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Krister Eide

Seattle Aquarium
Krister Eide
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Krister Eide is a concept and graphic novel author-illustrator, working both digitally and traditionally in graphite, oil, and gouache. He has a special love of animal characters and historical fiction, and capturing the beauties of the natural world.
Have fun along the way
A rabbit and an owl conversing
Q

How did you decide to become a fantasy and children’s book illustrator?

Krister Eide:  From the beginning, children’s book illustration and animation have been such a major part of my life that they’ve always shaped my inner world, inspiring me to come up with characters and worlds of my own. I didn’t believe that I could do art professionally until I started taking art classes in high school and found that making art – especially making art that told stories – meant more to me than anything else.

A lot of inspirations are obtainable for me in the art world and that includes those in the past who created evocative worlds such as Arthur Rackham, Maurice Sendak, Tyrus Wong, and Edward Gorey. I also love the works of contemporary illustrators such as Shaun Tan, Jerry Pinkney, Peter De Seve, and Omar Rayyan.

A Victorian ferret
Q

How did you decide to work both digitally and traditionally in graphite and paints?

Krister Eide: Today, I do a lot of work digitally but I still like to return to traditional media when I can. There are more happy accidents in conventional media, and something is satisfying about working with pencils, pastels, or paints, but I also love the quickness and editability offered by digital art.

A narwhal lit by an angler fish
Q

Please highlight some of your works related to historical fiction and the Victorian period.

Krister Eide: I’m currently working on two graphic novel proposals for middle-grade readers. Both are set in animal worlds. The first is the story of the Victorian paleontologist Mary Anning (played by a field mouse), who shook up the scientific world in the early 1800s with her discovery of a massive ichthyosaur head on the shores of Lyme Regis at the age of 10. It was a lot of fun to research the personalities and intellectual debates at the time and have them represented by animal characters, such as Baron Cuvier (the father of paleontology) as a crested crane, flamboyant William Buckland (a very unconventional scientist, he first coined the term “coprolite” for fossil poop) as a porcupine, and William Conybeare as an elitist fox. 

A cart at night

Another graphic novel proposal is a little bit like The Wind and the Willows meets Jules Verne. The protagonist is the real-life Victorian adventurer and investigative reporter Nellie Bly. In my retelling of the Jules Verne classic, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, an inquisitive and tenacious pine marten, Nellie Bly goes undercover on a warship to investigate what mysterious creature or machine is sinking ships all over the world.

After a dramatic encounter, she is washed overboard with a natural history professor (rabbit), his research associate (badger), and a whaler (Canadian weasel). They are rescued and then imprisoned on an extraordinary vessel commanded by the enigmatic Captain Nemo (great horned owl).

This past year, I had the good fortune of partnering with an excellent literary agent, Anna Olswanger. I connected with her after pitching some early ideas about my works in an online graphic novel pitch event.

"Just get out there and find the fun in your work.”
A mouse in the ocean
Q

Tell us about how you manage to sell your work locally, online, and at fantasy, science fiction, and comic conventions throughout the U.S.

Krister Eide: I got started selling artwork before the pandemic. My first con was San Diego Comic-Con’s, Art Show. I loved seeing other people respond to my artwork, so I began sending work to local conventions in Washington state, such as Norwescon and Orycon. Beyond just the excitement of selling my artwork, I love discovering and connecting with other artists at these events.

Norwescon also had a special event for artists, where the guest artist would review their portfolios. Some conventions accept mail-in entries and handle taxes making it easy to submit work and get your art seen all over the country. Even though I don’t travel to all these conventions, I’ve had some buyers contact me through my website or my Etsy store afterward.

A sea predator about to chomp
Q

What’s your fundamental approach and work process every time you start a new project?

Krister: Whenever I think a story might be a good one to choose, I do in-depth research and deep thinking to understand the characters; their motivations, and the events that changed the course of their lives. By looking back into history, you can see how people made good or bad choices – how they faced up to intimidating situations or chose to run away. There’s so much we can learn from history and I hope to inspire others to want to learn more.

My research also involves extensive visual research, using historical photographs, vintage movies, and paintings to capture the visual look of the people, places, and objects of daily life. I approach my graphic novels in a cinematic way, using 3d models to block out camera angles and lighting. I use these rough compositions as a starting point to digitally paint out characters and scenes. When I bring my work to a final form, I want to capture the energy and feelings of the moments.

A giant octopus attacking in the sea
Q

What got you interested in creating works related to wildlife?

Krister: I’ve always loved nature, birds, and wildlife. I also grew up with many animal stories that I loved. It was a natural next step for me to imagine stories with animal characters set in all-animal worlds. A few years ago, I also worked as a volunteer in a wildlife rehabilitation center and got to know animals better up close. I loved all the different species and different habitats and societies they came from. I took care of a lot of wild rabbits, crows, and owls and enjoyed all their habits and idiosyncrasies.

A mouse looking at a giant skull
Q

Do you prefer to work with 3d software or 2d ones and why?

Krister: I like working with both 2D and 3D software and think there are advantages to learning both. The 2D software I work with most is Procreate and Photoshop. The 3D software I’ve been working with is Modo, Sketchup, and Vray. 3D software is indispensable for animal character work (it’s hard to find photo references for every perspective you can imagine) and it’s also an essential help in the quick concept design of fantasy worlds that will have a cinematic look. I also find that as I learn more about 3D, it gives me more ideas about staging.

A pencil drawing of an octopus
Q

What’s been your involvement with the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators?

Krister Eide: I’ve been a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators for many years and they are a wonderful group – very welcoming and generous. There is also something for everyone by becoming a member, whether you’re a complete beginner or an established professional in children’s publishing.

Three characters staring at the viewer
Q

What advice would you give to fresh emerging artists out there?

Krister Eide: Just get out there and find the fun in your work. Don’t worry about not being ready yet. Just do it. The more you do, the better you will be. The podcast Comic Lab has the advice, “You can’t get worse at something you do every day,” and that’s true.

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