FEATURED ILLUSTRATOR Mariana Ostanik
Hello, my name is Mariana, but everyone knows me as Mari. I'm Brazilian, from a small town in the state of São Paulo, but I've been living in Porto, Portugal, for the past six years.
Porto, the Beautiful city I live in the north of Portugal
From a very young age, I've
always loved drawing and reading. When I learned my first words, I already
loved spending afternoons looking at the pictures in books, imagining more
stories with those characters and settings, and making drawings that, in a very
childlike way, tried to represent everything I imagined.
super expressive mini me
I always told everyone that my dream was to become an illustrator, but I never connected the two passions into one. I'm a graphic designer by training, having graduated in 2011 from the São Paulo State University, and in 2014, I completed a master's degree in science at the University of São Paulo.
Interestingly, I always used children's
educational materials in my studies, and during my master's, I developed a game
about oral health that was registered and is still used today to teach children
all over Brazil.
Books have always been a part
of my life. I love fantasy and romance stories, and you can often find me in a
cozy corner with my Kindle and a cappuccino. I like to joke that if I could,
I’d live forever in an autumn day within the settings of Gilmore Girls. I also really enjoy being in nature, observing animals,
and living a light-hearted life.
I'm also passionate about
discussing mental health. I believe many illustrators struggle with related
issues, especially in this field where many are afraid to share their
difficulties for fear of judgment or losing work. But I like to talk about it
because I believe vulnerability makes us stronger and shows us that we are not
alone. This is something that, at times, comes through in my work, even subtly,
as I like to convey feelings of joy, comfort, and calm through my
illustrations.
a very very old illustration
To Be or Not to Be an
Illustrator?
I worked for over 10 years in
design, almost always in some way connected to education. I was a Learning
Experience Designer, where I used my skills to create materials for corporate
education; I’ve worked on layouts and design for distance learning courses, and
I also did scientific illustration for publications. Additionally, I was a
university professor, teaching editorial design, games, and illustration for 3
years.
After moving abroad, I decided
I wanted to renew my career and do what really made me happy. Even though I
liked my profession, I always felt like something was missing. So, after
working in design in Portugal for 2 years, during the pandemic, I completely
changed course and became a freelancer in January 2021.
I had already started doing
some occasional work with literature since 2020, creating illustrations for
schoolbooks. But with the decision to become a full-time freelancer came the
realization I had never had before: to become a children's book illustrator.
Something that had always been so present in my life became exactly my purpose.
a page of the first book I illustrated in Portugal, called Porto for Kids
In the same year I officially
became an illustrator, I produced my first book, The Fantastic Kingdom of the Human Body. In this book, I learned immensely about the entire
process, as I not only illustrated it but also did all the editorial design. I
hold this work very dear, as it was my greatest opportunity for growth in my
career.
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The Fantastic Kingdom of the Human Body |
Since then, I’ve worked with
publishers such as Porto Editora in Portugal, Fye Network in
Gambia, as well as independent authors worldwide. Working with independent
authors is one of my favourite things, as I love the closeness, freedom, and
collaboration it allows. I have some very dear authors who have worked with me,
some of whom even come back, and that makes me very happy, as it shows I’m on
the right path.
I haven't yet had the
opportunity to work with agencies, but it’s something I would really like to do
in the future.
Process and References
It took me a long time to find
my style and to feel completely satisfied with it. So, I experimented a lot. I
can say that my style has changed a lot since I started dedicating myself to
illustration, moving from children's books for kids aged 5 to 10 to babies and
toddlers. Today, I can say I’ve found my niche in books for early childhood,
and I love creating expressive characters for young readers.
My references are quite varied.
I'm greatly inspired by my nieces and godchildren, the books I read; I also
love watching anime, which are, without a doubt, sources of inspiration. I also
enjoy observing forest animals and pets, like my cats. I often like to add
elements from the place I live or where I was born whenever possible.
I love learning about new
places and incorporating as many references as possible that help children
identify with and recognize themselves in the story. And speaking of which,
I’ve already worked with many African authors, which is always an enriching experience.
I’ve learned a lot about the culture of different countries, religions,
traditional dishes, and clothing. All of this has opened horizons I never
imagined.
Illustrations of African stories from the books The Mischievous Mosquitoes of Banjul and The Village Boy Who Would Be President: The Story of President Adama Barrow, both published by Fye Network
Among authors/illustrators, I like to mention some who are always great inspirations for my work, such as Ingela Arrhenius, Chris Chatterton, Benji Davies, Raahat Kaduji, Carlo Beranek, and Marie Vanderbemden. Of course, the references don’t stop there, but these are the main ones.
my cute Little Home office
My work is entirely digital. I
really enjoy the experimentation with control that the digital medium offers,
and of course, the possibility of quick corrections. My basic setup is a
MacBook Pro, a Wacom Intuos Pro M, and Photoshop. Occasionally, I also use
Procreate for sketches and simpler illustrations.
In my free time, I love drawing
with coloured pencils and crayons. It makes me feel like a child again,
surrounded by my materials and children's books. It’s really a moment of
comfort for my heart.
drawings with coloured pencils and crayons
I hope you enjoyed getting to
know a little more about me. If you’d like to follow me on social media, feel
free — I’d love to receive a message from you!
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Gallery images |
*All images: Mariana Ostanik
For a look at more of Mariana’s work:
Mariana’s website: https://www.mostanik.art
Mariana’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maostanik/
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