Her drawings are very specific and somehow make a translation from the language of text to the language of images. Katerina Dubovik was born and raised in Minsk, but currently works as an artist and illustrator in Amsterdam, and we can define her as a translator of imagination.
Her drawings are very specific and somehow make a translation from the language of text to the language of images. Katerina Dubovik was born and raised in Minsk, but currently works as an artist and illustrator in Amsterdam, and we can define her as a translator of imagination. She loves "clean shapes and confident lines", and her greatest pleasure in her work is "curving perspective and creating space". Experiments with colors in composition, explores detail in depth and looks at painting through shapes rather than lines. Her main efforts are focused on children's books, but she also devotes a lot of attention to her personal art projects, and if you want to have her illustrations at home, in the office, or as a gift for a friend, she will gladly send them to you with an online order. We caught up with her to share the ins and outs of her profession and what those magical qualities are that an artist needs to decipher and translate text into a visual language.
What does your profession teach you? And what did you learn about it?
I think I’m in the process of learning all the time. All the books are different – different styles, different authors, different times where action takes place. You can’t afford to work the same way all the time, you always need to look for something new at least for yourself. I usually start with changing the technique and then this change drags along others.
Besides, you have to look for a huge amount of information about the time and place you work with. So sometimes it feels like you learned nothing. The only thing I can be sure of, that I learned how not to panic and stay calm even in extreme work-related circumstances.
What are the challenges when you have to translate a text in a visual language?
Challenges depend on the text I work with. Some texts are really easy to illustrate, you read them and you instantly see the picture (like Alice through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carrol). There are still problems you need to solve – composition, character design, technique etc., but these problems you find in any project. But some texts are different (for example “Peter Pan” by J.M. Barrie). You get really nothing to cling to – just some action, and if you try to illustrate this action, you basically quote the text, which is not the way for me. So the only option left is to find different approach. Finding out what do you need to do with this text takes lots of time and even more sketchbooks. This kind of projects are the most challenging for me, but I love it.
What should be the balance between the artist's imagination and the author's text?
Artist should be respective to the author’s text, and author should understand, that artist is not just a tool to illustrate author’s vision of a story. If the author describes his characters, place or time period somehow, you need to pay attention to that. But it doesn’t mean that you have to cling to text. There is always plenty of space for your imagination, you are free to do what you want. But, in my opinion, the illustrator should know how to explain his vision and make it logical for himself and for the author. Otherwise illustrations may seem far-fetched and unnatural.
A book cover is really responsible task for an illustrator. It is the first thing a potential buyer sees. The cover needs to catch buyer’s attention and interest him. It should hint about the content of the book, but on the other hand it shouldn’t be too obvious and banal. The process of creating usually starts with sketches. I usually make sketches of 3-5 ideas for the front and back cover and then show them to the author and to the publishing house. I try to make the idea and composition clear for them on this first stage of work. When the sketch is selected I start working with the illustration itself. And after that I work with typo for the front cover. When you work with some publishing houses you have to do all the work by yourself, however with some others clients working process is completely different and collaboration with designers and art-directors is usually very useful. They propose their ideas and we share responsibility. Which is very good and healthy in my opinion. So it can be a real team work, where you can also learn, where people listen to you and you listen to them.
I don’t think I can choose such a story – there are so many authors and stories I really like. I think I’d like to illustrate my own story and make a picture-book out of it. It seems to me it will be new very interesting experience.
Do you have favourite characters from the books you have illustrated?
I like all my characters-they are alive for me :) But if I had to choose my favorite I’d say that that this is Alice from the “Alice Through the Looking Glass” by L. Carrol and Captain Hook from “Peter Pan” by J. M. Barrie. I love my Alice because for me she combines curiosity, child directness and cuteness. She is like a child for me. And Captain Hook I like the most probably because I really feel for him. He is very complicated character as well as the whole story about Peter Pan. I tried to show that however he is negative character, he deserves our sympathy. I believe sir J. M. Barrie wouldn’t mind that too.
What is the first book of your childhood, whose illustrations you will never forget?
I still have this book. This is the Belarusian folk tale “Widow’s son” with illustrations by Valeryi Slauk. I love his illustrations – they are very detailed, drawn with ink, with hilarious characters. His approach to the theme of the folk tale is very unique and fresh. As a child I adored this book and now he is one of my favorite artists.
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