Profile
I was born in Essex and grew up in the countryside near the North Sea coast, but I moved to west Devon as a teenager and now live in Cornwall. I’ve been drawing for as long as I can remember, and I developed a passion for it at a young age as it allowed my imagination to run free in a way nothing else does. As a child, I also liked to spend a lot of time outside, as the countryside around my hometown was very flat and vast. This landscape fed my desire for exploration.
While my interests have developed beyond these influences, I still have an affinity with nature and this makes its way into my illustrations. However, I’m also inspired by mythology, folklore and fantasy too, which adds a different dimension to my work. My childhood ambition was to work in character design, as I processed reality by imagining characters and telling stories with them. This was a very soothing activity for me as a child and I still indulge in it today.
Nowadays, I enjoy drawing and writing comics for adults and illustrating children’s stories. I can remember quite vividly what being a child was like, and how I made sense of the world around me with stories. Reading, drawing and immersing myself in fantasy worlds was so enjoyable that I hope to create the same experience for others with my work.
Training
I studied Fine Art at South Essex College and then completed a degree in Illustration at Plymouth College of Art.
Approach
To begin with, I set about taking reference photos if needed and sketch the work out onto Bristol board. When this is complete, I trace over the image with a light brown watercolour pencil and erase the graphite line underneath. I then lightly render the basic tones with watercolour pencils. Once the image has started to take form, I add the base of the colours with water-based marker pens, and then add another layer with watercolour pencils to bring the colours out even more. Gradually the colour is built up in layers and then the details are drawn in with pencils. Occasionally inks, airbrushes and digital editing are involved, and the work is then refined.
Please feel free to contact me if you would like to commission me. Details can be found under ‘Contact’ on the above menu.