Illustrator Raúl Colón is a featured faculty member of the 2019 SCBWI-WWA Conference May 18-19. Get to know him through this interview by Kary Lee.
Raúl Colón will be a keynote speaker at the WWA Conference May 18-19th, 2019. He will hold a breakout session included in Saturday’s event as well as a master class on Sunday, May 19, 2019. He lives in New York City and is busy working on new visual projects and excited about his first visit to Seattle.
KARY LEE: One way to introduce author/illustrator Raúl Colón might be to quote a memorable line from his latest picture book, Imagine! But that book is wordless, which leaves his beautiful visual storytelling illustrations to speak for themselves.
Through Raul’s vibrant images, Imagine! pulls you in and inspires you to turn the page. So much, that it became the inspiration for our upcoming Western Washington SCBWI Conference, Imagine That! held next month at Seattle Pacific University.
Imagine!, so beautifully depicted through his unique colored pencil and watercolor technique, is not the exception to Raul’s work, but the rule; as one can see in his impressive body of work spanning over many years in both books and magazines.
My first queston to Raúl Colón is: Describe your most recent release in one sentence.
Raúl: My most recent release is The Night Library. It’s a story about a boy who one night interacts with the lions at The New York City Library.
Kary: What made you want to become an illustrator?
Raúl: I was interested in art ever since I can remember. I always loved to draw as much as any child does, except that I never stopped. When I became a professional illustrator and had illustrated a few picture books, an editor asked me to write and illustrate an original story. That’s how I came to the writing part of it, my first story: ‘Orson Blasts Off.”
Kary: What books helped form you as a reader?
Raúl: I read plenty of comic books as a kid. But the one story that really got me was in one of my sister’s text books from school. I was about eight years old, she was a few years older than me. The story was ”The Legend of Sleepy Hollow”. It scared me to death but it made an impression and became a favorite childhood story for me. Today I actually live a few miles from Washington Irving’s place, as well as Sleepy Hollow.
Kary: What inspires you?
Raúl: A good story rich in imagery, inspires me. That’s how I choose what to illustrate when I read a manuscript – I can see interesting images in my head.
Here is a link to a short video about his book, Imagine.
Kary: Do you follow a career plan?
Raúl: I only had a career plan when I decided to become a full time freelance illustrator.
I spent a year or two preparing a portfolio. I read everything I could on how to promote my work. I saved as much money as I could, wrote letters, sent postcards and I moved to where the action was – back to New York. I did not give myself six months to make it. I had no limit.
Kary: What aspect of illustrating do you find the most challenging?
Raúl: Deadlines are impossible, but with books you have some leeway. Each project is different in some way. Some may take longer than others. I loose a lot of sleep sometimes. But a book can take months to produce and that’s understood in the industry. By the way. I always work with a signed contract in place. I was fortunate to enter the picture book field by invitation. So I never submitted a project that I wasn’t hired to do. Not yet…
Kary: Do you have any rituals, superstitions, or preferred materials for creative work?
Raúl: I don’t have a ritual or superstition per se. I do listen to music when I work. I realize that It speeds up the process when I have music playing. I can actually lose myself in my work with the radio blasting. Also, when I need to take a break, or need to clear my head for so-called “inspiration,” I take a walk outside, play a musical instrument or watch music videos to get going. However, art is work. After years of doing creative work, the mind is prepared to produce something new with built-in tools.
Kary: Who is your favorite children’s literature character?
Raúl: My favorite character in children’s literature is The Tin Soldier. I just realized that now.
Kary: What’s next for you?
Raúl: I’m currently trying to finish a book about a child and her place in the universe. Epic.
Kary: Do you have any final words of advice?
Raúl: What I would like to remind the folks when they look at picture books. Don’t forget about the ART.
Kary: Raúl Colón will be a keynote speaker at the Saturday, May 19th WWA Conference, and will hold a breakout session included in Saturday’s event as well as a master class on Sunday. He lives in New York City and is busy working on new visual projects and excited about his first visit to Seattle.
Thanks Raul!
PROFILES OF CONTRIBUTORS
KARY LEE, the interviewer, is a visual storyteller who splits her time between her passion as an editorial/book illustrator and her day job as a graphic designer for UW Medicine. Her work has been featured in various magazines and picture books including DIZZY, a Mom’s Choice Award winner for Best Picture Book adventure. She has a Communications degree from Washington State University and lives in Seattle in a little apartment on the west shore of Lake Washington with her husband, Charles, under an eagles nest.You can learn more about her work on her website, www.karyleeillustration.com.
RAÚL COLÓN studied commercial art in high school, where he received his first formal training in art, including photography and advertising art. He worked as a freelance illustrator for such clients as The New York Times Book Review, Business Week, The Wall Street Journal, The New Yorker and New York Magazine. MAMA HAD A DANCING HEART, which Colón illustrated, was named on The New York Times Best Illustrated Children’s Books list. Mr Colón wrote and illustrated the picture book DRAW! which The New York Times chose as one of the Ten Best Illustrated Books for 2015. The industry has recognized Colón with a Golden Kite Award and a Pura Belpré Award.