Sally Darby Interview

How and why did you decide to pursue illustration as your career?

I feel through drawing and creating characters and whimsical worlds that it helps me process the World. I feel it is how I communicate my feelings. Books have always bought me great joy and I have always wanted to do this for my job since I was about 5.

I used to create my own dummy books as a child and I drew characters everyday. I used to make 3D model sets as a child and make the characters move and live in their own world. I think I just had a driving force to keep doing this as it is what I love doing.

Did you attend art school or undertake any other formal artistic training?

I attended UWE in Bristol and studied a BA (Hons) course in Illustration alongside a module in animation.

Which books from your own childhood really stand out?

I absolutely love pop up books. I remember The Nutcracker: A Pop-Up Book (1992): Illustrated and engineered by Phillida Gili, published by Orchard Books. A classic tale bought to life with detailed, intricate 3D papercraft and beautiful watercolors. I used to imagine disappearing into the beautiful worlds and living within the pages of the book.

The Mystery of the Russian Ruby: A Pop-up Whodunnit is an interactive children’s book created by Iain Smyth. First published in 1994, the story follows a jewel expert, Professor Proudfoot, who visits Willoughby Court, only for the Countess's famous ruby to go missing. The book plays like a board game and there are alternate endings. It had an amazing 3D house where you could see inside the little rooms and see the characters.

I also loved 'The Minpins' by Roald Dahl. I used to love the tiny Minpin characters that lived in the trees and were friends with the birds. I used to imagine myself as one of these characters and what it would be like to live up in a tree!

I also loved Angelina Ballerina is a children's book series by author Katherine Holabird and illustrator Helen Craig about a mousr named Angelina Jeanette Mouseling who is training to become a ballerina. I used to do ballet as a child and I could relate to the character. The illustrations were really detailed and I loved the little hidden details in the illustrations.

I loved the Jolly Postman series of books by Janet and Allan Ahlberg. The little worlds with the details were amazing. I loved the way there were hidden details within the pages that added to the story and expanded the characters narrative.

Outline your dream project.

I think my dream project would be to create the illustrations for a pop up book. Either on dogs or dinosaurs or a garden with lots of pop up flowers and insects.

I would also love to illustrate a book for kids about history. Maybe having puzzles to solve and activities to do. I am obsessed by histrory so it would be fun to illustrate different time periods.

An author I have previously worked with has written a children's story for me about the Tudors I am hoping to illustrate that at some point. It will feature some of the following characters who live in a magic library that comes to life at night.

I have just finished a picture book about a slug. In one of the illustrations I have made him a singular slipper for his foot. He also has a butterfly friend with 6 legs so I have made her 6 slippers for her to wear and hidden them in the scene. I cannot put the illustration here yet as the book is out later in the year. I like adding hidden details in my illustrations.

Who or what made you want to become an illustrator?

I started to draw from about the age of 3. My dad used to take me out drawing when I was little. My dad suffers from Schitzophrenia and throughout his life he has used his creativity as a way to cope with his illness. When he has episodes sometimes it is hard to reach him. I started drawing as a way to communicate and connect with him.

I create happy, whimsical worlds where he is safe and happy and I imagine him living in my illustrations.

I create my work in the hope I can bring joy to the viewer. My work is unashamedly human and I am proud of the love and heart I put into every character and piece.

If you weren’t an illustrator, what would you be doing?

If I wasn't an Illustrator I would have like to have worked in the national history museum or work as a Paleontologist. I am also interested in criminology and forensics so I may have entered into one of those professions. However, as I love history so much I may have liked to work in the Tower of London as a guide.

Animals feature heavily in children’s books – do you have a pet?

I have a beautiful dog called Annie. She is a Schnoodle. She keeps me company in my studio.

What was your first commission as a professional illustrator?

The first book I illustrated for a publisher was a book about a headstrong squirrel called Marney. This was for Owlet Press.

Who or what have been some of your major artistic influences?

When I was a child my friend from school had an Aunty who lived in Paris. She had an amazing house right in the centre of the city. We could walk up a ladder and go and sit on the roof and see the whole of Paris. In her house were amazing paintings of her family and illustrations her name was Clare Bretecher. She used to be one of the cartoonists for Tintin.

She also had her own character Agrippine which was adapted into a 26 episode series for Canal TV. Her cartoons which tackled issues of gender and sexuality with a mordant and deadpan humour.

I was also very lucky to be taken to the theatre a lot as a child. I love the theatre and the way designers create worlds on stage. To me they seem like books bought to life.

I like to see my own books as little theatres.

Do you keep a sketch book?

I do keep a sketch book but I also do tons of sketches on sheets of paper to develop a character.

Tell us about the creation of your favourite character from one of your books.

I created the illustration of Dolly for a book about a magic library. Dolly is the custodian of the library. She looks after the books and the other magiv characters that come to life at night.

She moves around the library on a pair of rollerskates. From the text her character is kind and intelligent she is good at solving problems.

I wanted to make her fun and show her kindess so I gave her big open eyes. I wanted her to have a practical outfit for moving through the library so I gave her dungarees.