Featured Illustrator

We’re thrilled to feature Brad Alston this month! His work stood out to us for its rich storytelling and imaginative energy. Brad brings a unique blend of science, nature, and fantasy to his art, and his passion for both craft and community truly shines. We hope you enjoy getting to know him as much as we did!

How did you get started in illustration?

I always loved drawing since I was really young, and my favorite art was the art I saw on book covers and in picture books. When I drew and painted, I always wanted it to tell a story, and whenever I read stories I loved, I wanted to bring them to life, so I knew Illustration was the kind of art I wanted to make. I decided to study it in college, and did freelance work on the side for many years before finally making the leap to full time illustration recently.

What is your background?

I attended the School of Visual Arts in New York and got my BFA in Illustration. After college, while doing art on the side, I worked mainly in informal education, starting as a summer camp counselor, and eventually working as an educator at OMSI. Because of this background, my work is heavily inspired by nature and science, and my writing and illustration projects have been solidly based around science fiction and fantasy.

What have you learned along the way? What tips can you share?

The biggest lesson I've learned along the way as an illustrator has been to build community. It can be a very solitary job, and connecting with other artists has inspired my work, improved my work habits, and helped me make connections that are both professionally helpful and emotionally essential. That has been the best part of joining SCBWI for me.

How did your style and technique develop?

They still are developing! Nailing down my style has been the hardest part of making art professionally, because there are so many types of illustrations I want to make. I have found a solid stylistic path based on the aspects of my favorite illustrators' work that I love, and the feeling of satisfaction I have while painting with these techniques.

What do you do when you get stuck or lose motivation to 'get back' to what you're working on?

I am always inspired to work when I see other artists' work. When I'm stuck, I go to bookstores and comic book stores and look at covers, or I look at illustrators' work on social media. Sometimes their work influences me, and sometimes just seeing their passion and dedication pushes me to pick up where I left off and achieve what I set out to achieve.

What illustrators inspire you? Why?

I really love the work of J.C. Leyendecker and Ivan Bilibin. Both have very different styles, but make you feel like you're in a living, breathing moment in a story. They also inspire me in my own work to try to create the impression of complexity and depth using simple, confident shapes and brushstrokes rather than trying to paint a messy, dizzying amount of detail.

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