Interview with Children's Illustrator Sydney Hanson

There is something special about children illustrators and today we've got one to share with you their journey. I'm Marcin Migdal coming to you from Mad Artist Publishing. Sydney Hanson is children's book illustrator, animator and production artist in Los Angeles where she's worked for several animation shops including Nickelodeon and Disney Interactive. In her spare time she enjoys traveling and spending time outside with her adopted brother, a Labrador retriever named Cash. 

Marcin: Hey Sydney, thanks for agreeing to do this interview.

Sydney: Thank you for the opportunity!

Marcin: Now, you’re a medical storyboard artist/animator, how exactly did you get to this position and what do you do there?

Sydney: I heard about the job through a friend, went to visit the studio, and started work the next day. I’d never considered medical animation as a possibility for employment but it turned out to be fascinating. We provide animations for a huge range of medical-related topics as well as animations showing various processes in the human body.

Marcin: You’ve taken part in a lot of contests and won quite a few, what is it about Sketchohilc that keeps you coming back?

Sydney: After I’d started storyboarding for work the amount of personal work I was doing gradually tapered off. Sketchoholic provides topics and challenges that motivate me to draw for fun. I also like the friendships I’ve developed with other artists.

Marcin: Tell me about your style, did you always have it?

Sydney: The first thing people comment on when they see my work is my unique style. But I can’t see it at all - the only thing that’s consistent to me in my drawings is that I probably draw too many horses.

Marcin: And what do you like to do in your spare time?

Sydney: I enjoy running, riding my horse, and reading. If I get enough spare time I like to travel.

Marcin: Ah, you have a horse, maybe that’s why you draw so many horses.)...Can you tell us a little about your process. Do you always start sketching first, then move onto the computer?

Sydney: My process used to be sketch, scan and then add color digitally. I few months ago I purchased a cintiq and now I usually work from start to finish on my computer unless I’m out and about sketching or drawing from life.

"Find a person whose opinion and critiques you respect and value to help you improve." ~ Sydney Hanson

Marcin: If you had a choice of working on any project or for any company in the world, what would you pick?

Sydney: This job doesn’t exist anymore, but I always wished I could have been a naturalist/artist in early to mid-nineteenth century. I can’t think of a better job than traveling to new countries on a tall ship and drawing newly discovered plants and animals.

Marcin: That’s quite a different answer than most people. But it certainly sounds like it would of been a cool job.

Marcin: Sydney, what’s the most vital element when creating an image?

Sydney: I think that no matter what medium one is using that a strong concept is crucial. My favorite artist is Gary Larson because his ability to convey the most hilarious concepts with simple, clean drawings.

Marcin: What do you think stops most talented artists from making it big

Sydney: I think it varies from person to person. I think a lot of people just weren’t built to be in a studio all day. I spend more and more time drawing as I get older but in my early twenties it was almost impossible to spend 9 or 10 hours in a studio when I could be outside instead.

Marcin: Can you offer any advice to artists that are struggling in the industry and aren’t sure if they should keep going?

Sydney: Don’t beat yourself up about it, and keep on trucking. Find a person whose opinion and critiques you respect and value to help you improve. Sometimes it’s not someone you’d expect. My best critiques always come from a friend who isn’t a traditional artist but his eye for good composition is spot on.

Marcin: Thanks Sydney for allowing all of us to get to know you. Where can our readers find more of your artowork or information?

Sydney: You can find me on my blog sydwiki.blogspot.com, or at manateelove.devianart.com. You can see some of the animations I’ve worked on at www.hybridmedicalanimation.com