Illustrator Interview: Ira Baykovska
1. When did you first realize you wanted to become an illustrator?
I started out very young, which is almost a running joke in our family. When I was almost three years old, and I drew my first illustrations on the brand-new painted walls in my parents’ bedroom. Oddly enough, I wasn’t punished for that (which is still a mystery to me).
2. What’s your favorite thing about creating illustrations?
I enjoy the feeling of always learning and discovering something new or unknown. When I receive a manuscript and start researching the character and storyboard designs, very often, I dive deep into a subject that I probably otherwise wouldn’t be involved with in my everyday life. I communicate with authors and clients from around the world. They explain new ideas and tell stories about the book and their culture, which always opens so many new worlds to me. On top of that, there’s the fact that I can just sit and draw all day long to provide for my family, which still amazes me because it never feels like a job.
3. Who are some of your favorite illustrators and artists?
There are so many awesome artists and illustrators nowadays, it’s hard to name just a few. And I’m still discovering new names from time to time. Of course, I love Oliver Jeffers, a notable New York illustrator and artist. He’s a real performer when it comes to drawing. I also love Isabelle Arsenault.
4. What are your digital and physical mediums?
I work in Procreate on my iPad mostly for my commission projects. But every day, I draw at least half an hour in my sketchbook with watercolor, pencils, and ink. Sometimes I combine digital and hand-drawn art. But to be honest, modern digital software can feel like any kind of medium with the ease of a screen. Artists just need to spend the time and effort to develop their skills and unique style. Still, I strongly believe that drawing on paper with physical art supplies helps you become a better artist and can help with art block a lot, too.
5. How do you select color in your work? Do you have any favorite colors?
I love to find interesting color combinations all of the time. While there are a lot of rules, like which color goes best with each other and how you should color background and foreground, I believe it’s good to challenge these rules. Artists can break convention to make something unusual and that’s awesome. As for color palette, I usually try to find colors that go best with a story’s mood and characters. That’s one of my favorite parts where I get to bring life to my sketches.
6. What’s your dream job or project?
I would love to create a book series of my own that would be timeless and that kids of any generation could enjoy. I have only just begun to dream about it, but I’m working on it. As they say, “Who’s walking will finish the road.”
7. What is your process when you sit down to a new project?
I immediately start to make character sketches. The more sketches I can make, the better the characters will look. It’s a known fact that to really know a book character, you should draw them at least 20 times. Afterwards, the client can decide which way to go with the drawing style. From there, I proceed to the storyboard sketches.
8. What do you do to overcome creative block when you’re not feeling creative?
Strangely, I rarely have a creative block, probably because my life is full of so many projects and ideas. If I do experience it, a change of activity always helps. I’ll take a quick walk in the park, alone or with kids, do some physical activity, meet with friends, or enjoy travel. A nice trip can charge me up for many months. I tend to become a workaholic from time to time, and I have been trying to avoid that more often. It’s very important for me to not only live among my career goals and projects but have balance.
9. Do you do illustration full time? Do you have any tips for new illustrators trying to make it a full-time job?
I have very important and not so artsy advice: be responsible and organized. Being a freelance illustrator is not only a dream job for creative people; it’s also a business. That requires time management, routine, paying taxes, and communicating with clients frequently. So be kind to your clients, be honest, be easygoing with revisions and openminded to feedback. Don’t take a job if you know you hate the task and will be miserable doing it or if you’re sure you won’t provide a good service. Learn your strongest skills and, most importantly, keep drawing.
10. What are your favorite illustration details or pages in “How Does a Camera Work?
I enjoyed working on every spread, honestly. But I did find especially interesting the parts with New York’s real sights and recreating the self-portrait picture.
11. NYC was an important character in this book. Tell us about your process drawing these beautiful NYC pages.
I’m totally in love with the city, even though I have never been to New York. So, illustrating this story was really exciting and educational. I enjoyed looking through multiple pictures to get all of the views right. I couldn’t do it from my first try, so it took some time to understand how the city looks. I looked closely at every significant building and drew them floor by floor, window by window. It was really challenging and interesting. I’ll be happy if New Yorkers see the drawings and think that’s so New York.
12. What have your daughters taught you about illustration?
Kids are my most important critics, of course. So, when I became a mom, I always tried to see how my girls like my art or what they think about other book illustrations. Children are so creative, and my girls sometimes ask me such out-of-the-box questions that I would never think of myself. I’m very thankful to them for being my main inspiration.
13. Where can we follow your illustrations on social media?
My website: www.baykovska.com
Instagram: @irabaykovska