ERIN WELLS
The Illustrator
About the illustrations:
- In this book, an anthology from several authors with widely varying styles, and of different time periods (from Edgar Allan Poe to contemporary authors), it didn't seem likely that I'd find a specific visual thread that would tie one illustration to another. Although I see these drawings more as standalone illustrations, maybe they explore some basic themes, and--I hope--make a coherent group of illustrations, although the stories are very different from one another.
The ides for the illustrations:
- Usually I read the story once just to enjoy it, and see what sort of story it is. Then I'll read through at least one more time, and note passages or elements that strike me. From that point I'll choose from the notes the ideas I like best, and make preliminary collages and sketches to see how it might go. Sometimes that's a quick process; for some stories, it's slow and deliberate work, trying to capture an elusive impression or subject. At some point I must select one of the ideas to make into a final illustration. Some illustrations involve multiple sketches, and a few more developed trial drawings; sometimes I have to shoot reference photos; others come wholly from my imagination. For me, each illustration is a sort of puzzle to solve, a construction in the landscape of its story.
