David Moore
Children's Illustrator
Who or what made you want to become an illustrator?
Seeing wonderful illustrations in kids books, magazines and posters really inspired me. As a kid I was always drawing and thinking of scenarios for my characters. As an art director it was often times frustrating to have to hand over juicy illustration projects to other people, so I decided to go full time and develop my styles of illustration.
What was your first commission as a professional illustrator?
My first commision was to develop a character for a restaurant, somewhat like the early 60's retro style. I created about twenty spot illustrations that would reflect each menu item. There was the Ike and Tina Tuna, Moon over Myhamy. The spots, placed thoughout the menu, were really fun to see and loved by the customers. The character was used on various merch items, too.
What piece of software or hardware could you not live without and why?
I must admit I'm a big fan of Photoshop. I love the fact you can add tons of texture and the brushes give you the look of traditional artwork.
How many times do you tend to draw a character until you are happy with it?
I would draw a character up to 4 times until I felt that it fit the story, refining it each time. Drawing it from different views helps me define the character. Texture and costume can make a difference to enhance the look, just like theater.
Do you offer more than one style, if so – talk us through the different approaches and the audience you are targeting for each.
I have a couple of different styles some more simple than others. Art directors can choose a style or I can suggest one that I think suits the story. I like to work a realistic retro style. I have a more comedic, kids approach, anthropomorphising animals and objects, and then a highly stylized approach. All work for differing reasons. And at any time, I can combine them, too.
What do you do in your spare time?
My work and spare time are one and the same. I do a lot of illustration for my own pleasure. This keeps me exporing and developing. Aircraft are one of my favorite subjects.
Have you visited any schools to speak or hold workshops?
I taught and lectured at University part time for 23 years. The subjects that I taught were, drawing, illustration, painting, storyboarding and sculpture. I also taught digital illustration classes. It was a blast!
What advice would you offer someone just starting out as a children’s illustrator?
Do a lot of drawing. Keep a sketchbook and explore different styles of drawing. Redraw one of your older drawings and see how it could be made different. Have a good look at other childrens illustrators. Look back on your work from a few years ago and see how you've developed, very important! Just keep drawing.
Are you an author/illustrator?
I'm an illustrator.
What makes a good children’s book?
Developing a strong visual language and character development that truly enhance the words written by the author propels the narrative in kids books. Small details and Easter eggs can really add to the overall look and become magical for the reader / those read to. I enjoy adding some comedic elements for everyone to enjoy.
What’s one thing that most people don’t know about you?
I used to be a pilot. One of the reasons I really like drawing aircraft.