Welcome to the Plum Family, Christine Cuddihy!

Get to know our fabulous new Plum Christine right here in our Illustrator Interview!

Where do you live/work?

I live in Leamington Spa in Warwickshire, and work from home. I have a 'mini-studio' - a small, messy but (almost) perfectly formed space in my house, dedicated to all things creative!

What do you like about working there?

I'm lucky enough to have some beautiful views from my desk across our local park, and it's the best place for people watching, as well as all flora and fauna - so I'm never short for inspiration!

The view from Christine's desk

What do you love most about being an illustrator?

Fun is the word that springs to mind! There is something so joyful about spending time bringing words and stories to life through illustration. I adored books and illustration when I was young, so to be able to inspire others through my own work means the world to me.

How do you work – what are your techniques?

I work digitally, drawing by hand to create pencil textures and often create "collages" from the textures I develop. My drawings often start out as pencil or ink sketches and then as I feel more confident in my ideas I develop them digitally. Although I used to be a huge technophobe and stuck to working on paper or canvas, working digitally has really helped me work more flexibly to bring together final book spreads and ideas.

What is your favourite thing to draw and why?

People! I love trying to bring a character to life and seeing them develop over time. I always feel very emotionally attached to the characters I draw!

Do you have a particular favourite character that you’ve illustrated?

I'm working on a character at the moment called Olive. She is a young aspiring scientist and sometimes I feel like she's a real person!

Olive the Aspiring Scientist!

What or who are you most inspired by?

Other illustrators. I can't believe the talent that exists out there, and seeing how creative people can be never ceases to amaze me.

Do you have a favourite illustrator?

There are far too many to mention! I love David McKee, Ezra Jack Keats, Carson Ellis and Maria Dek. But the list is huge!

What do you like to do in your spare time when you’re not illustrating?

I knit a lot of hideous jumpers, love spending my time with my husband and friends, and chilling out with my hamster, Daphne.

Hi Daphne!

How did you get into illustration?

I was always art-obsessed, and did my degree in Fine Art at Falmouth College of Arts where I specialised in oil painting and pencil drawing. After I graduated in 2007 I gradually realised that I loved storytelling and illustrating much more than making huge oil paintings! I made lots of time to illustrate, while also working a full time job. Then I met a publisher, Owlet Press who published my first illustrated children's book. After that, things spiralled from there, I left my 'real' job and started working as a freelance illustrator... and I haven't looked back!

Christine on her way to exhibit at an art fair in Leamington

What are your three top tips for aspiring illustrators?

1) Seek out and welcome feedback. I'm so close to my work that sometimes it really helps to take a step back and have a chat about it. I'm always learning.

2) Be kind to yourself, and take praise when it's given. I really struggle with this, but I've had to learn to give myself a bit of a pat on the back occasionally (even though it definitely doesn't come naturally)!

3) Read, read, read! Picture books, novels, short stories, anything to get a little bit of inspiration for visual storytelling.

What were your favourite books when you were younger?

The Falling Stars based on the story by the Brothers Grimm, and illustrated by Eugen Sopko. The whole book was so magical and captivating.

I was a big fan of Melric and the Petnapping by David McKee. The story was super creative, and the illustrations of the characters and animals were my favourite!

What was the last book you read? What did you think? 

I read Frenchman's Creek by Daphne Du Maurier. I was so adventurous and swoony, and her works capture the Cornish landscape so well - I love all of her writing.

What are your aspirations for the next year?

Definitely to work on more children's books projects as an illustrator, and to finish a picture book project I'm working on at the moment with my own story...

What’s your ultimate dream?

To illustrate children's books! It makes me so happy, and I can't believe that I'm actually doing it! I often have to pinch myself, and I feel very lucky indeed.

 Welcome to the family, Christine! 

Welcome to the Plum Family, Emily Emerson!

We had a chat with our brilliant new Plum Emily Emerson, about her life as an illustrator. Take a look here!

Where do you live/work?
I live in Kansas and work from my home studio! Kansas is sunny and beautiful with big sunflower fields!

What do you like about working there?
I love being able to wake up and be right in my studio, making healthy meals in my kitchen and listening to my pug snoring on the couch! I also love getting out and walking around the neighborhood whenever I need a break.  There is a magical, tiny green park with a small brook running through it nearby. Being in nature makes me feel instantly calm and happy.

Emily and her pug Meena!

What do you love most about being an illustrator?
Using illustration to create my own magical worlds and tell stories brings me just as much joy now as it did when I was a child. I’ve always loved fantastic stories. As a child, I would read books about Egyptian mythology and folk tales from around the world.

How do you work – what are your techniques?
I sketch everything by hand in my sketchbook. I love to sit outside and sketch on a nice day, early in the morning. Then I take it to the computer and finish the piece in Photoshop.

What is your favourite thing to draw and why?
Animals! I had many different types of pets growing up. Apart from the usual dog and cat, we had lizards, frogs, gerbils, and multiple aquariums (which housed wild creatures like starfish, serpent starfish, and sea urchins). I loved them all. Going to the zoo was always a huge treat! I love the diversity of textures, sizes, shapes, and personalities of all the animals. As a child, I wanted to be friends with all of them.

Emily's Animals!

Under the Sea

Do you have a particular favourite character that you’ve illustrated?
I love drawing my pug. I often draw her going on fun adventures (riding in the Tour de France, or traveling the world) on birthday cards I make for my friends.

What or who are you most inspired by?
The flowers, birds, and butterflies I see in my garden. Also, vintage children’s books, Tove Jansson, Studio Ghibli, folklore, fairy tales, and other illustrators! I have a collection of children’s books and some of my favorites are Kaya Doi's Chirri & Chirra, the Provensen's Funny Bunny and Simona Mulazzani's The Big Book of Slumber.

Do you have a favourite illustrator?
There are so many! The classics like Mary Blair and Alice & Martin Provensen. I love Alison Jay – I want to live in one of her paintings. Hsinping Pan - such a unique creative voice. Her whimsical characters always make me smile. Simona Mulazzani and Isabelle Arsenault always have me in awe.

What do you like to do in your spare time when you’re not illustrating?
I’ve recently gotten into gardening with my partner. We planted a Monarch Waystation last Spring and get so excited when Monarch butterflies stop by and lay eggs on our milkweed. I also spend a lot of time with my pug, Meena. She’s 12 and I love her so much. She sleeps in my bed and snores all night, which I love.

Meena in a Monarch caterpillar Halloween costume made by Emily!

How did you get into illustration?
I’ve always loved drawing and decided when I was small that I was going to be an artist when I grew up. I was always drawing as a child and having art contests with my friends. As I grew, I slowly became aware of illustration as a career and did my best to learn all I could about it. Illustration is what I love to do and I’ve never entertained the idea of doing anything else!

What are your three top tips for aspiring illustrators?
1 - Listen to yourself. Make sure what you are creating feels right to you, don’t be swayed from yourself by other people’s work. Listen to your own unique creative voice and do what brings you joy. I was much happier once I took that advice. 
2 - Take breaks if you feel you’re getting worn out. Self-care is important for creativity.
3 - Beware of distractions – your phone and the internet are fun and a wonderful source of inspiration, but they can also distract you from doing your work!

What were your favourite books when you were younger?
There are a lot. I immersed myself in very detailed worlds like Animalia and I Spy books. I also loved thoughtful stories like The Velveteen Rabbit. Lots of Shel Silverstein. Of course, Harry Potter – I remember my teacher reading the first book to our class when it was still unknown in the US. She just happened upon it in a bookstore. She would read it to us for the last 20 minutes of each school day and we would all sit with rapt attention! I remember when it exploded with popularity right after that.

What was the last book you read? What did you think? 
I actually just re-read the entire Harry Potter series. I love them - what an adventure! Over the years, you forget little details so it was fun to read them again.

What are your aspirations for the rest of the year?
To keep expanding my portfolio and drawing subjects I don’t normally draw. I would like to work on an idea for a picture book as both author and illustrator. We’ll see what happens! That’s probably more of a ‘next year’ goal though.

This year, I am going to attend my first ever local Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators conference!

What’s your ultimate dream?
That children will read my books and remember them fondly when they are older like I do with my books. Seeing my friend's children recognize and enjoy my work is the best compliment ever!

Welcome to the family, Emily!

Welcome to the Plum Family, Charlotte Cotterill!

Our new Plum Charlotte had a chat with us about her life as an illustrator and what she likes to do when she's not drawing- take a look below!

Hello Charlotte!

Where do you live/work?

I currently live and work in a tiny village in the Peak District, I have a desk in the spare room and take up a lot more room than I should. I have only recently moved here but it’s a really beautiful place to live. At nighttime you can usually hear owls hooting and see the stars shining really brightly.

What do you like about working there?

My desk is right in front of the window and I have a beautiful view to look at when I am stuck with my drawing or taking a break. 

Charlotte's Studio View

A sketch from Charlotte's back garden

What do you love most about being an illustrator?

There are too many good things to count! I love solving design problems with my images, that’s basically what illustrating is – problem solving through drawing. I also like meeting children at events and book festivals and showing them how to draw some characters or animals, I love to see what they have all created/learnt at the end of a session.

How do you work – what are your techniques?

I always start with rough designs and drawings in my sketchbook, usually in pencil. I draw out characters and ideas until I think I have them just right. Then when I am ready to start the finished pieces I will move out of the sketchbook and onto some really nice paper. For picture book illustrations I draw all the line work by hand with some beautiful Faber Castell polychromos pencils. Then I scan in the images and colour them digitally in Photoshop so I get beautiful bright colours. I also love working in ink and watercolour for sketches and one off pieces. 

Charlotte's Watercolours

What or who are you most inspired by?

I collect lots of beautifully illustrated books and I am always looking at them for inspiration. I am intrigued by the way other artists and illustrators use colour, tone, line, materials etc. to make images. I will never fail to find inspiration in the work of others.

What is your favourite thing to draw and why?

I like drawing people and their facial expressions and body language, telling little stories through my characters emotions and movements.

Do you have a particular favourite character that you’ve illustrated?

I love all of my characters, but my favourites are Hack and Whack, the naughty Viking twins who are the main characters in the picuture book I illustrated, ‘Hack and Whack’ by Francesca Simon. They were so much fun to draw because they are so mischievous and caused total chaos for their parents and the other villagers. They also have amazing eyebrows. 

Hack and Whack!

Do you have a favourite illustrator?

At the moment they include; the Fan brothers, Melissa Castrillion, Vera Brosgol, Orlando Weeks and Alexis Deacon. I tend to be attracted to artwork that is very different from my own; I like more painterly and whimsical images as they are so beautiful and I wouldn’t be able to produce work like that myself. One of my all time favourite illustrators is Raymond Briggs because of the beautiful characterisation and the very British sense of humour in his images.

What do you like to do in your spare time when you’re not illustrating?

I like to go on walks, visit stately homes, watch films, cook and spend time with my friends and family. I also really like music, I love collecting and listening to my records, I usually listen to quite melancholy music by people like Bob Dylan, Jonny Cash, Kate Rusby and First Aid Kit.

Chatsworth House, where Charlotte used to work as a guide

Charlotte at Chatsworth in the gardens

How did you get into illustration?

Like most illustrators, I have always drawn, ever since I can remember and I couldn’t stop reading as a child and listening to audiotapes. My mum used to take my sister and I to the library and I used to devour everything! This combined love of drawing and stories is what led me to illustration. Also, drawing is genuinely what I am best at and enjoy the most, it has been a steady constant throughout my life.

What are your three top tips for aspiring illustrators?

Hmmm… this is hard one, but I would say:

·      See criticism as constructive – its really hard not to take criticism about your work personally whether its coming from a friend, tutor, agent or publisher. However, try and use the criticism constructively and to your advantage when creating your next image. Also, remember that your work is never going to be everyone’s taste.

·      Try using limited colour, colour can be very complicated and overwhelming and it really helps to work with just two or three colours carefully selected colours and then just build on it from there.

·      Don’t get illustrator guilt. Just because you love being an illustrator does not mean that you have to do it 24/7. It is important to take breaks and have a step away from your work every now and then; it is unlikely you will be able to create amazing work if you are running yourself into the ground.

What were your favourite books when you were younger?

‘Carrie’s War’ by Nina Bawden, the Famous Five stories by Enid Blyton, ‘The Magic Faraway Tree’ by Enid Blyton, ‘Danny the Champion of the World’ by Roald Dahl, ‘Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents’ by Terry Pratchett, the Narnia stories by C. S. Lewis, all the Harry Potter books, ‘Artemis Fowl’ by Eoin Colfer, ‘The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, aged 13¾’ by Sue Townsend, ‘Charlotte’s Web’ by E. B. White and many, many more. I wish I read as much now!

Some of Charlotte's favourite childhood books

What was the last book you read? What did you think? 

The last book I read was ‘The Subtle Knife’ by Philip Pullman, which is part of the His Dark Materials series. I am re-reading all the series at the moment and I am so enjoying them, the last time I read the trilogy I think I was probably in my early teens and it is interesting reading them again as an adult. Philip Pullman is so good at creating other worlds that are totally magical and believable.

What are your aspirations for the rest of the year?

My aspiration in life is always to worry less, I am a terrible over thinker. My new years resolution for 2019 was to take more photos with my friends and family and the things we do together, as I usually find myself forgetting. So far I am not doing too badly so I have to keep it up.

What’s your ultimate dream?

To get a dog and some day write and illustrate my own picturebook. (Not necessarily in that order).

Welcome to the family, Charlotte!

Welcome to the Plum Family, Jojo Clinch!

Take a peek into the life of our fantastic new illustrator Jojo Clinch!

Where do you live/work?

I live in a little village near Brighton, with my husband, two daughters, plus our Cat Hatty and Hamster Holly. We are lucky to have the south downs right on our doorstep with not one, but three windmills to explore close by. I have a cosy studio at the bottom of my garden where I work.

Jojo's Studio

What do you like about working there?

I love where I live for the beautiful countryside, plus a vibrant city and the seaside, all within easy reach. Working from home is a real luxury. To have a dedicated space to work and get messy, being able to leave art in progress without having to tidy up everyday, is just great. I’m a messy person that doesn't like mess, so this helps keep me sane and lets the work flow more naturally. Also, I’m a real homebody so it’s always been my dream to work from home, I feel very lucky.

What do you love most about being an illustrator?

Um, just everything! Drawing, painting, reading, making up stories and characters, admiring lots of other beautiful work, it really is my dream vocation.

How do you work – what are your techniques?

I think this is still changing for me all the time, but currently, I start with very loose watercolours and ink, then I work into those with coloured pencils and markers. Finally, I take the image into procreate and work over it digitally. I start this whole process with lots of messy pencil thumbnails.

What is your favourite thing to draw and why?

Drawing characters, especially animal characters at the moment - cats seem to be my favourite, probably because I have a big old tabby called Hatty who is my studio buddy. I also love drawing the different environments for my characters to live in. Woodland, mountains, towns, psychedelic fields… and I find foliage and florals really therapeutic.

Hatty the Cat!

Psychedelic Fields

What or who are you most inspired by?

I get inspired by my everyday life; my family, where I live, things I notice when I’m out for a run or walking the kids to school. But I also get a lot from visiting new places, either far flung or closer to home, both can be so inspiring. We visited Lyme Regis for the first time this year and I loved the different scenery and coast line.

Do you have a favourite illustrator?

Too many! I admire so many people’s work. Marc Martin, Katie Vernon, Rebecca Green, Marianna Coppo and Isabelle Arsenault are probably top of my list currently, their work constantly takes my breath away. And I have always adored Sara Fanelli and Tove Jansson’s work.

What do you like to do in your spare time when you’re not illustrating?

Oo, well having two young daughters keeps me pretty busy! But when I have a bit of free time I also make silver jewellery, which I sell online and at fairs, along with my illustrated cards and prints.

I find the one drawback of being an illustrator is being sat down most of the time, so I try to be active whenever I can by going to Yoga, walking lots and (short) runs in the countryside. I really, really want a dog for some company, so I spend a fair amount of time researching that at the moment…

Jojo's Jewellery

How did you get into illustration?

After graduating with a degree in Illustration, I worked with both gift and book publishers as an in-house designer until 2007, when I went Freelance. In the last few years, I decided to follow my dream to illustrate again, enrolling on lots of online courses to build my portfolio. I started with a Make Art That Sells class and never looked back really. 

What are your three top tips for aspiring illustrators?

1. Draw as much as possible, and as many different things as possible. It’s easy to keep drawing the same things over and over but by drawing, say, the contents of your fridge, you will really push your observation skills and surprise yourself.

2. Take some online classes if you can. There is always something new to learn and the community you find can be really supportive. I’ve made some lovely friends from these classes too.

3. Persevere. Illustration is very competitive but I like the quote “a rising tide lifts all boats” there is room for everyone if you work hard and keep true to yourself.

  Jojo's Sketchbook

Animal fun!

What were your favourite books when you were younger?

The Tiger Who Came to Tea by Judith Kerr. Goodness knows how many times my lovely Mum read that book to me as a child, I know every detail of every page - pure magic. I also loved Enid Blyton’s The Magic Faraway Tree and The Enchanted Wood.

What was the last book you read? What did you think? 

I’ve just finished, and really enjoyed, Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng.

Tove Jansson’s The Summer Book is a beautiful read, I’d recommend that to everyone.

What are your aspirations for the rest of the year?

To keep working on my art for picture books, especially my human characters, and expanding my portfolio by venturing out of my studio and doing some more drawing from life.

What’s your ultimate dream?

Stories and pictures have inspired and delighted me for my whole life, so if I could create a book that sparks that joy in someone else, that’s a legacy I’d be more than happy with.

Welcome to the family, Jojo!