Describe your illustration style in ten words or less.
Soft, warm, emotive and evolving stiil!
What items are an essential part of your creative space?
Paper, pencil, ipad pro, apple pencil, printer and wall space.
Do you have a favourite artistic medium?
I like sketching ideas quickly with pencil and paper then working from those on my ipad in proceate, where I use digital brushes of charcoal, pastel, watercolour, pencil and pen.
Name three artists whose work inspires you.
Sean Tan
Freya Blackwood
Beatrice Alamagna
Which artistic period would you most like to visit and why?
Oooh I think it would be impressionism as I love that this is when making art could be made outside of the studio and connect with nature and natural light. Plus I love the smudgy dreaminess and softened lines that you find in a lot of impressionist artworks, as well as the divine painterly brushstrokes…..sigh!
Who or what inspired you to become an illustrator?
Many little things over time until it became really obvious that I should give it a shot. Reading picture books to children when I worked as a Nanny. Then reading books to my own children. Admiring the cleverness of other Illustrators and wondering what my work might look like.
Can you share a photo of your creative work space or part of the area where you work most often? Talk us through it.
I feel very lucky to have my own space to create. I have only had this studio for the last 3 years. Before that I worked from home. It doubles as an office for my business work. I love that it has no distractions and is filled with little things that I have chosen or important to me. I work mostly at the desk and use the walls to hang the work in progress. I have lots of books and magazines that inspire me. I call it the shelf of inspiration or intimidation depending on my mood…
What is your favourite part of the illustration process?
I have been loving all of it. The first part of planning out the storyboard is really fun as you get to interpret the text and find lots of clues in the story that will inform the aesthetic. Then refining and tweaking at the end is quite lovely as all the hard work has been done…. but then it is quite hard to call it ‘finished’. It is good to have a deadline.
What advice would you give to an aspiring illustrator?
Keep art-making. Get advice and do courses. Get involved in the Kidlit community. Don’t wait until you are ‘good enough’ just start… you can get better as you go.
Jenni grew up in south east London and went to Sylvia Young Theatre School and the BRITS college of Performing Arts. She came to Sydney age 27 and studied Fine Art and started an art school for children where she loves bringing out the unique artist in every child. She loves reading, walking in nature while listening to music and making art in her little studio.
For more information please visit Jenni's website or follow her on instagram.
Oooh I think it would be impressionism as I love that this is when making art could be made outside of the studio and connect with nature and natural light. Plus I love the smudgy dreaminess and softened lines that you find in a lot of impressionist artworks, as well as the divine painterly brushstrokes…..sigh!
Who or what inspired you to become an illustrator?
Many little things over time until it became really obvious that I should give it a shot. Reading picture books to children when I worked as a Nanny. Then reading books to my own children. Admiring the cleverness of other Illustrators and wondering what my work might look like.
Can you share a photo of your creative work space or part of the area where you work most often? Talk us through it.
I feel very lucky to have my own space to create. I have only had this studio for the last 3 years. Before that I worked from home. It doubles as an office for my business work. I love that it has no distractions and is filled with little things that I have chosen or important to me. I work mostly at the desk and use the walls to hang the work in progress. I have lots of books and magazines that inspire me. I call it the shelf of inspiration or intimidation depending on my mood…
What is your favourite part of the illustration process?
I have been loving all of it. The first part of planning out the storyboard is really fun as you get to interpret the text and find lots of clues in the story that will inform the aesthetic. Then refining and tweaking at the end is quite lovely as all the hard work has been done…. but then it is quite hard to call it ‘finished’. It is good to have a deadline.
What advice would you give to an aspiring illustrator?
Keep art-making. Get advice and do courses. Get involved in the Kidlit community. Don’t wait until you are ‘good enough’ just start… you can get better as you go.
Don’t worry about style just keep making art in your own unique way and you will find that you have a style without really trying.
Do it because you love it and then anything else is a bonus.
Jenni grew up in south east London and went to Sylvia Young Theatre School and the BRITS college of Performing Arts. She came to Sydney age 27 and studied Fine Art and started an art school for children where she loves bringing out the unique artist in every child. She loves reading, walking in nature while listening to music and making art in her little studio.
For more information please visit Jenni's website or follow her on instagram.
