National Doodle Day - A Chat with Thea Baker

September 21, 2018 Snehal Chavan

On National Doodle Day, we chat with Thea Baker, who illustrated The Shepherd Who Couldn’t Sing by Alan Barker, about her work as an artist. 

1. What inspired you to become an illustrator?

I always loved drawing. I'm constantly being inspired and feeling driven to create. There are a few key people that stand out as being instrumental in my development as an artist and I'm very grateful to them. It's a never-ending learning experience, which is one of the many reasons I love being an illustrator. A turning point that set me on the right track was definitely the degree course in illustration that I completed at Falmouth College of Arts. That course was a fantastic introduction to the illustration industry. After graduating, I was invited to take part in some great exhibitions and received a Prince's Trust grant. I was terrible at marketing myself though. As an artist I think it's quite normal to be very critical of your own work, it's what really drives you forward, but it's not a good tactic when trying to start a business! That is one thing I have social media to thank for. Platforms like Twitter and Instagram offer a much softer approach to promoting your work. They're great for portfolio development, and they offer a chance to network with peers and ultimately get noticed by the right people.

2. Tell us about working on The Shepherd Who Couldn’t Sing – what was the most fun part?

I loved working on this story by Alan Barker. The main character, a young shepherd boy, Jake, was a great character to develop. The rural landscape, underneath the stars, gave me lots of opportunities to add some fun textures. There were many illustrations featuring Jake and the other shepherds at night, so I thoroughly enjoyed the challenge of finding new perspectives to juggle these elements so that each page was fresh and exciting. I was thrilled when Alan wrote to me himself to tell me how happy he was with the illustrations.

3. Whose work inspires you?

The list is endless! Every day I'm finding new artists or pieces of work that inspire me. A few of my big inspirations are Brian Wildsmith, Susanne Dolesch, Stepan Zavrel and Jose Sanabria. The work of many of my peers, like Richard Jones, Jess Courtney-Tickle and Jane Newland, is also very inspiring.

4. What were your favourite stories to read when you were little?

One of my favourite books when I was little was Favourite Tales from Andersen, retold by Maire Holz, illustrated by Sharon Stearns. It was my mum's book when she was a child. The Tinder Box was my favourite story in the book and remains one of my favourite fairy tales of all time.

5. What advice would you give someone who would like to work as an illustrator?

Listen to what publishers and agents are looking for. Develop a strong portfolio. Organisations like SCBWI offer lots of advice and support, as well as opportunities to meet key people in the industry. Have fun creating!