Describe your illustration style in ten words or less.
Stylized but realistic, whimsical, accessible, rich in texture and colour.
What items are an essential part of your creative space?
A plastic surfaced table that I don't need to worry about spilling paint on for the analogue artwork. Plenty of natural light. A table for my Mac Studio desktop, Wacom tablet and a good scanner.
Do you have a favourite artistic medium?
I have tried them all at different points in my career, but I’m really enjoying pan pastels used with stencils right now. Watercolours and acrylics are always part of the rotation as well.
Name three artists whose work inspires you.
The inspiration list is always very fluid, but some constant illustrator crushes are Beatrice Alemagna, Isabelle Arsenault, Britta Teckentrup.
Which artistic period would you most like to visit and why?
I am always drawn to the challenge of illustrating variations of light. Therefore, the impressionists would surely be a good group to be around and learn from and tag along for a plein-air painting session – another passion of mine when I am not illustrating books.
Who or what inspired you to become an illustrator?
I can’t remember any particular event, just that I have always loved drawing since early childhood, and I did lots of it. Becoming an illustrator felt like a natural progression of that passion. I studied Industrial Design in college, but I never stopped drawing. I was still in college when I met an editor and started working with her illustrating technical manuals for a government agency that promoted education in rural areas. That eventually led to illustrating a series of educational magazines for kids that was distributed in my home state of Parana, in Brazil. Those magazines have reached more than a million children over the years! It was my start in illustrating for children’s publications. When I moved to the US in 2002, I already had a career in Brazil, but had to start from scratch in a different country.
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 thought I would show it to you!
1 - an internal windowsill where a variety of items go - books, scraps, sketches, my most recent plain-air paintings
2 - bookshelves with my books and products, other people’s books, reference materials, boxes with sketches and what I call the back-burner projects.
3 - Table for analog/traditional painting and drawing! Art supplies galore live here.
4 - A window where I watch the seasons go by! Currently, the Fall colors show is on!
5 - The digital art supplies: scanner,
6 - My Mac Studio
7 - Wacom tablet and pen.
What is your favourite part of the illustration process?
They each have their challenges and delights, but probably the final art phase, when all the problems are solved, a few weeks into it when everything clicks, and it flows… it’s such a fantastic zone to be in! When I illustrate non-fiction - which is currently the case, I’m sketching for “A Speedy Little Cheetah on the Big Blue Earth” written by Tory Christie, for Amicus Ink - then my favorite part is the research!
It sounds cliche but it’s true… eyes on your own paper. Comparison is the thief of joy, so yes search inspiration in a variety of sources, but then sit down and work on your own craft. This industry can be brutal with the constant rejections – which are part of it – so when you feel discouraged, and you will, keep going back to the joy of the work itself and ignore the rest.
Luciana is originally from Brazil and moved to the US in 2002. She graduated with a degree in Product Design and worked as a product and graphic designer for a few years, but never stopped pursuing her love of illustration. She took the plunge and became a full-time illustrator in 2001, right before moving to the United States. Luciana loves the freedom that comes with digital art, and all the possibilities of experimentation with different textures. As an immigrant herself, making sure that kids see themselves in the art she produces is of utmost importance. Luciana now lives in Washington state with her husband and two sons.