Meet Ellen T. Crenshaw

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ellen T. Crenshaw.

Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours?
I grew up in South Florida and went to college in Boston, MA, where I began my illustration career. I was part of the local comics scene, in particular, an independent creators’ group called the Boston Comics Roundtable, where I published my comics for the first time in their anthologies. I also co-organized a fan art collective featuring local and national illustrators. I continued freelancing in editorial, advertising, and children’s media illustration while making comics on the side.

Then my husband lost his job. We moved cross-country a few times for his work, first to Orange County, then Toronto, and finally back here in LA. During that time I illustrated my first books—two titles in Rachel Federman’s TEST YOUR… series—and started getting more work in comics, particularly nonfiction comics for TheNib.com.

In 2016 I landed my first full-length graphic novel, KISS NUMBER 8, written by Colleen AF Venable. It came out in March 2019. It’s earned starred reviews from Kirkus and Publisher’s Weekly, was featured in the New York Times Book Review, and it garnered me a nomination for the Russ Manning Promising Newcomer Award at San Diego Comic-Con.

I’m still freelancing and currently figuring out my next thing!

Please tell us about your art.
I’m a cartoonist and illustrator. I make editorial illustrations, designs for children’s media, fiction, and nonfiction comics, and I illustrate books. I work both traditionally and digitally in ink, watercolor, and Photoshop. To me, nothing beats the feel (or smell!) of brush and ink on paper.

Because I’m always curious about other artists’ tools, here are mine:
• Kolinsky sable brush round, size 1 (currently Winsor Newton series 7, looking for alternatives)
• Dr. Ph Martin’s hi carb black star ink
• Isabey squirrel hair mop brush
• 140lb hot press watercolor paper (currently Arches, looking for alternatives)
• Kyle T Webster & Frenden Photoshop brushes

I’m known in my work for animated gestures, facial expressions, and hands. Acting is a huge part of comics and storytelling, and my ultimate goal is to make an emotion land with a reader. Most importantly, both with comics and illustration, I’m trying to distill a concept into something legible, relatable, and fun. (For recent examples, I’ve helped explain a Washington state health care bill, recounted some of America’s messy history with women’s suffrage, and revealed some personal thoughts on spirituality and death.) Comics can be such a deeply personal, isolating, and laborious process, but when one person connects with the idea, I’m trying to convey it makes all that effort worth doing.

What do you think about the conditions for artists today? Has life become easier or harder for artists in recent years? What can cities like ours do to encourage and help art and artists thrive?
As I mentioned, comics are a laborious process, and sadly, it is not a lucrative industry. In both illustration and comics, artists are woefully undervalued. Production expectations are impossibly high, which often leads to depression, burnout, and at worst, complete abandonment of the field. I can’t speak to whether life has become easier or harder for artists in recent years—some aspects have improved while others decline—but I can say that artist fees have not increased in the past 20 years while the cost of living has skyrocketed. Meanwhile, the demand for new media has placed an incredible burden on creators to constantly publish new work. It can seem impossible to keep up while expecting to maintain a healthy work/life balance.

I don’t have any answers, but it would certainly help for cities to have safe, affordable housing options, as well as subsidized health care. Artists can’t create the content you crave if they can’t afford to live. If you love an artist’s work and you consume what they produce, pay for it! Subscribe to their posting platforms, buy their books (or borrow them from the library—this helps too!), commission them at fair wages. If you can’t afford to buy from them, spread the word AND CREDIT THEM. Always link back to the artist directly, and ask for permission before independently posting their work.

How or where can people see your work? How can people support your work?
You can see my portfolio at ellencrenshaw.com.

KISS NUMBER 8 is available at Barnes & Noble, Amazon, and your local book store and comics shop!

You can also see my work at TheNib.com. Support comics artists by becoming a member for as little as $2 per month at membership.thenib.com.

Contact Info:

• Website: ellencrenshaw.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/etcillustration
• Twitter: twitter.com/etcillustration
• Other: For publishing inquiries, contact my literary agent: mollyoneillbooks.com/contact

Image Credit:
Portrait photo by Melanie Castillo, Root Literary

Getting in touch: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition, please let us know here.