Today we’d like to introduce you to Marielle Mikeska.
Hi Marielle, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for sharing your story with us – to start, maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers.
My childhood was spent with a book in my hand. I loved stories and how they allowed me to experience different lives. I would lose myself within the pages. It didn’t matter where I was, at the bus stop, in the school cafeteria, or the car. I was always reading. Once I reached middle school, I fell in love with art. It began with doodling on my notes, the classic eyeball doodle with lush eyelashes, which eventually transitioned into full faces. I mainly used the grid method to draw portraits of celebrities, the members of One Direction were my favorite subjects at the time. In high school, I took an AP Art class where I started to explore narrative art. I focused on my island roots as a half-Filipino who grew up in the southern beach town of Charleston, SC. The ocean became my inspiration source and has influenced most of my illustrations ever since. It wasn’t until college that I realized book illustration was a career path. I attended Savannah College of Art and Design to become a concept artist for animation. I was obsessed with the industry and dreamed of working at Pixar one day. I admired artists like Brittney Lee, Lorelay Bove, and Claire Keane. The illustration courses at SCAD pushed me to explore the different markets within illustration. This was when it clicked in my brain that I could combine my love for books and art. I graduated in 2021 and now work as a freelance illustrator. I have worked on multiple children’s picture books, including My Merman Brother, The Adventures of Repsaj and Roxy, and Jealous Jeter.
Can you talk to us about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I had a professor in college who told me that the first year out of school as a freelance illustrator would be the most challenging year of my career, and he was correct. I have been out of school for two years, and I burnt myself out that first year. I was working a part-time job while simultaneously illustrating; I averaged 60-70 hour work weeks between the two jobs. I completed five picture books that first year, which is insane because most full-time illustrators work on a maximum of 1-3 books per year. During this second year, I completely reevaluated my priorities, focusing on finding representation and a work/life balance. The industry is competitive, and a massive part of being an illustrator is handling rejection and continuing to believe in yourself. I am very proud of my illustrations, and I know that as long as I keep putting my work out there, I will find the right people. It takes one good project that I can build on; maybe my career will skyrocket, or it will be a stepping stone to more opportunities. The key is creating, building skills, and growing my connections.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am an illustrator of children’s picture books. I eventually want to branch out into middle-grade books and other markets like editorial and packaging design, but for now, the focus is children’s publishing. I love texture in my illustrations and work with a mixed-media approach. My favorite is gouache or marker with colored pencils layered on top for details. But when it comes to client work, I usually opt for digital media (an iPad, Apple Pencil, and the Procreate App), the convenience of an “undo” button, and ease of revision. Although this doesn’t stop my love for traditional textures, I stick to the digital brush options that mimic real pencils and paint, sometimes adding a paper texture. If you’ve never read Steal Like An Artist by Austin Kleon, you may not be familiar with the concept that all artists are just mixtures of their influences. So, what sets me apart from other illustrators is the artists I look up to and have “stolen” bits and pieces from. My current favorites are Beatrice Blue, Anoosha Syed, Sha’an d’Anthes, and Leigh Ellexson. If you look closely enough at my work, you may find pieces of these artists within them alongside the influences of my daily life. I live 10 minutes away from the beach and have been told by my peers that I am an ocean artist, so that is a theme that constantly reappears in my work. I would happily spend my career illustrating stories that center around the ocean.
Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
I wouldn’t say I like the beginning stages of an illustration, brainstorming ideas and concepts, figuring out the composition, and playing around with different color palettes. I want to execute a perfect illustration without all the extra steps, but it gives me a clear plan for the final image. Once I get started on the actual drawing and have everything placed where it needs to be, I can focus on all the fine details, which is the most enjoyable part.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.mariellemikeska.com/
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/mariellemikeska
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@mariellemikeska
