A Passion For Reading: Interview and Illustrator Promo and Giveaway: Ni Anluain

Ni Anluain is an amazing freelance illustrator. This tour is to showcase her many works.

1. What books have you done illustrations for?
I've done lots of books from Renegade a Tor YA Sci-Fi to self publishing authors like CI Clack and Deborah Cooke. I don't have a 'niche' as such. For instance I can do young adult to paranormal romance and I even did a cover for my friend that was a male orientated book. Though she is my best friend and I'd never say no to her!

2. What inspires your creations?

Lots of things inspire me from the planet in general, rocks, movies, books, TV, costumes other artists. It all generally depends on my mood on the day and what I want to create. If I'm in a very happy place then doing a macabre work doesn't feel right so fairies usually come out. I'm a bit of a heathen as well so the old stuff like fairy forts and standing stones to the druids inspire me greatly. I'm also a huge geek and obsessed with the 1950s for some reason. I try and portray my work as "characters" especially my personal work. I'm not fond of girly princess lala land even though Or Sisceal is one of my most popular images. I like my girls and boys to be slightly bad. So I try and give them something more in their general character. For example I dare anyone to say Asarlai Maistir is completely wholesome!

3. What is the best advice someone has given you?
Do your own thing and ignore the haters. Ignore what everyone else is doing, you have only enough headspace to concentrate on YOU not THEM. Doing that interrupts the manifestation of your goals and career so all energy goes on you and clients.

4. Is this always what you saw yourself doing? Why?
Its a long story, I should have been doing this from I left school, but I went to science instead thing that would be the more "realistic" career i.e. better money, more reliable. How wrong I was! I am now so happy in what I am doing that it feel perfectly right.

5. How long have you been doing this for?
professionally about 18mths but I've been playing in "photoshop" for 3 or so years.

6. What is your favorite illustration you have done?
Oh now thats like trying to pick a favorite child! Its a older one but Dearg Sorcha is a bit special to me. Red hair girl with a sword? Spot on!
Here are my favorites (it was hard just to narrow it down to this list!):

Illustrator Bio:

Eithné is obsessed with fantasy. Some say that it is a unhealthy relationship she has. A rock is just not a rock, it’s a hiding place for faeries after all.

When not chasing said faeries she is a freelance illustrator specializing in fantasy cover art. She can illustrate stock photography but also can take model photography, design sets and props, find costumes and models.

Her symbol, the dragon was designed by Eithné when she started doing

art again years ago and it is a part of her being, spiritually and artistically.

Clients range from mainstream NYC and London fantasy publishers,

mainstream magazines and motion picture houses.

Links

Website

Blog

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Twitter

Deviant Art

RedBubble

Behance