Today I have the honor of interviewing Anain Shaikh, the very talented illustrator of The Camel Library, A True Story from Pakistan
Before we jump into the interview, a little grounding: I’m taking a break from interviewing my editors, but incase you’re interested, check out my previous interviews with Emily Settle (editor for three of my titles, namely, A Dupatta Is…, Henna Is…, and The Camel Library) and Krista Vitola (editor for Aarzu All Around).
I also interviewed my lovely agent, Lynnette Novak.
I will be back with more interviews with editors I’ve worked with soon, but for now I want to highlight the talented artists whom I’ve been fortunate to work with!
My questions are in bold and Anain’s answers are italisized.
Welcome to my blog, Anain. Let’s start from the very beginning and talk about your Career! What sparked your interest in illustration?
Thank you for having me, Marzieh. I was a huge Disney fan as a kid and would watch every movie that came out. I loved recreating drawings from all the disney coloring books I had and then one day realised I could just make fan art from imagination too if I wanted so basically fanart is where it all began!
That’s great to hear! How did you develop your skills when you were starting out?
I had a bunch of coloring pencils and stationary that I used to get as presents and I would draw almost everyday to improve my skills. Then once I started university I bought my own drawing tablet to start digitally
Can you share a pivotal moment or experience that shaped your career as an illustrator?
I was once attending a conference in college. During one of the talks I started doodling in my journal and then everyone around me saw. It was the first time people showed so much interest in my art and I realized I might be good at this. The event photographer even took a picture of the drawing and people came up afterwards to compliment it. It was really pleasantly surprising and ironically the talk was on how to utilize your time better so I guess I did that. Haha!
How did you decide to work on our book project and what was your process like?
I was really inspired by the story and the fact that it was based on real life events. Reading the script I could already imagine the beautiful scenery and clothes for all the children. I am always up for projects that are about my country and culture as I would really love the world to know more about it!
How long did it take to complete the illustrations, and what challenges, if any, did you face?
It took around six months to fully draw and color everything. This does not include the storyboarding and concept process. The main challenge was to make the charactes really stand out from the background especially Roshan as the camel and the desert background could be hard to distinguish. Since the entire story is based in a desert a big challenge was to not make it look boring so I really had to think about how to add bright colors in each page.
What did you enjoy most about working on our book, and what made it stand out to you?
It was about books! I love reading and its a big hobby. It was so wonderful drawing cute scenes with all the children and Roshan and the story really is a unique one!
Can you walk us through your typical creative process when starting a new illustration project?
The first thing I do is research. I looked at so many camel photos especially those in Pakistan as we have a very different style and harness for them. People love their animals here and decorate them as well. I love going through different images and making a mood-board of locations, photography and illustrations that might inspire my art style.
What inspires your creativity and sparks new ideas?
Looking at other illustrators and animators. I also love playing video games and indie games often have beautiful art styles that really inspire me to add more to my work.
View Anain's Website and Portfolio
How do you think AI will affect the future of children’s book publishing, and what opportunities or challenges do you see on the horizon?
There is no denying that AI has quickly become a big part of the market. While I think it has its uses in terms of idea generation, I really do not support it due to its environmental impact. I don’t think AI can ever replace illustrators completely especially with children’s book illustration as that requires an amazing imagination that only humans are capable of.
I agree! Can you share some details about your illustration revision process, including how many rounds of revision you usually go through?
So I divide my illustrations into three to four steps mainly the first being storyboards, then a basic lineart and then color. If it is a book I wait for approval after each step and before the coloring I add an extra step where I create one page properly with all the lighting and colors for a final approval of the overall art style. I also usually add a character sheet before the storyboard process where I fully color the main characters so everyone has an idea of how they might turn out. Dividing it into small steps insures that I don’t have to do extreme changes later on and makes the process much easier
What are you working on currently, and what can we expect from your future projects?
I’m not doing a lot in terms of illustration these days since I’m doing my masters degree in Germany but I always try to incorporate illustration in my university projects. My most recent one included an illustrated game targeting the divide between children from immigrant backgrounds and German children. I plan on creating more content and really trying to improve my art style more.
That sounds so interesting! What is you favorite part about being a children’s book creator?
The fact that you can tell even the most simplest of stories in a super imaginative and creative way. With children you don’t have to worry about being realistic. I love creating colorful and lively illustrations and hence I have always been drawn to working for things that target children.
I absolutely love that about children’s books, too. Your style is perfect for them! Can you recommend any valuable resources, such as books, courses, or online communities, for aspiring children’s book illustrators?
Youtube and Instagram. You can find so many free tutorials on youtube that I would never recommend a paid course if you want to learn illustration. Follow as many artists and illustrators on social media. Make boards on Pinterest and try finding as many free sources as you can because a lot of artists are willing to teach and put tutorials for free online.
What advice would you give to aspiring illustrators looking to break into the industry?
Practice, practice, practice. See what is happening in the market and what is popular. Make Fanart. Have fun with what you draw because publishers want to see your passion and interest and not just trends. Try making friends within the community because that can help you so much in getting gigs.
Thank you so much for sharing your learnings and thoughts on the current market, Anain. It was a pleasure to have you.
Readers, I hope you enjoyed this interview as much as I did.
Please leave a comment with your thoughts! If you learnt womething valuable, be sure to share the post and subscribe to get future posts.
No posts
Comments
Nothing yet. Say the first thing.
Sign in to join the conversation.