Ever since I was a child, I have had the dream of wanting to illustrate children’s books. This goal was sparked by a time I spent in the library during primary school, looking through the pages of Chris Riddell’s Goth Girl series. I was all consumed with the idea of creating drawings that transform the world we perceive into one full of magic.
Fast forward to now, and I’ve just completed my degree in BA (Hons) Illustration. And I can safely say that dream has been fulfilled.
During the final term in the third year of my degree, I was given the chance to submit my portfolio to Independent Schools Examinations Board (ISEB). ISEB hold a competition each year called Time to Write. This competition gives children the opportunity to write a story that, if selected as a winner, will be brought to life by a professional illustrator. This is where I come in. I was lucky enough to be selected, through the portfolio submission, to illustrate one of the winning stories. The story I was given to illustrate was The Girls by Iona Spence. This was a wonderful story about a friendship that grew between two girls, taking place in the most curious of places.
While I had always created children’s book illustrations for my own enjoyment, I had never been commissioned until ISEB saw my work. Their guidance throughout the project was truly amazing. Luckily, my project didn’t require too much back-and-forth, but whenever I had any queries, they were answered within a matter of minutes. I received a lot of interesting insight through the feedback they gave in my first draft which will definitely help me when undertaking similar projects in the future.
This also wouldn’t have been possible without everything I had learned throughout my degree. For example, how to make mixed media art look professional and not messy, or how to format book illustrations with the right technical specifications. A lot of these skills had recently been learned and developed through another AUB live brief with The Plum Agency, in which we were tasked with creating two children’s book spreads, a front cover and a character sheet. We were then fortunate enough to be given feedback by The Plum Agency and our tutors. This then helped me understand much more about the world of picture books and visual communication towards a young audience.
Thankfully, ISEB embraced my tactile style with open arms, with some of my feedback stating that they loved the textured cutouts. It’s truly heartwarming to see brands that want something a little more “out there”.
My Time at AUB
When I first arrived at Arts University Bournemouth, I was very passionate about creating, however I hadn’t found my style. During my time at AUB, I was given the opportunity to test out different ways of working, from digitally creating on Adobe Illustrator to testing out woodwork, or even embroidering onto tiny sculptures… I’ve tried it all. This helped me discover my love for mixed media creation. I’ve found that I like to use a multitude of materials in my style, which then get digitally collaged to make up my illustrations.
One of the most valuable things I have learned in my time at AUB is to just play. Explore the ways certain things work together and enjoy it even when they don’t. As artists, in the age of AI, one of the most fundamental things that sets us apart is our ability to embrace the mistakes and the fun. This wasn’t always easy though – there were times where it seemed like everybody was embracing a hyper-digital style and it seemed like I would be left behind in my world of paint, pencils and fabric. This, however, is not the case. Physical creation will always be a valued skill even in our current digital age. There’s a distinctive grounding you get through physical work, and I will forever be grateful to have been given the time to locate where my way of working fits into the industry. This led me to becoming a published illustrator and being commissioned by brands such as Bird and Blend, and Scribbler, before I’d even finished my degree.
Onto the next chapter
Now that I have completed my degree, I am looking forward to pursuing my freelance career after university. I am planning on working in the children’s publishing industry, as well as creating decorative illustrations and editorial work. None of these ambitions would’ve been possible without the help of Arts University Bournemouth and growing my confidence as well as my experience in the illustration industry.
Want to see more of Evie’s work?
Check out her Instagram page and website.
