Illustrator Spotlight: Ariana Padron

 

© Ariana Padron

July 1, 2022

We are excited to feature illustrator Arian Padron and her banner design for Kidlit411's website. 

© Ariana Padron

Tell us about yourself and how you came to illustrate for children.

Hi, I’m Ariana Padron. I’m Venezuelan American Ace freelance illustrator who loves to use bright colors and hand-drawn textures breathe life into my unique characters and whimsical worlds! I have always loved drawing and creating characters, but my true love for art came the very night I sat down to watch spirited away on VHS. Something changed in me that day and I wanted to create stories like just like this, full of whimsy and heart. I watched Spirited Away at least once a day for the next couple of weeks after that. 

© Ariana Padron

During my time in school, I didn’t really think that Art could be a career. I just knew I like being creative and I loved making things. Art was a friend I could turn to during difficult times in my life growing up, especially in High school. Art was the only ting I could see myself doing for a career. So, I decided to go to art college and study illustration. As I was working through college, my art style started to come out naturally and I found out I was pretty good at drawing in a cute style more so than realistic one. Though I still didn’t really know about the wonderful world of children’s book.

© Ariana Padron

When I graduated from college, I went into a more production field than a creative one and though it was fun, it didn’t really fulfill me. It wasn’t until the pandemic came that I took a step back and tried to find a career that would satisfy me. That searching led me to children’s books and for the last year or so I have been working hard on my art and developing my style further. I’ve also been working on my writing skills so I can write and illustrate wonderful books that both kids and adults can love!

© Ariana Padron

Congrats on banner design for Kidlit411! How did you approach this project?

Thank you so much! I always try to look for a way to bring some whimsy and magic to every piece I make. So, when I saw first saw the prompt, my brain went right to tight rope walking. I thought it would be so fun to have some birds and kids tight rope walking together in a city scape. I have such a fun time looking up tight rope walking and different types of birds. I had a great time creating this banner and I’m happy with how it came out!

What projects are you working on?

Currently I am working on my last piece for my portfolio before I start sending out query letters to agents! It’s a very exciting and scary time right now. I’m excited to show these agents all my illustrations and hopefully they like what they see! Its my goal to get an agent this year so I can really start my career as a children’s book illustrator. I’m also working on expanding my skills into pattern design and greeting cards so I can have a steadier stream of work.

© Ariana Padron

What is your illustration process?  

My process usually always begins with brainstorming. I either write down ideas or create a mood board of things I want to draw in an illustration and use this as inspiration. From there, I do a couple of rounds of quick thumbnail sketching, just to get all my ideas down.

© Ariana Padron

This is where I’ll choose one that’s my favorite and work on developing the thumbnail into a more detailed sketch.

© Ariana Padron

After I have my final sketch, I move onto to colors. To create my color palettes in my work I like to start with a mood. What type of mood do I want to portray in this illustration? Once I have an answer to this question, I decide on a color scheme and create a mood board of illustrations that fit the mood I’m going for. Then I create value studies and color studies until I find the right one for my illustration. 

© Ariana Padron

© Ariana Padron

 

 

From there it’s just doing the final art and tweaking things along the way until I’m happy with it.

© Ariana Padron

What is one thing most people don't know about you?

Even though I draw really cute characters and magical worlds. I really love horror movies, games, and stories! I hope I can figure out a way to combine my love for horror into a children’s book.

© Ariana Padron

Where can people find you online?

You can find me online at @artofarianapadron on Instagram/TikTok and @arianapadronart on Twitter. My website is www.arianapadron.com

Ariana Padron is an Ace Kidlit illustrator/author born in Venezuela and raised in Massachusetts. She's inspired by their curiosity of children and their ability to imagine the world without restraints. Hayao Miyazaki’s films forever changed her perception of stories and how much a story can be life-changing. His movies showed her the beauty of the quiet moments between scenes. Her goal is to create stories that children can see themselves in while reminding adults of their childhood dreams. Ariana wants to be able to share her experiences and struggles of growing up in between two cultures. Her illustration brings forth a beautiful combination of handmade textures and vibrant colors that fill the page with wonders and warmth. She enjoys illustrating scenes that revolve around relationships and how different characters interact within whimsical settings. She enjoys mixing the fantastical with everyday things. She holds a degree in Illustration from Ringling College of Art and Design. She is a current member of SCBWI, a Children’s book Academy Graduate, took classes at MATS, and is a Storyteller Academy student. She won first place in the portfolio showcase at the 2021 JambaLAya conference in New Orleans, is a We Need Diverse Books Illustration Mentee for 2022, was a recipient of The NESCBWI Windows, and received the Mirrors Scholarship for 2021/2022. She currently lives in the suburbs of Massachusetts with her family and many pets.