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FAQ

I'm often asked by design & illustration students about my art ⁠— I hope this information will be useful...

How did you become an illustrator?

I always wanted to be a painter from when I was young, however I didn’t know you could earn money that way so I was encouraged to seek a slightly different route after school. Officially I have an honors degree in Advertising and Graphics, but I changed to illustration once I realised my personality would not suit an advertising career. After I left school, I took in-house design jobs for greeting card companies (Hallmark) providing cards for most of the UK high street stockists. I also moonlighted as an illustrator for health and beauty magazines. Then I took eight years off to raise my kids. In 2014, I started taking many online courses to revitalise my rusty skills and began building up my website and portfolio. I decided I wanted to be a food illustrator this time round and went about creating a portfolio to reflect this. I have been painting in my sketchbooks from 2015 onward, teaching myself watercolours and playing with adding line work. 

How did you achieve your illustration style?

As mentioned above, I came back into the creative field with pretty much a blank canvas. I was open to everything and played with many mediums and encouraged myself to explore. This improved my skills further, as the more I explored, the more I expanded my knowledge of what I enjoyed and how I liked to work. My food illustration is closely related to how I draw with a brush pen, with multiple textures laid on top, because I've always been fascinated with this since printmaking at college. It's the culmination of hours and hours creating art I enjoy and care about.

What's your typical workday and how many hours is that?

I wake up much earlier than my kids in order to write in my journal, and I simply cannot cope without doing some yoga stretches. I make my kids packed lunches, then take my daughter to school. Then I’ll take a leisurely walk back home to have brunch. I work from about 10.30am all the way through till 4.30pm. I’ll start by answering emails or comment on IG then work on commissioned projects. Toward the afternoon a few times a week I leave an hour spare for my sketchbook. I mostly enjoy cooking the evening meal, which my son often helps me with. After my kids have settled for the night I’ll make notes for the next day’s tasks and end with a meditation session.

Do you actually have another job on the side, or do you just illustrate for a living ?

I understand why this is asked so often. Many may not comprehend that a profitable career can be carved out creating art. In answer to your question, YES I am a full time illustrator for branding and packaging clients, as well as providing teaching online and in person. I am also a mother and the income derived from my art supports my family comfortably.

What advice would you give those who are seeking an illustration career?

Definitely write a list of creative goals, so you can take small steps towards them everyday. However, you don't have to know in advance every action you need to take. It may seem counter-intuitive, but JUST MAKE ART in all its forms and LOTS of it. Some of this art will be awful, some of it will be amazing. But understand that this process (which will take time) will make you unique and potential clients will seek you out for your individuality. The more art you make, the more comfortable you become, and the more your confidence will grow. Just explore and have fun without thinking too hard about the outcome. 

Also, take any number of the Skillshare classes or free YouTube tutorials that are available. Of course, read up on social media, taxes and website hosts, but don't become too obsessed by these.

It really helps to seek out other like minded individuals for support or reach out to other artists. They are best placed to understand the creative life and challenges we face.

Have courage, a firm commitment, and don't get discouraged, as it all takes time and always celebrate your successes! Remember creativity takes courage.

I'm new to sketchbooks and watercolors. Which products do you use?

PAINT Winsor and Newton 24 pan Professional watercolour 

BRUSHES selection of Daler Rowney or Winsor and Newton round brushes. Nos. 8 - 14

SKETCHBOOK Moleskine pocket watercolour sketchbooks of different sizes

PENS 

• Pentel pocket brush pen

• White gel pen ⁠— Uniball or Sakura

• Uniball-eye various coloured pens (some gel, some luminous) 

• Posca pens with thick nib, often white is used the most

• Micron pens of various sizes

DIP PENs 

• Gillott mapping pen

• Kuretake Zig Cartoonist Ink Dip Pen Holder and Nib

• Curtisward Wood Dip Pen Holder With Brause Nib

INKS

• Winsor & Newton ⁠— various shades

• Daler-Rowney acrylic inks

Do you have any tips on building up passive income, which you sometimes talk about?

Passive income is money being earned regularly that requires little effort to maintain, for example digital downloads, licensing or print-on-demand (POD) products. For artists, this can mean generating regular income from the artwork you’ve already created. Although it’s great to include passive income as one of the ways to earn money, realistically it can take many years until you are rewarded. It's like planting a seed, nurturing it, and watching it slowly grow and flower before it bears fruit. Do not try to pursue too many passive income streams at once⁠—tackle one at a time. Assess the streams every six months to see how they are doing and make any further decisions based on this info related to time spent. The more time and effort you put into them, the more rewards you will reap.

How did you get so good at illustrating food?

The simple answer is: I practice by drawing an awful lot of food, over and over and over again. I have piles and piles of printer paper with sketches and scribbles on them, everything from salmon fillets to dragon fruit.

How do you attract your clients?

Most of my foodie clients find me on Pinterest, where items like fruit and vegetable often come top of their searches, and then those posts link back to my website. Very lucky that I have never had to reach out to any foodie clients, as they always find me this way. 

I think many people who follow me on Instagram often become my students as they would like to paint in a similar fashion to me. They too are my clients.

Would you say you need a degree in illustration or surface design to be successful?

I don't think this is necessarily the case, as there are many, many successful artists from many diverse backgrounds like advertising, social work and business. There are so many online courses and resources available these days in many fields, from children's book illustration to calligraphy. Having said that, it still requires a lot of determination and perseverance over a long period of time⁠—several years at least. It's also worth noting down what success means to you, as it will be different for everyone.

How do you deal with the inner critic / monkey mind?

This is a really tough one, and it’s a challenge for many, many artists. I think it’s worth writing down what your inner critic is telling you, and then assessing whether this statement is actually true. Often it isn’t⁠—the inner critic is trying to keep you safe and in your comfort zone because it senses a perceived danger. This may sound like a long-winded approach, but it will help you understand where some of your triggers are, and with time you will be able to turn down the dial or put your inner critic in the back seat as YOU are the main driver.

Do you ever get creative blocks and what do you do when that happens?

Yes, I have suffered from creative blocks and still do to a certain extent. I now recognise them for what they are, and when I realise it’s happening it means I am ‘creatively tired’. I have to take a step back and do something entirely different for a few days or a few weeks, however long it takes. It’s not something I stress about any more, because I know it will eventually return. In the meantime, I just play in my sketchbook without thinking too hard.

FOR STUDENTS PURSUING ART, ILLUSTRATION OR SURFACE DESIGN (PATTERN) DEGREES requiring information for a project or thesis, please let me know your course title, the name of your college and in which country you are based. I will be able to answer questions with more context and suited to your needs if you provide me with this information in your first email. This will save you and me time in the long run. You can reach me through my contact form.