How to Draw Adorable: An Interview with Carlianne Tipsey
In her upcoming book, How to Draw Adorable, artist Carlianne Tipsey provides lessons on how to put the “awww” in adorable. We are so excited to have worked with Carlianne on this marvelous book! With fun tips on how to draw irresistible faces, animals, and characters, as well as design theories and practice sheets, this hands-on workbook will be useful to beginning and advanced artists alike. Carlianne started her career working for Disney Interactive (where she drew princesses everyday.) She later worked as a Senior illustrator at KiwiCo, a kid’s creative company. In this interview, we sat down with Carlianne to discuss the Lion King, the joys of teaching, her inspirations, and how making cute art sparks joy. (The book is available for pre-order wherever books are sold!)
Was there a particular moment when you knew you wanted to be an artist?
CT: I was always really into coloring, and when I was 9 years old I happened to be coloring in my Lion King coloring book while watching the Lion King. I stopped to admire the beautiful background paintings in the film and decided I wanted to be able to “color like that.” I remember thinking about it a bit more and realized I’d rather color the characters than the backgrounds, so I asked my mom if there was a job like that. She didn’t know but encouraged me to write to Disney and ask. So I wrote Disney a letter, and they actually wrote back! I got a wonderful letter explaining that no, that isn’t a job (hahaha). However, their animators often color the characters, so I could become an animator. They sent me a huge packet of advice, told me to get a sketch book and start figure drawing, and gave me a huge list of recommended schools to look into. So I followed that advice and meandered my way into doing what I do now.
What do you love about creating art?
CT: I love that I’m able to make someone smile or brighten someone’s day through my art. I feel like I’m able to bring a little more light and joy to the world with what I do.
You’ve done a lot of teaching! What do you hope that students will get out of this book?
CT: I’m always looking to help someone learn simple ways to improve their art so that they can have more fun and feel less frustrated along the way. I love it when I’m able to encourage someone to start drawing again or to realize their love for art.
How does drawing adorable spark joy?
CT: I think that comes down to the definition of cute, because cute things inspire feelings of love and affection. I found that when I draw cute stuff I not only create that feeling of love in my drawing, but within myself as well. Then when someone else interacts with my drawing we get to share that emotion together. It’s the magic of art.
The book has so many thoughtful prompts. What’s a good place to start?
CT: Start at the beginning and take it one step at a time. The first exercises in the book get you to think about what you find to be cute. This helps you decide what you want to create. After all, it's a lot easier to get somewhere when you know where you want to go. The next exercises are just pencil warm ups so that you feel more confident when you start practicing the cute tips. So start there and move forward at the pace that works for you.
What is your top tip for making cute art?
CT: I think my biggest tip is just, “keep it simple.” Cute art doesn’t need to be realistic or have a lot of details. Other than that, just try and have fun. Your joy will rub off in your drawing and we will all share in it together.
What have been the small delights of working on this book?
CT: Oh there are so many! But I’d say top of this list it was such a joy to work with a team that was enthusiastic and supportive of what I wanted to do. I got great feedback and guidance along the way but it always guided me in the direction of what I wanted to make, never away from it. It was just a delight to make such a big idea come to life with such a great support system.
What’s up next for you? What are you especially excited about?
Well I am officially going to be working for myself now. I just ended my cushy full-time illustration gig, so I can focus on all of this. I’m looking forward to being more active on youtube now that I’ll have the time to film videos. I’d love to create cute illustration classes and of course more books!
To learn how to make cute art, check How to Make Adorable Art, available for preorder now!