Hello SCBWI community!
My name is Bear, and I'm so happy we are here together!
This month for the blog, I asked some of my favorite kidlit illustrators to share some of their thoughts on art process. And I have been BLOWN away, inspired and fascinated by what these hard-working, deeply thoughtful, skilled-up people have shared with us!
I feel so lucky to be in the company of this community, out here chasing the joy, empathy, humor and heart that make children's books so special and important, despite the bottle necks, rejections and intense economical realities of our industry and our world. The kindness, generosity and fortitude of all of you is powerful!
First up:
Saki Tanaka
What are some illustration choices you make by instinct now that took you a long time to build, and what frustrated you as you learned it?
One illustration choice or skill that took a while for me to build is color selection. I used to be terrified of color, and primarily only worked with graphite when starting out! Eventually, through trial and error, I discovered my favorites (Cobalt Turquoise, Opera Rose, Lemon Yellow etc) and got better at selecting palettes around these faves. Thinking about what the illustration was trying to do (e.g. feel enchanting or otherworldly, draw the viewer's eye to the main character, capture a specific emotional state) also helped ground my color choices in an intent beyond just my subjective preferences and predilections. That being said, things tend to go well when I prioritize working with colors that have characteristics I'm drawn to, like certain types of pigment granulation and how hues react to each other physically (mmm glazing) and in relation to one another.
Can you take us through a spread of work you've created (published or not): from sketches, to thumbnails and final work and talk to us about what changed along the way and why? Please include photos!
My first book, BETWEEN WORDS, took TEN years to make, so a lot changed from inception to publication! It started off as a text-only manuscript that went through multiple rounds and story versions. Eventually I sketched thumbnails for the text and mocked up many, many, many dummy books. I have various versions of "final" art that resulted from this iterative process. What changed most along the way was the heart of the story as I dug deeper to source my own lived experience, and the style of the illustrations as I discovered new techniques and mediums. You can find a very detailed description of this specific journey here, if helpful!
Where do you think your most interesting ideas come from? Do you have any rituals or habits that keep you connected to those sources, and what happens when you forget?
I love this question because catching ideas and nurturing story seeds is my absolute favorite part of the book making process! I've distilled this down to what I call my 3 S's: SPARKS (things I'm obsessed with), mySELF (life experiences/memories), and what I want to SEE in the world (wish fulfillment!). Making time to play is a primary habit that keeps me connected to these sources, and clearing my brain cache daily (i.e. meditation) helps make more room and catch new ideas. I also keep an idea sketchbook that I try to add to at least once every few weeks, which often ends up cross-pollinating with and enriching the way I approach my current book projects.
What do you notice a lot of in your life? How do those things make their way into your art, or how do you get rid of them while you're working so that you can bring what you want into your art?
I notice things that make me feel a whole spectrum of deep feels: from joy to fear to anger and everything in between. Of these emotional responses, enchantment is at the top of my list. My macro goal as a creative person is to make magic real — so whenever something comes close to making magic "real" and enchanting me, I notice and remember and chase it like my life depends on it (because it kind of does). Some examples I can think of at the moment include cosmology, surrealist art, lucid dreaming and dreamwork in general, news stories about humans doing things that help and uplift each other, immersive exhibits like Meow Wolf, and the worlds dreamed up by Hayao Miyazaki. All of these seep into my work directly and otherwise, as visual influences, conceptual inspo., synchronicities, and ideally end up becoming output as feelings of being enchanted, embraced and empowered in the readers of my stories. I actually don't get rid of these "noticings" while I work! My studio is a maximalist explosion of sketches, postcards, toys and treasures that remind me of these goodies. They entice me to come play and dream for as long as I possibly can, whenever I can.
What are some things you used to believe about developing a style that you no longer believe? & How has your work changed in the last 5 years and what caused those changes?
I used to believe style and illustration were a means to an end, and now realize it can be an expression. For a long time, illustration was a bit like an unruly tool I had to wield—something I can learn to execute well enough to convey my ideas and bring the worlds/characters/stories in my head to life. I primarily used style to try to evoke a feeling in an audience, so it shifted from book to book. But in the last several years since I moved to Denver, CO, I've had a very lucky streak of meeting the most amazing artists (locally and beyond). Being surrounded by so many expressive and inspiring friends has lit my desire to excavate my own unique visual language for it's own sake. So I've started keeping an "Expression Excavation" sketchbook and have been exploring the answers to questions like "what is a mark that my soul wants to make? What do I look like as a color palette? What forms feel juicy to me and why?" I have a feeling this will be a WIP for the rest of my life!
Bear Howe is an author/illustrator and multidisciplinary artist living in Michigan, USA. Their art practice includes fine art, illustration and staying curious, exploring themes of belonging, awe, mystery, discovery and liberation. Where you can find Bear:
On Substack at BecomeingArt and @bearhoweart on IG
My website has my Portfolio
Teaching kids art classes at Young Illustrators Studio
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