J C Perry
Children's Illustrator
Who or what made you want to become an illustrator?
I illustrated my own home-made books as a child, then after 30 years I finally returned to something I love. Raymond Briggs was a big influence on me growing up - I love his stories and illustrations.
Did you attend art school or undertake any other formal artistic training?
I have a Batchelor's degree in Art and Design and a Master's degree in animation. My experience working as a graphic designer has helped with book layout and cover design. Working as an animator, which involved quite a lot of storyoarding, is a similar process to the early stages of creating a picture book - sketching what will happen on each page. Designing and illustrating children's books is valuable experience in itself. After designing and illustrating 22 books, I've refined my process and my illustration style.
What piece of software or hardware could you not live without and why?
Adobe Fresco, Adobe Photoshop and Adobe InDesign. I illustrate mainly in Fresco, then sometimes add effects in Photoshop before transferring to the book pages in InDesign. These three pieces of software help me create magical children's books.
Which project has been most instrumental in developing your personal style?
Working on my own children's books meant I could hone my style. I wasn't being asked to draw/paint in a particular way, so I created illustrations in my own style. I then added these illustrations to my online portfolio and started receiving requests to illustrate other people's books.
How long does it take on average for you to finish a spread, from initial sketch to final colour?
2.5 days for a double-page spread.
What would you say is a distinguishing feature of your artwork?
I paint digitally but they have a watercolour quality to them. I use the 'live' watercolour brushes in Adobe Fresco as I like the way the ink spreads organically and it feels like painting on paper. You can end up with unexpected results when the ink mixes which I like.
Share your favourite piece of artwork from your portfolio and walk us through its creation.
I'd always wanted to illustrate a dark forest scene with glow flies, so in one of my books ' I Want a REAL Unicorn!' where the king's servants are looking for a unicorn for the princess, I thought the servants could wander through a glow fly forest, that way I could create a scene I'd always wanted to illustrate. I made it a double-page spread illustration and I really went to town on it - adding forest wildlife and little eyeballs in tree hollows which children might point at when they read it with their grown-up. It has a glowing, magical feel to it.
Which 4 words would you use to describe your illustration portfolio?
gentle, watercolour, imaginative, fun
Have you visited any schools to speak or hold workshops?
I've visited libraries where I usually read one of my own books then do a 'daw along' where the children copy me drawing one or two of the characters from the book.
Are you an author/illustrator?
Both. The first books I illustrated were my own, I've since gone on to illustrate 16 books for both indie and traditional publishers.
Which project are you most proud of?
Three of my own picture books won literary awards, and three were shortlisted. I'm pretty chuffed with that.
When you are not drawing, how do you like to relax?
Playing electric guitar.