The Blue Rose Girls are an amazingly energetic and insightful group of authors, illustrators, and editors in children's publishing.They were discussing this ever present question of style just few days ago. After a whirwind weekend of illustrating - a cookbook cover for my daughter's school, a sign for the native plant garden at my wife's work,
and just a few chapterbook illustrations - 
it is clear to me that a signature style is NOT entirely obvious in my work. I simply run with it.
Three vastly different images in less than 48 hours? I feel like this is a good thing, but suppose as well that it makes me unpreditable... Perhaps, an evolution towards something more consistantly recognizable will be my progression over time.
3 comments:
I keep wanting to nail down a style, but it just never seems to happen. Change keeps things exciting for me. *shrugs* what can ya do? i know all the pros in the industry say to have a style that everone knows is YOU - but that's a rule I just can't help breaking.
p.s. these samples ARE vastly different styles, but if I saw them on books without your name on the front, I would know they were yours. There is something in all your pieces, whether more cartoony or more realistic, that is definitely Erik Brooks.
Hey Paige,
Thanks very much for that comment. It sounds like we both recognize the "words of wisdom" out there, but react in similar ways. The beauty of books is that they support many vaired forms of illustration. I find that refreshing, and do mind experimenting in the least. Encouraging as well, however, to hear that something of "me" resonates. Cheers!
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