Featured Illustrator

Brianna’s work is layered, imaginative, and full of heart—we hope you enjoy getting to know her art this month.

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When did you first realize you loved drawing and storytelling?

It all started when I was 8 years-old. I had a babysitter that would sit down with me and redraw Beatrix Potter illustrations. The response to my first drawing was—whoa, that’s pretty good! I recall drawing a picture of my dad sitting on the couch. His head was too big, but people were impressed. But my real picture book debut was in third grade when Mr. Venable’s curriculum included writing and illustrating stories. I was lucky to have a mom who encouraged me to keep perusing art because I loved it so much.

Can you share a bit about your background and artistic journey?

Growing-up in Alameda, CA, I graduated from Mills College with a degree focused on oil painting and ceramics. Simultaneously, I worked as an afterschool program coach in Alameda and Oakland, teaching youth leadership skills through community mural painting. I also designed and printed streetwear and pop-political posters with an art collective. I’ve been a corporate graphic designer for 13 years. I have been a member of SCBWI for 3 years and Storyteller Academy for 5 years, but my first children’s book class was 10 years ago with Julie Downing.

Who are some of your artistic influences, and how have they shaped your work?

My great-great grandfather was a sculptor for the Catholic Church in Italy, so Italian artists who work with extreme perspective and lighting, like Caravaggio and Artemesia Gentileschi inspired me. I love Remidios Varo’s weird, spiritual, surrealism. But Mills College didn’t teach traditional painting, it was more of a conceptual art school. So after college, I discovered James Gurney’s books Magical Realism, and Color and Light, which filled some technical wholes that I didn’t get in art school. Specifically, I learned why green should be considered a primary color according to the universal color wheel, which combines CMYK/RGB. I was already using phthalo blue primarily, but this taught me why I could mix more vibrant colors using it instead of ultramarine.

How has working digitally influenced your process, and what challenges have you encountered?

When I discovered Procreate I had a sense of FREEDOM! I had an entire art studio in the palm of my hands—mua-ha-ha! But I also grew frustrated when the prints didn’t come out the way I wanted them to (argh!). Recently, have started to feel bogged down by the time I spend looking through Procreate layers, layers, and more layers. I might start experimenting with mixed media.

Which contemporary illustrators inspire you right now?

I’m inspired by Robin Eisenberg because of her dark and glowy-pastel pallet. I also like the quirkiness and absurdity of Corrina Luykin’s The Book of Mistakes. John Klassen’s illustrations in The Dark make my inner graphic designer so happy—the extreme perspective, text placement, and quality of light/dark is exceptional.

What do you do when you feel creatively stuck?

When I get stuck, I either do something else completely un-art related, like watch a scary movie, or I go to a local, well-curated bookstore like Powell’s.

What advice would you offer illustrators about portfolios and process?

One thing I have learned is that printing the work and creating a portfolio is an art of its own. So ask for recommendations from other artists and don’t wait until the last minute! Start printing your stuff now. Also, this is something Julie Downing taught me, if working traditionally, think about doing characters and elements separate from the background so if you have to change something, you don’t have to redo the entire thing.

What are you working on now, and what do you dream of creating next?

Although I am working on three self-written dummies, I recently went to the NY conference and attended the Torrey Maldonado breakout session and something he said resonated with me. “Write the book that is the most personal to you,” he said. My dream project is to imagine what that might be.

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