Art has always been integral to Siraden’s story. A quick look around our website or any of our social media platforms will attest to that. From the first days of imagining this fantasy world, I have drawn the characters and maps, later branching out into scenes and full digital paintings. Looking back, I might still be drawing stiffly posed, expressionless characters (with really big feet) if not for the constant inspiration and challenge Siraden presented.

Every new story Duncan and I invented for Siraden involved new characters and opportunities for me to test my drawing skills. How could I give these people more personality, look more dynamic, and illustrate the different fantasy cultures they came from? I got drawing books, took art classes, read graphic novels and manga, and practiced, practiced, practiced. Almost everything I drew during middle school and high school was for Siraden. The story shaped my journey as an artist at the same time I was shaping the design of the story with my art.

But how do you come up with visuals for a shared story? I’m sure this is a familiar scenario when you’re reading a book with a friend:

“I pictured him with black hair.”

“Oh no. He’s a redhead.”

For Duncan and I, brainstorming a character’s appearance and setting’s aesthetic is pretty high on our to-do list so we can avoid that issue. We’ll toss ideas around and then I’ll run off to sketch. One of my favorite compliments from Duncan is, “You drew exactly what I imagined!”

Reaching the stage of publishing Siraden has brought the chance to stretch my artistic skills, such as trying out book cover design, and to share the troves of images I’ve been building during the years of writing these stories. As you explore the Siraden books, I hope the artwork we post will complement your adventure!

Check out our art pages and follow us on Facebook and Twitter to keep up with the incoming illustrations!  I’m always up to something. Maybe one day I’ll even learn to draw feet.

~Morgan