Craig Orback
Craig Orback is a freelance children’s book illustrator living in the Northwest and received his B.F.A. in illustration from Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle in 1998. He has illustrated Nature’s Paintbox, The Can Man, Keeping The Promise: A Torah’s Journey, and other award-winning children’s books. He teaches children’s book illustration and oil painting at several local colleges. In his free time he enjoys painting landscapes and sharing his books with kids during school and library visits.
Interview
What was your favorite book when you were a child?
- My favorite books were Treasure Island and Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson and illustrated by N. C. Wyeth. I also loved the illustrated book The Golden Treasury of Children’s Literature.
What’s your favorite line from a book?
- It’s too hard to narrow it down to one line. I love the end of The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, but it’s a bit long to include here. I also love any of the descriptions of the landscapes in Scotland in the book Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson.
Who are your top three favorite authors or illustrators?
Illustrators: N. C. Wyeth, Gregory Manchess, Norman Rockwell. Authors: Robert Louis Stevenson, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Jack London.
Why did you want to become an author or illustrator?
I decided at a young age that I wanted to be a Commercial Artist because I enjoyed art. In college is when I decided to be an illustrator. After college is when I decided to become a children’s book illustrator because I loved history and loved the idea of seeing my art in a book.
Do you have any advice for future authors or illustrators?
Don’t get discouraged by what others might say. Practice is the key for illustrators. Keep drawing and you will get better and better.
