Illustrator Spotlight: Kathryn Rammell

Dec. 1, 2022

We are excited to feature illustrator Kathryn Rammell and her website banner design for Kidlit411. Welcome!

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

During undergrad I worked at a library and often found myself making any excuse to end up in the Children’s section. Then during my last semester I took a class on Children’s Book Literature. That’s when I really fell in love with picture books, but it wouldn’t be until a couple years later, after my daughter was born, that I decided to jump in and start learning about what it takes to write and illustrate picture books. KidLit411 was one of the first KidLit groups I found and it has been a tremendous place for resources, connections, and inspiration.

Congrats on your website banner design for Kidlit411! How did you approach this project?

Thank you! KidLit411 has been such a fabulous resource for me during my KidLit journey so it was incredibly meaningful to be selected as an honorable mention.

When I sat down to work on the banner, I decided that I wanted KidLit411’s name to shine. I went very literal with that and turned the name into a constellation, but also wanted to incorporate the classic “birds on a wire” theme. I love that constellations guide people on their journeys and it felt right to have the name of a group that guides writers and illustrators to look the same.

What is your favorite illustration medium and process?

I enjoy working with gouache and watercolors, but I’m in the phase of life where little hands make big messes, so for now I’ve been mostly creating digital art and enjoying the flexibility it offers. I usually start off by sketching on paper and then transfer the sketch to Procreate. In Procreate I can make edits and play around with color schemes until I’m happy with it.

What projects are you working on now?

©Kathryn Rammell

I recently entered the query trenches for a humorous picture book I illustrated. It’s about a chicken that goes to school at an all-dragon academy and has to survive their first day of school— literally!

Who or what inspires you?

I’m inspired most by my childhood imagination as well as the outings I go on with my family. I try to find beauty in simple moments, magic in the ordinary, and humor when things get hard.

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

I can water ski with one leg up in the air.

Where can people find you online?

I love connecting with other KidLit creatives! You can find me on Twitter, Instagram, and with my online portfolio.

Twitter: @KathrynRammell

Instagram: @kathrynsdoodles.

Portfolio: kathrynrammell.wordpress.com

Kathryn Rammell is a writer and illustrator for children’s books. Inspired both by the quirky imagination of her youth as well as the adventures she goes on with her children, her work aims to bring humor and joy to audiences young and old. Recent achievements include winning the 2022 KSMO SCBWI’s Portfolio Showcase, being selected as a PB Rising Stars Mentee, and winning an Honorable Mention for KidLit411’s Banner Design Contest. When not writing or illustrating, Kathryn can be found planning roadtrips to National Parks or beach hopping down the Pacific Coast Highway.