Isabelle Arsenault facts for kids

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

Isabelle Arsenault (born in 1978) is a talented Canadian illustrator. She lives in Montreal, Quebec. Isabelle is famous for her detailed yet simple artwork in children's books. She has won many awards for her amazing illustrations.

Isabelle's Early Life and Art Journey

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. It was held by her local newspaper.

Winning this contest helped her realize her love for art. She said, "I understood that I really enjoyed drawing." She also learned she could use her skills to create unique things. Isabelle did not go to art school when she was young. She did not know art would be her future job. However, she took many art classes in Secondary school. Her teachers inspired her a lot. She often spent hours drawing and creating art outside of class.

Isabelle's Award-Winning Career

Isabelle Arsenault has won many important awards for her illustrations. In 2005, she won the Governor General's Award for French-language children's illustration. This was for the book Le Coeur de Monsieur Gauguin. The story was written by Marie-Danielle Croteau.

She won the same award again in 2013. This time it was for her illustrations in the graphic novel Jane, le renard et moi. Fanny Britt wrote the text for this book. Jane, le renard et moi also won other awards. These included the Joe Shuster Award for outstanding artist. The English version, Jane, the fox and me, was named one of the ten best illustrated children's books of 2013 by the New York Times.

Another book she illustrated, Migrant, was also on the New York Times' list in 2011. In 2012, Isabelle won the Governor General's Award for English-language children's illustration. This was for the book Virginia Wolf, written by Kyo Maclear. In 2020, IBBY Canada nominated Isabelle Arsenault for the Hans Christian Andersen Award. This nomination recognized her important contributions to children's literature.

How Isabelle Creates Her Art

Isabelle's Unique Visual Style

Isabelle Arsenault's art style is often called "minimalist." This means it uses simple shapes and colors. Her illustrations are usually very colorful. Instead of drawing many hard lines or super detailed backgrounds, she draws with an easy touch. She uses these simple images and the story's words to show strong feelings.

Isabelle's art often tries to make the reader feel emotions. She focuses on showing what a character is thinking or feeling. She pays less attention to why they feel that way. For example, in her book Migrant, the background is not the main focus. Instead, a young Mennonite farmer's child imagines herself and others as jackrabbits and kittens.

Planning Her Illustrations

example of a doodle

Isabelle says her unique style comes from making rough drawings, called doodles, at the start. These early drafts help her understand the whole visual story she wants to create. She explains that doodling gives her freedom. It allows her to express her feelings through her art when she finishes a piece. Her style comes from trying new things and being open to mistakes.

Books Illustrated by Isabelle Arsenault

See also

In Spanish: Isabelle Arsenault para niños