Marie Voigt is the 11th guest in our weekly (every Saturday) Meet An Illustrator feature. Do visit the backpages of this feature to discover who the first ten guests were.
Let’s begin by allowing Marie to introduce herself. In this short video she explains what inspired her—despite already having a successful career in TV, branding and graphic design—to become a full-time illustrator and picture book creator.
Her first book, Red And The City [2018], was shortlisted for the 2019 Klaus Flugge Prize and nominated for the Kate Greenaway Medal.
signing copies at the shortlisting event
That debut picture book has been followed by The Light In The Night [2019], Jazz Dog [2019]—shortlisted for the FCBG Children’s Book Award—and The Golden Treasure [2020].
paperback publishing May 2021
She is currently busy finishing work on The Smile, her third book with OUP, and also illustrating the Guardian Angels series by Lucinda Riley and Riley’s son Harry Whittaker, currently only available in German, Italian, Dutch and Norwegian.
As a child, what were the first illustrations you remember being pleased with?
When I was 6, I wrote and illustrated a fairly satirical story book based on our daily family life as a present for my dad’s birthday.
Who/what inspired you when you were young?
Nature, paintings, books and some vinyl records of children’s stories that my sister and I used to act out over and over and over again.
Who inspires you today?
My partner, friends and family, other artists, my editors and art directors and definitely all cheeky cute animals!
Did you study art/illustration?
At high school in New Zealand, at City Lit in London and at the excellent online Society of Visual Storytelling.
What is your favourite artist tool/product?
Nowadays Procreate on the iPad Pro. But it used to be Acrylic paints, soft pastels and coloured pencils.
Where do you buy your art supplies?
It varies, but the last time was at London Graphic Centre in Covent Garden, London.
What software/apps do you use?
Mainly Procreate and Photoshop.
What was your first commission?
A multiple picture book deal I got with Simon & Schuster and Oxford University Press.
What are you working on at the moment?
My third book with Oxford University Press as well as illustrating the other two books in the “Guardian Angels” series by Lucinda Riley and Harry Whittaker.
Twitter or Instagram? Twitter
Coffee or tea? Lots of herbal tea
Cat or dog? Dog (but I like cats too)
Grape or grain? Neither
Sunrise or sunset? Both
What do you listen to when you are working? Often the non-format internet radio station Popstop.eu as they play all genres across all decades and have some interesting things to say about the music they play (in German)
Where can we follow you on social media? On Twitter at @marievoigt on Instagram at marie.voigt and on Facebook at marievoigtart
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