In the first of an occasional series featuring FMI illustrators, Rachel Boulton blogs about why, where and how she works.
Q: What made you want to be an illustrator?
A: I never really wanted to be anything else.
When I was quite young my dad worked shifts in London and therefore slept during the day. My mum gave me colouring pencils and other crafty things to keep me quiet! And I’ve never really stopped drawing and creating since.
Q: How did you get to where you are today?
A: Well it started off with me having a great Art Teacher at school and wanting to take my first picture book in to show him. I then progressed through to the Illustration BA at the University College Falmouth. I found myself really enjoying the work and that’s when I knew drawing for children was something I was actually good at. But I must say that most of the hard work started after I graduated. I carried on improving and refining my work, even after signing with Frances McKay, I don’t think I’ve ever stopped pushing myself forward to get better and better.
Q: How do you work?
A: I love the challenge of a deadline and trying to beat that deadline. I love to achieve the best product possible. I work in pencil and watercolour and if it suits, dip pen and ink, and have often edited these artworks digitally for tweaks and changes, but who doesn't tidy up a misplaced ink splodge or pencil smudge?!
Q: What have you been up to in the last year?
A: Well most of it was taken up with moving into a new house and organising our Wedding! I made everything I could think of for our wedding day apart from the cake! I made everything from the invitations and RSVP’s to badges for the place settings and even the cake toppers. I felt I could really show off what I could do, and it was great fun.
Since then it’s really been about focusing on what I want to achieve professionally, as well as keeping everything running smoothly. My husband is training to be an ECA (much more than just an Ambulance Driver) so for the time being, he’s left me to look after our aged Springer’s Holly & Clover and our mischievous bunnies Maple & Teasel. They make up a great deal of my inspiration, but still leaving me enough time to get work done, despite the Buns sitting by the fridge demanding food every minute!
Q: What are you working on now?
A: Well I’ve actually been lucky enough to work with Cico Books doing ‘My First’ Books for them: Crafty How-To books for seven to 11 yr olds. I started with subjects like Origami and Sewing and now we’ve moved on to books like ‘My First Nature Book’ and ‘My First Bicycle Book’. It mostly consists of digital work, drawing hands showing step-by-step illustrations on how to achieve each project, and has now moved on to more realistic drawings of adults and children. I’m about to start my 17th book for them and am very excited.
Q: What are your aims for this year?
A: To push forward with a picture book, or board book, or even some young fiction, something I can really get my pencil scribbling for. I have a few ideas I’m working through, to do with the life of rabbits, and maybe a book about making friends. Anything that involves drawing children or animals is good enough for me! And of course, I’d love to have a book with my name on it on the shelf.
