I was lucky to get a chance to chat with debut Brazilian children's book and seasoned comics creator Rafael Sica about No One Slept, translated by Bruna Dantas Lobato. It was such a thrill getting to talk to Rafael about his illustration inspiration for the book, which just so happens to be one of my favorite illustrators––but I won't spoil the surprise! Enjoy our chat!
About the book:
Set in a hauntingly picturesque home, the story revolves around Little Kooky, a fearless little girl who helps her family and even the neighbor's dog fall asleep by sharing enchanting tales from her books. Without her, no one in the house would sleep.
Let's talk Rafael Sica!
LTPB: Where did the idea for No One Slept come from?
RS: The premise was to explore the social ritual of adults reading to children before bedtime.
The book reflects on the power of knowledge to illuminate the unknown , that understanding can dispel fear and lull ignorance to sleep. So, I decided to invert the traditional bedtime reading dynamic by making a child the protagonist. This girl, the central character of the story, uses books to confront the ghost that haunts her family. When she begins reading to the adults in the house, a sense of peace settles over everything.
LTPB: Can you talk a little bit about the visual evolution of No One Slept? As you developed the story and characters, how did your illustrations evolve?
RS: It was my first, and so far, only book for children. All my other books are aimed at a broader audience. For this one, I wanted to create a kind of graphic homage to Edward Gorey, one of my favorite illustrators, and I felt his aesthetic would work well in a children's book. I wanted the drawings to carry that Gorey-like atmosphere. I have my own style, and it shows especially in the characters of the story, with a black-and-white contrast and minimal hatching. For this story, I created a blotch that serves as a background for each illustration and ends up suggesting a unity among the illustrations. I think the hatched background brought this darker, Gorey-like mood to the illustrations.
LTPB: What did you find most difficult in creating this book? What did you find most rewarding?
RS: Most of my publications are illustrated books or wordless comics. So, working to create harmony between text and image was the most challenging part for me. What I enjoyed most was drawing the hatched backgrounds of the illustrations. I spent hours and hours drawing each little line. It was almost therapeutic.
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?
RS: I always draw using India ink and a dip pen. I start with a pencil sketch and then finish the drawing with the pen. In most of my work, I use this kind of rudimentary tool. From book to book, what changes more is the technique I apply rather than the materials themselves.
LTPB: What are you working on now? Anything you can show us?
RS: My most recent book is a journey through a ruined city, where the inhabitants continue living their lives in a routine, almost in a state of denial. The book is called Estive em Horroroso e lembrei de você, you can see some images here:
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?
RS: I’m a Brazilian illustrator, so I would choose a Brazilian artist I admire to draw my story: Fábio Zimbres.
RS: The premise was to explore the social ritual of adults reading to children before bedtime.
The book reflects on the power of knowledge to illuminate the unknown , that understanding can dispel fear and lull ignorance to sleep. So, I decided to invert the traditional bedtime reading dynamic by making a child the protagonist. This girl, the central character of the story, uses books to confront the ghost that haunts her family. When she begins reading to the adults in the house, a sense of peace settles over everything.
RS: It was my first, and so far, only book for children. All my other books are aimed at a broader audience. For this one, I wanted to create a kind of graphic homage to Edward Gorey, one of my favorite illustrators, and I felt his aesthetic would work well in a children's book. I wanted the drawings to carry that Gorey-like atmosphere. I have my own style, and it shows especially in the characters of the story, with a black-and-white contrast and minimal hatching. For this story, I created a blotch that serves as a background for each illustration and ends up suggesting a unity among the illustrations. I think the hatched background brought this darker, Gorey-like mood to the illustrations.
RS: Most of my publications are illustrated books or wordless comics. So, working to create harmony between text and image was the most challenging part for me. What I enjoyed most was drawing the hatched backgrounds of the illustrations. I spent hours and hours drawing each little line. It was almost therapeutic.
RS: I always draw using India ink and a dip pen. I start with a pencil sketch and then finish the drawing with the pen. In most of my work, I use this kind of rudimentary tool. From book to book, what changes more is the technique I apply rather than the materials themselves.
RS: My most recent book is a journey through a ruined city, where the inhabitants continue living their lives in a routine, almost in a state of denial. The book is called Estive em Horroroso e lembrei de você, you can see some images here:
RS: I’m a Brazilian illustrator, so I would choose a Brazilian artist I admire to draw my story: Fábio Zimbres.
A BIG thanks to Rafael for taking time to answer some questions about his debut children's book! No One Slept publishes today from Tapioca Stories!
Special thanks to Rafael and Tapioca for use of these images!
This post contains affiliate links. For more information, visit my policies & disclosures page
No comments:
Post a Comment