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Illustrator Spotlight – Brent Wilson

Sound Waves Reading 5/5/23

Based in Brisbane, Brent Wilson has been a commercial illustrator for over 10 years. His illustrations are brimming with charm and nostalgia, conveyed through his bold use of colour and loose lines. Brent describes his style as ‘contemporary, but with a retro aesthetic.’

Brent’s bright and colourful style can be found in many of the Sound Waves Decodable Readers, including Red Claw and Small Fry and A Chair for Brown Bear. When asked to choose his favourite, Brent couldn’t pick just one.

‘I honestly really enjoyed working on each book — they were all so different and charming. I did have a favourite character though — Miss Fee-Line from The Red Kite is awesome. I think she deserves her own detective show!’

Every illustrator has their own artistic process. Brent’s process begins with character formation.

‘When I land the character designs, that’s when the story comes alive for me — I can picture them doing all the things the words say!’

Brent truly enjoyed the process of bringing the diverse stories of the Decodable Readers to life. ‘They were all such different characters and settings,’ he said, ‘It was fun to be able to create totally different worlds for each book.’

‘I really enjoyed the diversity of the stories. I also really appreciated the way the Firefly Education team trusted my style and allowed me to play with my quirky characters, fun colours and cartoony backgrounds.’

Brent has been signed to The Illustration Room since the very beginning of his illustrative journey, when one of his graphic design trainers put them in touch. You can find more of Brent’s work on his website or Instagram.

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