JOANA MIRANDA STUDIO

If I asked you who your favorite artists were when you were growing up, you’d probably draw a blank. So let me ask the question this way: Which were your favorite books and why? I loved Dr. Seuss (his Sleep book, in particular) and I also was really fond of the Mrs. Piggle Wiggle series illustrated by Hilary Knight. I also remember cherishing my copy of Shel Silverstein’s Where the Sidewalk Ends. In all of those books, I felt like the authors and illustrators were connecting with me directly. They celebrated imperfection, humor and human foibles, and I fit right into their worlds. Fortunately, those books and illustrations feel just as topical to me today as they did then. Their creators have managed to create art for children of all ages. In my own illustration and cartoon work, I strive to do the same!

Art for Children of All Ages

(As you can see, I took my own advice in the illustrated poem above!)

To find humor in the every day…

You usually just need to look to human interactions. In this drawing video, I’m poking fun at married life. (Mine, to be precise, but maybe some of you will also relate?)

P.S.

You might notice that I’ve been experimenting with coloring some of my illustrations with watercolor pencils along with a minimal color palette. For other illustrations (like the one at the top of this post), I’ve stuck with my traditional watercolors together with a more colorful palette. I’d love to hear what you think. Do you prefer one over the other? Let me know in the comments below!