I love a good behind the scenes video. There’s something about hearing the artist’s voice behind their work, their thoughts, the feelings behind their vision, that is just so satisfying.
When I first asked Bella to try to record a work in progress video to share later, she was a little hesitant. It’s not something she’s ever done before, but she said she would try. What she provided was so much better than I thought to ask her for – she even put in music and transitions to the process behind her digital illustrations. I posted a snippet on our Instagram.
As an illustrator myself, I know what it’s like to be the one creating the sketches, then adding color to the digital drawings on my computer. In my Little Bat days, I found so much joy in “painting” on my laptop, so easily having the ability to change from red to blue with a click of my stylus. But equally as gratifying is seeing a work of art go from a vision in my mind, to a sketch, to the final versions after many, many hours and many, many revisions. But this was the first time I worked so closely with someone to bring a vision I had in my head to something others could see and connect with.
I love to draw, and I would say I’m a pretty good illustrator. I spent a few years drawing kids and people for Little Feminist book club, and I was always pretty happy with my work. But if you ask me to create a likeness of a person, I just can’t do it. Sure, I’ll give it a try, but something in my brain just can’t connect the person I see in front of me with the person I try to draw. It’s a muscle I will have to develop at some point. But for now, I knew the best way to capture Julio and the people in the picture book the way I wanted, the way others would recognize, was to find someone who was just a natural at it. And I was over the moon when I found Bella and she said she would take on illustrating my little passion project. I can’t even tell you how grateful I am to have gone from sketches to final illustrations with this lady. She is not only talented and creative, but the kindest and most thoughtful soul.
The initial stages of my sketches along with researching images of the real places I wanted to depict in the picture book was such a fun initial stage for me. It was like I was gathering clues to send to Bella so she could use them to create her own piece of the picture book puzzle. It really was such a fun process to work together so closely with another creative soul. I feel so grateful to have found her. And now, two years after the start of my illustration journey with Bella, I am finally just a few steps closer to bringing Julio’s story to all of you!
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