Name: Ana Duna Describe your illustration style in ten words or less.
Fun, playful and humorous.
What items are an essential part of your creative space?
I need paper and pencil (I start every project with these two lovely things). I also use my graphic tablet and lately I have also been using a lightbox to make the final linework of my illustrations.
Do you have a favourite artistic medium?
Recently I have been working a lot with digital tools, I love how versatile they are because they allow me to experiment as much as I want without it taking very long. However I don’t like my work to have a digital feel to it, that’s why I always try to use brushes that give a warm look to the final result and also lately I have been doing all my final lines using real pencil and scanning it later. With time I have found that the best way of working for me is the one that combines analog and digital tools into the final piece.
Name three artists whose work inspires you.
I have always loved the way Quentin Blake illustrates, I really admire how loose his lines are which makes his work very dynamic and full of life. Ronald Searle’s work is also such a delight, his characters have so much personality and his line is also very energetic and inspiring. The last one would have to be Sempé, I can spend hours looking at his work, for some reason it speaks to me at a very personal level, he has a very unique way to observe life which in my opinion is one of the nicest qualities an illustrator could have.
Which artistic period would you most like to visit and why?
When I was studying Fine Arts I remember that I got very interested in the Fauvism period. Color has always intrigued me and I would have loved to be able to see how these people thought about color and how they played with it without fear.
When I was studying Fine Arts I remember that I got very interested in the Fauvism period. Color has always intrigued me and I would have loved to be able to see how these people thought about color and how they played with it without fear.
Who or what inspired you to become an illustrator?
What is your favourite part of the illustration process?
The best part for me is definitely the beginning, I really enjoy receiving the manuscript, reading the story and the whole thinking process; at this point every possibility is open and you kind of imagine how the final work would look but it still surprises you changing and developing everyday. I also love how loose and playful the first sketches are because they suggest the image but you finish it in your mind, I find this part of the process so magical.
What advice would you give to an aspiring illustrator?
To never forget to have fun with it, sometimes we put so much pressure on ourselves trying to make everything just the way we wanted that we forget to have fun and enjoy the process, I think it is so important to never lose sight of this.
This is a
very tricky question, because I really don’t know! I guess it has been a mix of
a lot of things, I always loved to draw so I studied Fine Arts and during this
period I
remember one day that I found a magazine with an interview of a few
illustrators, they were talking about their work and I felt really surprised that
this was actually something that you could do for living! So later I decided to
study a Master’s degree in illustration and graphic design, while I studied it
I realised that what I liked to do the most when I was drawing was to tell
stories, it was my favourite part so children illustration was just a very
natural path for me to follow.
Can you share a photo of your creative work space or part of the area where you work most often? Talk us through it.
During the past years I have been living in different cities so my studio has been changing (which I actually enjoy a lot) I always like to have some inspiration hanging up on the walls, a nice table (I’m a bit obsessed with tables) my drawing tools and I also appreciate having good light.
During the past years I have been living in different cities so my studio has been changing (which I actually enjoy a lot) I always like to have some inspiration hanging up on the walls, a nice table (I’m a bit obsessed with tables) my drawing tools and I also appreciate having good light.
What is your favourite part of the illustration process?
The best part for me is definitely the beginning, I really enjoy receiving the manuscript, reading the story and the whole thinking process; at this point every possibility is open and you kind of imagine how the final work would look but it still surprises you changing and developing everyday. I also love how loose and playful the first sketches are because they suggest the image but you finish it in your mind, I find this part of the process so magical.
What advice would you give to an aspiring illustrator?
To never forget to have fun with it, sometimes we put so much pressure on ourselves trying to make everything just the way we wanted that we forget to have fun and enjoy the process, I think it is so important to never lose sight of this.
Ana is a
children’s book illustrator based in Spain. She studied a bachelor’s degree in
Fine Arts and later a Master’s degree in illustration and graphic design. She
started working as a pattern designer for a fashion brand but soon she decided
to focus on her passion: children illustration. Humour being an essential part
of her work she loves to have fun working and she particularly enjoys creating
interesting characters and the worlds they live in.
