Start by Drawing
Draw as much as you can, whether it’s drawing the things you see in front of you, like your morning bowl of porridge or your pet turtle, or the things you can imagine, like your submarine that you use to explore the ocean depths or a fire-breathing purple horse.
Like anything you want to get good at, drawing is all about practice; every time you draw something, you’ll get a little bit better at it. Just keep going, and if you make mistakes, you’ll know how to avoid them the next time around.
Think About the Story
Illustration is an interesting art form because the artwork you’re creating needs to help tell a story. In the instance of Alice With a Why, I needed to draw completely imaginary things that complemented the story that author Anna James was telling.
Unlike an oil painting that is hanging in a museum or a design that is printed on fabric and made into jazzy trousers, the point of an illustration is to accompany a story, to carry it along, and to help bring life to the world the author is creating.
Find Inspiration in Something Familiar
If you think you’d like to be an illustrator one day, I’d start by trying to draw scenes or characters from your favourite books. Try not to be influenced by what you may have seen before; close your eyes and imagine how your favourite character looks in your head.
Don’t be Discouraged by your First Attempt
Very few people get things looking perfect the first time they try. All the illustrators I know will draw things again and again until they get them looking the way they want. It doesn’t matter how messy or scribbly your very first attempts are.
Hopefully these tips help foster a creative spark in our young artists while also offering a pathway on how to get started as an illustrator. Once again, we’d like to thank Matthew for stopping by and speaking to our students.
