You guys…I am a total fangirl today. I’ve been following Bernadette Marie Pascua’s work for several years now. Her blog used to be called Decade Diary and it was always one of the first things I looked at every day it was published. You can see why by scrolling through her beautiful archives. Bernadette regularly illustrates for fashion and beauty clients like Club Monaco, Kate Spade, Chanel, and online and print publications including GOOP, W Magazine, Elle, and Vogue Australia. Let’s learn more about her work!
You have such a great eye for color, both in your illustrations and the images that you share on your blog. What’s your process like for selecting color palettes for your projects?
Thank you! Color is actually a challenge for me. My preference is to make things as simple as possible – a singular color, or colors that look washed out. So I’m always pushing myself to try color combinations that go beyond my usual limits. For my personal projects, I’m inspired by colors that I am just naturally drawn to. I can’t really explain that process, but once get fixated on a color I’ll start to see it appear in my daily life, connecting to other colors in the world around me.
Tell me how you got started in your professional illustration career. Did you go to art school? How long have you been a professional illustrator?
When I was seventeen I moved from upstate New York to NYC and I took a year of Fashion Illustration courses. This was back in 2000 and while the course taught me so many invaluable lessons on drawing from the eye, I knew that it would be more beneficial for me to go with the times and be well versed in digital art. So I switched to Communication Design and got my AAS degree in that. I was really missing the fashion component so for my BFA I decided to pursue Textile Design.
After I graduated from art school, I worked the gamut of fashion jobs and internships. I made as many connections as I could and started getting my first commissions. Once the projects were steady, I quit my job and went fully freelance as a professional illustrator. This was about seven years ago.
Tell me about your first paid illustration job. Who was your client? How did you land the gig? Were you nervous? How did you feel about the final piece?
My first paid illustration job was with J.Crew. They commissioned me to create floral line drawings to use in their store displays nationwide. I got the job through a friend and was more excited than nervous, because I couldn’t believe that someone was actually going to pay me to make simple charcoal drawings. I love the way it turned out especially because I was drawing from such a naive, fresh mentality. It’s funny because seven years later, people are still posting those flower drawings, on instagram/tumblr three girls have already gotten them as tattoos! Crazy.
What is the best advice you have for new illustrators who are looking for work?
My best advice is to take your time. I feel like so many new illustrators are just rushing to get to that nebulous zenith of being “internet famous” because they see examples of instant recognition through platforms like Instagram. So there is this rush of mediocre work. While it is a great tool for getting your work out there to a worldwide audience, it is only one piece of the larger puzzle. I believe that if invest more time in making your portfolio really strong and establishing a business acumen, clients or an agent can see that shine through and will be interested to hire you.
I don’t have many followers on Instagram, but I have the comfort of knowing I’ve already worked with luxury clients, which was a result of me really taking my time in building my own personal style and taking from real life experiences.
The natural discovery of finding things on your own is priceless. Visit the library or museum. Draw from real things. I think that is what makes you a successful artist, just by living your own life and paying attention to a beautiful, real world. If your work reflects that solidity, I believe the work will come to you in due time.
What are you working on now?
Lately I have been working with mostly beauty clients. I just wrapped up a collaboration with a French heritage beauty brand and now starting a completely new one with another luxury French beauty house. I’m also working with some smaller beauty brands. I love working with all kinds of companies and friends as well. I’ve been lucky to always have “busy work” projects to balance my time – I’m also working on various handwriting, illustrated maps for clients or small styling gigs. They are projects that a lot of people might not see, or that I will be putting in my book right away, but they are good to have for the pay. I’ve been juggling those with personal projects I have on the side – I’m always the most happy painting or drawing on my own in my studio.
Thank you so much for sharing your beautiful and inspiring work with us, Bernadette! Read the rest of the Illustrator Interviews series right here.
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