Anna Vaivare's refreshing and refined approach to comic book illustrations

Anna Vaivare is a Latvian illustrator whose watercolour style comics display a refreshing approach to the medium. Despite studying architecture, Anna has “always liked drawing, especially animals, silly creatures and creating characters.”

The illustrator’s introduction to drawing comic books was inspired by Latvian comic anthology Kuš! which is incidentally where her first piece was published. “That lead me closer to illustration and I think it has left marks in how I think about it, as I like to create additional stories in pictures, even if it doesn’t make a comic,” Ana explains. However despite her refined and contemporary approach to comics Anna is still developing a distinct style. “I am still searching for the right technique, lately I have been using combination of gouache and watercolours, partly because I like the result, but partly because I enjoy the process of painting itself.”

As a result her illustrations are full of energy and enjoyment. Anna’s mark-making is inspired using repetitiveness to display delicious textures, whether it be for swimming pool interiors or garments. Consequently Anna’s work displays an illustrator who takes time to research a subject and relishes in representing it instinctively. This has led to Anna creating illustrations for two children’s books. Her drawings for Saputrotā Putra by Leons Briedis won the International Baltic Sea Region Jānis Baltvilks prize for book art in 2016.

Still juggling two careers as an architect and illustrator, Anna’s portfolio displays how allocating time to a hobby can develop into a stimulating occupation.