Scott is Uplifting

Vicky Scott uses her skills to create this positive image for Top Sante Magazine.
Asked to create two illustrations for their February issue, Vicky says "The illustrations accompany the article 'New Year No Fear', about gaining confidence and self-belief; a perfect brief for my colourful and uplifting designs."

Anne Wilson in Mac User

Anne's feature in Mac User

a selection of Anne's art used in the article

January's edition of Mac User Magazine features an article on the wonderful Anne Wilson. Experiencing the industry in times before our digital world, Anne talks of the changes, her illustration education and inspirations with some sound advice; " just do what you do".

The article:
I have been practicing as an illustrator for the past 15 years or so...the time seems to have flown past so fast at an unbelievable rate. During this time the technology I've experienced has evolved tremendously. One of my very first commissions for example was completed through to the finals stage using a fax machine! Email now is second nature, and the format now in which discussions on projects tend to take place in the main, to the point where now I cannot remember the first time I began using email! It has always been a highly competitive industry and unless, for the most part, illustrators keep an eye on the technology available to them and embrace it in their working practice, those around will most likely have the upper hand.
I love the global feel of the industry, now more apparent than ever. Often I get work via the USA and recently I have completed a few jobs for various clients in Korea. The days of hiking around London with my portfolio focusing in the main on UK based clients, has passed and evolved into an exciting mix of cultures, opportunities and inspiration on a world wide basis.
On the one hand there seems to be a constant barrage of fightingly good illustrators graduating and entering the industry today, bright eyed, fast paced and full of imagination, which is both wonderful and overwhelming for me. But on the other hand it provides a pool of fantastic inspiration which serves to keep me well on my toes year after year. As this career tends to be a rather solitary one, the reality of the competition for commissions is important, a good reason I feel to take the time and energy to enter industry led competitions when ever possible. They serve as a good tool to sharpen your creative processes and a bench mark for where you are at within the illustration world.
New creatives are certainly one source of inspiration. More and more creative collectives are appearing such as the illustrator led groups of Ohh Deer and No Brow, but global culture in the main endlessly fascinates me, from intricate details, patterns, textures, colours and beliefs people possess and live their lives by.
What would I be lost without? Well the traditional side of me would undoubtedly opt for my Swan Morton scalpel, with blade 10a, and the current side of me would say my Wacom drawing tablet and pen (teamed up with my Mac and Photoshop.) I think it is important to embrace both sides, to pick up a pencil, or my dip pen and ink and commit to a drawing, or make marks with mono prints and any other mixed media I might care to throw at a surface in the moment. Neither are seen as a separate entity and when the two working methods are brought together, exciting things evolve from their meeting. I enjoy the physical process of colour mixing and mark making according to what might be suitable for the project I am working on. These results then get scanned and imported into Photoshop to create a final image. Increasingly it is my Wacom pen and eraser tool which becomes my scalpel.
I certainly don't even pretend to be remotely wise, but if I had a little wisdom to share, I would say keep it all positive, be 'can do' in your communications with clients and get plenty of fresh air!
I have always felt compelled to draw and create something on paper or whatever comes to hand. I loved picture books as a child and as my reading progressed I would still look for the pictures! I think since school I had in my mind that creating pictures to tell a story or describe something was what I wanted to aim for, just to see if maybe I could give it a go, and maybe I might be able to keep doing it, and just maybe, if that happened I could make it my job! The funny thing is, that I still don't feel I have a 'job', so in an obscure sort of way that makes me a very lucky person!
So I progressed as follows; school, (start drawing) A levels, (keep drawing) Art Foundation course, (more drawing) Degree - BA Honours at Bath, (definitely some drawing here) and then I went to do an MA in Communication Design at St Martins College of Art in London a few years ago, where I was lucky enough to get a Distinction, (masses of drawing stuff went on here!) There was no other obvious career paths for me, in my mind it was simple, I love drawing and creating images, so all I have to do it keep creating and I felt that one day I would become a professional creative of some sort - illustration fitted the bill nicely.
Some of my favourite projects have been children's picture books, I have completed several for Barefoot Books, but other recent clients include The London Transport Museum, The Independent On Sunday, The BBC, Mojo Magazine, Francis Lincon, Feast Creative, Beam, Crocodile Creek and Save the Children.
So that's me in brief! I would add though that one thing I have learnt through time, frustration, joy and the general madness my creative world involves, is that you can over think things to the point where you just can't see...my answer, is to take a deep breath...and just do what you do.

Foire De Lyon

Danny Allison is commissioned by Publicis Lyon to create an image for 'Foire de Lyon'.
The event in March, which will be celebrating sixty years of Rock takes place annually in Lyon, France. Danny's cool lion illustration was born from this link to the host city.

Jo Rose's Scrapbook

Based in the New Forest, illustrator Jo Rose lets us glimpse into her magical creative world. See Jo's Scrapbook.

A Fair Share?

Heather Landis works on two collages for the November issue of HR Magazine.
Heather shows her illustrative skills in tackling an article called 'A Fair Share?'; discussing the government's shares-for-rights initiative and it's failure in gaining interest with employees.

A Big Thank you...

A big thank you to all artists and clients, and to Victoria Scott for creating our festive snow queen illustration. We would like to wish you all a merry Christmas and a happy and prosperous 2014!

As we come to the end of the first year of our 1 Million Trees campaign, we are very happy to announce and would like to thank you all in enabling us to plant 206,614 trees so far.

From the Illustration Team.

New Talent Alert: Andre Bergamin

Collage artist Andre Bergamin cleverly juxtaposes elements of old and existing pictures to create new striking compositions. Take a look...

Jo Rose at The Henries

Deer Little Forest

We are delighted with Jo Rose's nomination for The Henries 2013!
Jo's card range 'Deer Little Forest' was up for the award of 'Most Promising Artist/Designer 2013', a category with some 14,000 entries. This range which is one of Jo's latest creations about a 'cast of colourful creatures who form a magical and musical travelling parade', made it to the final five. She says "The awards evening (was back in October), I didn't win but am still totally chuffed to have been nominated".
We are sure her hand crafted work, full of character and theatre will be up for more awards in the future.

Wonderhill Market

This flyer design for Wonderhill Market's September events has been created by the brilliant Vicky Scott. Held in Tooting, the market embraces a hand made and vintage theme, echoed in her illustration.
And if you wanted to see more of Vicky's art as well as this piece, pop along to Royal Teas in Greenwich where she is exhibiting until the beginning of October. She says "I'll be showing lots of Autumnal feeling pictures and the cafe does fantastic cakes!".

Mail Me Art

Vicky Scott's nature inspired female has been included in the Mail Me Art book and exhibition. Artists were invited to create a design on an envelope and to pop it in the post. Vicky says " All those that arrived safely have been included in the exhibition and the original envelope artworks will be on sale to the public with all proceeds going to charity." A great idea!

Victoria Scott's Scrapbook

Illustrator Victoria Scott on her design influences from William Morris prints to 1920's flapper style & the patterns of the 1960's. See Victoria Scott's Scrapbook.

Landis Covers Marietta

Front cover

Inside illustration

Appearing on the front cover and inside the Marietta College magazine, Heather Landis takes us back in time with her crafted collage illustrations.

Pretty Nostalgic

Victoria Scott's recent commission for Pretty Nostalgic magazine illustrates an article on the rise of the Pop Up Supperclub, her happy art features in this month's issue.

Elephant Parade Tour

Fresh talent with us, Victoria Scott has had the good news that her Elephant Parade 2013 design has been selected as part of the upcoming tour. Victoria will be one of the artists given a model of a baby elephant to paint with her design, which will then be exhibited in London before a year long tour to cities and towns all over the UK. Victoria says "My design " An unforgettable journey" which tells the story of the elephants journey will be auctioned off in Aid of the Asian Elephant Foundation".  

Prevost Tackles Health Issue

Mikela Prevost creates an illustration with impact for Marquette University. The image illustrates an article on the dilema of African American women being over looked in the AIDS/HIV+ community.