For Amelia's Magazine
For Amelia's Magazine
For Amelia's Magazine
For Amelia's Compendium Of Fashion Illustration
Its now the turn of super stylish Faye West, she has got such a skill with composition and her backgrounds are inch perfect. This combines to give a real cutting edge style which brings together lovingly painted figure work with beautifully constructed backgrounds that both support and contrast each other. Her work is a real breath of fresh air and you can always be sure of seeing something special and new. Specialising in fashion she is definitely on trend and able to bring out the best in designs with her special way of highlighting the human form against a denuded background. It is this technique that is perhaps the defining hallmark of a dedicated fashion illustrator, that can draw the eye to anywhere she wants it, and hold it for as long as you've got. Read about her here!
Who are you:
Its now the turn of super stylish Faye West, she has got such a skill with composition and her backgrounds are inch perfect. This combines to give a real cutting edge style which brings together lovingly painted figure work with beautifully constructed backgrounds that both support and contrast each other. Her work is a real breath of fresh air and you can always be sure of seeing something special and new. Specialising in fashion she is definitely on trend and able to bring out the best in designs with her special way of highlighting the human form against a denuded background. It is this technique that is perhaps the defining hallmark of a dedicated fashion illustrator, that can draw the eye to anywhere she wants it, and hold it for as long as you've got. Read about her here!
Who are you:
I'm 26 and graduated 5 years ago with a BA Hons in Fashion Promotion and Illustration at the University for the Creative Arts, Epsom, Surrey. I then lived and worked in London for six years whilst trying to establish myself as an illustrator.
What do you do:
After being taken on by Restless Artists agency in 2008, Topshop Boutique chose two illustrations from my portfolio for their Topshop Boutique tee shirt range. I then illustrated for Biba, Katy England and .Cent magazine and was featured in Amelia's magazine for some illustrated edible cupcakes I sent them. After a spell in London I decided to return to Devon and quite unplanned, lived on Lundy island which was populated by only 25 islanders and was only 3 miles long. I was here for a glorious summer and atmospheric winter, but by March I definitely knew the meaning of cabin fever and came back to mainland! This did give me a wonderful opportunity to concentrate on six A2 pen and ink illustrations for my first exhibition which I hope will happen next year. Now based in Devon I regurly contribute to Amelia's Magazine, have set up a blog and joined twitter which have been invaluable sources to keep me in the loop now I am away from London.
After being taken on by Restless Artists agency in 2008, Topshop Boutique chose two illustrations from my portfolio for their Topshop Boutique tee shirt range. I then illustrated for Biba, Katy England and .Cent magazine and was featured in Amelia's magazine for some illustrated edible cupcakes I sent them. After a spell in London I decided to return to Devon and quite unplanned, lived on Lundy island which was populated by only 25 islanders and was only 3 miles long. I was here for a glorious summer and atmospheric winter, but by March I definitely knew the meaning of cabin fever and came back to mainland! This did give me a wonderful opportunity to concentrate on six A2 pen and ink illustrations for my first exhibition which I hope will happen next year. Now based in Devon I regurly contribute to Amelia's Magazine, have set up a blog and joined twitter which have been invaluable sources to keep me in the loop now I am away from London.
How did you start:
It has been a real learning curve since graduating. I do not feel the university I studied at gave us any kind of support or advice for illustrators trying to find submissions, contributions or work, let alone paid work. This maybe because it was a fairly new course, in comparison to LCF where there seems to be a real network of support for fashion post-graduates. I was blessed however with a new course leader and lecturers in the last two years and maybe because they were younger and new, their constructive criticism and encouragement really helped me develop my own style. And really enjoy working on my projects.
It has been a real learning curve since graduating. I do not feel the university I studied at gave us any kind of support or advice for illustrators trying to find submissions, contributions or work, let alone paid work. This maybe because it was a fairly new course, in comparison to LCF where there seems to be a real network of support for fashion post-graduates. I was blessed however with a new course leader and lecturers in the last two years and maybe because they were younger and new, their constructive criticism and encouragement really helped me develop my own style. And really enjoy working on my projects.
A Personal statement about you or your work:
To be a freelance illustrator you were never going to be guarenteed a salary, or any paid work. So you do it because you really love it. And I've enjoyed figure drawing since I was a kid, had a phase in my teens where I copied antique minitures and then realised I could encorperate my love of portraiture with fashion whilst doing my A Levels. Having always chosen watercolours, pen and pencil I wouldn't say that my style has changed much since then. But it has evolved. At the moment I am out on a mission to prove myself wrong, or myself as I was a few years ago when I was adamant I'd be unable to have any work as an illustrator outside of London. Thanks to the internet, it's pretty much possible.
To be a freelance illustrator you were never going to be guarenteed a salary, or any paid work. So you do it because you really love it. And I've enjoyed figure drawing since I was a kid, had a phase in my teens where I copied antique minitures and then realised I could encorperate my love of portraiture with fashion whilst doing my A Levels. Having always chosen watercolours, pen and pencil I wouldn't say that my style has changed much since then. But it has evolved. At the moment I am out on a mission to prove myself wrong, or myself as I was a few years ago when I was adamant I'd be unable to have any work as an illustrator outside of London. Thanks to the internet, it's pretty much possible.
loved the interview, and the illustrations are beautiful!
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