Meet the Illustrator: Jay Fleck
by the Brightly Editors
Artist Jay Fleck, whose bold, whimsical designs have been featured on products at the Gap and at Threadless.com, is bringing his talents to the world of picture books, illustrating an exciting slate of new titles releasing this year and next. His latest, Black Belt Bunny, for which he teamed up with Ladybug Girl author Jacky Davis, is full of fun, humorous, retro-style illustrations that kids and parents will love. In our Meet the Illustrator conversation, Jay shares his favorite illustration from Black Belt Bunny, creates an awesome self-portrait, and recommends a new illustrated book he thinks is super cool.
What first made you excited about art?
I can’t remember not being excited about art. I think maybe it starts when you’re an infant and colors and shapes are flashed in front of your face. Then you’re handed a crayon or pencil and can manipulate and create those same colors and shapes. How is that not exciting?
What’s your favorite thing to draw at the moment?
Most of my day is spent working on picture books featuring children, animals, etc. I love doing that, but since it occupies so much of my time I’m actually more into drawing with simple shapes and color palettes.
For example:
Which illustration from your latest book did you especially enjoy creating?
This is my favorite spread from Black Belt Bunny. When I read the text and notes from the author this image popped into my head and it changed very little from the sketch to the final art. I love science and complicated-looking lab setups so I loved creating this spread.
Which characters from your books would you like to spend time with?
I’d like to spend time with the elephant from Double Take. The book presents the concept of opposites in a more abstract sense, and that was a challenge to illustrate in and of itself.
On top of that I had to tell a continuous story with recurring characters throughout. So I started with a boy character and then added an elephant — as his large size presented a nice visual contrast to the small boy — and that fit the “opposites” theme. In my mind he’s the classic big guy with a big heart. Cute, fun, gentle — he’s a big lovable goofball. The best friend you could have.
Can you draw us a self-portrait?
I’ll give it a shot; I don’t think I’ve done one since middle school.
What illustrated book have you read recently and been wowed by?
The Liszts by Kyo Maclear. It’s clever, the illustrations are fantastic and detailed, and it has this cool Wes Anderson-y vibe going on.
Why do you think art is important for kids? What can grown-ups do to encourage kids to engage with art?
Art is absolutely essential for children. Creative thinking, self-expression, there is so much to be learned and explored through art. There are a million reasons why art is important for kids. This interview would probably be a little too long if I tried to think of every one 🙂 As for encouraging art, I’d say it’s important to show appreciation for the art they create. If they hand you a paper with a doodle, make sure they know how cool it is and take the time to talk with them about what they drew and the intent behind it. Go to a museum and have the same discussion about other artists’ work. If something is weird or unconventional teach them to keep an open mind and try to understand what it’s attempting to convey. Keeping an open mind is probably the most important lesson to teach a child about engaging in art.
-
Learn More About the Books:
-
Black Belt Bunny
Also available from: Double Take! A New Look at Opposites
Also available from:
Jay Fleck’s design and illustration work is inspired by his childhood and his experiences with his two young children. His artwork is popular on Threadless.com and has been featured on products at the Gap, on the front page of Society6.com, and a number of other brick-and-mortar and online stores. Visit him at www.jayfleck.com, Facebook, Society 6, and Instagram.