Dagmar Smith is an illustrator based in Chicago, making her picture book debut with Sky Luck. She loved bringing this story to life, as her work explores themes such as finding beauty in the everyday and the love between family. When she’s not doodling away in a café with a hot drink, Dagmar enjoys searching for her own luck with her calico cat, Penelope.

Sky Luck

Q&A with Dagmar Smith

Why were you drawn to illustrate this book?

I feel like every illustrator could relate to the idea of finding beauty in everyday moments- that is what half the craft is! In general in my life I find that to be a theme I try to bring in. This project came to me at a time in my life where I felt like I struggled to find meaning in my surroundings and it was a sweet reminder for me to lean on loved ones to help me through it. 

What was your process for illustrating this book? Any particular inspirations?

As my debut book, this project taught me a lot about my own creative process, especially when it comes to finding the right mood and atmosphere to create in.

For inspiration, I really tried to connect with my own sense of day-to-day wonder. I went on a lot of night walks, just taking in the quiet of nighttime and the glow of neighborhood windows. I also drew from personal memories- for example, I remember once as a kid, floating face-up in a pool for an excessive amount of time and just getting lost in the view of the sky! I tried to really hold onto those feelings. It was a bit of a challenge for me to incorporate the desert setting, since I honestly haven’t spent much time in that kind of environment, so I looked at pictures of New Mexico and Arizona to help me understand the feeling of the landscape. I also made a specific playlist that helped me get lost in the work.

I started each piece traditionally, sketching with colored pencils and coloring with gouache. I felt I needed that more intentional feeling that comes with working by hand. From there, I digitally drew over and adjusted the artwork as needed. Some pages lean more into that digital polish, while others preserve more of the traditional texture- I tried to follow what the drawing needed.