ALL LIT UP: Your illustrations are warm and playful. What has influenced your style, and how has it evolved over time?
KATIE ARTHUR: I try to treat each book project as its own contained world without bringing in too much of my own style/taste. That said, I think I pull my influences from a variety of places, both inside and outside of the world of children’s books. I find a lot of inspiration in mid-century colour palettes and Nordic/Scandinavian folk art. I’m also a big reader of comics and graphic novels. And though I have an art background, most of my formal training is actually in literary studies, not fine art. So I’m mostly self-taught as an illustrator, and I think a lot of my illustration style came together through trial and error. It’s a constant evolution, as I get bored with myself pretty quickly and am always trying to create new challenges with each book. It takes forever to draw a book. You have to keep things interesting!
ALU: What does your illustration process look like, from the first idea to the finished piece?
KATIE: With picture books, I mostly start the same way each time. Always pencil and paper first for thumbnails. Then onto my iPad for some refinement. From there, I typically create a more developed set of rough sketches before moving on to finals (which are either built through a mix of traditional and digital tools, or all digital on my iPad in Adobe Fresco or Procreate, depending on the project). And, of course, all throughout that process is a back and forth dialogue with my editor and designer.
ALU: As both an author and an illustrator, how do writing and illustration influence one another in your work?
KATIE: They’re deeply linked for me (possibly too linked). Usually as I’m writing, I’m also roughly working out in my mind how the visual narrative might unfold alongside the text. Whale Man is the first project that I’ve only illustrated, so it was a really cool experience for me to turn off the side of my brain that’s endlessly focused on making edits and instead just fixate on the art.
ALU: How do you decide what to show in an illustration and what to leave to the reader’s imagination?
KATIE: You’re always trying to strike the right balance between what’s said and what’s shown. Ideally, the illustrations aren’t just mirroring the text but rather adding another layer of complexity to the story. I try to focus on bringing something into focus for the reader that feels essential to the narrative, whether said or unsaid.
Often, it takes a few tries to figure this out, which is why thumbnail sketching remains my favourite part of the whole bookmaking process. It’s like creating a tiny book shaped puzzle that snaps into place when (or if!) you get it right.
ALU: What do you hope readers notice or feel when they encounter your illustrations?
KATIE: I just hope that they tell a story. I very much think of my work as living within the pages of books, so if the illustrations feel like an integral part of the story, then I’ve done my job.
ALU: What are you curious about as an illustrator right now?
KATIE: I learned how to knit a few years ago from watching videos, and I am now obsessed with it. So I’m curious about incorporating more tactile elements into my illustration practice, such as cut paper or textiles.
Watch a short video by Katie about illustrating Whale Man, below.
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Katie Arthur is a children’s book author, illustrator, and freelance editor. She is the author & illustrator of Our Woolly Bear, What if Marty Doesn’t Like My Party? and Backpack, and the illustrator of Whale Man: The Story of Jon Lien. She lives in Malignant Cove, Nova Scotia with her family.
Find a copy of Whale Man here on All Lit Up, or from your local bookseller.
Thanks to Katie for the chat, and to Running the Goat for providing the interiors from Whale Man.
