This is just a tangent point that came after a small discussion about the use of alternative software for doing digital art, such as using GIMP or Krita instead of Photoshop @Lee-White @Miriam
I am sharing an article about the concept artist Adam Adamowicz, which worked for the game company that created Fallout and Skryim. He was an amazing and creative artist and it may be worth checking his artwork!
https://www.kotaku.com.au/2015/11/the-life-and-creativity-of-a-great-bethesda-artist/
I've read this article before and there are so many things that it inspires, but I really love this passage:
"In this temple to computer art, I couldn't believe that Adam worked in traditional media. He used pencils, pens, markers, coloured pencils and paint. What impressed me more than anything was the abundance of creativity... Flipping through his work, I was always struck by the bubbling confluence of subjects, a fearless fusion of influences. He developed his artwork using a range of tools: pens, markers, coloured pastels. His creations were a collection of distinct and disparate ideas. When designing an original gun, for instance, Adam didn't focus his research on the study of other guns, but on tesla coils, industrial power tools, or lab equipment. When designing outfits, Adam employed chew toys and oven mitts, radios and asbestos padding. The results were messy, ridiculous, and utterly original."
A clear example that the artist is primarily in your brain, and secondarily in your hands or in the tool you use.
I know this is not always the case, not all companies will be open to the idea of the artist using pastels and even within the company not every artist will be able to do that. Do not expect to use traditional media to create a 3D digital character (hum... you never know... maybe someone will make a stop motion animation of a clay character and input it in a game :P)
Nevertheless, I do think it is an eye-opener and shows how much one should not be restrained by a single way of doing things and, whenever it is possible, explore as much as you can!
I think that for children book illustration there are even more opportunities for such things - one of the several reasons I am loving the idea of working with it!
Of course there is more to learn from Adam's legacy, so, enjoy the article and feel free to share your thoughts!