frequently asked questions

wait, you're a lady?

Yep! Big surprise to every substitute teacher I’ve ever had!

are you accepting commissions?

My availability for commissions tends to be super limited, unfortunately! However, I do sporadically offer one-minute portrait commissions (affectionately dubbed “one-minnies,” messy and whimsical Pictionary-style portraits I draw in approximately 60 seconds) whenever I can fit them into my schedule. I always announce openings on my instagram, and I sell the portraits through my ko-fi.

For publishing inquiries, plz contact my rockstar literary agent Monica Odom at monica@odommediamgmt.com.

where can i buy your stuff online?

I sell digital downloads at my etsy shop and portraits (sometimes, see above!) at my ko-fi.

what is your advice for aspiring illustrators?

My biggest advice is to draw lots of art and post it all over your social media!! Literally every art opportunity I have ever gotten has resulted from someone finding my art online. Don't stress if it takes a while, just keep doing your thing!

how did you come up with the name Roaring Softly?

I was inspired by this Ingrid Bergman quote: "I was the shyest human ever invented, but I had a lion inside me that wouldn't shut up!" ♥

can i buy your prints at any brick-and-mortar shops?

Not yet, but I have sold art at Renegade Craft Fair in Chicago for many years. Follow me on social media (at the bottom of the page) to stay updated!

What tools do you use for digital art?

Currently, I work with an iPad Pro, Apple Pencil, and the Procreate app, my favorite setup yet!! I also sometimes edit my art (and make gifs) with Photoshop. In the past, I've used Acorn for Mac by Flying Meat Software (big love), Wacom tablets (the Bamboo Capture and then the Cintiq), and the iPhone app Genius Scan for scanning ink drawings into my computer.

what are your favorite procreate brushes?

6B Pencil is my number one go-to! I also love Brush Pen for lettering, Gloaming for rosy-ing people’s cheeks, and Watercolor and Nikko Rull for semi-transparent or messy opaque background color, respectively.

what traditional materials do you use?

I'm not super particular when it comes to traditional media, but my super favs are Micron pens (.2 is my favorite size), Prismacolor colored pencils, and whatever cheapie watercolor set I have in the closet. For bullet journaling, I love Muji pens, Tombow dual brush markers, and Zebra Mildliners.

how did you become a professional illustrator?

Short answer: determination + patience + good luck. Growing up, drawing was my Thing but I never really knew art could be a real-life career -- I thought it was just a fun hobby. My mom died when I was in college, and after graduation I moved back home to be with my family. I took some time to heal and got a very boring job in data entry at an accounting firm. I desperately needed a creative outlet, so I decided to try posting my ink doodles to tumblr, and I eventually opened an etsy shop selling blog design, custom illustrations, and prints. Over the next several years, my following grew and I started getting more sales and freelance opportunities until I was able to make it my full-time thing! It was super gradual and I continue to feel so lucky that things fell into place the way they did.