Meet the Illustrator Daniel Pauhl

Daniel is an illustrator from Vancouver and studied at Capilano University, graduating with a Bachelor of Design in Visual Communication. He loves creating worlds and visualizing the stories and characters that take place within them.

For more about Daniel please visit Danielpauhl.com.   

Creating a character that worked with the vision of the book was very much like searching for a new friend no one knew yet. Nikki and Daniel had to meet and get to know a lot of different characters. Every time they met with someone promising, they worked intuitively with them, trying out different variations and approaches. In the end, the right character was found, someone who is memorable, relatable and expressive.

"A thought is a thought. It's not me, it's just not."

As many artists can identify with, negative thoughts can easily overwhelm even the most accomplished. Learning to be mindful is so important and working on this project has taught Daniel how to think in a healthier way. Since he is a new parent, he can pass on this knowledge to his son Owen so that he too can be mindful as he grows up.

Nikki and Daniel worked closely together to create our star character. Starting with a series of ink blots, Daniel sketched various versions of the character. It was important to Nikki, the author, that the character was abstract, non-gendered and emotive.

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We used the characters simple features to emote a variety of emotions. From worry, to confidence, this character runs the gamut of emotions.  

The eyebrows were key in giving indicators of how the character was feeling. The simplistic mouth also provided cues to their emotional state. The direction of the pupils although consistently in a similar position, still helped tell the overall emotion. Lastly, the body language helped complete the expression of emotion, from hands on the hips to flailing limbs. 

Nikki worked with Daniel to create the thoughts as the second character(s) of the story. Nikki wanted to depict a busy, anxious mind, as having lots of thoughts that are overwhelming. When the character is able to calm their mind, there are fewer thought balls. It was important to Nikki that the thoughts are ever present, since we are not able to completely stop our thoughts, but with some effort and mindfulness, we're able to slow down the number of thoughts we are having.