Amy has loved to draw from a young age and often made up games based around drawing to entertain her younger brother and cousins. Her artistic talent was noticed and she was accepted into fashion and textile design in high school and TAFE . When she became a mother, she fell in love with picture book illustration, and realised what her true potential could be. Amy and has developed a few distinct styles and is always playing with new techniques to expand her repertoire.
Website: www.http://amygorgeousness2.wixsite.com/amyillustrates
Instagram: @amygorgeousness
Facebook: www.facebook.com/amyillustrates
Illustrator insight
What does art mean to you? Art is a beautiful way of communicating ideas and feelings.
What’s the best aspect of your artistic life? My studio is at home, and I love being at home for my children. Also, I love doing something that I enjoy and it slots so seamlessly into my life.
—the worst? Maybe that it takes so long? I want to do all the projects I possibly can.
How do you approach an Illustration project? Walk us through your creative process. I read the manuscript and then I storyboard the illustrations in a thumbnail size. I sometimes go through several ideas before I show my editor and author. After the storyboard is finished I fix any changes that need to be made. Once the storyboard is approved I move onto final artwork which could be digital or traditional watercolour depending on what style the client and I want to go with. Both styles take about the same amount of time because I’m fast at painting watercolour but I then have to digitise it anyway. So the whole process is about four months, for watercolour and digital art. Digital art still takes me a while although I am getting the hang of it.
Picture books are a creative collaboration between author and illustrator. How closely did you work with Wenda on One Book was all it took? Wenda was an absolute dream to work with. She was very encouraging and I had a great experience. Our main points of discussion were when I handed in my first storyboard. Wenda, Anouska (our editor) and I bounced around some ideas for a couple of illustrations and I think it’s nice to get some input at that point of the illustration process.
One thing I’ve noticed about the picture books you’ve illustrated in the past few years is the variation in style from one book to another. What’s the background story on how the style is chosen? I originally started in a watercolour style, the I got a laptop tablet to digitise my artwork and I started to play around with hand sketching and digitally colouring illustrations. My watercolour style is usually good for cute, sentimental and heartfelt stories. My digital and ink styles are good for exciting humorous and energetic stories.
I usually let the client choose the style I work in. When I got my first contract with EK (Turning cartwheels) Anouska (editor)and Amy Adeney (author) liked my digital style, and I continued using the same style so my editor knows what style to expect. But I can consistently illustrate in a few styles, you just have to tell me which one you want. Also I’m thinking of creating a new style which I’m hoping to start experimenting with soon.
Did you draw on your own childhood experiences of libraries in creating the illustrations for the book? No, I am dyslexic so reading wasn’t my safe haven as a child. My love of reading came much later; riding a train every day to work was when I began devouring books.
How much time do you spend on creating each illustration? An illustration can take so-o-o long, anywhere from three hours to five days for final art.
Do you have a preferred medium? Water colour, pencil, and my laptop for digital illustration.
Is there any area of art that you still find challenging? It sounds weird but storyboarding is the trickiest, but I really like working out interesting compositions.
What would you do differently if you were starting out now as an illustrator? Nothing, I got pretty lucky and I got three of my first book contracts within a few weeks of each other and went into panic mode to get all the work done. Haha
What do you wish you’d been told before you set out to become an illustrator? I’m still quite new at Illustrating so I don’t have a huge wealth of knowledge, but it would be to stay positive and to show your work online.
What’s the best advice you were ever given? What’s the worst someone can say, no? Don’t let the fear of rejection stop you.
What’s your top tip for aspiring illustrators? I would make sure to put together a low res pdf portfolio showing your best work that tells a story and is aimed towards the children’s book market. Once it’s done, submit your portfolio to publishers you think may like your work.
What is your creative dream? I’m living my creative dream but there’s always room for improvement. Maybe to illustrate another fabulous book that becomes a sensation and I am just so busy with work for years to come.
Now for a little light relief – If you were going to be stuck in a stalled lift for several hours, who would you choose to share the experience with you and why? Probably my husband as he is an electrician and has worked on lifts before. He would be able to fix it and we would be out of there in no time. If I can’t pick him, maybe Taika Waititi would be a good laugh.
Book Byte
Violet has searched her room high and low, but just can’t find a book she hasn’t read before. She wishes her town had a library; a magical place full of adventure where she would never run out of stories to discover. But alas, on this particular rainy day, the only unfamiliar book she can find is the one propping up the kitchen table. Dad won’t miss it, right?…
With a CLATTER and a CRASH, Violet’s actions set in motion an unstoppable chain of events that soon has the whole town in chaos! Young readers will delight at the playful, colourful illustrations, while learning an important lesson about how actions lead to consequences. The story also introduces children to the wonder of libraries, while highlighting their vital role in fostering literacy.
One Book Was All it Took is the perfect tongue-in-cheek adventure story to share with budding bookworms. From the hilarity of the chaos that Violet causes, to the heart-warming reminder of the important role libraries have played in many of our lives, readers of all ages will find joy in this vibrant book. It is also an excellent introduction to the concept of how our actions can affect others, an important lesson for all young ones – especially Violet!
Buy the book here.
In Their Own Write 