By Cecilia Cackley

This is the seventh in a series of posts spotlighting Latina illustrators and this time we are shifting focus slightly. Instead of interviewing illustrators of picture books, I had the honor of speaking to two artists who work on book covers and an artist who is publishing her first graphic novel soon.

Andrea Galecio

Andrea Galecio is a designer and illustrator from Lima, Peru. Her art can be seen on the cover of Sal and Gabi Break the Universe by Carlos Hernandez, released in March 2019 from the Rick Riordan Presents imprint at Disney/Hyperion.

Q: What or who inspired you to become an artist?

A: I always liked cartoons and then I began to draw little by little. But in adolescence I learned to draw better because I found a page that was called Deviantart and I saw many great illustrations of many good artists, that inspired me a lot.

Q: Tell us something about your favorite artistic medium—why you like it, when you first learned it, etc.

A:  I work in all art media, traditional and digital, but I like more the digital art. The illustrations I make in Photoshop, there are a lot of great brushes. I learned to draw in the digital medium when I was 15 years old and at the beginning I was watching tutorials, exploring different techniques, then I studied at the university and improved my skills as an illustrator.

When I learned to draw in traditional and digital, I created a channel on YouTube where I talk about being an illustrator, I give advice and I love it.

Q: Please finish this sentence: Books with pictures are important because…

A: … they help us improve our imagination a lot more and give us a guideline about the literary world.

Saskia Bueno

Saskia Bueno is a graphic designer and lettering artist from Barranquilla, Colombia. Her work can be seen on the cover of Sal and Gabi Break the Universe by Carlos Hernandez.

Q: What or who inspired you to become an artist? 

A: Well I believe art runs in my family. My grandpa was a painter. I remember he used to sit at his table, which was full of papers, colors and art stuff, and he would paint for hours. Sometimes he would let my brother and I paint with him. He would give us some sheets and colors and he always loved what we did with them. Years later, my brother began to study Graphic Design, and I liked so much what he did. I even used to help him with his homework, and that’s when I realized I wanted to study Design, too. So yeah, if I am an artist today its thanks to my family.

Q: Tell us something about your favorite artistic medium–why you like it, when you first learned it, etc. 

A: My favorite tools are, without a doubt, my iPad Pro and Procreate. I fell in love with the iPad a few years ago, when I saw an artist on Instagram and her beautiful work. So the following week I went to an Apple Store and got myself one. What I love about the iPad is that is extremely practical and working with Procreate means having a world of possibilities. You can create sketch, draw, paint landscapes, portraits, watercolors and of course, letters, and that is just amazing.

Q: Please finish this sentence: “Books with pictures are important because…”

A:…in every single one there’s world full of wonder that a kid can discover and be inspired.

Jeannette Arroyo

Jeannette Arroyo is the artist for the YA graphic novel Blackwater with Ren Graham, which will be published in 2020 by Henry Holt.

Q:  What or who inspired you to become an artist? 

A: I’ve always loved drawing since I was little. I was mostly inspired by animated movies and a love for cartoons. Tom and Jerry is an old favorite.

Q: Tell us something about your favorite artistic medium–why you like it, when you first learned it, etc. 

A: Right now, I predominantly work in digital media. It is less frustrating for me and less messy. I got my first tablet around fifteen and I have just stuck with it since.

Q: Please finish this sentence: “Books with pictures are important because…”

A: Books with pictures are important because it’s another avenue of expression and communication. I myself have always found it difficult to convey what I feel just through text, and the ability to incorporate images, color, texture into a book is important to me, and something I am having a lot of fun doing with our graphic novel.

Cecilia Cackley is a Mexican-American playwright and puppeteer based in Washington, DC. A longtime bookseller, she is currently the Children’s/YA buyer and event coordinator for East City Bookshop on Capitol Hill. Find out more about her art at www.ceciliacackley.com or follow her on Twitter @citymousedc