Describe your illustration style in ten words or less.
Expressive stick figures and dodgy animals with big eyes.
What items are an essential part of your creative space?
My big screen TV as my monitor, my Wacom drawing pad, sketch pads, Sherwood amplifier and Spotify.
Do you have a favourite artistic medium?
Using the black marker pen with Corel Painter.
Name three artists whose work inspires you.
Maurice Sendak, Joan Mitchell, Brett Whiteley.
Abstract artists from 30s to the 60s. I love the art from the period and how they lived their lives – hard, fast and usually drunk.
I started messing around on the computer drawing stick figures and ended up landing a multi book deal with a cool indie publisher. It was not on my radar.
Can you share a photo of your creative workspace or part of the area where you work most often? Talk us through it.
This room is what I affectionately call ‘the Beach House” even though I live nowhere near the beach. Daydreaming is an important part of my creative process, hence the need to spend my time lounging on chairs and looking out the window. My drawing space also doubles as my writing space, and where I record my podcast. I love spending time here.
What is your favourite part of the illustration process?
Putting a finished illustration into the manuscript and seeing how it works.
What advice would you give to an aspiring illustrator?
Keep drawing. Keep showing up. Practise makes progress.
Josh Langley has written and illustrated 5 kids’ books and in 2018 won the ABIA Small Publishers Children’s book of the Year. His books and school talks have evolved to become an online programs that are used by parents, teachers and child health professionals.
For more information please visit Josh's website or follow him on instagram.
