I’ve always drawn—ever since I can remember, that’s all I wanted to do. As a child, I thought I’d go into fashion design. I’d spend hours sketching outfits, imagining collections, and filling pages with designs. But over time, my focus shifted. I started drawing more animals, feeling a deeper connection to them. There’s something about nature and wildlife that has always felt comfortable to me—like I belong there.

Finding My Artistic Path

I studied art at Norwich School of Art after completing a foundation year, exploring different mediums along the way. I fell in love with collagraph printmaking, but it was a tricky craft—requiring a print studio to bring ideas to life. Illustration had always been my main goal, but it wasn’t until Covid and lockdown when everything slowed down, that I truly found my focus.

My Creative Process

Most of my ideas come to me at night—when I should be sleeping! My creative process always starts with sketching in pencil (and a putty rubber to hand!).

I have hundreds of sketchbooks filled with everything from rough ideas to final layouts. I keep all my sketchbooks even ones I don’t love, because they remind me how far I’ve come on my illustration journey, they are a visual diary.

pencil sketch illustration of a girl — Sketching in pencil to start my illustration

My Favorite Mediums and the creative process

Once I finalize a sketch, I move on to using a dip pen and Indian ink, one of my favorite tools. There’s something about the richness of ink on paper that feels timeless. But with this can also come uncertain and somewhat messy mishaps! as you can’t just undo an unwanted splat of ink on your final illustration. I then move on to using gouache, experimenting with pens, coloured pencils to bring depth and texture. Sometimes, I take my illustrations into Photoshop to experiment with layouts or add an extra sparkle to a final piece. I do also create digital artwork in Procreate, which I have come to really enjoy but with the way AI is moving, I feel I will be concentrating more on my hand drawn illustration, long term.

pencil and ink drawing sunfish — *Using a dip pen and Indian ink*

What Inspires Me

Nature and animals are at the heart of my work, though I’ve been pushing myself to draw more characters—especially since I have two daughters, and they inspire so many of my illustration pieces. My characters tend to be girls, strong and full of personality, much like daughters!

Illustration is an ever-evolving journey for me. Whether I’m drawing a sunfish gliding through the ocean, a bear enjoying a tea party, or a girl lost in a dreamworld, I love the way art can bring ideas to life. And really, that’s what keeps me drawing—every new piece is a new adventure.

My Journey as an Illustrator: From Fashion Sketches to Wildlife Illustration