Shame on me. It has been a while since my last post. However, I have been writing, so I have an excuse. Sort of. In this post I’m going to write about an artist.
Serene Yoshiko — Artist
I’d like to introduce you to Serene Yoshiko, the artist with whom I have worked the most on Lady Merreth. In fact, she is Lady Merreth’s unofficial official artist.
She knows more about the character than anyone other than me (or my writers’ group).
Serene is from the US, and was in Canada briefly, where I had the good fortune to meet her. I came across her through Craig’s List when I was first looking for an artist to bring Lady Merreth to life.
I had put out a fairly comprehensive ad, detailing what I was looking for, the information I could supply (character background and description, references, what I didn’t want, etc). We exchanged a few emails and later arranged to meet. I was quite lucky in that she was in Canada visiting for awhile. We were thus able to assess each other in person. Not many artists and authors get that chance.
I was impressed by her focus and the questions she had for me. I had traded emails with several other artists on Craig’s List. Most, though not all, were flakes. There is really no other way to describe the individuals who provided dis-organized — at times incomprehensible — answers I received to the questions I posed (when I received answers at all).
I come from a business and consulting background, and I treated my search for an artist as I would if I was sourcing a consultant with a particular skill set (which I was, really).
Serene was very different. She has pointed, discerning questions for me about what I was looking for, the source materials I brought to the table, time lines, and expected deliverables. She brought examples of her work to illustrate her various styles so as to better educate me about what was possible. We discussed the rights each of us would retain over the finished images. We negotiated price in a forthright and professional manner.
And she produced. Boy did she produce. She gave me exactly what she promised on the day she said she would. As I said, I was impressed. Here was an artist who understood business.
If you need an artist for book illustrations (or any other kind, actually) I strongly recommend Serene.
Check out her Deviant Art page.
Rather than provide some static examples of her work, I put together a couple of videos that showcase her talents. These are just a sample. She is a very capable individual.
One last thing — her picture does not do her justice. 🙂
Art Montage #1
Art Montage #2
