Who are you?
I’m a freelance illustrator and artist, specializing in sometimes-tragic-or-brutal-but-always-pretty wildlife paintings, and also whimsical picture book illustration. I grew up in Chicago and currently live in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
What are you working on?
My biggest projects over the next several months will be illustrating two picture book manuscripts, doing a series of work for a gallery show in fall, and producing some art prints and products for my online shop, which I’m trying to start prioritizing over freelance work in the future.
Choose a favorite shot of yours. Why is it a favorite?
I’m a sucker for seeing all the colorful paints or materials messily used to painstakingly craft an image. I work digitally from time to time, but I’d much rather have tubes of paint and scraps of paper scattered all over my desk while I work than spend my whole day staring at a sterile Photoshop document.
Tell us about your setup. What tools did you use to create the shot (e.g. hardware, software, pens, paper, blowtorch)?
In that shot you’re seeing above, the piece at the gouache stage—I often start with watercolor layers and use gouache for darker or more intense colors. Pictured are the piece itself at maybe 90% complete, my cigar box filled with paint tubes, jar of paint water, two pieces of disposable palette paper that I’d mixed colors on, the palette knife I use to mix, the two brushes I use to paint most everything, a scrap of Fabriano paper that I always keep on hand while I paint to test a newly-mixed color before using it in the final painting, and, rather mysteriously, a scrap of paper I’d been using to match color on a previous project. I’m not sure why that’s there but there was probably a reason at the time. If you look closely you can also spot a doodle of a worm that is saying “Hi Matt.”
Choose a favorite shot from another Player. Why do you dig it?
This letterpress plate from Ben Johnston! Besides just Ben’s type work being just totally incredible, I like seeing behind-the-scenes and work-in-progress things from other illustrators on social media. Of course I’m interested in their finished work too, but it’s nice to see something in progress and get excited wondering about the possibilities and how the piece might look at the end, and I’m more likely to engage with a shot or comment on it with encouragement if it’s something that the player is still working through. This shot from Ben Johnston not only clearly demonstrates his skill, but shows us a part of the letterpress production that some designers might have never had the opportunity to see in person, and also calls attention to the craft that goes into producing a finished printed product long after the digital file is finished.
Find Teagan on Dribbble, on Twitter, and at www.teaganwhite.com.
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