Author S. T. SANCHEZ: Illustrator Interview with Weronika Wolska

Today I'd like to welcome Weronika Wolska, please tell us a little about yourself

I am young illustrator from Poland. Nowadays I study graphic design on master’s degree. I am interested illustrations, books, typesetting, typography and actually I am working on with it. Currently I am freelancer. I am doing illustrations, design books, posters, covers and lots of similar things.

If there was one thing you wished author’s knew about illustrating what would it be?

I wish authors have understood our creative work. I think we are half-artist and half-artisan, so we have to compromise with authors and vice versa.

How do you communicate with the author on a project? Do you like it when the author gives a lot of direction or just lets you have creative license?

Obviously I prefer when I have creative license do, so I can fully focus on my work, without directions. Same as above, we always have to find healthy compromise between authors and illustrators.

Weronika, what do you typically charge per illustration?

I don’t have any typical charge per illustration. Many factors affect the payment. Very important thing is illustration’s size. It can be size of one page or a quarter of a page. Equally important are the time I spent on the project and the number of corrections. As you can see, there is a lot of factors, so there is no official rate for design.

What has been your favorite project to work on so far?

I am working on few fresh projects actually and they are my favorites. For example is a journal, where all typesetting and illustrations were designed by me. I am also designing my own typeface, inspired by Polish typography from XX century. Always after I finish my designs, I am satisfied only for a while. Because I am still developing and I need more and more freshness.

What is your preferred method to illustrate in? Digital? Pencils? Watercolor?

When I start a new project, I always begin from sketches. Sometimes I must do a lot of drawings. The next thing I have to do is to move my sketches to computer and start to work on them. I always apply a lot of textures, which I made before with some crayons, pastels, markers and paints. I also cut some elements from my textures, which I later applying many textures, which I made by some pastels, crayons, markers and paints. I cutting some elements from textures and I compose it in my drawing. I do it all in programs for digital graphic design.