Children’s illustrator Laura Mocelin: ‘touching hearts is my main objective’

Based in southern Brazil, children’s illustrator Laura Mocelin has brought more than a hundred books to life using Affinity. In this interview, she reflects on her career journey and shares how Affinity has become an essential part of her creative process for illustrating children’s stories.

Can you share your journey into illustration and what led you to focus on children’s books?

I graduated in architecture and urbanism in 2019, and after that, I had the privilege of choosing to pursue the arts. I began illustrating small projects on freelance websites, and it was there that I got my first opportunity to illustrate a children’s book. That’s when I realized this was what I wanted to do. The first book I illustrated was Onde nascem as nuvens by Camila Oleski, and I’m proud to say it was through this project that I began illustrating and diagramming—learning along the way through my mistakes. Since then, I’ve illustrated more than a hundred children’s books, across both independent publications and established publishers.

Has drawing always been a part of your life?

Yes, drawing has always been my passion. I know it’s cliché, but I’ve been drawing since I was little, and I draw everything I see. As a kid, I’d sit on a stool anywhere and sketch from life or from what I was feeling. This grew with me, and even in college I chose projects where I could draw something, even if it was just a corner on a sheet of paper. I loved it. I really did! Art has always felt like my best friend, and it still is.

How are you usually approached for commissions?

The main way is through referrals. I use social networks to showcase my work, and I also get clients who find me there, but recommendations are more concrete. I currently work as a freelancer with both publishers and independent writers—some of them on a regular basis.

What key things should you keep in mind when illustrating a children’s book?

The key is to draw in a way that makes the book appealling to young readers. The illustrator must understand what the writer wants to convey through the story and bring that to life. It’s about helping children connect with the characters, the atmosphere, the colours… The main objective is to touch hearts. Technique and tricks of illustration come with practice, but bringing feeling to them requires a deep understanding of the story, its subject matter, and why the illustrations are needed in the first place.

Talk us through your process for illustrating a children’s book.

Children’s books are created by different parties, which is why I always start the process with lots of conversation with the authors and publishers. I need to understand what the writer had in mind when they wrote the story—what kind of characters they imagined, what they felt, and why they wrote it. This first stage is all about discussion and understanding the story. It’s also where research comes in. I’ve illustrated books that required extensive research because I knew little about the topic, and that process helped me learn so I could better convey what the story needed. After these conversations, I begin studying the characters and base colours for the book. At every stage, I share drafts with the writers for approval so we can move forward together.

After studying, I create sketches and basic layouts. This is where I work out the dynamics of the book: the perspectives I’ll use, the main elements, and the spacing for the text. I also do foreground and background studies to show the writer or editor what I plan to place in the illustration’s foreground. This makes it easier to understand each scene. Once approved, I move on to finalising the colours and preparing the files for printing or sending them to the publisher.

How do you use Affinity in your workflow?

When I started illustrating children’s books five years ago, the first program I used was Affinity. Throughout the creative process, Affinity supports me from character studies all the way to finalising the files for print. I mainly use the Pixel Studio and Layout Studio.

What do you enjoy most about working in Affinity?

I love how easy Affinity is to work with. In the draft phase of a book, I really value being able to use the Pixel and Layout Studios together. It makes the development process much smoother and helps me visualise the book as a whole, both text and illustration. What stands out most is the speed and simplicity of the program, making it feel almost natural. Artists need that kind of ease to create.

What does a typical workday look like for you?

Creativity is like a roller coaster, so I can’t always follow a set rhythm, but I really enjoy it when it’s at the top. I like to have breakfast and head to the office to follow my to-do list. Yes, I still write them by hand, and they save me. Then I organise what I’ll be working on. Sometimes I handle more than two books at once, so I divide my day accordingly. I also enjoy working at night. That’s when I’m most productive.

You’ve recently written and illustrated your own children’s book in Affinity. Can you tell us about it and what inspired the story?

I wrote this story for my godson, who absolutely loves chickens and everything related to them! I think it’s so beautiful how deeply he feels things—it reminds me of my own childhood and how intensely I experienced everything. I created this book so he’ll always remember to allow himself to feel, because adults often forget that. The book also explores reading and friendship, themes that are very important to me. When the first copies arrived at my house, the feeling was overwhelming. I was so moved! I had never imagined I could write and illustrate a whole story. A few years ago, I wouldn’t even have known where to start. I still get emotional about it.

Do any book projects stand out as your favourites?

All the stories I illustrate are unique, and I don’t just say that, I truly feel it. They’re unique because I spend a lot of time researching and studying to create elements and characters, choose colours, and plan the page dynamics. But one story in particular taught me a lot: The Memory Keepers, written by Sarah Allison and published by B+A Stories.

This story talks about Alzheimer’s from the writer’s real experience, which is why we have real characters and illustrations of real photos in the book.

I began the illustration process with a lot of research on the topic, as I needed to learn in order to teach children through my illustrations. During the process, I remembered that as a child I had a neighbour with Alzheimer’s, which had a huge impact on me and brought back many memories. I didn’t really understand what was happening to her at the time, so I thought that if I’d had a book like this—one that explained in a playful way what this disease was and how to deal with it—it would have been easier and I would have learned more. I worked those reflections into the colours as well. It was a very special and challenging process.

Can you share what projects you’re working on right now?

I’m currently working on four children’s books by both national and international independent writers, and I also serve as creative director at a local magazine in my city.

Lastly, what advice would you give to someone just starting out as a children’s illustrator?

To continue. Sometimes it’s hard to keep this in mind, especially as an artist, since we open our hearts to people through our work. But practice is the most incredible path you can take. Always moving forward, challenging yourself, trying new things, creating. Everything takes time, but it’s worth it. We don’t need to be good at everything; we just need to find what makes us happy.

Check out Laura’s portfolio at lauramocelin.com and follow her on Instagram @lauramocelinart.