Interview with children’s book illustrator and animator Qin Leng
Posted on November 29, 2013 by miruna
Illustrator Qin Leng InterviewQin Leng is a children's book illustrator, with a background in animation, living in Toronto, Canada. When she is not working on a private commission or designing for an animated TV series, she makes colorful sketches inspired from day-to-day life.
That's right, this fabulous lady illustrator has her sketchbook on at all times and finds her inspiration everywhere! Her blog is a digital graphic journal, as she documents every moment, situation or feeling throughout the day, interesting enough for her to capture on paper. Having breakfast with friends, waiting to cross the street, going for a run or attending a fashion show - any opportunity can prove to be fun to draw.
And the result is a series of gorgeous sketches, drawn in a candid, easy-going style, that most times illustrate some of your own experiences. Perhaps that is what makes Qin's art so catchy, besides her obvious talent and creative skills. The fact that it's so easy for you to relate to!
There is no way I would go anywhere without my sketchbook and pens, I feel naked without them!
You are probably most well known for creating artwork for children's books. How did you choose this area? Why drawing for kids? :)
I’ve always had an interest illustrating cute little things. The proportions of a small child are just adorable, who wouldn’t enjoy it? This being the kind of esthetic that was most appealing to me, it felt very natural to me to focus on the children books market.
Most of the drawings on your blog are life-inspired. What is your process? Do you sketch a few quick lines then, and afterwards finish the drawings? Or do you sometimes take a picture? Do you always have paper and a pencil around?
I like to keep my drawings as spontaneous as possible so I usually start with a really quick sketch, while the idea and images are still fresh in my mind. The roughs are later cleaned up with fountain brush and ink and then coloured digitally. From time to time, I also like to paint with watercolour. There’s nothing that can replicate the natural flow of traditional painting.
I pride myself to have a good photographic memory, so I never take pictures to remember things. Instead, I’ll do a quick sketch. And write down some notes for extra detail I might forget. There is no way I would go anywhere without my sketchbook and pens, I feel naked without them!
Qin Leng illustrations
I can tell that most of your drawings are inspired by day to day happenings in your own life. But what you do is add a lot of humor. Your drawings are genuinely funny and natural. Is that who you are, in real life, behind what we see? Do you find humor in small, daily situations?
I think to enjoy and appreciate the small moments has always been my outlook in life. Of course I add my own seasoning and exaggerate certain things, but in general, you could say that those personal comics are a true reflection of who I am. A lot of times, my gestures, postures, are pretty close to how I draw myself. I think my cartoon world is very closely related to reality.
Aside from what you live on a daily basis, do you have other sources of inspiration when you draw?
I always seek inspiration. The sources are so varied and I think that’s key to producing something unique and very personal. My inspirations come from movies, people I see on the street, stories I hear from friends, paintings, even a melody can trigger an idea.
Interview with children’s book illustrator and animator Qin Leng
Interview with children’s book illustrator and animator Qin Leng
Interview with children’s book illustrator and animator Qin Leng
Interview with children’s book illustrator and animator Qin Leng
Interview with children’s book illustrator and animator Qin Leng
Interview with children’s book illustrator and animator Qin Leng
I stumbled by chance on the program of Film Animation. At that moment, I felt in my gut that this was the right choice for me.
Do you have a study background in design?
I graduated from the Melhoppenheim School of Cinema, with a degree in Film Animation. For as long as I remember, I have always loved to draw. My first drawing, which my parents have kept, was from when I was 3 and I had drawn in much detail my first haircut. I had illustrated every element in detail: the piles of hair on the floor, the mirror with my reflection, the scissor, and hair dryer…
It makes me laugh when I think that I was about to enrol in Biology at McGill University. I stumbled by chance on the program of Film Animation, while helping a friend figure out his own path in academia. At that moment, I felt in my gut that this was the right choice for me.
Do you draw all on paper, or do you use digital tools as well? What tools do you usually use, in your artwork?
I am very hands on, tactile, and just love the feel of drawing on paper. I have tried working digitally but it just isn’t for me. I do colour my work digitally but all line art is done on paper, with pencil or fountain brush.