Artist Focus: Funda Akman Aydemir

Hello, I'm Funda. I have been making illustrations for children's literature for the last 6 years The process of adapting to the new has always been exciting for me. My desk, chair, pens, notebook, notebook, tablet, computer and me are always traveling together.

When I am about to start a book project, I take the text in print and spend a day with it. I read the text many times. I take notes on the pages about the object, space, color, character traits that come to my mind and I draw small sketches that are very simple and show the composition. Then I do my research. Learning new things in every book makes me happy like a child. I first start drawing with character sketches and I use my sketchbook at this stage. I transfer the ones I like from the sketches I have drawn to digital media, and after deciding on the color palette, I complete the painting and share it with the publishing house.

I use Procreate and Photoshop programs. I generally prefer soft colors. I love the color green and cold tones. I love listening to funny things while working.

In fact, it excites me not only to produce by drawing, but to produce in every field that interests me. I find myself looking at everything around me as to how I can do this and suddenly trying to produce it. We even have a brand "Roketno1" that my husband and I created together to realize projects and beautiful ideas that make us happy while producing. It was a design studio where we produced design products such as t-shirts, brooches, pillows, bags, pennants, posters, berets, postcards with linoleum printing technique, made and sold delicious cookies in packages we designed ourselves, and published a tattoo magazine called 'Tatumag'.

Everything that touches me in the flow of life nourishes me and can stimulate me to produce. Whatever I see and hear, whatever I touch and smell, whatever I taste and feel inspires me. Sometimes it's a tiny insect crawling on the glass that the eye cannot see, sometimes it's a smooth wooden stick I find on the beach, sometimes it's the patterns formed by the stones on the bathroom floor.

I produce most of my book projects in Procreate. I also use Adobe Photoshop and Adobe InDesign for page designs and color arrangements. I like to use a single brush from the beginning to the end of the project. In character studies, if I do not have limited time, I prefer to work with plenty of alternatives and choose alternatives by trying them on the composition.