When Zoe Persico attended Clow Elementary School years ago, she wasn't too keen about coloring between the lines.
"I never liked coloring pages. I always wanted to draw my own pictures to color," said Persico, who is now a freelance illustrator living in Redmond, Wash. When she came to Naperville for the holidays to visit her parents, Linda and Sam Persico, she stopped by the school to talk about her illustrations for clients who include the iconic Golden Books and the popular American Girl.
She said she has " probably one of the coolest jobs ever. I wake up every morning and draw all day long."
She then began to explain the creative process that starts with sketches without any color. She draws digitally on a tablet, showing students an example of a book about colors where she started with a field of brilliant yellow flowers blooming in front of a house and a tree. Persico said the client wanted "more yellow," so she brightened a sun in the sky and bathed parts of the tree and house in yellow sunlight.
She handed out galley copies of the book that will be released in April.
"There is just something really magical about seeing your work printed in a book," she said. "When I was your age, Pokemon was just coming out. I was inspired by Pokemon and drew a lot of Pokemon. Inspiration can come from anywhere. If you like Pokemon, you should start drawing Pokemon."
Several of her former teachers greeted her, holding some of her drawings they'd kept. Mary Kroening was Persico's fifth grade teacher and brought in a memory book with a cover drawn by her young student that she was given when she retired.
Kristi Street was a new teacher when Persico was in her fourth grade class.
"She always took her time when she was illustrating something. This is a class project she did," said Street, holding up a book entitled "The Flood Strike from Rye." Street uses it as an example of excellent work.
Persico asked the children to help her create a character named "Smokey Bob," a green dragon with a big nose, scaly body, eight legs, two wings, 16 eyes, horns, smoky breath, red belly and rainbow-colored nails. The image was projected on a screen so children could watch the dragon be created, detail by detail.
"I have been drawing on a tablet since I was 11," said Persico, who graduated from Neuqua Valley High School in 2004, then attended Kendall College of Art and Design in Grand Rapids, Mich., and the Savannah College of Art and Design in Georgia.
"I do mainly children's book illustrations, but I have several clients — some educational publishers, some commercial. I just did an activity book for American Girl. I can really live anywhere to do what I do. Washington has been fun. Nature is huge out there and nature has always been a great inspiration for me. I feel like I am the only art person out there, though. Everyone else seems to work for Microsoft," the corporation based in Redmond.
"I miss Illinois. All through going to school here, I always felt that people supported me and my drawing — especially in art classes at Neuqua. There were always such great resources and all of the students were encouraged to decide their own directions to go in life. I didn't ever feel limited," said Persico, 24. "The school [Clow Elementary] found me on Facebook and emailed me and asked me to come. I can't believe they remembered me and wanted me to come back. It really means a lot to me to be here."
Her message to students was simple and direct.
"If you are passionate about what you are doing, you can do it," she said. "Look at me. I am living proof. I loved to draw and now I do it as my job."
Judy Buchenot is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun.
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "Sharing a passion for drawing"
Post a Comment