I got a chance to catch Klara Bartilsson to chat about her illustration process for The Expedition, written by Tuvalisa Rangström and translated by Saskia Vogel. This is an incredibly unique book with a lovely message, and it was such a pleasure getting to pick Klara's brain about it. Enjoy the read!
About the book:
Donning his frock coat and ruffle collar, Tusseson documents everything that happens in his logbook: traveling by boat across the Stomach's Stormy Sea, paddling through the Small Intestine's Emerald Green Canals, camping at the Lungs (despite all the wind!), climbing the Muscle Mountains, escaping through the Nerve Forest to marvel at the night sky, Iris, reflected in the Pacific Tear Channel. As his fellow travelers return home one by one, Tusseson is left to carry on alone... but he won't give up until he finds the Mystical Meadows of the Brain.
Check out the endpapers:
Let's talk Klara Bartilsson!
LTPB: How did you become the illustrator of The Expedition? What were the first images that popped into your mind when you saw Tuvalisa Rangström’s text?
KB: In 2020, I was contacted by Jenny Franke, the editor and owner of Mirando Bok, who had seen my work on Instagram. She was looking for an illustrator for a new project, an expedition through the human body. I didn’t need to hear much more to know I wanted to be part of it. When I first read the text, I envisioned a series of dark mystic landscapes, with each spread offering something completely new.
LTPB: What did you find most difficult in creating this book? What did you find most rewarding?
KB: Since this was my first illustrated book, there were many challenges. The biggest one was deciding how much time and detail to invest in the illustrations. Repeating the same characters over and over was also a new challenge for me. But what I really loved was developing the settings and the unique traits of each character. It was so much fun turning the expedition into a quirky, impossible team on a mission.
LTPB: What is the first thing you do when you receive a new project? How do you tailor your illustration style to each new manuscript?
KB: I start by thinking about the characters. As an illustrator, I believe you can add so much depth to characters beyond what’s written in the manuscript. I love incorporating side stories into the images that only the viewer can discover. Once I have a clear idea of the characters, I create a rough sketch to plan the basic layout. I almost never change this initial layout, as I feel that first idea is often the strongest. These days, I usually illustrate my own texts. I tend to write the story first with the images already forming in my mind. Often, my ideas stem from a desire to draw a particular object, like a pearl or a flower. The mood for the project is set when I start drawing and explore the theme and ideas.
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?
KB: All of the illustrations in this book were created digitally. While I prefer working with traditional mediums like graphite or gouache, digital tools allow me to work faster and be more flexible. I aim to make the digital work look as though parts of it were created by hand, to avoid an entirely digital feel. Although I’ve used digital tools for all of my books so far, I’m excited about the possibility of creating a fully analogue project in the future!
LTPB: What are you working on now? Anything you can show us?
KB: I’m currently working on a project about a dream maker who’s grown tired of creating dreams. I’ve just begun developing the setting and characters. It’s an interesting challenge for me since I’m typically drawn to organic shapes, but in this project, I’ll be drawing more city landscapes.
From The Dream Cabinet
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?
KB: I would have to say Tove Jansson. Her world of images is both enchanting and quirky, with a beautiful warmth to it. I can’t imagine a more magical experience than being brought to life as a character in the Moomin Valley!
A BIG thank you to Klara for talking to me about these stunning book! The Expedition publishes TODAY from Transit Children's Editions!
Special thanks to Klara and Transit Children's Editions for use of these images!
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