Talented, young illustrator Jesse Hodgson is a recent graduate from UWE. Her work for Pongo received the “Highly Commended” award in the 2012 Macmillan Children’s Book Awards. Jesse has recently taken up the accordion.
We asked Jesse a few questions about her working processes and where she finds inspiration.
What informs and influences your work?
Light source and colour are the most important aspects of my work, and so I take lots of my inspiration from nature. I love going for countryside walks and observing the behaviour of light and wildlife. I also draw a lot upon my own experiences, like when I went swimming with wild seals in Cornwall, which then inspired my ‘Seal Island’ narrative. Documentaries and music also help to keep my creativity fuelled.
Tell us a little about your process.
I sit down with a cup of tea, the radio, and my crayons, and first put down a base layer of yellow where I want all the light to fall, and then a layer of dark blue over the areas I want to be in shadow. Gradually I start building layers of colour and working the picture up in detail.