201.961.5611 . navina@studiotikli.com
MY STORY
I was very shy but extremely creative as a child. Art was my refuge. It got clearer and clearer as I grew that I wanted to be an artist. I didn’t necessarily just draw. I made things. I made my own paper dolls and paper clothes for them and custom art on those clothes. I was also a dreamer and a solver. I had a vivid imagination and had this strong urge to create custom, create new. For some reason, even as a child, I was never impressed (or satisfied) with the generic. I could never understand why the entire classroom was required to draw the same thing during art class.
Art gave me solutions. It gave me a unique language with which I could confidently and boldly express myself.
When I get stuck, I often think about that creative, determined little girl who loved art class and had that deep desire to solve problems and create beautiful things. She didn’t know where it would lead her but she kept creating. It has lead her to meet amazing teachers and mentors and to find her own voice.
The things that I value and appreciate about what I do have grown as I’ve changed over the years.
Today, what I love most about what I do is being able to create beautiful illustrations that make an imprint on people’s minds. I get to work with self published authors, create custom strategies for them and bring their projects to life.
MY 7 STEP PROCESS TO ILLUSTRATING & DESIGNING A PICTUREBOOK
- Time to talk! The journey begins with an Initial Consultation in which we discuss the feel of the project, the requirements, the goals and the timelines.
- Working the Idea Machine. I take a few days to absorb the story, experiment with various mediums, determine the style, colors and technique.
- The Characters come to being. The character are designed keeping in mind the 3Ps: their purpose, personality and their physical attributes.
- Storyboarding is an important part of the process. Rough thumbnails allow me to develop clarity in the composition, flow and text placement.
- Time to bring in the color. This step helps determine the chronology, the mood, the flow and the transitions.
- Draw draw draw! The thumbnails are enlarged and the initial rough sketches are born!
- Ta da! The process pays off! We have the final artwork perfectly married with the text and put into book form! Ready Set Go!