Let's Talk Illustrators #319: André Carrilho

I am so excited to share my interview with illustrator and caricaturist André Carrilho! Today we're talking about his gorgeous new book My Dear Sea which captures some of the most beautiful nuances of a summer day. Enjoy the read!

About the book:

On a family beach trip, an excited young swimmer rushes to the water as her dad cautions her to respect the sea. As she swims in the waves and builds sandcastles onshore, she shares valuable lessons on responsibility that she learned from her best friend, the sea.

As she explores ancient sea caves and glimpses amazing creatures just beyond the waves, she reminds us all that caring for and respecting the sea also means keeping it clear of trash and pollution. As the day closes on another successful beach adventure, she waves farewell to her friend and promises to return tomorrow.

Check out the endpapers:

Let's talk André Carrilho!

LTPB: What inspired the story we read in My Dear Sea?

AC: Short answer: I was inspired by both the kid in me and my kids. When I was little I was very influenced by the sea. I’m from Lisbon and the beach is a very familiar place, quite near the city. Also I would spend summer holidays in the Algarve in the south of Portugal, also a well known beach spot. As an only child I would play by myself with the waves and have conversations with them. So when my older daughter one day started to ask me questions about the sea, while we were considering the danger of swimming in the waves, I remembered my own connection with it and the book took off.

While planning the book, I like to define the compositions of the pages in very small thumbnails. I feel the small scale helps to focus the eye on just the essential elements, the ones that make for a strong composition.

LTPB: Can you talk a little bit about the visual evolution of My Dear Sea? As you got to know the main character, how did your illustrations evolve?

AC: I already had the character from two other stories I wrote. She’s heavily influenced by my daughter. But the visual evolution of this book doesn’t depend so much on the isolated character as much as on the context in which she appears. I wanted to depict her mainly as a tiny counterpoint to the immensity of the sea. Her presence imprints a specific scale to the waves and the horizon. I wanted to portray a huge presence and a chaotic force, and the juxtaposition of the girl is fundamental. Without her, the sea in the book would be smaller because there would not be a point of contrast and comparison.

Rough sketches for the book. I sketch everything on regular paper and trace and paint on a different sheet of watercolor paper, using a light table to transfer the drawing. This way if I make a mistake with the watercolor or if a specific effect doesn’t work, the sketch is protected and I can use it to transfer to another watercolor paper and start again. The are no “undo’s” in watercolor!

LTPB: What did you find most difficult in creating this book? What did you find most rewarding?

AC: The illustration of the girl underwater while holding her breath, rolling inside the surf, was probably the most challenging because you can’t find a specific photographic reference for that situation. I also didn’t want it to be too scary. But I honestly can say that most of the illustrations in this book are rewarding to me, specially the ones that focus mostly on the sea itself and the waves. I really enjoyed painting the waves, embracing the chaotic qualities of watercolour.

LTPB: What did you use to create the illustrations in this book? Is this your preferred medium? How does your process change from book to book?

AC: In this book I do what you may call digitally enhanced watercolor. I draw the images with water soluble pencils and paint the image using ecoline, a very clear water based paint that has these wonderful intense colors. Then I do some post-production in photoshop. The thing with ecoline is that even after dried you can wet it again and “destroy” it, make it a little more random. So I actively look for a more unruly feeling.

 

 

First sketches on the beaches of Algarve (south of Portugal) and Costa da Caparica (near Lisbon). The beach depicted in the book has elements of different beaches I usually go to, in different times of the year. Algarve and Alentejo have all the strangely shaped rocks, near Lisbon you find the big waves. The image of my son sleeping was drawn the day I had the idea for the book. The first two images were drawn on the same beach, the following days. It’s Praia da Galé in Algarve.

I work extensively as an editorial illustrator, usually with digital tools like Photoshop. These books are for me a way to do something completely different, try out new creative muscles. For the moment the visual approach is similar for each picture book I’m doing, but I may try other painting techniques down the road.

LTPB: What are you working on now? Anything you can show us?

I’m on the road promoting a short animated film I directed last year and I’m in the development stage of an animated series for kids. I’m working on three picture books, and several illustrated poetry books for adults. I’m also still a freelance editorial illustrator and a caricaturist.

LTPB: If you got the chance to write your own picture book autobiography, who (dead or alive!) would you want to illustrate it, and why?

AC: Me! Not that I’m the better illustrator, but I have the situations and images in my head. If it was somebody else I would be too picky and specific. But if I had to choose an illustrator it would be Ralph Steadman. I just love everything he does, he’s like a visual jazz master. Or maybe Windsor McKay. Or Chris Ware. Or Bob Staake. Oh, there are too many that I love.

A wave of thanks to André for answering questions! My Dear Sea published earlier this month from Blue Dot Kids!

Special thanks to André, Blue Dot, and Deborah Sloan for use of these images!

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