interviewed by
Where did the idea of Orion stem from (a childhood fear?) and were you afraid of getting book 2 off the ground?
Weirdly I was never
really afraid of the dark that much, it was more my over-active imagination
that scared me!
The idea for Orion stemmed from a book I wrote at university called Sidney and his Shadow. This book was eventually developed into two separate ideas, the first being Sidney, Stella and the Moon and the second being Orion and the Dark!
So Orion and his shady friend have been hovering in my mind for a good 3-4 years, so when it finally came round to creating the book I was really ready to get things down onto paper and it came out pretty easily.
The idea for Orion stemmed from a book I wrote at university called Sidney and his Shadow. This book was eventually developed into two separate ideas, the first being Sidney, Stella and the Moon and the second being Orion and the Dark!
So Orion and his shady friend have been hovering in my mind for a good 3-4 years, so when it finally came round to creating the book I was really ready to get things down onto paper and it came out pretty easily.
I love all the
inkyness (textures it creates) and colour palette (I love all this BLUE - my
favourite colour) and typography, which bit did you enjoy the most & did
you feel the way you worked on this changed in anyway since Sidney,Stella and
the moon?
Thank you! Can you
tell that I was going through a blue phase? I really enjoy the ideas stage of
any project, just sitting and scribbling out a million and one different ideas
and combinations whilst listening to the radio and eating a Jaffa cake.
But for Orion, I super enjoyed illustrating the interiors of his house, and also creating any artwork that had ‘Dark’ in it. He is such a fun character to paint! I really enjoyed doing the secret cover too- I set aside a whole day, and just sat down, hyped myself up and started doodling typography. I think the way I create pictures has developed quite a lot from Sidney, Stella and the Moon. I wanted to create the whole book traditionally, with little to no help from any digital means. This meant that I approached the way I produced artwork rather differently, which I thoroughly enjoyed! As an illustrator I’m eternally trying to push my work forward into new directions (the way I paint, the way I use line, the way I draw characters etc) and to challenge myself- I definitely tried to do that with Orion!
But for Orion, I super enjoyed illustrating the interiors of his house, and also creating any artwork that had ‘Dark’ in it. He is such a fun character to paint! I really enjoyed doing the secret cover too- I set aside a whole day, and just sat down, hyped myself up and started doodling typography. I think the way I create pictures has developed quite a lot from Sidney, Stella and the Moon. I wanted to create the whole book traditionally, with little to no help from any digital means. This meant that I approached the way I produced artwork rather differently, which I thoroughly enjoyed! As an illustrator I’m eternally trying to push my work forward into new directions (the way I paint, the way I use line, the way I draw characters etc) and to challenge myself- I definitely tried to do that with Orion!
What inspired
you during the creation of Orion? (music, film, person, art, food etc?)
I must admit, I
listened to the Tron soundtrack on repeat during this book. It was super
helpful when trying to create epic moments!
I was really
inspired by a film too Dumbo. It was a real favourite of mine as a
child as I have always loved the idea of everything and anything being able to
fly.
In particular the scenes at the beginning of the globe in map form inspired me a lot!
Other inspirations were David Ryan Robinson’s intricate London scenes,
Brian Wildsmith’s beautiful use of colour, mixed media and his incredible sketch scenes from Professor Noah’s spaceship,
and of course Jack Hudson’s wonderfully electric retro colour palette!
.
In particular the scenes at the beginning of the globe in map form inspired me a lot!
Other inspirations were David Ryan Robinson’s intricate London scenes,
Brian Wildsmith’s beautiful use of colour, mixed media and his incredible sketch scenes from Professor Noah’s spaceship,
and of course Jack Hudson’s wonderfully electric retro colour palette!
.
How did you
decide what form "Dark" would be - did it take long to develop him or
was it set in form from the start?
Dark just sort of
happened, I’ve got no idea where he came from. He waltzed into my imagination
and soon found his way into my sketchbook. He’s had a few minor little things
changed on him (at one point he had a teeny bowler hat), but otherwise he
remains the chap he always was!
You use a lot of
hand written type (which I think is beautiful - the slip cover is something to
swoon over) were there any problems or obstacle to overcome with this?
I think I always
scare my editor Libby when I ask to do this sort of thing because she has
the unenviable task of checking for spelling and grammar…! But I am so
grateful to Libby and the Templar team for taking a risk and letting me really
go wild with the typography, as a lot of publishers would definitely run a mile!
You have done
several books with other people as well as your own, which do do you prefer
doing and what's next in the pipeline?
Each definitely has
it’s pros and cons, collaborative picture books are always a lot more straight
forward as the text is more or less set in stone by the time I get a look in.
But writing and illustrating picture books is where my heart really is.
It feels great to
grow something from a teeny minuscule first fleeting thought through to a final
finished tangible book, and to own it the whole way through.
Oooo what’s next! I
wish I’d asked you that question! I’m working on picture book number 3, which
is a step in a whole new direction… There’s no night time, no starry skies,
no moons (gasp!). It’s a completely different genre that is really challenging
but super exciting!
I’m also just
starting working on a few different other projects including a picture book or
two, a novelty book and potentially something else that’s marvellously top
secret for now! I’ve also just started designing, writing and curating a
magazine for a charity that’s very close to my heart.
You can read the Book Sniffer review for
Orion and the Dark HERE
With MANY thanks to Emma and Helen,
Keep an eye out for our second instalment next week where Emma interviews Helen about her book
William and the Missing Masterpiece.
Keep an eye out for our second instalment next week where Emma interviews Helen about her book
William and the Missing Masterpiece.
Follow Emma and Helen on Twitter
@helenhancocks and @EmmaYarlett
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