Could you tell us a bit about yourself?
I am an illustrator and layout designer based in southern Brazil who specialises in children’s books. I graduated in Architecture and Urbanism in 2019, and after my graduation, I had the privilege of being able to choose to pursue the arts. I started illustrating small works on freelance websites, and it was there that the first opportunity to illustrate a children’s book arose. That was when I discovered that this was what I would like to do. The first book I illustrated is titled “Onde nascem as nuvens.” It was written by Camila Oleski and I am proud to say that it was in this book that I started illustrating and diagramming, learning through my mistakes. Since then, I have illustrated more than 90 children’s books between independent publications and publishers.
Have you always liked to draw?
Yes, drawing has always been my passion. I know it’s cliché, but I’ve been drawing since I was little and I draw everything I see. As a kid, I would sit on a stool anywhere and draw from life or what I was feeling. This grew with me, and even in college, I chose projects where I could draw something, even if it was just a corner on a sheet of paper. I loved it—I really did. It seems like art was my best friend—it still is.
“Drawing has always been my passion. I know it’s cliché, but I’ve been drawing since I was little and I draw everything I see. ”
How are you usually approached for commissions?
The main way is through referrals. I use social networks to showcase my work and I also have clients who find me through them, but the recommendations are more concrete. I currently work as a freelancer, working with publishers and independent writers, too—some of them on a regular basis.
What are the key things to keep in mind when illustrating a children’s book?
The main aspect of all is to show through drawing what the book needs to appeal to young readers. This makes the illustrator understand what the writer needs to pass forward through that story. You need to make children connect with the characters, with the atmosphere of the book, with the colours… The main objective is to touch hearts. The technique and tricks of illustration come from practising, but bringing feeling to them takes a complete understanding of the story and subject matter and why the illustrations are needed in the first place.
“I feel the need to understand what the writer thought when they wrote the story—what type of characters they thought of, what they felt and why they wrote it.”
Talk us through your process for illustrating a children’s book.
Children’s books are built by different parties and people, that’s why I start the process with a lot of conversation with the authors/publishers. I feel the need to understand what the writer thought when they wrote the story—what type of characters they thought of, what they felt and why they wrote it. This is the first stage of working on a book—a lot of conversation to understand the story. This is where a lot of research also comes in. I’ve illustrated books where I had to research a lot about the topic because I had little understanding, and that made me learn a lot so I could later convey what I needed for the story. After the conversation, I begin studying the characters and base colours for the book. At every stage, I show the partial files to the writers for approval, so we can move forward together.
After studying, I do sketches and basic layouts. This is where I develop the dynamics of the book—the perspectives I will use, the main elements and the spacing for the text. I like to do foreground and background studies to show the writer/editor what I have in the foreground in the illustration. This helps with understanding each scene. Once approved, I move on to finalising the colours and files for printing at print shops/sending them to the publisher.
How do you use Affinity apps in your workflow?
When I started illustrating children’s books five years ago, the first program I used was Affinity. During the creation process, Affinity applications move with me from the character study process to finalising the files for printing. I basically use Affinity Photo and Affinity Publisher almost simultaneously.
“I love how easy it is to work with Affinity. In the draft phase of producing a book, I really like how I can use Photo and Publisher together—it makes the development process a lot easier, and I can visualise the book as a whole—text and illustration.”
What do you like most about working in Affinity?
I love how easy it is to work with Affinity. In the draft phase of producing a book, I really like how I can use Photo and Publisher together—it makes the development process a lot easier, and I can visualise the book as a whole—text and illustration. What stands out for me is the speed and ease of working with the programs, making it simple, almost natural. Artists need this facility to be able to create.
What does a typical working day look like for you?
We can’t always follow a rhythm, as creativity is like a roller coaster, so I enjoy it a lot when it’s at the top. I like to have my breakfast and come to the office to follow my to-do list—yes, I still have those lists written by hand and they save me. Then, I organise what I’m going to work on—sometimes I work on more than two books simultaneously, so I divide my day based on that. I like working at night, too—that’s when I’m the most productive.
You’ve recently written and illustrated your own children’s book in Affinity. Can you tell us more about it and what inspired you to create this story?
I wrote this story for my godson, who simply loves chickens and everything that involves this theme! And I think it’s so beautiful that he feels things deeply—it reminds me of when I was a child and how I felt everything in a huge way. I made this book so that he can always remember to allow himself to feel, because adults sometimes forget that. Furthermore, the theme of the book is also encouraging reading and friendship, topics that are extremely necessary for me. And the feeling of seeing the book arriving at my house was crazy! Haha, I was really moved because I had never imagined I could write and illustrate an entire story. I think a few years ago I didn’t even know where to start. I still get emotional.
Are there any book projects that stand out as your favourites?
All the stories I illustrate are unique, and I don’t just say that out loud. Unique because I research and study a lot about creating elements and characters, choosing colours and page dynamics. But one story in particular made me learn a lot: The Memory Keepers, written by Sarah Allison and published by B+A Stories.
This story talks about Alzheimer’s from the writer’s real experience, which is why we have real characters and illustrations of real photos in the book.
I started the illustration process with a lot of research on the topic, as I also needed to learn so I could teach children through my illustrations. And in the middle of the process, I remembered that as a child I had contact with a neighbour who had Alzheimer’s, and this had a huge impact on me and brought back many memories. I remember that I didn’t really understand what was happening to her, so I thought that if I had a book like this, that explained in a playful way what this disease was and how to deal with it, it would have been easier and I would have learned more. I worked all of this into the colours too. It was a very special and challenging process.
Can you tell us what projects you are working on right now?
I’m currently working on four children’s books by national and international independent writers and I also work as creative director at a local magazine in my city.
Lastly, what advice would you offer someone just starting out as a children’s illustrator?
To continue. Sometimes it’s difficult to keep this in mind, especially as an artist, as we open our hearts to people through our work. But practising is the most incredible path you can try. Always moving forward, challenging yourself, testing new things, producing. Everything takes time, but it’s worth it. We don’t need to be good at everything, we need to find something that makes us happy.
You can check out Laura’s portfolio at lauramocelin.com and follow her work on Instagram @lauramocelinart.