Lisa Hunt
Children's Illustrator
Who or what made you want to become an illustrator?
Being an only child, pencil and paper very quickly became my best friends. From an early age my favorite thing was writing stories with pictures to go with them. I loved reading and being read to at bedtime, so when my Dad (who is also creative) told me with a lot of practice and hard work I might be able to draw and colour for a job when I grew up and become an illustrator, that's what I wanted to do.
Where do you currently live and where did you grow up?
I grew up on the East Yorkshire coast in the UK. Every day after Junior School, I would walk to see my Grandparents who lived overlooking the harbour. We'd watch cartoons together and play dominoes, or I'd sit at the window with binoculars and watch ships out at sea while eating home-made chocolate cake. In the summer months, my dad would collect me from my Grandparents and before we'd meet Mum from work, he'd take me to the park or the beach to collect shells. If it was raining, we'd go to the amusement arcades. These are some of my favourite memories and looking back, I was so lucky to grow up there, by the sea and with so much nature around us. Also the people were friendly and funny, so all these combined memories of places and characters are where I draw most of my inspiration from. I currently live in Kent with my better half, our cat and the latest addition to the family, a little shih tzu puppy. It's a lovely area to live in, but I will always miss living by the sea.
Which books from your own childhood really stand out?
My favourite books that I remember well are the Paddington Bear collection, a 'Bedtime Stories for every night of the year' book, Dorrie the Witch by Patricia Coombs, Charlotte's Web ( it made me love spiders) and The Adventures of Uncle Lubin. The text was set out in such an unusual and creative way, I remember being fascinated by it. I recently created a reimagined black and white piece of Uncle Lubin for my agent, so it was so lovely to revisit the book.
Animals feature heavily in children’s books – do you have a pet?
Yes! We have a lovely ginger cat who features somewhere in most of the things I draw, and recently we adopted a little black and white shih tzu puppy. I'm sure he will be spotted somewhere in future illustrations too.
What are some of your favourite subjects to draw?
I love to draw anything quirky or humorous. Sealife, nature or anything magical. I enjoy drawing organic flowing shapes and often find myself doodling shapes and turning them into animals or objects.
How do you overcome a creative block?
Creative block can be very frustrating. When this happens I usually have a little break from work to see if it helps. Getting out for a walk can sometimes be all it takes. If there's a bigger blockage, I'll look back through old sketchbooks, read through notes or even pick out random words from a book or magazine and try to link them in some way to make a story. Watching films, listening to music, visiting an exhibition can all hopefully kickstart the creative cogs.
What advice would you offer someone just starting out as a children’s illustrator?
I would say to draw the things that excite you. It will shine through in your work. If you dislike drawing bikes and horses, don't have them in your portfolio. Being organised and on time with deadlines is an important part of being an illustrator. Set yourself deadlines and try to stick to them. Don't be scared of rejection and keep on going!