What do you want to be when you grow up?
I, honestly, want to be an illustrator. I would love to draw for a living; artwork for childrens books, designs for magazines, anything to be able to sit down at my work space and draw to put food on the table and money in the bank.
There’s just one problem…
I don’t draw.
I am probably the most useless self-proclaimed illustrator there is. I get in my own way all the time, I criticise myself too much, I want everything I do to be as perfect as the people I admire today. As you may have seen in one of my most recent posts I am moving out of my family home soon, and I’m planning my work space with a twinkle in my eye, thinking of all the possibilities to motivate myself. Now, other than pretty paints, pens and notebooks, I am following some bad-ass illustrators on Instagram who have kept my small, inspired flame alight. I want to dedicate this post to some top class artists that keep me going, make me laugh daily and inspire me to achieve my dreams.
Gemma is a British babe living it up in the US with her gorgeous and art-inspiring pug. I love Gemma for her love of stripes, her honesty and her style. I own so much of her stuff it’s a joke, and her calendars are my favourite. She came to Loughborough for a book signing at Ohh Deer on 11th Feb and I was too ill to go, I genuinely think I’ll be regretting it for the rest of my life!!! CURSE YOU VIRAL FLU I WILL DRAW ABOUT YOU UNTIL YOU DROWN IN IRONY!
I discovered Mari on the Instagram explore page. I think she was partaking in a ‘Draw Everyday’ challenge and I fell in love with her vulnerability, her thoughts and how honest she was in documenting what happened in her every day life. If she was upset, she would draw about it, if she suffered heartbreak, she would communicate to her followers through her designs, and it began to feel like I really knew her! I genuinely look forward to seeing what she produced daily, and I think her 350,000 IG followers feel the same! Without sounding cliché, she’s incredibly relatable. Mari manages to make even the most mundane scenarios entertaining, which is one of my favourite approaches to art.
Emma Block does things with watercolours I could only dream of doing. She’s a freelance illustrator in London and she is the epitome of cute, quirky and creative. I love her fashion as well as her artistic style, and I’ve always dreamed of going to one of her workshops! Whenever I think of Emma, I think of vintage cars, springtime flowers and stripes. She seems like an absolute babe and her precision is jaw-dropping.
Side note: I’ve just noticed illustrators like stripes(!?)
There is no way in hell I could write a post about inspiring illustrators and not include Chloe.
Chloe is a really sweet, down to earth girl who I met through my boyfriend. The first two things he told me about her were 1. “She lives on a boat!” and 2.” She likes drawing, you’ll like her”. He was not wrong! Chloe finds her inspiration in nature, primarily in plants and greenery, and her colour palettes are combos you’d dream about. I’m a little obsessed with green & pink and I think that’s because of her… You’ll find Chloe’s work on Etsy and Casetify!
I couldn’t find an active illustration account for Mol, but tbh I’d follow her personal one cos she is style goals, and her hair is icy dreams. Molly is an illustration student from Leicester, currently studying at Loughborough University. She designs super cool pins and has even had the likes of Jamie T wearing her stuff! Mol’s designs are inspired by pop-culture and she nails satirical work that echoes society in a light hearted and playful manner. Her A-Z of celebrity scandals is probably my favourite thing that has ever graced the internet. I genuinely think this girl is destined for great things. Find her website here 🙂
