Kristina Rondilla

DESCRIPTION //

This will be my first step into the industry of children’s book illustrators. I plan to do a short story about fairies, as I’m a fan of fantasy and semi-realism. This piece makes up a part of the concept art for my picture book called “Little Tanji.” Tanji’s physical characteristics are inspired by a tangerine fruit, with a bit of Studio Ghibli’s Spirited Away hopping lanterns and the story of Thumbelina. By doing this short story, I hope to inspire joy for the children who will read it.

DESIGN PROCESS //

I start by seeking out inspiration from resources and people around me. Once I have a point of inspiration, even if it’s as simple as one word, I will start sketching by hand to develop the idea further. Once I have developed a sketch that I believe suits the original inspiration, I take that piece and digitize it. Using software on my computer, I then develop the sketch further until I believe I have successfully communicated the most important elements that are derived from the original inspiration.

How would you describe your style?

In my work I try to capture a sense of childlike positivity, meaning that the characters I create need to be adorable and friendly. In order to capture these elements, I try to draw in a way that isn’t too realistic, focusing on using simple shapes to show movement and expression.

What are your influences?

Ladybird Books, which is a collection of fairy tales, were the first story books that I had as a child. They still influence me now, I take inspiration from the illustrations throughout the books that utilised watercolours and markers to draw the characters I loved. Added to this, the artist Frey Blackwood’s simplistic drawings are a great inspiration to me. Her drawings are gorgeous and even though they don’t possess much details they do convey a sense of childlike style and as a reader you still understand what is happening in the story. Shawn Tan is another illustrator who’s drawings clearly convey the story they’re a part of. I especially admire his use of texture, colour and symbolism.

If you could be any animal in the world, what animal would you be and why?

I would be an Eagle. Eagles carry a lot of symbolic meaning, being viewed as symbols of wisdom and freedom. Being an eagle would allow me the wisdom to know more about my environment without judging and freedom to do what I want. I love to stare at the sky and imagine where I would go if I were a bird, and could go anywhere.

If you could only choose one song to play every time you walked into a room for the rest of your life, what would it be and why?

I have a lot of songs but Spirited Away’s song “Itsumo Nando Demo (Always With Me)” is what I would choose. The melody has a delicate and dreamy feel to it, while the lyrics always give me goosebumps. I have a strong, spiritual connection to this song, it makes me feel at peace and sometimes a little melancholy.

ILLUSTRATOR | PERTH, WA

AGE | 24

INSTAGRAM | @yaninpoart TWITTER | @cherrycute_0131 TUMBLR | @ mkrondilla

TOOLS | Adobe Photoshop, SAI