Dilly loves pickles, and the more sour the better. He has just one problem -- finding pickles he can eat.
Lisa Oakman, Illustrator of
A New Job for Dilly
Q: What influenced you to draw as a child?
My mother was an at-home mom, so, many days we (my mom, my brother and I) would walk down to the library and pick out a pile of books that we’d like to read, or have read to us. I was always drawn to the illustrations.
Q: How/when did you realize you wanted to make art/illustration a career path?
All throughout my school career, I was very interested in Art. In elementary school I remember entering coloring and drawing contests. Once I won tickets to see the Harlem Globetrotters, which I thought was one of the coolest things ever! In High School, I spent the majority of my free periods in the Art Room, and could often be found decorating the walls with characters.
Q: Which artists influence you most?
Artist wise, I adore the village scenes painted by Fabrice De Villeneuve, and the folk style of Warren Kimble. Illustrator wise, I love the styles of Tony DiTerlizzi, LeUyen Pham, Laura J. Bryant, Elizabeth Dulemba, Karen Lee, Rob Scotton, Brian Lies and Derek Anderson, just to name a few.
Q: What is your creative process when given an assignment such as a novel cover?
First, I read the entire text, highlighting important things (such as hair color, clothing, etc.) and make notes as I go... Then, I draw up some rough sketches, thinking about text placement, and the spine, as well. Then I let the rough sketches sit a while, a week or more… Once I’ve forgotten all about what I had done, I give them a fresh look. Sometimes, I’ll say “what were you thinking” to myself, and start over again, and sometimes I’ll say “Yup, that works” and tweak the sketch as needed.
I’ll then scan the chosen sketch, to send off electronically for approval (often adding text with Adobe InDesign or Adobe Illustrator ~ depending on whether the publisher will have it done in house, or not). Once I hear back, I’ll either modify the original sketch as instructed, or put the sketch on the light box to transfer onto illustration board. Once the image has been transferred, the painting begins. Once painted it is then rescanned in, to send. Or, the final illustration is sent off to the publisher for them to scan and layout, again depending on the publisher.
Q: Tell us a little bit about your latest book?
“A New Job for Dilly”, written by Rena Jones, is a really cute ABC book, that gives kids a little insight into some of the many jobs out there… It’ll make them giggle, and make them crave pickles!
Q: Where did you gather inspiration for this book?
Inspiration came immediately after reading the wonderful text.
Rena’s words were easy to imagine the images for!
Q: How many books do you have published?
- “A New Job for Dilly”, written by Rena Jones.
- “Train Your Brain – A Teen’s Guide to Well Being”, written by Deborah Vogel.
Spot illustrations:
- “The Dads & Daughter’s Togetherness Guide: 54 Fun Activities to Help Build a Great Relationship”, written by Joe Kelly.
- “Itty Bits of Bliss”, written by Christine Tricarico.
DVD illustrated story books for Quiet Time Tales, written by various authors (directed by R.A. Logan, Produced by: Terry Moore):
- “Aladdin’s Lamp
- “The Adventure of a Kite”
- “Little Red Riding Hood”
Q: What are you working on now that you can give hint to?
I’m currently working on illustrations for “A Wish and a Prayer” written by Beth Bence Reinke and on “A New Friend for Dilly”, the second of the Dilly series, written by Rena Jones.
Q: Where else can viewers go to see more of your artwork?
They can check out my website here: http://www.lisaoakman.com .
To get your copy of A New Job for Dilly, visit http://4rvpublishingllc.com/.
And keep your eye out for Lemur Troops and Critter Groups, written by Rena Jones (author of
A New Job for Dilly) and illustrated by ME (Nikki Shoemaker) coming this fall from 4RV Publishing, Inc.
