Describe your illustration style in ten words or less.
I’d go with eclectic, whimsical, happy, sweet, organic, and loose.
What items are an essential part of your creative space?
Natural light, complete silence or happy music, a clean and organized space or I’ll lose my focus. I do have tons of tools and materials though, but I need to organize them often so I can work.
Do you have a favourite artistic medium?
I love so many mediums that I sometimes feel a bit guilty I keep jumping from one to another haha.
But, I’d say that ink, watercolours, pencil and digital are maybe my top favourite ones. Although when I work for children’s illustrations I tend to use all digital most of the time because it’s quite practical.
Name three artists whose work inspires you.
Only 3 is really tough! In children’s illustration now I’d say Beatrice Alemagna, Ati Forberg and Isabelle Arsenault.
Beatrice because she really keeps the inner child out there in all her works, fun, whimsical, with all the heart in them. Ati has a sublime Asian style for me, I just love how simple and strong those illustrations are. And Isabelle, I adore her style, her palette choices even if I tend to go right into the opposite direction to those soft palettes. Love their works! 
Name three artists whose work inspires you.
Only 3 is really tough! In children’s illustration now I’d say Beatrice Alemagna, Ati Forberg and Isabelle Arsenault.
Beatrice because she really keeps the inner child out there in all her works, fun, whimsical, with all the heart in them. Ati has a sublime Asian style for me, I just love how simple and strong those illustrations are. And Isabelle, I adore her style, her palette choices even if I tend to go right into the opposite direction to those soft palettes. Love their works!
Which artistic period would you most like to visit and why?
But besides that, I really don’t feel the need to go back as we are experiencing such an amazing variety of outstanding talents out there right now. So much to look at now.
Who or what inspired you to become an illustrator?
The first one that made me wish to express myself through drawings was Quino. As maybe all in my generation, I grew up reading Mafalda, and I was in awe with her. Not only the content but also Quino’s ink drawings had me hooked.
The one, though, that made me actually end up working as an illustrator and pursuing it as more as a career was my dad actually.
I first graduated in computer science, and I taught, well I still do, programming. But I had few years where my job changed and was no longer teaching programming (what I love about computers) so in that specific time my dad surprised me with a small drawing tablet. And one thing lead to another…
Well, the rest is history, I then started learning arts in the local school, got a private portraiture teacher, and did all kind of online courses.
Can you share a photo of your creative work space or part of the area where you work most often? Talk us through it.
Of course! I have about 2 main working spaces at home, a whole small room, that I call it my studio, a whole table in the living room. I have tons of different materials and tools, because I always get tempted to do something different in the week. Sometimes I want to draw with pencil, other times I want to paint a landscape in acrylics, then I want to do some ink work. Of course, if having deadlines things get adjusted accordingly. I’m lucky to have a nice natural light in my working spaces. And lots of birds coming to my backyard. I love that.
It may sound crazy, but learning it all will give you self-confidence when drawing and painting, you will develop a way of yours with the tools, materials, art concepts.
Some people can do their amazing thing without going to any art school, that’s true. But it may not be the case for everyone. So, learning can be a really useful thing to do.
Then, you need to forget it all and simply be yourself, so you can really give your something that’s unique to you, to the world. To others. You see, you need to know the rules of art well in order to break them in a brilliant way :)
Have fun, draw what you love. Draw things just because you love those. Embrace your bad days and bad drawings, those also let you know what you don’t want to do again, what technique went wrong, what concept you want to study and improve, what happened, and so on.
Born and living in Argentina. Carina has illustrated 3 published books. Besides being an illustrator, she loves birds, running and chocolate.
I think that in terms of fine art, going back to the impressionism time period would be a dream (late 1800, early 1900) because I really love that style in painting. It has so much to do with intuition and feeling, and those great old masters achieved such big emotion with such a loose technique in comparison with a more realistic style.
But besides that, I really don’t feel the need to go back as we are experiencing such an amazing variety of outstanding talents out there right now. So much to look at now.
Who or what inspired you to become an illustrator?
The first one that made me wish to express myself through drawings was Quino. As maybe all in my generation, I grew up reading Mafalda, and I was in awe with her. Not only the content but also Quino’s ink drawings had me hooked.
The one, though, that made me actually end up working as an illustrator and pursuing it as more as a career was my dad actually.
I first graduated in computer science, and I taught, well I still do, programming. But I had few years where my job changed and was no longer teaching programming (what I love about computers) so in that specific time my dad surprised me with a small drawing tablet. And one thing lead to another…
Well, the rest is history, I then started learning arts in the local school, got a private portraiture teacher, and did all kind of online courses.
Can you share a photo of your creative work space or part of the area where you work most often? Talk us through it.
Of course! I have about 2 main working spaces at home, a whole small room, that I call it my studio, a whole table in the living room. I have tons of different materials and tools, because I always get tempted to do something different in the week. Sometimes I want to draw with pencil, other times I want to paint a landscape in acrylics, then I want to do some ink work. Of course, if having deadlines things get adjusted accordingly. I’m lucky to have a nice natural light in my working spaces. And lots of birds coming to my backyard. I love that.
What is your favourite part of the illustration process?
The moment I finish the piece and I can finally see it outside my head hahaha. But, no, to be honest my favourite part is coming up with the idea, even though sometimes it can be stressful, especially when it’s a commission and you have deadlines. But, that part of the process of sketching ideas is super fun and I end up laughing out loud often.
What advice would you give to an aspiring illustrator?
Take the time to learn it all, the best you can. Art foundations, and everything you can afford to learn in the specific area you may want to end up illustrating for.
Then, take the time to forget it all.
Take the time to learn it all, the best you can. Art foundations, and everything you can afford to learn in the specific area you may want to end up illustrating for.
Then, take the time to forget it all.
It may sound crazy, but learning it all will give you self-confidence when drawing and painting, you will develop a way of yours with the tools, materials, art concepts.
Some people can do their amazing thing without going to any art school, that’s true. But it may not be the case for everyone. So, learning can be a really useful thing to do.
Then, you need to forget it all and simply be yourself, so you can really give your something that’s unique to you, to the world. To others. You see, you need to know the rules of art well in order to break them in a brilliant way :)
Have fun, draw what you love. Draw things just because you love those. Embrace your bad days and bad drawings, those also let you know what you don’t want to do again, what technique went wrong, what concept you want to study and improve, what happened, and so on.
Born and living in Argentina. Carina has illustrated 3 published books. Besides being an illustrator, she loves birds, running and chocolate.
