Marie-Alice Harel

In the Studio

Winning Folio’s Book Illustration Award in 2019 – for her version of Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones – was just the springboard French author and illustrator Marie-Alice Harel needed. And she hasn’t looked back since, subsequently collaborating on a number of projects, including Castle in the Air and The House of Many Ways by Jones, and The Neverending Story by Michael Ende.

But as a true ‘artist in residence’ – the desk in her Edinburgh flat doubles as her dining table – Harel knows all too well the importance of a work-life balance. ‘I have to make an effort to have a life outside – I’m trying to be more human, less work-machine!’ she says. ‘For me, it’s important to stay in control, and I like quiet generally. I don’t get interrupted, but it can be lonely. I didn’t really used to set boundaries so, surprise surprise, it led to burnout. I have new rules now: no work at weekends, or only on my own projects; no work after 6pm; and try and go outside during the day and see the sun.’

The wall by her desk features illustrations she finds inspiring, including For a New Life by Wlastimil Hofman and a drawing from The Aristocats. ‘I love Milt Kahl’s line work,’ she says. ‘What’s on my wall are drawings I love or want to emulate.’

In the Studio

Harel works in watercolours, but her process starts with a hardback notebook and a mechanical pencil. ‘This book is my road map,’ she says. In it, Harel records all the practical details: deadlines, number of illustrations, size and dimensions. Then she writes notes from a careful reading of the text she’ll illustrate. ‘Staying loyal to the text is extremely important. So, I’ll note when characters appear, and their descriptions at different points. And I notice the moments I’d like to illustrate – where I think, “I’d like to see that” – and put them in a timeline.’ She sketches in the book, then scans the drawings into her computer, where she adds colour digitally, then sends them to her Folio art director to approve. ‘Folio gives a lot of licence to their artists, and it’s very nice to have that sense of freedom.’ Then, she uses a lightbox to trace the drawing onto watercolour paper, which she paints with watercolours. ‘My style is really about what suits the text and story,’ she says. ‘What am I excited about? What do I think the story needs visually? Sometimes I just want to try something new – I try to grow a little with every project. But style comes out of you, and everything you’ve seen and loved, it can only be yours.’