Illustrator Spotlight: Shiho Pate

© Shiho Pate


Oct. 1, 2018

On the first of each month in 2018, we feature an illustrator who won or placed in our Kidlit411 banner contest, and we switch our website banner and Facebook page cover image. Today we present Shiho Pate and her work. (Be sure to enter 2019 Banner Contest).


© Shiho Pate

Tell us about yourself and how you came to illustrate for children.

I studied Illustration at SCAD. I knew I wanted to be an chilldren's book illustrator but after college I became a full time game artist at a game company in New York. I made mostly mobile games for adults and kids and I learned a lot. After my daughter was born and moving to California, I thought about my next career path, and decided to focus on my dream of becoming a children's book illustrator. 


© Shiho Pte


Congrats on your entry in the Kidlit411 banner contest! How did you go about approaching this assignment?


© Shiho Pate


Thank you! It was a fun contest! Because it's a banner, I wanted to make sure "Kidlit 411" was easy to read. I did several thumbnail sketches of where and how the birds would be placed in the banner's long dimension. From those things in mind, naturally my birds got chunkier to fill up the space and the letters to fit properly inside the birds. To give each bird some personality and whimsical feel, I gave them different colors and head pieces. My favorite is the black bird.  


© Shiho Pate


You also work as a game artist. How does that work differ from children's illustration, and does it influence or affect your children's illustration work?

It's very different from children's illustration. From the tools I use (Photoshop, Illustrator, Unity etc) to the roles I play in the team (character designer, animator, UI designer etc), I have to adapt quickly to different situations. It's a fast pace team collaboration so I have to communicate clearly and efficiently. 


© Shiho Pate


Being in games industry enhanced my children's illustration work because I learned new art techniques, manage time better and collaborate better with people with different roles. I also love collaborating with people who are passionate about their work, and you will definitely meet a lot of them in games industry.  


© Shiho Pate


What projects are you working on now?

Some fun projects :) I usually can't share much until it's released, sorry.


© Shiho Pate


What is one thing most people don't know about you?

I can feel at home anywhere. I lived in UK, Japan and all over USA and I truly love all the places I lived.  


© Shiho Pate


Where can people find you online?

My website ihttp://www.shihopate.com/ and I'm very active on my instagram https://www.instagram.com/shihopate/


  • A Japanese artist living in America, Shiho Pate is passionate about creating art for children. A graduate with honors from Savannah College of Art and Design Shiho started her career as an artist for several indie gaming studios in NYC. In her ten plus years in that industry, she published many social games and mobile games but her passion has always been children’s book illustration. Now, with her recent move to Southern California, she has turned her focus to breaking into our industry. With a playful, bold style that combines all of her talents – gouache, watercolor and digital media – Shiho creates both warmth and a kind of simplistic imperfection in her Work that is both endearing and enduring. Support and inspiration comes from her daughter, husband and an old yet still very energetic Jack Russell Terrier.

Comments

  1. I LOVE that illustration of the boy on the potty with all the creature-features in the bathroom looking at him! And the tasty, messy mouse birthday party disaster. And the luminous mouse ship. And...I love all of your work! Thank you for sharing here on Kidlit 411!

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  2. Fun illustrations! Love the books and potty! :)

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