----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The skill of combing words and images is very important while making book illustrations, according to the interview with Beatrice Blue, she said when she was working on one of her works, she didn’t just write something like “he saw a deer and a tree”, she prefers to write the emotions of the character because people can see the scene but they can’t understand the emotions of the character just look at the image.
” During the illustration process, a book illustrator will sometimes work directly with the author of the book. Many times, however, an illustrator will never meet the author of a book. Instead, illustrators will usually be contacted by editors or publishers. Successful illustrators must be able to read stories, interpret them, and use their intuitions and imaginations when illustrating a book.
When creating illustrations, a book illustrator may use several different methods. Some simply use pencils, paint, or other traditional art mediums, for instance. Others, however, may take a more modern approach to illustrate and use computer software.
Book illustrators who write their own books will also need to have excellent writing skills as well.
Otherwise, they should be able to understand and interpret the text written by existing authors.” (TACP staff, 2021)
For the inspirations, take Ruth Hammond as an example, she was mostly inspired by nature, “her cute little dog”, magic and sometimes just some chat conversation between her and her partners.
TACFF staff, Book Illustrator, What Does a Book Illustrator Do, 2021 https://theartcareerproject.com/careers/book-illustration/#:~:text=Book%20illustration%20is%20a%20form,commonly%20found%20in%20children's%20books
The Mind Behind The Illustration Magic: A Conversation With Beatrice Blue with Playgrounds TV https://www.artstation.com/learning/courses/oJv/the-mind-behind-the-illustration-magic-a-conversation-with-beatrice-blue/chapters/mEXw/part-1
https://www.capsulesbookportfolio.com/ruth-hammond-1
According to this article,
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In general, book illustrators should be artistic individuals. They should have advanced drawing or painting skills, for example. Because they need to come up with countless unique illustrations, they should also be extremely creative individuals with limitless imaginations.