Behind the Scenes - Illustrating a Cosy Christmas Editorial Commission for a Magazine
I was recently commissioned by Homes & Antiques magazine to illustrate a festive Christmas scene featuring an antique shop set in a Georgian building. The brief called for classic Christmas charm, plenty of decorations, falling snow, and a family walking past, taking in the magic. A dream project!
Collaboration with So Typical Me
As an illustrator, there is nothing more fun than seeing your work on actual physical products. I love how these journals featuring my colourful houses have turned out.
A Calamity of Mannerings - Illustrating a Book Cover
A publisher got in contact with me asking me to illustrate a book cover and several black and white spot illustrations for a book they described as I Capture the Castle meets Bridgerton. I love this era of literature, so this was the perfect project for me!
2022 Round up
I’ve done a little recap of the year because I wanted to take a moment to look back on the projects I’ve completed. I often find that when I’m working on a project I can’t share it because it’s top-secret, and then by the time the work comes out I’m onto something else, so often I forget to even share the work that I’ve done! So it’s nice to look back and reflect on a year full of book covers, greetings cards, editorial illustration, books and online courses.
The Perfect Gouache Sketchbook
If you follow my work on Instagram, or read this blog you probably know that I love working in a sketchbook! However for awhile I’ve been searching for the perfect gouache sketchbook, and when I couldn’t find one I decided to design my own!
New Book -The Further Adventures of Miss Petitfour
I am so excited to announce that Miss Petitfour is back for another adventure! Haven’t heard of her? Let me introduce her…
How I got started as an Illustrator
I often get asked how I got started as an illustrator, so here is an up-to-date account. This is just my story of how I became an illustrator, it is definitely not a guide on how to become an illustrator. Everybody’s path is different and everyone the circumstances are are unique. I think my situation was certainly a little bit unusual!
Getting Better at Drawing People
People often ask me how to get better at drawing people. For me the best way to get better at drawing people in a more natural way, understanding how to show movement and body language, is people watching.
Social Distancing Postcards for Pai
A set of five social distancing themed postcards for Pai.
Finding your Style
I often get questions from people about finding their style, and yesterday I had a really great question. Somebody asked me how she could learn from me, but not just make replicas of what I teach and really make the drawings and paintings her own. I thought this was a great question, so I thought I would share my answer here in case it’s useful to anybody else.
Patterned Papers for Mollie Makes
I was excited to be asked to illustrate this months pull out prints for Mollie Makes. It’s so lovely when when one of your oldest clients let you try out something new.
Confessions of a Workaholic
So many creative freelancers have relentless working practices that end up harming them mentally or physically. I was one of them. I really had no choice but to find a way of working that was sustainable for me physically, emotionally and financially. This is how I changed my habits and moulded my career into something that was no longer actively harming me.
Own Your Story with Kikki.K
Back in January I had a day of filming with a stationery brand that I really love. Kikki K have just launched a new collection called Own Your Story, and they gave me the opportunity to share a bit more of my story with you
2017 in Review
It’s that time again, the year in review blog post! I’m terrible at remembering what I’ve done in a year, and tend to think I haven’t done much of anything, which is why I’ve got my diary out so I can go through month by month and remind myself of all the exciting stuff that’s happened.
How to Wear a Beret
So apparently the beret is back in fashion, which is news to me. Was it ever not in fashion??
Why it Doesn't Pay to Work for Free
Working for free has been a big issue for a long time in the illustration industry, but I really feel it's becoming a bit of a problem at the moment. Here are the reasons why I think it doesn't pay to work for free.
National Stationery Week
Happy National Stationery Week! I love stationery and I'm not the only one. I don't know why stationery bring so much joy. Maybe because it's an affordable treat that can be both practical and beautiful.
A Few Wise Words
Over on Instagram I shared some of my top tips as part of #MarchMeetTheMarker. They were just a few nuggets of wisdom I have cleaned in my 5 1/2 years of freelancing. It was one of my most popular ever Instagram post, so I thought I would share it again here. Obviously I am a freelance illustrator, but I think this advice could apply to any freelance creative.
Finding Inspiration
In this blog post I wanted to talk a little bit about inspiration. I personally define inspiration as feeling motivated to do something or create something. It's that feeling when you read a great book and immediately want to sketch the main character, or you go somewhere so beautiful that you can't stop taking photos, filming or sketching.
My Favourite Art Materials
I often get asked about the art materials I use, so I thought I'd list some of my favourites here.