![Rosie Dore Interview](https://ci-cdn.childrensillustrators.com/images/interview-covers/WbvLpsgxRAGqehJ5tpvmx9EpqzuvRnI5hfsbf2B3.jpg)
Rosie Dore
Children's Illustrator
How and why did you decide to pursue illustration as your career?
I’ve always loved drawing, but it wasn't until my mid 20s that I started to think seriously about a career in illustration. I was really interested in working in film before that, and in my Fine Art degree I experimented with stop motion animation – and ended up doing some work experience with Aardman afterwards, which was great fun. It didn’t click until I realised that the things I liked about film - the storytelling and cinematography - lend themselves very nicely to illustration! I bought myself my first iPad when I was 26, and it opened up new ways of working, mixing hand-painting with digital work. Through this, I rediscovered my passion for art after spending time in jobs just to pay the bills. I’ve not looked back since.
![Rosie Dore interview image 0](https://ci-cdn.childrensillustrators.com/images/interview-answers/UrO9HSqq3yO1psg5BOYsJrZ2OqqRmg6Gzi6OJq3v.jpg)
Which books from your own childhood really stand out?
My dad is a book collector, so we always had piles and piles of books in the house, which was a real privilege. Throughout my life I’ve been drawn to stories which can whisk you away on an adventure to faraway lands – I've always been a daydreamer. Because of this, Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak was, and still is, a real favourite. I also loved all the Roald Dahl books, and The Owl Who Was Afraid of the Dark.
Do you have a favourite soundtrack you listen to when you’re working?
I’m always listening to something when I work – my go-to is any soul music (Aretha, Otis Redding, Solomon Burke...) or Nick Drake. However, if I want to create an atmosphere to get some ideas flowing, I find movie soundtracks really helpful. Maybe this is because they are often illustrating a story, with emotion and/or action. They really help me to build a bubble around me of the place and story I am illustrating, to shut out the rest of the world, and to create in. My favourites are The Little Prince soundtrack, and any Thomas Newman compilations.
How do you overcome a creative block?
If I have a creative block, it always helps me to get out of the house; to go for a walk and listen to some music – especially in the woods, or green spaces nearby. I also like to watch characterful films with artistic cinematography, like Wes Anderson’s Fantastic Mr Fox or Tarsem Singh’s The Fall, for inspiration.
![Rosie Dore interview image 0](https://ci-cdn.childrensillustrators.com/images/interview-answers/fxZZ5l8wFqwQyZG52H8oZHrqe9DHokd7gE0C7YQt.jpg)
Animals feature heavily in children’s books – do you have a pet?
Yes! I love animals. I have two cats, Marnie and Al, and they are my co-workers in a job which is largely based at home. Al is always sleeping next to me when I work (he’s here right now, as I type this), and Marnie likes to sit on my shoulders like a parrot when I’m up at the computer.
![Rosie Dore interview image 0](https://ci-cdn.childrensillustrators.com/images/interview-answers/lna3yYzfPKWIrjEKqX6Mav3UDfJgRuWDsvXayCGS.jpg)