AUB's Senior Graphic Designer, Lauren Bowling, sits down with freelance illustrator and BA (Hons) Graphic Design alum Tegan Price – that's Megan with a T, by the way – to chat about her freelance journey, the tenacity to succeed and how she’s snagged collaborations with some of the biggest brands on the planet.
LAUREN: So, take me right back to the beginning. Have you always liked illustration?
TEGAN: Yes. Even as a child, I was always drawing. I really liked the Groovy Chick style, and I was always doing bubble writing. It’s just something that I’ve always loved. And then in school I loved art.
LAUREN: Since you were constantly drawing, were you encouraged at school to pursue art?
TEGAN: (Laughs) I found out a few years ago that, at a parents’ evening, my art schoolteacher said that I wouldn’t have a career as an artist. That really shocked me because I was always creating or drawing when I got the chance.
LAUREN: What year were you in when your art teacher said that?
TEGAN: I think around year six, so when I’d have been 10 or 11 years old.
LAUREN: I’m shocked! But considering where you are now, I’m sensing that attitude didn’t deter you? If anything, it’s made you more determined to succeed.
TEGAN: Absolutely. When I went to college, I decided I wanted to do a BTEC in art because all I wanted to do every single day was create and draw. Then throughout my time at AUB I just wanted to illustrate everything. I even considered changing to study Illustration halfway through first year, but after a conversation with my tutor, Alice Stevens, I decided to stick with Graphic Design because it was clear I could incorporate illustration into my graphics work whilst still learning valuable principles and techniques such as layout and type, which I wouldn’t necessarily cover if I specialised in illustration.
LAUREN: How did you find life post-graduation?
TEGAN: Honestly, it was a tough time for me. My portfolio was full of illustration work, so I found it a challenge to get a graphic design-based job. I remember feeling it was going to be hard to follow the same path as my classmates, I couldn’t get a ‘typical’ job in the field I studied in, so felt myself being pushed in the direction of being a freelance illustrator, which I did briefly from graduation in 2017 until the following April.
LAUREN: If it was a challenge to find a job, how did you get involved with Nike?
TEGAN: It was the summer of 2017; out of the blue I received an email from Nike. At the time I didn’t know if it was real or not – I wondered if it was a scam because I couldn’t believe it!
LAUREN: That’s pretty incredible. If it happened to me, I don’t think I’d believe it either. How do you think they found you?
TEGAN: I was producing illustrations every day and posting them to Instagram. My posts were performing incredibly well, and I did a lot of stuff around sneakers and fashion, which is still very much prevalent in my work. There’s a huge movement now where more women are getting into sneakers and there’s a strong female-led sneaker community on Instagram who share artwork. It’s because of these accounts that your work gets shared around and people in the relevant places see it. That’s how my collaboration with Nike came around in 2022.
LAUREN: So, you’re saying that social media is a valuable tool for you?
TEGAN: Yes! As well as Instagram, LinkedIn for me is massive. I’m always keeping an eye on people who are in a similar industry to me; if they post and shout out other people in their captions, I’ll take note of their names and aim to get on their radar.
LAUREN: I’d say that’s a good tip. If you want to be working with a certain brand, then you need to try and get in the eyeline of the people in charge of making decisions around design and product.
TEGAN: I remember doing this. I connected with the relevant people at Nike, and after a while they responded saying that they liked my work, having seen it elsewhere. LinkedIn is my big one, I would say, for just getting out there.
LAUREN: You’re collecting these amazing collaborations. I’ve seen them on your website: you’ve got another one coming up – Speedo. You don’t stop, you’re on fire.
TEGAN: Thank you. It’s funny because a lot of time it just comes in waves; I think that’s just the nature of freelancing. I’ve found that once you do one collaboration, it’s a ripple effect. You’ve got to be your own hero and shout about it so much on socials. It’s a bit surreal. When the next brand reaches out, I sometimes have to pinch myself. It’s another chance to make something cool with them and reach a new demographic or audience.
LAUREN: You had a role as a Junior Creative at The Sole Womens for several years, but after leaving what made you take the step to permanently go freelance and how did you feel about it?
TEGAN: It was something that I didn’t anticipate doing again. But I wanted to try a new challenge, one that would be different every day and not repetitive. Something in me just twigged one day: I want to do my own thing. It was a big decision, but something that I was excited to do, and I’ve never looked back. I think if it’s something you really love and you’re really driven by, then you’re going to be so much happier. Even if you loved your old role for a long time, sometimes it’s just time.
LAUREN: I guess there’s no chance of falling out of love with it because it’s a new challenge at every step.
TEGAN: It’s the ideal situation for me and is probably why I switch it up so many times as well. I just love making things that are super colourful, fun, and playful. For me, that’s why freelancing is always so interesting. A lot of the time I’m on this wave of wanting to try new things. And who knows if I’ll settle down in a specific medium or whether I’ll continue to experiment?
LAUREN: Now, tell me about Gucci.
TEGAN: I first worked with them in 2020, and it was the most incredible experience. It came about through an agency that I’d worked with before; you see how important connections are. They reached out because they needed an illustrator. It was for a live drawing event in the store. I was there for four days, and I was kindly gifted two Gucci outfits, head to toe, to wear during and to keep after – it was a bit of a Pretty Woman moment!
LAUREN: I can imagine the illustrating element was a big draw to work the event, but did you land any other projects as a result? Like you mentioned the ripple effect earlier.
TEGAN: I did meet a very lovely woman who took my contact details, and she commissioned a piece from me. It was quite insane – that was my first commission of that level, she was a woman of influence, so there was pressure. She also didn’t say what she wanted, just to create something for her. She asked me how much I wanted for it, and at this point I hadn’t sold any of my art that way; I didn’t know anything about pricing my work or its value. So, I learned a lot from the experience!
LAUREN: You also run workshops, like the ones you’ve done for Nike. How did you come about that?
TEGAN: Yes, the first workshop I did was for Nike. I have a series of four canvases featuring the heels of sneakers and they approached me to ask if I’d be able to run a workshop featuring them. I suggested a painting workshop where people could do their own sneaker heel paintings. And it all really stemmed from that. I’ve since done six workshops with Nike over the last year and a half at their HQ with their team. I love talking to people, so it works well for me to have that interaction and it’s nice to meet all the different people.
LAUREN: I can see that you’ve run lots of different workshops outside those with Nike. How have you been able to get word out about these? Has social media played a role again?
TEGAN: Oh yes. The LinkedIn post I shared about my first workshop with Nike went viral, which is something I haven’t experienced on LinkedIn before. It had so many eyes on it. The more I post about the workshops on social media, the more interest I get from agencies approaching me for their clients.
LAUREN: Do you always lead the same workshop?
TEGAN: I love to switch it up; it keeps me energised about the individual projects when each one has a different angle to it. I’ve since led a workshop for Timberland, which was another canvas painting workshop, but I’ve done other ones with tote bags and plant pots. In the pipeline is a sock embroidery workshop with ASOS and New Balance, which is cool because I have done a lot of embroidery in my projects, but never hosted a workshop on it before. I’m always happy to mould to whatever the client requires, which adds even more excitement to projects.
LAUREN: You seem to have quite a versatile canvas for your work. I’ve noticed that you’ve painted on tennis rackets, ping pong bats, footballs, and vases.
TEGAN: (Laughs) Yes, I do like to change it up; I see things and think ‘yeah, I could paint on that’. As far as objects go, I recently brought a motorcycle helmet to paint!
LAUREN: What’s your favourite canvas to work on?
TEGAN: I love mural work for the sheer scale of it; I love seeing my work on such a large canvas. For me, that’s one of the best things as a creator, to be able to see my work making an impact.
LAUREN: Your work can be quite intricate. Have you done many murals and how did you find it?
TEGAN: I’ve done two murals now. I did one for The Edit LDN in their Shoreditch office. That was of Michael Jordan doing his signature jump shot. It was such an intricate design with lots of interesting shading, which I really enjoyed. The second mural was for Shrubs & Dubs, a concept shop that champions small businesses run by women, also based in Shoreditch. Most of my designs are block colour, and I use the same techniques that I’d use on a digital piece. I illustrate the mural designs on my iPad and then project the image onto the wall and trace the outline ready to paint.
LAUREN: I’m sure the brands that you’ve worked with already would have been your dream brands to work with, but who’s next on your ‘wanting to work with’ list?
TEGAN: Apple.
LAUREN: There was no hesitation there!
TEGAN: They’re just top of my list, the winner! They’re the tech brand I use and love the most, I always adore the colourful campaigns they create. A massive bucket-list for me!
LAUREN: Have you tried to get on their radar, like you have the other brands?
TEGAN: I’ve reached out to one or two people associated with them [Apple], but I could reach out more for sure, and hit it from multiple angles. As for other brands, it would be cool to collaborate with Beavertown or Drunk Elephant. I love seeing brands that have a distinct illustrative style and has colourful, fun vibes like my own work.
LAUREN: Speaking of fun, your typographic work is very vibrant and positive, they’re very chill and feel very uplifting.
TEGAN: I’m a very positive person. Some of my favourite quotes are “do what makes you happy, great things are coming”, “slow progress is still progress”, and “do it for you”. And there’s no better feeling than the feeling of accomplishment. It’s very easy to procrastinate but think how good you’ll feel once you do that thing you’ve been putting off.
LAUREN: Why do you feature these kinds of quotes in your work, is it a personal link?
TEGAN: A lot of the quotes in my work do relate to me, but I’m glad when they resonate with other people as well because I think a lot of people go through these same struggles. I think that sometimes all you need is a quote or a phrase to remind you and instil in yourself a sense of wanting to succeed; do better and do it for yourself and achieve.
LAUREN: What would be your one piece of advice for future artists or people that want to pursue a creative career?
TEGAN: I’d say if you have the means, just put your all into it. Even if you must work at it on the side, do that. As a creator, there’s nothing as gratifying or fulfilling in your life than being able to do what you love and having the freedom to do it. It’s all about perseverance and getting it done however you can. Drop your pride at the front door because you’ve got to experiment and be prepared for failure or things not going the way you want them to. Keep going. Try everything you can to get where you want to get. You never know where you’re going to land and every single thing you do leads up to what you’re meant to be doing. Stick with it, because everyone starts somewhere.
LAUREN: That’s very good advice. Finally, what do you think your 18-year-old self would think of you now?
TEGAN: I think if my 18-year-old self could see me now, she’d probably not believe it!
