Gabbi Steiger x The Local Artistry
Hey, Locals! How's life treating all of you guys?! I hope all is well, and if not, we've got a new interview that'll be a definite pick-me-up!
If you caught our last blog post covering Jeremey Bridgman's new book, Darci the Drummer takes Drum Lessons, you probably caught a glimpse of the cover's awesome artistry!
Illustrator, Gabbi Steiger, blessed us with with a 23-page spread of a artistry that Bridgman states as, "whimsical" and talent that "blew me out of the water"! We couldn't have agreed with him more!
In all rights, we were excited to be able to ask the Bakersfield local some questions about her craft, the collaborative process of creating the book, and her future projects!
1. How long have you been illustrating for?
For as long as I can remember! Art got more serious in middle school as I began cracking down to improve my skills, and have been since then. 2011 is when I started pushing myself to make art my career[.] [I] graduated from college with an animation degree in 2017, and last year is when my freelance illustrating business began[;] with building up a client base to do everything from pet portraits to business card designs! This journey has been difficult but great so far, and has only just begun. With illustration, skills are NOT innate, and "talent" is a BIG no-no word, so I love to work hard to cultivate skills, prove myself, and be the best illustrator that I can be.
2. What genre would your artwork fall under?
Funny enough, my fun work is primarily adult-themed, focusing very heavily on themes of death & the macabre, nature & botany, history, and more.
Learning about and exploring these themes are an absolute pleasure of mine! An insatiable curiosity is healthy[,] and I highly recommend listening to new music, reading and going on walks to see [or] read things you might usually not.
3. Is this your first time your work has been published?
I self-published my first zine in 2013, and have been making comics and zines since then <3 Additionally, in 2016 and 2017 a few pieces of mine were published in a collective zine called
Courtesy of Gabbi Steiger
"Girls Who Eat" from San Francisco (all the sale proceeds were donated to an organization in San Francisco that helps people struggling with eating disorders) [!] This isn't my first, but it's definitely my biggest to date and for that I'm grateful.
4. How long was the collaborative process for this book?
The collaboration part of the process took maybe around 6-7 months? I believe it started sometime in July or August, when he had me create a concept cover for the book.
5. What tools were used in creating the images?
I primarily used a Pentel pocket brush pen, Daler Rowney watercolors, Holbein gouache, and watercolor paper for the illustrations! For setting up the book, Adobe photoshop and InDesign were used.
6. What was the most stressful and happiest part of the process?
It wasn't very stressful working on the book, except for concern about getting the pages done in time for his planned release. The best part was coloring the pages, because to me coloring is fun and relaxing.
7. Which character in the book do you relate to?
I suppose I relate to Darci the most, because her passion and situation can be applicable to many things.
The book is very relatable. I was drawing on walls, entering into art shows, and pretending to illustrate a neighborhood newspaper when I [was] younger, and I've been devouring as much art related knowledge as I could since then!
8. Would you collaborate on a book again?
Never! Just kidding, definitely! Jeremy has mentioned a possible series of books for Darci the Drummer. Additionally, I'm about to start illustrating an entire comic book series for someone else, another (different) kids book, and a book cover for a local fantasy novel. I'm excited for the future!
And we're excited for YOU, Gabbi!
GET TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THEM!
Gabbi Steiger
Instagram: @rabbitfoods
The Local Artistry
Instagram: @thelocalartistry
Facebook: The Local Artistry