Meet Ilya Ugnivenko, who illustrated "Treasure Island" and the "Keepers" trilogy

How did you get into the profession?

Everything turned out to be very banal. As a child, when he lived in Belarus, he drew a lot. The class teacher in junior high school noticed this, and recommended that I be sent to the Lyceum with an artistic direction. Then - moving to Kyiv. Entered the RHSSH named after T. G. Shevchenko for painting, and then at NAOMA as an illustrator. After the art academy, he taught at a children's art school for three years, but decided to go into book illustration.

What technique do you like to work in?

Now I work more at the computer. But one photoshop is not the end of the matter. In the illustration, I add scanned monotype textures, which I constantly collect in albums. The texture of hardened paint adds a pleasant noise to the illustration, the work ceases to be mechanical for the eyes. I also use a pen, gouache, mascara, etc.

Most unusual order?

Something like this has always eluded me. Therefore, one of the first orders was the most unusual. The customer wanted to publish comics for children. He already had a developed hero and main enemies. But the style he chose was more like comics for old jokes. Attempts to convince him were in vain, and I refused to do so.

Treasure Island. Was it difficult to illustrate?

I thought when I went to work that images from the old Soviet cartoon "Treasure Island" would hang over me. But after re-reading the book and listening to a good audio version, looking at old illustrations, I chose for myself comfortable manner with bright colors, textures that I love so much. Another difficulty was the transition from work on computer game to illustrate the book.But the work with brighter color combinations and a lively line was removed from stupor

What would you like to illustrate?

I would like to illustrate dystopias: "1984" by J. Orwell; "We" E. Zamyatin. Something else from the Strugatsky brothers, for example: "It's hard to be a god" or "Baby". And it would be interesting to take on V. Pelevin's "The Hermit and the Six-Handed".

An illustrator's perfect day?

I don't need much for a perfect day. It is enough to go to the park or sit in a cafe and draw sketches of passers-by. And if you notice the social interactions of animals on a walk in the park, it will be a good reward. Newly watched the crows defend their territory against outside crows. It was informative.