The Art of Heikala: Works and Thoughts is the first major publication by popular Finnish illustrator Heikala. Heikala's artwork combines traditional watercolor painting and inks with a fresh, enchanting approach--fans love her charming characters and scenes that are largely influenced by Finnish and Japanese cultures. This combined with her in-depth sharing of her processes and knowledge, has given Heikala a social media following of over 400,000 on Instagram alone; she also has growing audiences on Tumblr, Facebook and Twitter. This visually appealing and coffee-table worthy, hardback art book not only includes Heikala's sketches, works in progress and beautifully presented paintings that her fans will be familiar with, it also includes never-before-seen images from along Heikala's creative journey; all new in-depth tutorials, thought processes and advice on watercolor painting; detailed how-to product design guides; and how she has built a successful career as an artist. A valuable book for fans, budding artists and experienced illustrators alike

"My art is centered on people and places; stories and feelings. I create art that feels nostalgic and familiar, striving to connect with the viewer on an emotional level. I like to tell stories through my works, and play around with different characters and environments. In this book I show my thought processes--everything that goes into creating my illustration. I also share tips I have learned along the way, as well as the evolution of my art through the years."--from introduction

• Foreword / Mateusz Urbanowicz
• Introduction
• Artistic journey. Beginning
• Early influences
• Education
• Artist alleys
• Behind the scenes. Workspace
• Tools and materials
• Watercolors
• Colored inks
• Unerasable tools
• Papers
• Inspiration and ideas. Finding inspiration
• Ideas behind illustrations
• Characters and settings
• Witches
• Storytelling
• Techniques and approaches. Sketching
• Pages from my sketchbook
• Format
• Linework
• Colors
• Special tools and finishing touches
• Style
• Building a profession. Sharing artworks online
• Printed media
• Books
• Designing products
• Graphic design
• Backgrounds for short animation
• Tutorials. Watercolor
• Ink
• Enamel pin