Adele Lorienne is an artist with a passion for nature and fantasy, and loves to combine the two aspects in her artwork. A resident of the coastal forests of Oregon, USA, she grew up climbing trees and imagining fantastic woodland realms of her own. Her artwork is a reflection of her original stories and characters, and of the many things and people in her life who inspire her. Explore Adele Lorienne's The Wars Of Avenan and Not All Kings Wear Gold fantasy worlds and original artworks by visiting her website.
How long have you been illustrating and what made you start?
I doodled on everything within reach when I was a child, particularly cardboard boxes that I'd turn into epic ships to voyage to other worlds. My head was always brimming with endless stories and characters, and when I wasn’t climbing trees, I would write these stories in my notebooks and illustrate the characters as I went along. Almost thirty years later, I’m still at it.
Where do you get your inspiration?
It just happens! My worlds and characters live out their lives in my head and sometimes allow me to share small glimpses on paper. Sometimes music can inspire me to draw, sometimes just the sound of words, sometimes the world around me, particularly nature, or my love for strong lines and contrasting colours. Anything can trigger an image in my mind, and if I feel strongly about it, I’ll do my best to capture it on paper.
Where is your favourite place to illustrate?
Private, quiet places, like my drawing nook in my bedroom. My two cats will often join me, and sometimes try to steal my attention by sitting on whatever I’m trying to draw.
What are your illustrating/colouring material essentials?
I love mechanical pencils with 0.5 lead. They seem to be just the perfect size for me, and I never have to sharpen them! I usually like to paint on a digital canvas, but for traditional colouring, I like to use watercolour-based coloured pencils. They are great for blending, and if I decide halfway through that I want my piece to be finished in watercolours instead, I can just take a small wet brush to it!
What’s the piece of work that you’re most proud of or enjoyed doing the most?
Every piece means something different to me, and I have different memories and feelings and stories associated with each one. Sometimes I’m more pleased with a rough sketch than a finished piece, and sometimes I will spend weeks lovingly detailing a huge pencil piece or colourful painting. I can’t choose just one, but I think my painting “Heart of the Forest” can speak for much of my work—the beauty of nature, the blue butterflies that are a recurring theme in my work, the gentle sadness in my dearest character, Faeren, and the secret paths that lie in the heart of all forests.
Don’t be afraid to experiment! You can even try grayscale shading line art with pencils instead of using colour. It’s really good practice for mastering light sources on your subjects. Colours change depending if they are in light or shadow, and paying attention to details like that can really enhance your work. But above all, just relax and have fun, and let your imagination determine where you go next.
