How long have you been a member of SCBWI? What’s the most impactful thing you have learned from being in SCBWI?
I first joined SCBWI over ten years ago! But I took a significant break before rejoining.
PERSEVERANCE has been an impactful lesson from SCBWI. Stories of authors and illustrators succeeding despite steep mountains of rejection remind me to keep creating.
What medium(s) do you use to illustrate? If more than one, which do you prefer?
I love pencils, ink, and marker. But I’m also a digital artist. Photoshop, Procreate, and Animate are my favorite programs, and I draw on a Cintiq.
How long have you been illustrating? How did you first get into illustration?
I’ve been a professional animation character designer for over 15 years, But I feel like I’m just beginning my children’s book illustration journey.
Are you self taught or did you study illustration? If you did study illustration, what school did you attend?
I was pre-med at Northwestern University. But I was a kid who drew constantly and super-realistically. After years of working in animation, I learned to loosen up and draw more from imagination.
Do you have a dedicated art space? If so, is it in your home or outside your home?
During the pandemic, the animation industry transitioned to work-from-home. So, I have a dedicated home office. But it doesn’t have a door! I would really like a door.
What would be your dream book to illustrate?
It would have a lot of funny sea creatures and people wearing wacky fashion. Maybe a story about She-Pirates, but not on ships… I don’t like to draw ships.
Are you working on any fun projects now?
I have 5 PB book dummies, a board book, and a few early reader comics in different stages.
My goal this year is to focus on revising three dummies and finalizing a few pieces of art for each, so I can start querying.
Do you write children’s books as well or have any plans to do so?
Yes, I’m an aspiring writer-illustrator. The dream of visual story-telling drew me to Animation and to creating children’s books..
Any tips for illustrators that are starting out?
There are so many online tutorials and workshops available these days! And in-person events like SCBWI’s annual conference, as well as local Writer/Illustrator days are a great way to be inspired and meet other artists.
But nothing is more effective than making a habit of doodling your ideas and actively creating.
Do you currently have an agent?
I’m just beginning to research agents and and how to craft query letters.
Where can people find you?
My website is being updated — currently, it’s animation/character design heavy:
https://smoon.myportfolio.com/work
List 3 to 5 interesting things about yourself.
I’m a baker. I love art and a tart!
I watch a lot of seal videos with my son.
I like walking through grocery stores and forests.