Elite Avni-Sharon is a freelance illustrator in a variety of styles, with 17 years of experience in virtual and printed media around the world. Illustrates for- adult, professional and children- literature, fashion, textile, advertising and public relations, merchandise, toys and Children products. Graduate of the Graphic Design Department at "Ascola" – School of Visual Communication.
Lives in Israel, with a demanding Macintosh, delicious husband, Pinkish girl and 3 cats.
Illustrated so far 17 children books and 20 books for young readers. Among the authors of her books: Galila Ron-Fedder, Smadar Shir, Zohar Aviv, Ora Morag, Meir Uziel, Kobi Oz, Sigal Kaplan and Gafi Amir.
Elite is the Illustrator Coordinator for SCBWI Israel.
How did you first get into illustration?
I didn't do so well at my Graphic design studies… Designed typography and clean minimalism were not exactly my style. I found myself illustrating all my projects instead of designing. Also – I loooove kitsch! Especially pink and glitter.
How do you start a new project of children book illustration?
This is the post I send my writers before we start– read here.
First I make sure the author knows about my passion to pink and glitter- and chooses me- in spite of it 馃檪
Then- I make small and very rough sketches- for the whole book- to make sure we all agree about the compositions and narrative flowing and which illustration goes where, as you can see here:
At the same time, we work on the main characters design
Then, after all the corrections and changes- I draw all the B&W lines- so you can see the characters and their backgrounds.
While the author kids paint it all for fun, we work on the final changes.
Then- I bring all my virtual glitter and pinkish out- and color it all in like there is no tomorrow. This is my favorite part- but also the hardest…
My technique for the illustrations is through the computer, using Photoshop software.
Then I read all the compliment the author sends me and wait for the book and the check. Not always at that order.
What is your artistic process, creating a new illustration?
I think of the potential reader's age, sometime- gender, about how the story relates to me and my favorite things in MY history- then I make it my own.
The cats I draw- are mine.
The kids I draw- are the kids I loooved in my old childhood books.
You can see the nostalgic colors and textures and fat cute figures in my drawings.
What would be your ultimate goal as an illustrator?
Ohhh…
I would love to work on a Pop-Up book, I would love to have a Disney movie with my characters, and merchandise!! Anything you can touch– ! Dolls, games, clothes- I love seeing my designs on actual shinny glittery plastic 
Did you work with clients from the international market? Can you tell us about it?
I used to illustrate lots of covers for a British Chess magazine. The thing is- I would put all my creative mind and efforts in this work, and would get back a dry comment like: "The upper left square in the chess game should be white," or something like that. 馃檪
What advice would you give to aspiring illustrators?
I am a huge fighter for copy rights- I think an illustrator MUST know his rights- because no one else will protect them.
I have a long post about it here, where you can find contracts, tips and simple explanations of the copyrights law.
I think an illustrator- creative and artistic as he thinks he is- MUST know how to market himself too.
One can find my advices here.
And I think an illustrator MUST progress with time. Learn new programs and techniques and try to work for the digital market-as much as he can- for this is the future. You can read about it here.
