KIND AND KICKING BUTT

Luisa Preissler reveals the thinking behind her illustrations of female fantasy warriors

What led you to create these images of confrontational female action heroes?

It all came from my passion for reading urban fantasy novels with strong female heroines. These women are independent, and they do what’s necessary to take care of the bad guys. I appreciate female beauty, but what makes it really interesting for me is always a balance of strength and softness.

What kinds of female characters are most interesting to you? Characters that are multi-layered and have a compelling backstory, not just a pretty face – even though I like that, too. I think it’s very important that they are still vulnerable despite their strength, and take care of others while overcoming their challenges. In essence: women with a kind heart who kick butt.

Tell us about your process for creating your images.

The clothing and weapons are described in the books I illustrate; I love it when a cover shows the character and surroundings exactly as described in the books. I often like to work with dramatic lighting, using a one-point light source from above to obscure the eyes and have defined shadows that make the character look more mysterious. I also love to use powerful stances and centred compositions.