Did you attend art school or undertake any other formal artistic training?

I attended Arts University Bournemouth from 2025 to 2018, studying a degree in Animation Production - animation was where I started my creative career! Even though I don't work in animation any more, I learnt a lot of key fundamentals on the course that influence my work every day, whether that's knowledge of anatomy and the physics of objects, to storytelling and how to make a location look lived-in.

I then did an online MA in Illustration with Falmouth University. I chose to study an MA for two reasons; one being that it would give me the qualifications and knowledge to lecture later on in my career if I wanted to, and the other being I purely needed to carve out time to develop my practice from animation to illustration. 

I don't believe that anyone looking to be an illustrator NEEDS to attend art school, but I definitely found it shaped my practice today in really helpful ways.

Where do you currently live and where did you grow up?

I currently live in the UK (and always have done!).

Have you always loved to draw?

Yes, always. I was ALWAYS drawing (when I wasn't reading) - and not just the typical drawing pictures of my family and loving art at school, I went waaaay beyond that. As a child I used to write and illustrate my own stories (which were probably pretty pants), design and draw my ideas for video games, illustrate menus for a pretend cafe my sister and I made in our playhouse... the list goes on. Doing something creative as a career was always a no-brainer for me.

Which books from your own childhood really stand out?

I was always a huge fan of Roald Dahl and Jacqueline Wilson. I still have all the copies of my Dahl books!

Do you have a favourite picture book or recall one of the first picture books you saw?

I was such a fan of the Brambly Hedge picture books when I was growing up. My nan introduced them to me and I remember being absolutely mesmerised by the amount of tiny details in them. I also used to pore over the Flower Fairies books (again, thanks Nan!) and loved all those character designs - I actually had them wallpapered around my bedroom at one point!

What was your first commission as a professional illustrator?

My first professional commission was a really interesting one! I was approached by a theatre company director to work on a two-part project - the first part being to create an illustrated response to a play script, and the second being to work with a group of LGBTQ+ individuals in Oxfordshire to illustrate their experiences and raise awareness of this social group. This project then fed into a wider project exploring how age, race, gender, disability, socio economic status and our career choices can all directly affect how society perceives us, and why certain people and roles are marginalised. This commission took place in 2020-2021, so exploring the idea of invisibility in society, and the fact that the pandemic taught us that everyone is important to their local community and society, was particularly relevant!

Describe your working technique and how you came to perfect it.

My working technique is primarily digital - everything from my initial character designs and sketches through to the final artwork is mainly digital. I find it really streamlines my process to be able to move and erase things as needed. I'm a huge perfectionist, so when working in a sketchbook (even a messy one) I get so caught up in not making a mistake it takes me ages to put pencil to paper! I do love working with analogue mediums to create textures, though, so I have a huge bank on my computer of textures I've created with pencils, pastels, crayons, paints etc that I've scanned in and use in my work all the time.

I don't believe in anyone's technique being perfect - there's always room for improvement!

What piece of software or hardware could you not live without and why?

My Wacom tablet! I create EVERYTHING on that - if it died tomorrow I'd have to run straight out and get a replacement.

Which project has been most instrumental in developing your personal style?

I think working on 'Liam's First Adventure' (Anita Magnan, 2023) was the book where my personal style really clicked for me. This was around the time where my illustrative style really fell into place and I started committing to what worked visually for ME, rather than constantly trying to take inspiration from (aka, compare myself to) the many other talented illustrators out there. This book was also where I really worked out the balance of using analogue mark-making scans within a digital piece, which is a key element of my personal style.

What do you do in your spare time?

I love reading, doing yoga and pilates, and going for walks!

Which 4 words would you use to describe your illustration portfolio?

Colourful, polished, playful and textured!

Have you visited any schools to speak or hold workshops?

Yes, I've visited several schools - generally I visit primary schools or holiday clubs to hold physical illustration workshops, whereas my visits to secondary schools or colleges are speaking to groups about my career.

Do you have a favourite soundtrack you listen to when you’re working?

I usually have TV shows on in the background (I have four that I've seen countless times and basically cycle through on repeat), or I listen to the Harry Potter audiobooks. I need something I'm already really familiar with in order to maintain focus. Listening to music while working is usually a no-go for me, because I used to be a dance teacher, so usually when I hear music I start choreographing in my head!

What are some of your favourite subjects to draw?

I love drawing anything to do with nature, whether that's landscapes, animals, fish, dinosaurs... the list goes on!