Describe your illustration style in ten words or less.
Traditional, timeless, detailed, delicate, whimsical.
What items are an essential part of your creative space?
I love collecting beautifully illustrated children’s picture books, even ones in different languages, for inspiration. A window to gaze out of to ponder the world, and to have natural lighting. Elements of nature around me to calm and inspire me.
Do you have a favourite artistic medium?
Chinese black ink and watercolours.
Name three artists whose work inspires you.
Shirley Hughes is probably the first illustrator I fell in love with. I love her detailed sketches capturing everyday life. I also love Sophia Blackall’s unique style and her technique of using an initial Chinese Ink wash was one I have adopted. And as a watercolour artist I simply love Jason Chin’s work.
Which artistic period would you most like to visit and why?
Renaissance, I just think it was a very interesting period of discovery and mixing of disciplines-e.g. Art, science, philosophy. I’m a bit of a multi-disciplinary person myself, so I think I would have been at home during this period.
Who or what inspired you to become an illustrator?
Doing school projects was my first taste of being an illustrator. I think I figured out I did not want to be an avant garde artist, but would love to be adored and held dearly by children like Beatrix Potter. I love creating illustrations for children to ponder and be curious over.
Can you share a photo of your creative work space or part of the area where you work most often? Talk us through it.
I like the painting process. It’s always a bit of a hold your breath and say a prayer moment, but I like trusting the process and am always amazed at the magic that happens on the paper.
What advice would you give to an aspiring illustrator?
With every new project, you improve. So be brave, experiment and have fun. It’s ok to fail just grab a new sheet of paper. Keep dreaming big and join a group of creatives that will encourage you in your journey.
Sarah Ang is a children’s book author and illustrator who gathers inspiration from nature and a love of history. Her books encourage children to care for and be curious about the world around them. Sarah was born in Australia and is currently living in Singapore with her family.
For more infomation, please follow Sarah on instagram.
