The Jungle Book by Anja Sušanj
Anja Sušanj's "The Jungle Book" was done as part of her research at Camberwell College of Art where she's currently studying illustration at MA level. Anja is mostly focused on book illustration and illustrating narratives, so this was done as a prelude of sorts to her final project.
I came up with the design thanks to another piece I did beforehand and which I'm attaching, even though it is not connected to this piece formally. I have started playing with drawing layers of plants and also exploring contrasting colours further ,as I always tend to work in either black and white or with bright powerful colours. I thought having the main characters visible through a thick, yet stylised jungle, would be effective for a book cover. It's simple and impactful colour wise, yet detailed and layered. The back cover only shows two sets of eyes looming from the jungle. Those are deliberately not as visible as the main characters. We, as readers, are approaching this "jungle book" with reverence, "finding" these characters inside of it. Some of them are approachable and "friendly", and some are dangerous and hidden from sight.
-Anja Sušanj
I didn't really have an inspiration per se - I love books and I love to read, and trying to find a way to convey a certain narrative has always appealed to me. I'm really interested in concept illustration and I like to think about the "why" and not just about the "how" when it comes to choosing a design. Describing one's own style is pretty difficult, I must say. I guess my style is sort of whimsical and conceptual in nature (even though, it depends on the project, really). I like to use contrasting colours, often different nuances of red and blue, but I also enjoy working in pencil.
-Anja Sušanj
When it comes to inspirations, there are too many to count. I think that's pretty normal, especially for people who are, like me, just starting out in this business. We all tend to get constantly inspired by things we see - I like working from memory, but i often sketch by looking at things around me, just for the fun of it. Also, my peers are a big influence on me, especially at uni - I think one learns a lot by watching other people work and by sharing ideas and talking about projects: about what works and what doesn't and why. That's really important, I think - having someone that gives you constructive criticism and that can tell you when you've done something that just doesn't work. There are numerous artists I admire, as well, such as Andrew Hem, Victo Ngai, Isabell Arsenault, Jon Klassen just to name a few.
-Anja Sušanj
I think that's also a good way to learn new things, by going to shows and galleries and taking all of these styles in and learning/trying out different techniques until you figure out what works for you. I believe it's important to be yourself while working, as cliche as that sounds, because I think you create your best work if you really enjoy what you're doing. Well, I'm hardly an expert, but I think it's important to work hard and to try to find what you're good at and stick with it. There are so many brilliant people out there doing amazing things so I think it's important to find a niche that works for you and that you're happy with but that you can also make a living off. Also, I believe it's important to never be completely satisfied with what you've done as there is always room for improvement and that will motivate you to constantly work on yourself and develop your style and your practice. Basically, one must never stop learning and challenging oneself.
-Anja Sušanj
About Anja Sušanj
Anja Sušanj is an illustrator from Croatia currently based in London where she's studying illustration at MA level at the Camberwell College of Arts, University of the Arts London. Anja is an avid reader with a peculiar love for comic books and animated films due to which she's mostly interested in illustrating all types of narratives. Nevertheless, she's always up for participating in all sorts of illustrated projects, regardless of topic. Anja enjoys spending sunny days away from the city as nature is a great inspiration for her.