Sitting at a restaurant in Kupondole, illustrator Chris Haughton flips through his latest children’s book and explains the story, page by page, of the lost baby owl. [break] Haughton’s images are bright, colorful, and adorable to the extent that it will bring out the kid in any adult. “A Bit Lost”, however, is in Korean.
“The English version will be ready in August,” shares the native of Ireland, who is on his third trip to Nepal. He was here seven years back. “Kathmandu has expanded,” he exclaims, stretching his hands wide open.
Haughton studied graphic design in college, and before exploring his own avenues, he worked with various companies designing logos and advertisements.
“I really wanted to do something on my own, instead of doing what others were asking me to do,” says Haughton, who began working as a freelance illustrator six years back.
“I always wanted to create a children’s book, and I gave myself a deadline to put one together for the Bologna Children’s Book Fair in Italy,” says Haugton and reveals, “I submitted my proposal to many publishers and got the best response from a Korean company. That’s why the book is in Korean.”
Apart from working on to publish his book in English, Haughton is currently working on multiple projects, from making illustrations for Jameson Irish Whisky to designing graphics for a snowboard company in the US.
“I also do illustrations for People Tree which is a fair trade company based in the UK,” he puts in, showing some of his designs.
Haughton uses Photoshop to complete his images after laying out his ideas in his sketchbook. “Before, I used to do elaborate drawings on paper but the computer has changed that,” he informs about his style of working in simple blocks of bold and flat colors, lacking in gradients. “I take pictures of my sketches and use the computer to color them in,” demonstrates Haughton with his graphic tablet and stylus.
“With the Internet, it’s easy to work as an illustrator from any part of the world, and potentially, it’s wide open,” says Haughton, who has a studio in London but is constantly on the move. On the contrary, he also adds, “But with load shedding here, it’s quite a problem.”
Apart from hunting for generator-equipped houses during the past one month in Kathmandu, Haughton has been talking to handicraft companies to create toys of his book characters.
“The crafts in Kathmandu are so good, but I’m also looking for a fair trade company,” he says, holding a sample of a felt baby owl.When asked whether his owl had a name. Haughton replies, “No, not yet,” and asks, “What do you call owls in Nepali?”
Chris Haughton will be speaking at the Kathmandu University Center for Art and Design in Mandikhatar today, March 18 at 1 pm. KUart and photo.circle are jointly organizing a three-day illustration workshop with Haughton on March, 22, 24 and 26. Entry Fee: Rs 3,000. Interested individuals are encouraged to contact sujanchitrakar@gmail.com.
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