Illustrator Spotlight: Caiti Chase Massey

 

© Caiti Chase Massey

March 1, 2022

We are excited to feature illustrator Caiti Chase Massey and her banner design for Kidlit411. 



© Caiti Chase Massey


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

Hello, hello! Like many artists, I’ve been drawing for my entire life, but I’m also an avid reader. I was never a big troublemaker as a kid, but the closest I got was when I’d stay up way past my bedtime… reading! When I was younger, I would sketch up my own versions of covers or chapter headers of my favorite books. I’d dabble in writing my own stories, too: once my Dad took one to work and printed it with their big, fancy printer… I felt like I had already published a book and I was only 9! So cool. 


© Caiti Chase Massey

I graduated college with a degree in Animation/Digital Media with the intent to go into children’s media of some kind. Not only does my style lend well towards it, but I love the lightheartedness of the genre, the wonder it brings, and the impact it can make. My heart then was pretty set on television, but within a few months I was approached by my now husband’s step-father who asked me to illustrate his book, and everything just clicked. 



Congrats on your banner design! How did you approach this project?

 

Thank you so much! It’s really an honor! I had made a list of several ideas as they came to me (big list-maker, right here) and then just got to sketching. I really wanted to bring a lot of movement to the piece to capture a child’s energy and joy. The school bus idea came from just thinking of life as a kid… what did I do day to day, what did I enjoy? I actually hated riding the school bus! But I LOVED school, and kid lit plays such a big part in that of course so I wanted to celebrate it. Using lots of color was important to me for this one. I also really wanted to highlight a lot of diversity. It warms my heart that children have a chance to see themselves represented now more than ever so I wanted to play off that in the school bus ride.


© Caiti Chase Massey


What projects are you working on now?

 

My husband and I moved last summer, so I went from a full-time, all day job to freelancing. Which basically means I’m always working on all kinds of different things! This week I’m finishing illustrations for a fourth book (Savannah Sleeper and the Troubled T-Rex, 2022), digitizing some photographs for tshirts, making logos for a fruit farm and a popcorn festival, and next week I’ll be painting murals! I’m taking courses on children’s literature and am working on finding an agent and/or getting my own book published. It’s been so much fun to explore and play, especially when you share your office with your dog.

 

© Caiti Chase Massey


What is your illustration process? What are your favorite mediums?


I’m a very messy sketcher. When I get an idea, I usually quickly scribble it down with some notes (that only I can translate, of course) and let it bake for a while. I’ll come back to it in time and do a cleaner sketch, choose a style & color palette, block in my colors, then do the full render. All the work I do these days is digital. I have a big Wacom tablet I draw on, and I have all kinds of fun brushes, so I like to play around with style. Lately I’ve done a lot of work in pastels (I love their texture) but I also love watercolors. I have a lot of background in traditional mediums, too: drawing in pen and painting in acrylic are a couple favorites.


© Caiti Chase Massey


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

 

Oh gosh, hmm… well, I have an extra vertebrae in my spine, so that’s kind of fun!


© Caiti Chase Massey


Where can people find you online?

 

www.caitichase.com

Facebook: Art by Caiti Chase

 




Caiti Chase Massey is a 2018 graduate of Huntington University with a degree in Animation and Digital Media. She is a published children's book illustrator, award-winning animator, a member of SCBWI, and a big fan of tortoises. Originally from Indiana, she recently moved to a sustainable farm in Florida with her husband and their rescue pup. 

Comments

  1. I mean, a fellow HOOSIER ...what could be better! I wish you luck on your exciting journey!

    ReplyDelete

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