Illustrator Spotlight: Mariano Epelbaum
It’s finally 2021! That means you’re starting to see the covers and art inside of our debut picture books. We are blown away by the talent of these illustrators and can’t wait to share our books, so you can see their work, cover to cover.
Three Troupe 21 members are authors and illustrators, who’ve been featured in spotlights on our blog. You’ll continue to get to know all about their stories here on Troupe Tales! We also wanted you to get to know the illustrators of the books by our eleven Troupe 21 authors, so…
Welcome to “Illustrator Spotlight,” where we celebrate these extraordinary illustrators! The first to be featured is Mariano Epelbaum, illustrator of FIRST DAY OF UNICORN SCHOOL, the debut picture book of Troupe member Jess Hernandez (Capstone, published Jan. 1, 2021).
Mariano Epelbaum is a character designer, illustrator and traditional 2D animator, who’s worked professionally since 1996 in various disciplines of animation and illustration, where character designs tend to be very expressive.
(What a perfect match for FIRST DAY OF UNICORN SCHOOL!)
Want to know more about Mariano and how he approached illustrating FIRST DAY OF UNICORN SCHOOL? You’re in luck: Mariano has stopped by the Troupe Tales blog for an interview to share exactly that. So please give a kind tip of the party hat and a warm welcome to illustrator Mariano Epelbaum!
Illustrator Spotlight
MARIANO EPELBAUM
What drew you to FIRST DAY OF UNICORN SCHOOL?
I have 2 daughters and I liked the idea of illustrating a book filled with animals and with a beautiful message.
What about the story did you most enjoy/was your favorite to illustrate?
The message of the story seems very precious. It’s not important how we look or where we come from except the essence of each person and how we are. I enjoyed very much designing Milly and the interactions with the other characters.
What was the hardest part to illustrate?
How to imagine Milly and the school in this style in comparison to the other images.
Do you have a favorite spread or illustration?
Yes, the page where all the animals are gathering together and celebrating.
What was the process like for illustrating this book? What medium did you use to create the illustrations?
First and foremost, I love to take the time to design the characters and I enjoy it immensely. These first designs I draw by hand in my sketch book. Later I design the pages in miniature to see the dynamics of the narration and draw everything and paint it digitally.
How did the text/story influence your color choices when creating the illustrations?
I wanted it to be a book that was pleasing and warm and vibrant to look at.
Where can we find your work?
Works: https://mariano.artstation.com/
Instagram: @mariano.epelbaum
Films: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0258269/
You can find Mariano Epelbaum on Twitter, too!
And, of course, check out FIRST DAY OF UNICORN SCHOOL! This brand new picture book by Jess Hernandez, illustrated by Mariano Epelbaum, is available for purchase. Get your copy today through one of the following retailers:
Get to know Troupe member and FIRST DAY OF UNICORN SCHOOL author Jess Hernandez, too!
Check out her website, www.jesshernandezwrites.com
Follow her on Twitter: @FinkHernandez
And on Instagram: @jesshernandezwrites
