Today we’d like to introduce you to Claudie C.Bergeron.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I always loved art as a kid. It was my favorite hobby; I would try every medium and experiment different techniques all the time. I could spend hours on end drawing in my room. I also loved video games and all the art that was created behind the scenes as well and it really connected with me. I was so passionate about art that I decided to study 2D/3D Animation in university.
When I graduated, I wasn’t quite sure which field I would target. I always thought I would work in the video game industry, but I quickly realized it wasn’t for me. At the beginning, I was a freelancer, but not by choice. I was trying to find a job in the industry, but my skills weren’t good enough to land me a job. The first year of being a freelancer is challenging to say the least, you take any job you can find even if it has nothing to do with your art. I did many business cards and logos even though I wanted to be an illustrator.
Eventually, I got lucky and landed a picture book deal from an acquaintance. It was a whole series of books and secured me a job for the following 2 years with a great income at the time. I was really at the right place at the right time and even though I had never done a picture book in my life I jumped at the opportunity. And then I fell in love with children’s illustration. It connected with me in every way and my degree in 2d/3d animation helped me a lot in the process. Once that first gig was done, I managed to get a deal with a local publisher. They had seen my work from the first picture book series, and I got published. Since then, I’ve worked on over 40 children’s books, ranging from picture books to middle grade fantasy and I still have lots of upcoming projects that I’m really excited about. I have remained a freelancer ever since, this time by choice!
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The road of an artist definitely isn’t easy, but it’s possible! For me, the first year was the hardest. No one knows who you are, and I wasn’t really sure what I was doing with my career. At the time, I was trying to touch every topic instead of specifically targeting one. It took me a lot of soul-searching to think about what I connect to as an artist rather than what I thought the industry wanted to see from me. Everyone tries to find their artistic style, but for me it was more about finding what I was passionate about, what I wanted to paint and how to make it special. And then your style follows naturally, without the need for searching. The first big contract is the hardest to find, you need to find someone that will trust in your abilities even though you have nothing to show other than a school portfolio! But someone had faith in me and once I completed that first contract, people were more inclined to trust me because of my prior experience. Ideally, you want to take contracts that will bring you closer to your career goals, but when you have bills to pay it’s hard to say no to those less interesting contracts. I had trouble saying no to jobs I didn’t want, but as time went on, I started being able to refuse the projects that didn’t interest me. Now I’m very lucky to be able to only take projects that I connect to, and I think it shows in my illustrations. When you work on a project that you really love, you’re more likely to go the extra mile for them. And that’s what I do every day!
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I’m a freelance Children’s book illustrator, I specialize in picture books and Middle Grade novels. I mostly collaborate with self-published authors on their book projects. I’m greatly inspired by nature; I love painting animals and landscapes in magical settings. All my work is very whimsical and colorful, people often recognize my work for the bold colors and lighting that I use. My art is somewhere between realism and cartoon, I like to have some elements of both. It allows me to take what I like best of each world and make it my own.
I’m proud of every book that I work on, but lately a few of the books that I worked on received several awards and it has been extremely rewarding for me. It shows me that I’m heading in the right direction and that people are responding to my art, and there is no greater reward for me as an illustrator.
Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
If you go to school in your specific field, connect with your teachers. They’re the closest experts that you can find, they have so much knowledge to offer and also a broad network. You never know what will happen after you graduate. Some of the contracts that I got over the years were because of my former teachers recommending me for them, so it definitely pays off to show that you’re assiduous and determined even in school. If you’re self-taught, find people that do what you want to do. Go to events, connect to industry professionals. You can even send them an email asking them questions about specific topics you wish to get insight on. Most professionals I’ve talked to are more than happy to give you a tip or two. We all know how hard this industry is, and it’s always good to help others reach their goals!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.claudiecb.com
- Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/claudiecb
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/CbClaudie
