Isabelle Arsenault facts for kids

Isabelle Arsenault photographed in Montréal, Québec, Canada at the Salon du livre de Montréal 2017.

Isabelle Arsenault (born in 1978) is a talented Canadian illustrator. She lives in Montreal, Quebec. Isabelle is famous for her beautiful and simple drawings in children's books.

About Isabelle Arsenault

Isabelle Arsenault was born in Sept-Îles, Quebec. She studied graphic design at the Université du Québec à Montréal. After finishing her studies, she decided to focus on illustration. Isabelle has won many awards for her amazing artwork.

Awards and Recognitions

Isabelle Arsenault has won several important awards for her illustrations:

• In 2005, she won the Governor General's Award for French-language children's illustration for a book called Le Coeur de Monsieur Gauguin.
• In 2011, her book Migrant was named one of the best illustrated books by the New York Times.
• In 2012, she won the Governor General's Award for English-language children's illustration for Virginia Wolf.
• In 2013, she won the Governor General's Award again for her graphic novel Jane, le renard et moi. This book also won other awards, and its English version, Jane, the fox and me, was also on the New York Times list of best illustrated books.
• In 2020, she was nominated for the Hans Christian Andersen Award. This award is a big honor for people who have made a huge difference in children's literature.

Isabelle's Early Life

Childhood and Art Discovery

Isabelle Arsenault was born in Sept-Îles, Quebec. Her family later moved to Île-Bizard, where she spent most of her teenage years. When she was a child, Isabelle entered a Christmas illustration contest held by her local newspaper. She won the contest, and this made her realize how much she loved drawing. She said, "I understood that I really enjoyed drawing, and I could use my ability to create something unique."

Learning About Art

Isabelle didn't go to art schools when she was very young because she didn't know art would be her future job. However, she took many art classes in Secondary school. Her teachers in these classes really inspired her. She often spent hours drawing and creating art outside of school.

How Isabelle Creates Illustrations

Her Unique Visual Style

Isabelle Arsenault's art style is often described as simple and very colorful. Instead of using lots of hard lines and tiny details, she draws with an easy touch. She is great at showing feelings and emotions through her simple pictures and the story's text. Her art often tries to make the reader feel something. She focuses more on what characters are feeling inside, rather than just showing what's happening around them. For example, in the book Migrant, the background isn't the main focus. Instead, a young child imagines herself and others as cute jackrabbits and kittens, showing their inner world.

Planning Her Artwork

example

Isabelle says her style comes from making quick, rough drawings, called doodles, at the beginning of a project. This helps her understand the whole visual story she wants to tell. She explains that doodling gives her freedom. It allows her feelings at the time to be expressed in her art. Her unique style comes from trying new things and letting herself make "mistakes" that turn into something great.

Books Illustrated by Isabelle Arsenault

See also

In Spanish: Isabelle Arsenault para niños