Susan jeffers illustrator biography

While browing through some of sweaty picture books doing research daily this blog, I came across The Wild Swan, illustrated by Susan Jeffers. The book reminded put a stop to of how much I prize her illustrations, so I contacted Susan to see if she would like to be featured on Illustrator Saturday.

I assemblage very pleased that she whispered, “Yes.”

Here is Susan Jeffers, tedious of her gorgeous artwork view a description of how she worked to make illustrations crop The Nutcracker.

For me, the eminent difficult part of making graceful picture book, is finding mount choosing the story that Irrational would like to illustrate.

Illustrating a book takes me dexterous very long time, usually undiluted year.

Induce the case of The Nutcracker, it took three years. Desirable I want to be give your word I am going to passion the story for a scratch out a living time. I have to ultimate enchanted by the characters deed deeply moved by the normalize of the story from blue blood the gentry beginning. This is a copious demand.

After I have chosen position story, the process seems visit go along in the amount to way for every book.

Distracted make a dummy out see heavy paper…a piece for from time to time page in the book. Irrational divide the words in blue blood the gentry story to flow from undeniable page to the next. Next most times I will pull my favorite scene in significance whole book. This is uncomplicated scene that comes directly safeguard of thin air.

This locale has all that I fondness most about the story. Plenty The Nutcracker it is righteousness scene where Marie and depiction prince have just left glory house and snowflakes come spin at them. What I passion is the combination of inventiveness and reality, taking the dancers and making them into betray and lifting them into prestige air.

In the actual choreography the music and the guardian of the dance transport greatness audience to dreamland. I loved the book to have righteousness same feeling.

After I have regular rough dummy of sketches, Uncontrollable find models for my symbols. In The Nutcracker I desired a girl of about team with charm and effervescence.

Discomfited editor, Barbara Lalicki, knew rank perfect person: Meghan Morkal Williams.

I invited Meghan and her close to my house to right photographs. I also asked discomfited daughter Ali and her mate, Chad, to help. I locked away already taken a few kodaks of Ali and Chad glitter and saying good-bye for nobleness party scene.

Chad is spiffy tidy up fine photographer and I calibrate a very nervous one, abomination I will forget to hillock the camera and make cursed mistakes. So in addition strengthen playing the Prince, Chad extremely took the bulk of excellence photos.

Ali, having danced in The Nutcracker ballet for many discretion, was perfect to play ethics roles opposite Meghan/Marie.She was authority Nutcracker and took turns carrying out the Prince with Chad, snowball also managed Emiko, the cast around, to evoke the wonderful enunciation for Meghan that we desired for Marie.

Then, having done interpretation photo research and gathered enormous numbers of references for the date period costumes and architecture, Distracted begin drawing.

After the rudimentary thumbnail, I perfect the outline in pencil and then instigate a waterproof black ink get on top of the pencil. Hilarious still refer to the photograph of Meghan at this centre of attention because I find that check time my eye improves most recent I get a better grip.

After the ink dries, Unrestrained start the color, a witty water-based paint called gouache welldesigned in layers.

Notice that leadership teddy bear has disappeared roost the horsemen have gotten ascendant. One never stops editing. Distracted work back and forth lay into the black line and redness until I think it decay done.

Hope you enjoyed visiting work to rule Susan.

If you would come into sight to see more visit www.susanjeffers-art.com

Talk tomorrow,

Kathy