Welcome to Brooklyn, and the lovely little studio space of illustrator Olivia de Castro! You might recognize her  from this recent library event, where she and other artists joined us to celebrate Ulises Carrión.

Vibrant and full of color and characters, Olivia’s illustrations capture moments and interactions with tremendous joy and energy (check out her portfolio here!). Her newest release, Great Idea Malia! (Holiday House, 2024) comes out this September. Here’s a sneak peek of the cover…

My commute to work every morning is pretty short, since my workspace is in my living room. Even though it’s small, I enjoy the coziness of my prewar apartment in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. I seem to be allergic to hanging up my art prints on the wall, so I like to prop them up along my desk instead. My goal is to eventually hang them all up in the style of a gallery wall; they are a great source of inspiration.

To start my day I always need a fresh mug of hot tea and a glass of ice cold water. If I don’t have at least 2 liquids on my desk at all times, I can’t get any work done! I work in mixed media and I start my illustrations with traditional mediums at my desk. My rolled pencil case includes a variety of tools that I can reach for in order to get the textures I want, including various watercolors, gouache, micron pens, colored pencils and markers.

My favorite tools at the moment are a simple mechanical pencil and my trusty Pentel brush pen. I always finish my pieces digitally after scanning in my textures and brushwork.
Even though I’m working in a smaller space, I am able to fit everything I need in my little corner. My desk and chair were passed down to me from my grandfather, and working at his desk makes me feel closer to him and my family. Having the flexibility to work from home is incredibly useful, it allows me to work comfortably in my living room or I can take my work on the road.

When I am not illustrating in my apartment, my favorite spots are my local coffee shop, the library, and even Prospect Park for a change of scenery and some fresh air.

Images by Matthew DePrizio, and courtesy of Olivia de Castro