Hello! I'm Carla Martell, an illustrator and designer based in Aotearoa New Zealand. All those years getting in trouble for doodling in class (usually animals with hats on) eventually paid off, as I'm now illustrating children's books, designing for animation and dreaming up new multimedia projects.
Most of my designs are drawn by hand then digitally combined with handmade textures and typography. I'm a big fan of printmaking, writing words that go with pictures and turning my hand to making images move. I'm also a licensed artist, creating designs for products such as gift wrap, greeting cards, wall art and homewares.
Please do get in touch if you have any questions, suggestions, commissions or design requests - I'd love to hear from you.
TULIP AND DOUG: A Spud-tacular Friendship Story
Emma Wood & Carla Martell (Scholastic)
Tulip was famous in her neighbourhood for two reasons: 1. She was a fearless adventurer. 2. She went everywhere with a seriously strange sidekick-a potato, called Doug!
Tulip and Doug are inseparable, until catastrophe strikes and Tulip loses her best spuddy buddy. She is inconsolable, until she makes a new friend. A boy. With a pet rock ... called Susan.
'Carla Martell's illustrations are adorable, reminding me of another favourite artist, Oliver Jeffers. The colours are vibrant and pop off the page. The view of adventureland, at least Tulip's, is spectacular.' THE GROOVE BOOK REPORT
'Carla Martell's illustrations are super fun and vibrant, hitting that right spot between current and not-too-likely-to-date-too-soon - not always an easy feat. The design makes good use of each whole double-page spread but plays around with the ways that it does so, and Carla plays with perspective in ways that really pull you into the story and give it dimension.' BRIAR LAWRY: THE SAPLING
