Featured Artist: Yee Ting Kuit

Hello there! Tell us a little bit about yourself.

Hello! I'm Yee and I'm a freelance illustrator. I graduated from Falmouth a few years ago. Towards the end of my A Levels there was a 50/50 chance I could have gone down the more straightforward path of studying maths at university but I decided drawing and a creative route was more enjoyable. I was not wrong! :)

What are you currently working on right now?

Well, I'm starting to learn how to html - I managed to convert my website into html recently which was quite a technical feat for me! I even managed to shoehorn in some CSS and Javascript too. There are a couple of potential commissions in the pipeline too which I'm very excited about. I am also looking to take part in more events this year, especially in my local area if possible. Oh, and producing more illustrations of course!

Where do you see yourself in 10 years time?

Hopefully doing my freelance illustration full-time from a beach hut in Hawaii?? Haha, I don't know really! :) I think it's important to have a rough idea of where you want to be in life but I don't like to think too far ahead. You end up worrying about things that haven't actually happened yet! I think I definitely want to be making my living from my illustration in 10 years time that's for sure.

What drew you to illustration?

My sister and I used to spend most of our time doing creative things. Mainly drawing. My mum used to say that we were working our way through a few forests' worth of trees in paper! I found some of my old school exercise books from when I was in primary school and I think that even as early as then I already had the drawing bug. I think I have just always been more of a pictures/visual person rather than a literary one. I can't write for toffee.

Would you mind sharing a little about your creative process with us?

I like to spend most of my time thinking through ideas and doodling little thumbnails. Once I've got the idea down I normally have a good idea of what kinds of colours I'll use so it's just a case of drawing out a bigger rough in pencil, scanning it onto the computer and then doing all the technical bits using a combination of Photoshop and Illustrator. Sometimes, if I've been working on an image for a long time, I like to wander off for a tea break and come back to it. Time away from the screen makes it easier to decide whether it is finished or whether it needs some minor tweaking.

 Where are you located?

I am currently pottering away in the north west of England, in the grand ol' city of Manchester. It rains a lot - but you get used to it.

Links

http://www.yeellustration.co.uk

http://www.twitter.com/yeellustration

http://yeellustration.blogspot.com

http://www.facebook.com/yeellustration

http://yeellustration.bigcartel.com/

http://www.etsy.com/shop/yeellustration?ref=si_shop

http://society6.com/yeellustration

Featured Artist: Max Lockwood

 

Hello there! Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I’m Max Lockwood, I am a recent graduate from Southampton Solent University with a BA (Honours) in Illustration. Right now I’d say that I was a fledgling Illustrator hoping to make a mark on the industry that I have grown to love over the years. I enjoy drawing and creating artwork and couldn’t really see myself doing anything else...

What are you currently working on right now?

At the moment I’ve been working on a self-initiated project called ‘Hearty Seas’ which is based on all things nautical and obscure. I aim to turn into a small story or zine. But my main drive so far has been my creative design agency which I run with my brother called Peow Peow. It is merely a collaboration and a place to showcase our works where we offer graphics, illustration and print services.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years time?

I have got to be honest, I haven’t really thought that far ahead but I do know that I’m happy with the way my work is developing and am beginning to hone in on a specific style. I’m sure later on in life my work will take different turns and I may become influenced by other aspects as I get older that will change the way I work. I do hope that I’ll be living elsewhere, possibly Canada continuing to do Illustration and hopefully get some of my artwork published, but I can only dream...

What drew you to illustration?

 Well I’ve always been interested in art from a young age, but I would have to give credit to my father for introducing me to Illustration, who in fact isn’t all that art minded. In 2007 he stumbled upon an article in the Guardian Newspaper of an exhibition by the well respected Illustrator John Vernon Lord at The University of Brighton’s Centre for Contemporary Visual Art and suggested to go see it. I was drawn to his work instantly and was mesmerized by the sheer detail and accuracy he put into each of his works and I knew from then on that I wanted to pursue a career in Illustration.

Would you mind sharing a little about your creative process with us?

My creative process is based on inspiration I get from music, nature, animals, antiquities, and life experiences. My work is a combination of detailed, hand drawn illustration and print, in pen & ink. I focus my work on intense detail and strong drawing. When starting a new project I always begin by sketching out in rough the composition and layout, then inking in my lines using Staedtler, Edding, and Sharpie fine-liners where I will then scan my pieces and finish off by colouring using Photoshop. My work uses a lot of line art and more than often combines animal elements, as well as digital and traditional media.

Where are you located?

I’m currently living in Reading, UK...but dream of living in Canada.

See more of Max’s work here:

Website: http://www.maxlockwood.co.uk/

Blog: http://maxlockwood.blogspot.com/

Twitter: http://twitter.com/peowpeowdesign

Facebook Fan Page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/PEOW-PEOW/147489931931232

Featured Artist: Jardley Jean-Louis

1. Hello there! Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I'm Jardley. I pretty much draw everyday which is something I don't think I ever thought I'd say (doodles didn't count for me). I would like to get back to making things with my hands though as well as tacking on stop-motion animation as a skill. I've watched more tv shows than I realized and I swear I've been telling people I'm learning the guitar and harmonica for about three years now so I need to actually get moving on that...

2. What are you currently working on right now?

At the moment I'm setting up my shop with SupaDupa to sell prints of my illustrations, I'm also brainstorming and drawing pieces for the next issues of Peculiar Bliss and Society6 respectively.

3. Where do you see yourself in 10 years time?

Idk I've not actually thought of a clear view of where I'll be at 30-31. I'm sure I'll be more wrinkly. I hope I'm a different person than I am today. More me, and happier. I don't mind not really knowing what creative endeavors I'll have done by then because I'm sure I'd have changed my mind so many times and pursued/succeeded in different interests of mine. I do know I hope I'm either working on some stop-motion and live action films or have some under my belt.

4. What drew you to illustration?

Er, I don't know. I've been drawing since I could think. I do know that when I was considering a major for college apps I wasn't sure if I should go for Fine Art or Illustration and was under the impression that you get more freedom in Illustration. I don't even really consider what I do illustration but just that I'm an artist and I like drawing and creating a scene. There's a need there that I hope never goes away.

5. Would you mind sharing a little about your creative process with us?

Creative process, okay: Well I rarely write my ideas down, nor do I ever sketch out an idea, they're all usually in my mind. The first draft is usually the final draft. So sometimes I have a ton of ideas that will make their way as a piece soon swirling in my head. If I don't have an idea of what I'm doing either I will stare into space (yep)  I picture the setting, the point of view, and how I want each person's position to be, then I look for references on Flickr or google images but mostly Flickr like crazy. Once I've got the jist of what I'm looking for I search for a podcast, listen to my Pandora playlists, or have Buffy playing in the background while I'm drawing. First pencil, than watercolor or diluted acrylic or anything that helps. I rely on an old advice a teacher had told me which basically was "use anything that will give you the desired affect you're looking for". Now, the coloring of the piece is the part where I've got nothing planned out nor look for reference. The color for a person's specific shirt or whatever just comes to me just from looking at that particular object on the paper. And the piece is done.

6. Where are you located?

Right now I live in Queens, NY.

See more of Jardley here: 

Portfolio

Society6

Twitter

Featured Artist Issue 1: Catherine Pape

What couldn’t you live without?

Music to listen to, nice people to dance and go for walks with.

How do you create your images?

Usually they begin with pencil, and then any combination of ink, watercolours, coloured pencils and computer.

Do you have a studio?

I have a bedroom. It's a nice bedroom though. I use the illustration studios at my university as well.

Do you have a shop? (Please include link information)

Not yet!

What’s your typical working day?

It's different all the time. Often I work at uni during the day, and at my desk at home in the evening. But a lot of the time, depending on the project, I go outside and draw from life in interesting places.

Twitter or Facebook? (Please include link information)

twitter: @catherinedraws

my portfolio and blog are at www.keepthisillustration.com.

Are you a tea or coffee person?

Tea, all the way!

Do you prefer traditional or digital work?

I like it when traditional and digital work can combine to create something amazing, but nothing beats going to a gallery and seeing painstakingly handcrafted artwork in real life.

Where do you get inspiration from?

Nature, the wilderness, textile patterns, early morning mist, motorways, psychedelia, in-between places, the night sky.

What do you do when creative block strikes?

I play the piano - using a different kind of creativity helps.

Why did you become an illustrator?

I'm still a student, but I always wanted to be an artist. I couldn't really imagine anything I'd rather do than draw and paint, creating images for a living.

What projects are you currently working on that we should keep

our eyes peeled for?

I'm working on a book – it's based on a song from my band – it's called Flora.

If you could have any pet,what would it be?

A pug and a kitten.

What would you like to do more of in the future?

More painting – branching out from watercolours into other media. Waking up earlier. Swimming in the sea.

You are walking along the road and stub your toe on something,

it turns out to be a magic lantern with a genie inside. He grants you one wish.

What is it?

So hard to decide! Either a flying bike, the ability to sing like a whale, or an instant camera that never runs out of film. 

See more of Catherine here: 

Portfolio

Twitter

Blog

Featured Artists: OpenDoorsLondon Exhibition

OpenDoorsLondon curate pop-up galleries using London boroughs as an inspiration. Their aim is to get artists, photographers and illustrators to take creative inspiration from their local area and communities. 

"We accept artists based not on where they live or how successful they have been so far, but on their willingness to create work inspired by or relevant to the area.This is because we believe that art tells a story that is in some way relevant to the local people. We want to encourage local residents to get excited by art and and to hopefully pop-in and buy the art. "

We hope they come to North London in the future as we'd love to take part!

The next exhibition will be based on the borough SW4 which will take place on Saturday 3rd December in Clapham North Arts Centre. To mark the occasion OpenDoorsLondon are running a competition which involves finding BlogDog around SW4! The clues can be found either by following them on Twitter or their blog . Once you find the dog return it to the exhibition and you'll be in for a prize. So hurry what are you waiting for? This sounds fun!

For more details about the exhibition click here. 

Blog: http://opendoorslondon.blogspot.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/OpenDoorsLondon

Featured Artist: Celeste Palacios

Hello there! Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I am a painter and illustrator from Argentina, living and working in Germany. I'm a graduate student of the Academy of Fine Arts in Córdoba.

I love drawing, photography, traveling, and hot chocolate.

What are you currently working on right now?

At this moment I´m working on some paintings for a new series. Currently some of my works are exposed in the museum of the city Tecate in Baja California, Mexico.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years time?

I hope I'll live either in Salvador de Bahia, enjoying the brasilian sun and the beach, or in Berlin, my preferred city of the world. And obviously, I see my self painting and working, doing what I really love.

What drew you to illustration?

Since my childhood drawing is a great passion for me, and that's why I studied fine art. In the world of illustration I find endless possibilities to express my emotions and impressions. That's why I always wanted to be an illustrator.

Would you mind sharing a little about your creative process with us?

My creative process is based on inspiration I get from music, feelings and life experiences. To start a new project I always begin drawing sketches. After that I transfer the idea on canvas with acrylic colors, or on the computer. To realize illustrations for magazines, fine art prints or designs, the computer has become an important tool for me.

Where are you located?

I live in the multicultural city of Köln, at the river Rhine.

Website: www.celestepalacios.com

Blog: http://celestepalacios-art.blogspot.com/

Featured Artist Issue 1: Fiona Purves

What couldn’t you live without?

Payne’s Grey acrylic ink

How do you create your images?

Lots of sketching/thinking then drawing on bigger bits of paper, scanning in and tidying up and/or rearranging in Photoshop.

Do you have a studio?

Nope, I work at my desk in my bedroom!

Do you have a shop?

Yes, I have an etsy shop – http://etsy.com/shop/fionapurves

What’s your typical working day? When I have a day off from my day job which I spend doing illustration, I will spend a while faffing on the internet looking at pretty stuff, then I will devise a to do list, or consult my latest one, and get on with doing what I need to be doing (but often will find other things to do!) for the whole day, with lots of breaks for tea and cakes.

Twitter or Facebook?

I use both (www.twitter.com/fiona_purves and http://www.facebook.com/pages/Fiona-Purves-Illustration/132014383544056?sk=info) but prefer Twitter.

Are you a tea or coffee person?

Tea!

Do you prefer traditional or digital work?

Traditional

Where do you get inspiration from?

All over the place! I find a lot of inspiration in my daily surroundings, as they look different everyday and I always notice different details, colours and characters.

What do you do when creative block strikes?

Try to re-inspire myself by looking at blogs, websites and books. I will go through a phase of being negative but once I have this out of my system I try to start from fresh and draw new things I wouldn’t draw normally.

Why did you become an illustrator?

I find illustration fascinating, and there are always new things to explore and develop.

What projects are you currently working on that we should keep

our eyes peeled for?

I’m working on quite a big personal project based on cities and maps.

If you could have any pet, what would it be? I would love to have a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, and I’d also like a Tortoise and a Guinea Pig...

What would you like to do more of in the future?

I really want to learn how to take good photographs.

You are walking along the road and stub your toe on something, it turns out to be a magic lantern with a genie inside. He grants you one wish.

What is it?

To be able to visit the Galapogos Islands.

You can see more of Fiona and her work here: 

Portfolio

Facebook
Etsy 

Blog

Twitter

Featured Artist: Lydia Fee

Hello there! Tell us a little bit about yourself.

Hello. I am a mixed-media artist, freelance illustrator, card maker and lover of all things Brixton!

What are you currently working on right now?

I have few projects on the go at the moment. A job to design a wedding invitation, a private commission and ongoing work for the Ritzy Picturehouse Cinema.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years time?

I couldn’t tell you! I have hopes for the future but I try to take each and every day as it comes. I have been thinking about living and working in Berlin with a friend for a while. The seed has been planted in my mind and I am starting to believe that this might be an exciting possibility…

What drew you to illustration?

Nothing. I have always been doing it because it makes me happy.

Would you mind sharing a little about your creative process with us?

My work is mixed-media and I combine traditional techniques with modern technology and ideas. My practice has recently evolved and I now use print as a major foundation in my image-making process. The vibrancy of the oil-based inks and subtle textures are not something that I feel can be mimicked digitally.

Where are you located?

I live in Tulse Hill, South London. I am passionate about my area and the local community. I volunteer at my local park and spend most of my spare time in Brixton Village, eating, drinking and rummaging for goodies!

See more of Lydia's work here:

Portfolio: www.lydiafee.co.uk
Agency: www.handsomefrank.com
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/lydiafee

Featured Artist Issue 1: Megan Frauenhoffer

What couldn't you live without?

My laptop. I don't think I could work without Adobe programs, my music and a regular feed of inspiration from artists all over the world.

How do you create your images?

I work off of sketches mostly. Sometimes I use photoshop to plan my images out. Since I consider myself a printmaking artist, I rely on a lot of indirect processes to create my images such as silkscreen or block printing. However, I can't help myself when it comes to adding personal touches into the final art. I often draw or paint on top of the prints or cut up and collage the pieces into something new altogether.

Do you have a studio?

Yes, it's small, but it does the job. My goal is to build my own little silkscreen/printshop set up so I can start printing at home.

Do you have a shop? (include links)

Yes, I sell through Etsy, Big Cartel, and Society6. They can all be found on this link (http://meganfrau.com/blog/store)

What's your typical working day?

I go to my day job of teaching kids art. Then I take a few hours to transition from that job until I'm feeling refreshed again, which usually involves wasting time on the internet or watching tv. By the time it's dark outside, I usually slip into my studio and work until I'm sleepy.

Twitter or Facebook? (include links)

Both, although my twitter acts more as feed for my facebook fanpage and tumblr blog. I trying to tweet more since I can text with my phone to twitter.

http://www.twitter.com/meganfrau

http://facebook.com/megan.frauenhoffer

Are you a tea or coffee person?

Coffee. I'm not  against tea, I just prefer the caffeine buzz that coffee gives me. I'll drink a fruity tea when I want to relax.

Do you prefer traditional or digital work?

I work with both, but I have a bias towards traditional media. It's more exciting to see in person. Digital prints are always a little bit of a let down in comparison, but they beat out in price. Whenever I want to acquire a new artwork, I try to collect traditional work. I tend to collect small drawings, watercolor paintings, and printmaking pieces since those are in my price range.

Where do you get inspiration from?

Lately, my inspiration draws from literary sources than visual. I've been reading gothic horror novels and fables, which give me plenty of ideas for imagery or mood. I also collect ideas whenever I rework my bad prints into collage material. I am able to see my images in a way that I would not have dream up in the sketch process.

What do you do when creative block strikes?

Normally I don't have a creative block because I work on such a limited schedule for my studio projects. I'm usually itching to start 10 ideas but only have time for 2-3 drawings. Last year was different because I finished school and was completely burned off of art. I spent the year marketing, working on my website, reading, going to and participating in exhibitions, and writing ideas into my sketchbook. So much work with being an artist doesn't involve the actual art making, it would be stupid to waste time moping about lack of ideas. Put that time to good use!

Why did you become an illustrator?

I don't separate the illustrator and artist roles in my life. Usually, I take on more commercial illustration projects because the project aligns itself towards my own work. I'm not sure I could be a full time illustrator unless it was a graphic novel or children's book I put together or collaborated with another artist or writer.

What projects are you currently working on that we should keep our eyes peeled for?

Working on artwork that will incorporate found materials and a return to relief printing. I'm going to tap into printmaking more and attempt a collograph for the project. I'll be sure to post the progress on my blog.

If you could have any pet, what would it be?

I'll go mythological with this question and say a kitsune, although they probably wouldn't want to be kept as pets. It would be pretty awesome though if they did exist.

What would you like to do more of in the future?

Travel to interesting sites around the world. Growing up in middle America gets a little boring and I want to see something different and unfamiliar.

You are walking along the road and stub your toe on something, it turns out to be a magic lantern with a genie inside. He grants you one wish. What is it?

I think reading Goosebumps novels as a kid makes me distrustful of wish granting genies. The wishes granted would probably turn for the worse and it would be better to not ask.

Check out Megan here as well:  

Portfilio
Twitter
Facebook
Society6
Etsy