Words and Pictures with Anna Wilson
Why it's important to be brave, share work regularly and why daily habits matter
This week we’re joined by illustrator
- we asked her about her path to publication, her daily drawing habit and discovered how her career path changed once she started sharing artwork online.Anna was born in Australia’s Snowy Mountains, spent her childhood moving houses and schools, and then spent most of her adult life travelling the world.
She is inspired by people and places and studied and worked with these concepts for a long time before embarking on a new career as a freelance designer and illustrator.
She loves storms and snow and is happiest running in the mountains, drawing in the streets of new cities, or imagining up new characters and worlds.
Why are words and pictures important to you?
I think everybody sees the same world so differently and that this diversity of experience is so wondrous. The combination of words and pictures is such a powerful way to share these different experiences and ways of seeing.
I love trying to step into other people's eyes through the ways they combine words and imagery to also understand their world, and love trying to share the way I see the world with others using this combination too.
Did you always want to be an illustrator and how did you first get published?
I always loved to draw. But I was too scared until I was in the latter half of my 30s to even think I could be an illustrator.
So although drawing was something my heart always loved, it wasn't something I was brave enough to believe was possible until I realised how short life is and had a need to actually be brave, face all the fears of it not working, of not being good enough, and try.
My younger self believed only amazing people could ever do something like be an illustrator and it took a long time to believe that it could be me.
I did a few online drawing courses, most notably a few from Sketchbook Skool about drawing every day and working to silence the inner critic and then the Make Art that Sells children's book illustration course. I learned a lot from this combination and made a folio.
Someone saw that online and offered me a book. Then, my wonderful agent also noticed me online and offered to represent me and more books came from that. I think the publishing came from drawing a lot and sharing what I made and a desire to keep doing it no matter where it led.
On your Substack you share lots of gorgeous pictures from your sketchbooks - do you draw every day?
When I was first trying to rekindle my drawing skills after not drawing for a long time (I drew at school and a little bit afterwards but then did another career for quite a long time), I purposefully drew everyday for a couple of years.
This habit mattered so much. It was an essential part of helping me overcome the shame that can be involved in making work I don't like and fall in love with the process, rather than the outcome.
Now that I draw for a living, I do draw almost everyday, but just kind of by default, rather than discipline. I try to make sure I draw at least once or twice a week just for myself, not for a client as a minimum as I think drawing the world around me just for myself is my happy place. It's one that I always come back to if I'm stuck.
What do you do to creatively recharge?
My most trusty way to creatively recharge is to go and sit on the street and draw what I see. I find this relaxing and easy to do when I'm stuck because I don't have to think about what to draw, I just draw what is in front of me.
I also love to travel and take photographs. I think being somewhere new or somewhere I find particularly visually beautiful and taking a heap of photographs seems to inevitably rekindle my love for making pictures.
How do you create your illustrations? On paper or a computer? Can you talk us through your process?
For my own artwork, when I make images for substack, or based on an experience or mood or story I want to tell or get across, I just draw and paint onto paper from my imagination or life and work out what the image is going to be as I go.
I love starting with a heap of colour on the page and then seeing what it looks like to me and starting from there.
With a children's book I work differently as I have to give rough sketches with concepts to a publisher first, and so I begin with lots of ideas. Then, to make the final artwork I print these ideas, pop them on my lightbox, put paper on top and start working from there, so I can see a rough image underneath to help keep things to plan.
I usually start with ink as I love that it dries waterproof and won't bleed into the next layers. Then I build on top with gouache, watercolour, acrylic paint, pencils, crayons, markers, oil pastels - whatever thing I have the right colour in really, and I make lots of layers on top of each other until it's done.
I scan it and then edit some things digitally if needed, or repaint if too much needs changing.
What advice do you have for aspiring illustrators?
I think the main thing is not to stop drawing and sharing. If you want to be an illustrator I think you have to really really really love the process. And have tricks and ways to keep falling in love with the process over and over again in order to keep on going and not stop making work.
I think this remains true even once illustrators have lots of work. I feel like I have to keep finding ways to keep on loving what I do as I need to keep growing and evolving and finding the wonder and joy in the making - I think if I lose this love, my work will fall flat with others, and nurturing the love is thus vital for a sustained career.
You can find out more about Anna on her website, instagram or Substack.
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Every month we’ll hold a live session for community members to ask us anything and everything they want to know about writing, illustrating and getting published. The next live session is Sunday 29th June 8pm GMT.
There will also be free interviews every Friday with authors, illustrators and publishing professionals as they spill the ink about life behind the scenes making books.
Every month we’ll also highlight submission opportunities and exciting new releases in the world of children’s books. While you wait for the June round up, you can check out the May round up below:
Submission opportunities for children's authors and illustrators and industry news
31 MAY
Is it just us or has May flown by? We can’t quite believe that it’s almost June and nearly half way through the year…
Love Naomi and James x
Thanks for having me as part of your wonderful collection of people! ❤️
Such beautiful drawings ❤️