Well, April disappeared in a haze and we’re already approaching mid-May. Absurd. It’s been another busy few weeks. I was promoted to senior designer at my part-time publishing job which was a lovely surprise, however, the reality of working two jobs with more freelance projects on than ever before, is that I don’t have a lot of time on my hands. I started freelancing in my early 20’s, and whilst I don’t consider 32 OLD (don’t challenge me), I am in a very different phase of my life and I struggle to keep up the same kind of momentum that I used to. The days of working til 3am, and up again at 6am have long gone, which is just as well really, but I do sometimes wish I could abolish the need for sleep altogether.
I feel very lucky to be working in children’s publishing full-time, though. It’s such a magical and supportive industry, and you never know what kind of project is going to come knocking next. On that note, let’s talk about books…
Ace and the Animal Heroes
April saw the publication of Ace and the Animal Heroes written by J.B. Gill. It’s been a lot of fun bringing JB’s characters to life, and working with the wonderful team at Puffin! This book is the first in a series, so I’m expecting the second to cross my desk any day now.
Ongoing projects
You may recall a certain caped hamster in my previous post. I was commissioned to work on a set of 3 books with OUP who I’ve worked with before and are absolutely brilliant. I’ve just finished the artwork for book 1, and am currently working on final art for book 2. The deadlines for these are quite tight, and they’re very technical in terms of composition as well so it’s been quite a challenge, but I’m enjoying the process.
I’m also about to start work on a new 4-book middle-grade series that is HUGE fun. I can’t share much at this stage, but as you can see from the images below, they’re very action-filled with some memorable characters. I love a good Pantone, don’t you?
The cover for Libby and the Manhattan Mystery is well underway! I’m excited to share this one when we can, as Jo Clarke has done another brilliant job with the story. Trying to capture the essence of New York in a single cover is proving to be a lot of fun. I’ve never been to NY, I think I would probably find it quite overwhelming as I’m much more at home in a sleepy village setting. One of the lovely things about being an illustrator is having the opportunity to explore lots of different places and cultures through research... from the comfort of your own home, and preferably with a cup of coffee to hand. Don’t get me wrong, I love the idea of travelling more, but perhaps somewhere I can get to by train for now…
I mentioned in the last post that I was working on a cover for something else, but I’m still not able to share much about it. It’s a little different for me, and has been a tough one to capture, but I’m looking forward to sharing it when I can.
I got the brief through for another Famous Five book a couple of weeks ago so have been working on roughs for that. I’ve signed on to two more, which I THINK are my 7th and 8th maybe?! Wild. I’ll be sure to share some of the roughs in my next post!
What else, what else?
I redecorated my office, and what a nightmare that was! I won’t bore you with the details, but it turned into a much bigger job than I anticipated, especially considering how tiny the room is.
I’m really pleased with how it turned out though, it feels much brighter and there’s so much more space to stuff with books! Yay!
I love working from home, more than I ever have really as I find I need that solitude in order to focus on my work these days. Or at least the option to just shut myself off from everything. I go through periods though of needing a bit more social interaction, so I decided to take a desk at my old co-working spot that one of my pals still runs.
I first took a desk back in 2016, and I worked there full-time until 2019, whereas now I’m popping in when I have the urge to be around other people for a couple of hours here and there, rather than committing to being in that environment all day every day. I’ll admit though, I’m not sure it’s the right fit for me anymore, but I’m hesitant to give it up as I know how indecisive I can be. A lot has changed since 2019, and I’m so back and forth when it comes to my workspace, I honestly drive myself crackers. Is anyone else like this? I’m always looking for that magical solution that will take my productivity to the next level. I’d be interested to hear about other people’s experiences, and if you’ve managed to figure it out?
Something else that’s been playing on my mind recently is progression. Some days I feel like my portfolio has been left to wither because I just haven’t had the time or focus to play around with new ideas, or methods. I’ve gotten a bit stuck in my ways in terms of style, and I’m so eager to break away and experiment with new techniques. It’s difficult when you’re committed to an on-going series as you need to keep consistent over a period of possibly years, even if you’ve moved on stylistically. Or if you’re being hired based on a sample in your portfolio that perhaps you should have taken out years ago, but just never got around to it. I’m not sure what the answer is, except to try and make time in the future to focus on the foundations, rather than the output.
The rest of this year is jam-packed full of wonderful projects, and I am very grateful for that. However, next year I would love to focus more on life outside of work, and really re-engage with my love of drawing in a way that isn’t so pressured. Fingers crossed I can make it happen!
Thanks so much for reading this very rambling, dis-jointed newsletter! Let me know if there’s anything specific you’d like to read more about in future posts. Do you enjoy reading straightforward updates? Would you rather I focus more on some tips and tricks, or perhaps more insight into the reality of my life as a freelance illustrator? I’m open to ideas!
Speak soon,
B