Artist Katherine Cantrell
About Katherine Cantrell
Katherine Cantrell is an illustration student at the Savannah College of Art and Design, and will be graduating in June 2011. She is ruled more by inspiration and creativity than a particular personal style, and enjoys working in a variety of mediums. Katherine's clients, beyond Strathmore, include Pelican Publishing, SCAD, and Threadless. She is looking forward to what her future artistic path has to offer, and is excited about her budding career as an illustrator. To view more of Katherine's work, or to contact her, visit www.KatherineCantrell.com.
Interview with the Artist
How did you interpret using the Strathmore Thistle for the pad cover artwork? Anything else you'd like to share about your piece?
I wanted to incorporate the thistle into my pieces in a non-literal way. Therefore, I decided to work with the Strathmore logo so that the thistle featured in my pieces would be more of a symbol, or shape, than a real object. The thistle is a big part of both of my drawings, but at the same time it's somewhat hidden, making it a puzzle for the viewer to solve.
How did the Strathmore paper you used for the project affect your drawing (or painting) techniques?
In using the Artagain paper, I was forced to start on a solid black surface, which I'd never really done before. It worked out for the best, because it forced me to use a full tonal range and gave my pieces the drama I wanted to achieve.
Which artists inspire you?
Several fellow illustrators: Chris Van Allsburg, David Wiesner, and Peter de Sève to name a few.
What advice would you give to beginning artists?
Draw from life as often as possible, but also just observe what you see in everyday life with an artistic eye. Study the interesting lighting, color, and shapes you come across. These are two ways to build up a great "inner reference library" to draw from for your future work.
