Many talented illustrators participated in this year’s SCBWI Western WA conference Art Portfolio Showcase. With so many wonderful art portfolios, our faculty agent and editor judges had a difficult time choosing the winner. After much deliberation, the first place winner is Leanne Hatch, 2nd place winner is Andy Musser, and 3rd place winner Suzanne Kaufman. Below is Lily LaMotte’s interview with Leanne Hatch.
LILY LAMOTTE: Please briefly explain your creative process, favorite media, etc.
LEANNE HATCH: I have a background in textile design where I became very comfortable working digitally. When I began my journey into picture book illustration, I tried working in all different mediums but found that I am more of a risk taker if I work digitally. Knowing that I can easily undo, change colors and move things around without worrying about wasting a really nice piece of water color paper takes away a lot of the pressure I put on myself. Plus, I like how portable an iPad is! Occasionally, I will make handmade textures to add to my digital illustrations. In the future, I’d like to make more time to experiment with traditional materials.
LILY: Where do you find your ideas? Do you have a process?
LEANNE: Recently, I’ve been letting my drawings sort of come to life on their own. I have a tendency to overthink everything and when I finally let go, my work instantly started to improve. I’ll do a quick sketch of a character, then create a story around it depending on the character’s expression and stance. I think about what this character is doing or looking at. It’s easier to come up with something if I’m not looking at a blank page.
LILY: How do you deal with creative blocks?
LEANNE: Being creative all the time is really hard! When I get stuck and there is a deadline attached to it, I’ll often go to Pinterest or Instagram for inspiration. If it’s personal work, then I’ll step away and work on something else for a while before going back to it with fresh eyes.
LILY: Who are your illustrator heroes? Influences?
LEANNE: There are so many artists I love and who influence my work probably more than I know. The last picture book I bought was MONTY AND THE POODLES by Katie Harnett. I love her loose painting style and unexpected color combinations. I also like to incorporate my love for print and pattern where I can.
LILY: What’s inspiring you and your work right now?
Leanne: I’m in the process of cleaning out my computer and file cabinet and am finding all kinds of gems I’d forgotten about. I think about how different my old drawings would look if I re-created them now, several years later. I was even inspired to write a short story based on a tee shirt graphic I made ten years ago!
LILY: Any words of wisdom you want to share?
LEANNE: I think if you are an artist, it’s good to remind yourself that your style is uniquely yours and unlike anyone else. So, own it! I find that it calms me whenever self-doubt starts to creep in.
LILY: Work in progress?
LEANNE: I feel that I’m a stronger illustrator than writer, so I’m working to improve my writing. I’m anxious to start on a new dummy but I need a good story first. I have a few ideas in the works.
LILY: Many thanks to Suzanne Kaufman, Andy Musser, and Leanne Hatch for sharing their process and inspiring words with us!
About the interviewer
Lily LaMotte writes middle grade graphic novels and picture books. She is the Weekend-on-the-Water Retreat coordinator for SCBWI WWA and a member of the King County Library System Foundation Gala Committee to support all things library. She is repped by Laura Rennert of the Andrea Brown Literary Agency.
About the guest
Leanne Hatch is a textile and accessories designer by day, and a writer and illustrator by night. She is a native of the Pacific Northwest and lives with her husband, two kids, three cats, and a dog. She is represented by Janine Le of Sheldon Fogelman Agency. You can see more of her work at www.leannehatch.com.