Malin's Children's Book!

I am excited to share my illustrations for Johanna Olsson’s picture book One Child More or Less… What is the Difference Really?

I was so happy to illustrate this book with a fantastic little story about fear, friendship and imagination. I was given a lot of freedom and I also designed the cover, which I really enjoyed!

Since this was my first children’s book, I must confess to maybe starting in the "wrong" end of things. I divided the text into different thumbnail images and started sketching and painting the images that I felt the most inspired by. That left the images I felt less inspired by, which were more difficult to get done! In hindsight I see the point with sketching up the whole book before starting to paint. But it all worked out in the end!

I made the backgrounds first and then I painted the characters separately so I could easily exchange them if I was not happy. That I would do again, I really enjoyed working like that.

I am so pleased with this little book, it was so fun to make. I became really fond of the little girl called "Virva"- I can relate to her since I also moved a lot as a child. Initially you never think you will get any friends but then like magic, you do.

One Child More or Less… What is the Difference Really? is available in Swedish, and may be ordered here.

Jill Howarth tells all!

Our own Jill Howarth answers your questions about creating art for surface design. We asked the artist to select three questions pertaining to her art career. These are her fascinating answers.

Q. If you hadn’t become a professional artist, what kind of career do you think you would have chosen?

A. That's a tough question but my best guess would be a teacher. I come from a family of them, with my mom, three brothers and all three wives in the same profession. My sister and I seem to be the only ones not in the family business!

Q. Where do you find inspiration? Do you go for walks in town, look at nature shows on TV, or just start scribbling and see where your muse takes you?

A. I'm somewhat of a mid-century picture book collector, having amassed a pretty thick stack of Little Golden books, amongst others. I don't stop at vintage though. I always had a soft spot for buying beautifully illustrated books for my kids when they were small and now I just buy them for myself!

Q. How old were you when you knew you wanted to be an artist? Did you strive to get your art on the refrigerator as a child? Describe your earliest artwork. 

A. My earliest memory is drawing Peanuts characters on large, white paper that my mom brought home from her classroom. I had several Peanuts books that I could draw from with my trusty “El Marko” markers (penciled sketched first, of course). That evolved into redrawing cute Hallmark cards for my mom's bulletin boards in her classroom. Around age 10, I knew that I wanted to be a “commercial” artist. I saw this as hopefully a practical way to make money with art, vs. fine art. Eventually this evolved into getting a degree in graphic design.

Jill Howarth’s stunning work, ready for review!

With BLUE PRINT + SURTEX just around the corner I want to share the artists' portfolio books!  Jill Howath's lettering and gorgeous illustration promises to thrill! We are not booking appointments - want yours? Just ask! Enjoy - Jennifer