Occasionally I thought about being a ballerina or an astronaut but that would only have been alongside my creative career, of course!
While I was still at secondary school (age 11-16), I received a handful of commissions and the school Art Prize. I took an Art Foundation course in Bangor, Wales after school, which I enjoyed. As a result, I decided to enrol in a three-year Graphic Design course at De Montfort University in Leicester, UK. It was during this time that I focused on illustration.
Fortunately, I attracted the attention of an Artist Agency at my degree show. Commissions were slow initially, not helped by graduating during the recession of the 90s. For a few months, I worked in a bouncy castle factory which taught me to work at speed — no prevaricating! This skill was hugely beneficial for my commercial career. Thankfully, the number of commissions I received gradually increased and I haven't looked back.
During the early years, much of my work has been in Educational Publications. This included projects for many magazines and a variety of children's books. These commissions have come from all over the world, including various countries across Europe, the U.S.A., and the Middle East. I've even had projects for the Chinese Educational Authority, and also some African countries. It is interesting how you have to adapt your artwork to fit in with different cultures.
I often adapt my style to suit a given project. Sometimes I'll include little details that make the illustrations secretly more personal. This could include making the children look like the author's family members. The dog might look like their family pet dog. Toys in the story look like their children's favourite teddy bear or fluffy monster. It's a really great feeling helping them bring their stories to life.
The illustration process has changed considerably over the years. I remember starting to fax sketches to a publisher and thinking it was SO much quicker. The final artwork all had to be painted by hand, mounted on board for protection and posted by 'snail mail' i.e. recorded delivery — slow and expensive! Later we could scan artwork and email it and now of course it's quicker still with drawing digitally on the iPad with an iPencil.
I can't believe this year it's actually 30 years since I started in business - I'm excited to think about what the next 30 years might bring!
They say that everyone has a book in them.
Might you have a story that needs illustrating? Maybe, it's part written or you're not quite confident about the final draft. Please get in touch. I have some great contacts including fantastic editors, designers, and people who can advise you or assist you with self-publishing. Never be afraid to ask. If I can't help you, I probably know someone who can.
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/lisawilliamsillustration
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/ljmwilliams
This podcast is sponsored by Ashtanga Life Anglesey.
