EXTRACTS: Illustrators issue 9 © 2014 The Book Palace (96 PAGES in Full edition)

82 The Studio: Will Terry PR: Did you always draw? WT: From an early age I loved drawing but my older sister was always better which made it difficult to want to continue at times. I remember quitting more than once to let her corner the art market in our home. PR: Where did you train? WT: I studied illustration in the BFA program at BYU in Provo Utah. Under the direction of Robert Barrett and Richard Hull I found my true passion for illustration. They were both great teachers who gave me the direction I needed to understand what it would take to become professional. Rob Colvin was my favorite adjunct professor who I followed into freelance illustration. PR: What were your early influences? WT: I was inspired by illustrators like N.C. Wyeth, Maurice Sendak, P.D. Eastman, Lane Smith, Brad Holland, Mary Grandpre, Steve Johnson, Larry Moore, and Bill Mayer. PR: Did drawing come easily to you or was it something you had to labour at? WT: No. I had the curse of loving something I was no good at. There was always someone better than me in every class and every school I went to. I was put on “probation” at BYU because my illustration work wasn’t as good as the rest of my class. Working from the bottom up turned out to be really good motivation. I wasn’t interested in other subjects and I was terrified of picking another major so I decided I would work from early morning until late at night. PR: Did you find it difficult to break into illustration? ABOVE TOP: A mixture of compelling characterisation, observation and solid craftsmanship underline the work of Will Terry. FACING PAGE: ‘Penguin Vacation’. An example of Terry’s digital art. In our continuing search for the ideas and opinions of illustrators working within a rapidly changing market place, we focus our attention on children’s book illustratorWill Terry,whose trenchant thoughts and philosophy are every bit as arresting as his captivating and quirky imagery.