Dinosaur Pie|Jen Wallace|Alan O’Rourke|Little Island
‘Illustration is a dopamine-generating endeavour’—Alan O’Rourke talks about his winding road to becoming an illustrator
What brought you to illustration?
I took a very circuitous route, as many illustrators do. After a year studying Fine Art in ATU (GIT back then), I was advised my work was more illustrative. I didn’t fully understand what that meant at the time. Soon after, I left Galway and took up various jobseeker schemes back home.
While working with a non-profit, I discovered an old computer in the office and started making signs and maps. To be honest, I was avoiding digging flower beds outside! This led to an interest in graphic design. Unfortunately, I didn’t get accepted into the course I set my heart on—instead, I studied my second choice, Film and TV production in TU Dublin, which I absolutely adored.
While working with a non-profit, I discovered an old computer in the office and started making signs and maps
We produced such masterpieces as Korn Junkies, about Dublin college kids with an addiction to breakfast cereal and the crime they get involved in to fund the habit. Sadly, the film was overlooked on the international award circuit.
I intended to transfer to a design degree at the end of my film course. But it never happened. I had enough design work in my portfolio so I decided to get a job. Thank goodness for the tech bubble! Then followed a few years working and obsessing about graphic design and founding my own design agency, Spoiltchild. Over a decade, we worked on wonderful, interesting projects from around the world with fantastic clients. Our work with the National Galleries of Scotland was nominated for a BAFTA Award, an unforgettable experience.
During all this time, my interest in illustration never wavered, but I never felt I could do it properly! Drawing people is hard and illustration seemed to need a lot of people. Like most things, turns out you just need practice! Eventually, I left design and moved into marketing consultancy as I had learned so much form my previous roles and it paid better.
During all this time, my interest in illustration never wavered, but I never felt I could do it properly
But I missed the creativity (sorry fellow marketing peeps), the simple act of pen on paper. So I gave myself a creative project. With no pressure and as much time as I needed, what would I like to do? I decided to make a picture book. I sat down to make a double-page spread as a test. After a few false starts, I drew and painted a dinosaur and a boy. To this day, it hangs over the computer in my office. (This is important later). At this point, I began to seriously think I could do this.
What is the most misunderstood thing about an illustrator’s role?
That you are just drawing what the words have described. I see illustration as another form of writing and storytelling. The words say one thing. The illustrations say another. By our powers combined, I am Captain Plan… I mean, we are Voltro….No that’s not it. ‘Let’s power up, it’s mighty morphin…’ er…
Words and illustrations tell a bigger, more in-depth story. Or you can use them opposite each other, to create tension, drama and my favourite, humour. Used together, stories become better.
What gives you a buzz about your work?
Similar to my design days, it’s the problem-solving aspect. You have a story to tell. You need to figure out the best way to tell it, all within the constraints of the book size and the audience who will read it.
Overall, illustration is a dopamine-generating endeavour, causing you to seek out even more until the book is submitted
Then layer on the buzz by making it look good. Add extra buzz if you can make someone laugh or cry. Add even more buzzy bits with layers of meaning and narrative in the background, to be discovered at the reader’s pace. Overall, illustration is a dopamine-generating endeavour, causing you to seek out even more until the book is submitted. Then, you walk around in a daze for days wondering what your name is, where the beard came from and what is that smell?
Non-fiction is great for combining all my skills and experience in design, UX, marketing copy, and illustration.
How do you approach illustrating someone else’s story?
After nearly 20 years in design telling clients’ stories, I found this relatively straightforward. I know I was exceedingly blessed to work with Jen Wallace and Little Island. They approached me based on my previous work and loved everything I sent in. They made the whole process very easy.
When writing my own stories, I switch between words and images. Sometimes I write the story first. Other times, images come first. Often, I substitute an image for words because it works better for the narrative overall.
What’s the most challenging thing for you about the process?
Time and patience. It’s going to take a lot of time than you thought. Be patient. Work bit by bit and you will get there. Sit with the moment and enjoy the process.
What’s the most important lesson you’ve learned as an illustrator?
I have to be connected in some way with the story. You need to live with the story and the characters for a long time. So you need to love some aspect of it, otherwise it will become a hard slog. Dinosaur Pie by Jen Wallace is wonderfully funny and full of heart. Relating to and bringing her characters to life made the illustration process so much fun. And I think that fun shines through in the artwork.
Which are the illustrations close to your heart?
I adore comics. When Covid started, I didn’t know if could actually draw comics (the lots of people problem). So I started drawing seagulls every week based on a throwaway Pixar joke. Simple one-panel scenes. To my surprise, they took on a life of their own and I’m still drawing them today.
The seagull drawings led to a commission to illustrate our Laureate na nÓg Patricia Forde‘s inaugural speech at the Children’s Books Ireland conference last year, an honour I never anticipated. Seeing my seagulls on the huge screen that day was amazing.
This work resulted in Little Island approaching me to illustrate my first published book, Dinosaur Pie. Those mischievous birds have had quite a hand in my journey so far, I really do love them. Not that they care a jot, seagulls are so selfish!
My picture book style is more painterly. I love this spread (below) from my first picture book illustration test. It was proof to me that I could do this, and it helped land my fantastic agent, Paul Moreton at Bell Lomax Moreton.
What advice would you give to an emerging illustrator?
If you want it, make it a priority. Over the years, I tried doing a bit after work in the evenings. But something always spilled over from the day and took that time and energy away. So it didn’t happen. Instead, I flipped it and made sure it is the first thing I do every morning. Even if it’s just 5 minutes. I was much happier. Illustration got done and now if anything spills over, it’s the illustration into work time! And my work gets done too.
Looking back on that first test spread of the boy and the dinosaur, and the cover of my first published book, with a dinosaur and kids charging through a city, it is clear that I’m on the right course!
