Louisa Taylor

Louisa’s Illustrations are predominantly portraiture based. She has always been interested in portraiture painting, etching and drawing. She is interested in depicting certain emotions through mark making and contrasting black and white, in a range of mediums. Her recent connection between film and portraits has led her to create images, which portray moments or themes in films.

Choose a noun, adjective and verb that best describes your work.

Graphite, comprehensive, depict 

Have you done any work outside of university?

I worked at the Topshop and Topman Offices, Arcadia, last summer for a couple of weeks, I created some designs for menswear. I’m also working on a Children’s book right now.

What is your preferred working enviroment? (studio, home, music, outside etc???)

It depends what it is, some of my work is very personal and I can’t work anywhere but my own desk. However, my work tends to flow a lot easier when I really engage with my environment. I recently drew from Kensington Rooftop Gardens and literally had to be kicked out at closing time, as I was so engrossed with the stunning gardens and flamingos.

Where in London is your favourite gallery and why? Where was the last exhibition you went to and what did you think of it?

I have to say that I really enjoy the more historical artworks on display; the V&A and unsurprisingly the National Portrait Gallery have always been favorites. Although more recently I visited the David Hockney Exhibition ‘ A Bigger Picture’ at the RCA and was blown away.

My most recent visit was to Quentin Blake’s ‘Swimmer’ Exhibition, Clare College, Cambridge. How can I say one bad word about Quentin? Beautiful green and blue prints commissioned for a maternity hospital in France. There was so much serenity in that room, his illustrations never cease to do exactly what they are intended for.

What's does your next project entail?

My current project is completing a commissioned Children’s book, it’s about mythological creates so it is a very new challenge for me. I do not necessarily know my next personal project, but that is the beauty of it. I just start off with sketching and I am usually drawn to a certain face or certain piece in the media and work from there. I am currently also looking for another internship.

You can keep up to date with Louisa's work on her blog HERE.

Olivia henry

Olivia Henry grew up by the rainy seaside of Hastings and was always drawing or creating from a young age, often being inspired by nature or her own imaginary world. Children's Books have always been the main focus of her work, with influences coming from childhood classics such as Roald Dahl, Quentin Blake, Edward Lear and Aesop. A strong focus on narrative surrounds her work and there is a strong element of morality. Children learn and benefit from moral tales where there is an educational idea so Olivia not only creates a playful place for her audience to escape but also teaches sensitive issues that could challenge the young reader in a delicate manner to provoke a subtle understanding and portray lessons to be learned in life. 

Olivia uses a variety of materials and processes to show her ideas combining hand drawn elements with different textures and typography.

1. Choose a noun, adjective and verb that best describes your work.

Whimsical, experimental and engaging.

2. Have you done any work outside of university?Yes, earlier this year I did a collaboration with another artist, Rohan Samuel, for Cut&Paste competition. Also participated in a group exhibition in Brick Lane in February 2012 named Chicken or the Man.

3. What is your preferred working environment? (studio, home, music, outside etc???)

Working at home surrounded by lots of colours and nice music creates a perfect place for me to work, I also like to illustrate out in the garden, or anywhere that I will be inspired by my surroundings.


4. Where in London is your favourite gallery and why? Where was the last exhibition you went 
to ad what did you think of it?

I can't choose a favorite gallery! But the best ones are The Tate Modern, The Museum of Everything and The Museum of Childhood. The latter are so nostalgic and create a curiosity within me that is really inspirational.

5. What's does your next project entail?

I have a few collaborations lined up with people from all creative backgrounds. There are a few more books in the works too which will contribute to The Bologna Children's Book Fair in 2013, which I am working towards over the coming months. 

Olivia will also be exhibiting & selling work at IDENTITY 2012 and has already some of her hand made books internationally.

Katharina Nyilas

Here's an article and few images from Katharina Nyilas (known as Katti amongst the studio).  I've had exhibitions with Katti before, she even organised one which we did together, back in February at East Gallery.  Katti's work is based around beautiful drawings of nature but with some upsetting literally trapping the content of her prints for example, a few months back she drew sea turtles appearing to be drifting in the ocean but entangled in rope and litter.

My Illustration is often based on environmental themes, as raising important issues within my work motivates and inspires my practice. This includes my latest work based around unsustainable fishing methods and the effects it has had upon our ocean.

Printing onto fabric has enabled my illustrations to take a physical form, which adds another element and meaning to my work. The process has enabled me to make a statement about issues through clothing, make work that serves as an everyday reminder to care for the environment, and add to the meaning of the message through the medium it is being conveyed.

1. Choose a noun, adjective and verb that best describes your work.

Nature, Analytical, Inquire.

2. Have you done any work outside of university?

I have carried out a couple of work placements. These were at Bray Leino advertising and design agency and at a props department at Shepperton film studios. I have also carried out a freelance job for a theatre production about the slave trade and organized an exhibition at East Gallery, Feb 2012.

3. What is your preferred working enviroment? (studio, home, music, outside?)

If I am drawing for first hand research I prefer to work on site to capture the atmosphere and really understand the subject. However this isn’t always easy in buisy places, so I sometimes prefer to take my digital camera and work from photographs in a quiet area of the studio, or at my desk at home. I find noise disturbing when I need to concentrate!

4. Where in London is your favourite gallery and why? Where was the last exhibition you went to and what did you think of it?

I don’t have a favourite gallery. I try to go to a different one every time I go to an exhibition, so that I am not exposed to the same kind of art every time. I want to be surprised and keep being inspired so like to have as open a mind as possible.

The last exhibition I went to was Yayoi Kusama at the Tate Modern. I have been inspired by her work since I studied fine art at college and it definitely lived up to my expectations. The environments Kusama makes to create a different reality are the most intriguing to me and something which I admire in her work.

5. What's does your next project entail?

I am on the search for a work placement that incorporates surface pattern design to expand my knowledge and enable me to fulfill possible future work requirements.

Katti will be exhibiting in the Broad Vision exhibition Inspired by... and IDENTITY 2012 where samples of clothing, prints and scarfs are available to purchase from our shop!

Nick Martin

Four days left.  It's going to quickly.

Here's our next feature, Nick Martin.  The pieces of work below are very clean and digitally finished.  Make sure to go to his website & blog to discover some of his sketchbook drawings.  They're really raw, gritty and an insight in how Nick manages to take sketches and develop them into slick editorial illustrations.  Here's a few questions Nick answered for me:

Death of Books Nation Magazine, NY

1. Choose a noun, adjective and verb that best describes your work.

Conceptual, meaningful and light-hearted

2. Have you done any work outside of university?

I have recently completed two logo design jobs for companies outside of uni, as well as producing work considered to be used as cover artwork for The Nation Magaine, NY.

3. What is your preferred working enviroment? (studio, home, music, outside etc???)

I like to be out an about a lot because think the best ideas come from everyday life. Rather than intentionally looking in a particular place for inspiration, I prefer to just keep one eye open all of the time. Once I have an idea and it's ready for development I like to work further in the comfort of my own home, as I work a lot digitally I need access to a computer most of the time.

4. Where in London is your favourite gallery and why? Where was the last exhibition you went to ad what did you think of it?

I don't necessarily have a favourite gallery, but I'd say I've revisted the National Portrait Gallery the most amount of times... I never seem to get the same experience twice when I visit.

 5. What's does your next project entail

I am working on a lot of personal work at the moment. Mostly translating ideas that I have stored away in my sketchbooks and turning them into finished pieces. I like to work on a few things at a time, it means if I get a stiff neck drawing the same thing for a while I can always put it on hold while I research another project further.

Personal work by Nick

Ill Manors

I recently had a t-shirt design of mine feature in Plan B's latest music video Ill Manors.  I designed whilst working at Illustrated People.  Below is a screenshot and the actual video.  I'll be showing my work alongside the rest of Westminster Illustration.  You can check out any other work of mine HERE.

Diamond Jubilee

It may be raining, but it's the Diamond Jubilee.  Here is Rolf Harris and the Queen when he did his portrait of her smiling.

On this special day I wanted to post a picture that one of our class had drawn of the Queen.  I'm sure people have, but I'll post an image by none other than Ben Jennings.  Our own Rolf Harris at Westminster Illustration.

Emma Allen

Emma Allen has been helping get our Graduate Website up and running as well as working on a live brief set by the YCN.  Here is a little snippet about her work:

This is my entry to the YCN’s Feel Good Drinks student brief. The aim of the project was to make Feel Good famous so I developed a campaign where their flavours are competing in a race and advance when fans of each flavour vote via social media. As a quirky aspect I dressed the characters in sporting gear. At the show I will have a track where people can vote for their favourite with stickers. My work is very broad, as I love trying out new things. Overall my projects are very concept based, so I work in whatever media suits the idea. I love generating ideas and hope to work for a creative agency in the future.