Children’s books were my first introduction to illustration. I loved the idea of being able to communicate through images rather than speech since that was always more natural for me. I took advantage of that as often as I could which over the years eventually lead to my attending art school.

Someone else described my work as ‘whimsical yet moody’ which I like. I love combining color, pattern and texture to create final images that have mostly cut out shapes and a collage-like feel.

I draw sketches by hand when coming up with my initial concepts. Once I have ideas that I like I then start over in Photoshop, where I redraw and finalize the layouts and add color, texture, and/or pattern. I use personal resources or the internet if needed for any research during the process.

I work almost exclusively in Photoshop. Some times I will use Illustrator for certain elements or I will scan in a hand-drawn pattern.

Of course! If I can simply take some time away and work on something else for awhile, that always helps. Otherwise, going for a run or calling a friend to brainstorm can often do the trick.

I would love to work on a large advertising campaign and/or some kind of interactive game or project where I can combine all of my skills (character design and animation with illustration).

I listen to whatever kind of music fits my mood and possibly the assignment – I’m currently listening to a lot of blues. My other current go to’s are PJ Harvey, Band of Horses, Radiohead, and Joshua James.

One thing I would recommend is to really take the time to figure out what style or way of working is truly best for you so that you really enjoy the process. If you love your work and the act of creating it, I think other people will be drawn to it as well.