See Fay’s beautiful studio, and her beautiful illustration work! Hear about her experience working at Designer’s Guild and how she landed representation with Lilla Rogers Studio.
Yup, you read that right. We’ve taken on a new artist!
When I teach over at Make Art That Sells, I have the enviable job of watching students grow into incredible artists, and there are always many I swoon over.
However, we just couldn’t resist the work of Fay Ford. Fay comes from a background as a textile designer at the renowned Designers Guild and brings her magical watercolor finesse to all the illustrations she creates.
Contact us to assign or license art. We’re happy to help you find the perfect artist or gorgeous images for your project!
I trained as a textile designer when traditional painting was the only way! I still love to paint and draw by hand, and I use pretty much everything, gouache, watercolour, inks, acrylics and colour pencils, for my artwork and then use digital to finish things off.
Fay lives in the UK with her husband, two Labradoodles, and, when they’re home from Uni, two sons. She splits her time between the quiet green countryside of Oxfordshire and the beautiful open skies of the Cornish coast.
Fay studied Printed Textile Design at Central St Martin’s School of Art and Design in London and worked for many years in-house as a textile designer at both Designers Guild and Diane Harrison Designs.
Hello, I’m Flora and I am an artist and illustrator. Today I would love to share with you some pages from my current sketchbook!
Sketchbooks are a great way to document your interests and try out new techniques. Some of my sketchbooks have become like diaries; documenting a moment in time to remember forever, whilst further developing my style.
Q. What made you start this sketchbook?
A. I started this sketchbook during a trip to England last year as a way to preserve memories of a special trip. It soon turned into a little personal project; documenting objects I came across which I found inspiring!
Q. Where did you find inspiration?
A. On the trip, I kept coming across a multitude of interesting objects – some old, some new; items at my family home or friends’ houses, in charity shops and at flea markets. Often when you travel, you look closer at everything…even though these objects are everyday items, to me they were treasures which have / had been loved and meant something to someone.
Q. What is your favourite page and why?
A. I love this page (below) because the objects belong to my parents and have been in the family for a long time. I enjoyed loosely capturing the details and love working with this blue!
Q. What medium did you use in this sketchbook?
A. I used pencil, gouache, colouring pencils and watercolours. I particularly like painting the objects in gouache and then using a colouring pencil to roughly fill in the background. I also use pencils to add details here and there. I enjoy the two mediums side by side and the contrast it gives, encouraging me to practise playing with mediums without being too precious.
What is the sketchbook brand and can you share which art supplies you use?
The sketchbook is a Daler Rowney Ivory sketchbook (softback). The pages are a soft, creamy colour which I love! My paints are Holbein Artists’ Gouache and Winsor and Newton Designer’s Gouache. I have a pan of Sennelier watercolours and for colouring pencils I like Faber Castell polychromos. I use a small brush for these paintings as the sketchbook is small – a number 1 or 2 and I like using a rigger brush for finer details.
I always use a Steadler 92525 drafting mechanical pencil for sketching. I love the precision it gives.
Q. Do you have any tips or advice for starting a sketchbook?
A. Absolutely! There are no rules about how to use your sketchbook, but here are a few tips if you have been wanting to keep one but not sure where to start. I would start by choosing a sketchbook which has paper you love and in the size you know you will enjoy using.
Here are some ideas:
• Studies of a particular subject matter (eg. nature studies – leaves, seed pods etc)
• Keeping a record of an event – a holiday, travel experience, meaningful time of year etc – A visual journal – drawing and writing your days
• Exploring a new art medium
• Patterns / doodles for mindfulness and mental health
• A keepsake of treasured drawings / small artworks to look back on in years to come.
Thank you for joining me today and wishing you a wonderful, creative sketchbook journey!
Flora xoxo
Thanks so much Flora! You can see more of Flora Waycott’s beautiful work here.
with our artist Lydia Graves, today at 12:00 PM ET.
I’ll ask Lydia how she felt when she was offered representation, why I took her on, what kinds of projects she dreams of working on, if she has a non-fiction illustrated book up her sleeve, and how she creates her lush work.
We’ll chat about which courses she took that helped her grow her portfolio the most and prepared her for representation, and any other courses she’d like me to teach.
Plus, we’ll have a giveaway and I’ll answer your questions live.
We can’t wait to see you there! (Don’t worry, you won’t be on screen.)
Yup, you read that right. We’ve taken on another new artist!
When I teach over at Make Art That Sells, I have the enviable job of watching students grow into incredible artists, and there are always many I swoon over.
However, we just couldn’t resist this artist, who consistently wowed me with their class assignments.
I bet you’re not even reading this and just scrolling down to see who we’ve picked, and I don’t blame you for a minute! 🤣
Contact us to assign or license art. We’re happy to help you find the perfect artist or gorgeous images for your project!
Originally from Spain, now living in Newport Pagnell, UK
Q: What was your favorite illustration assignment?
A: I loved the graphic novel assignment on my first ever MATS Bootcamp. It pushed my limits without feeling like effort but being very playful and very inspired.
We’re delighted to welcome Paloma to our group! Not only is her work extraordinary, magical, and charming, but she’s lovely to work with.
I envision two commercial tracks for Paloma. First, I see her illustrating (and writing) many, many glorious and transformative picture books with her charming chatracters. Second, her more mystical and magical work is perfect for oracle decks, tarot cards and related books.
–> Paloma attended my Author/Artist Residency where she wrote a charming picture book on gender fluidity. She’s got the manuscript and gorgeous dummy ready to pitch. Art directors and editors, if interested, please contact us.
Guess what? Next week we’ll be announcing another new artist! Stay tuned!
But for now, we’re excited to invite you to join us TODAY at 12:00 PM ET for the next in our series of WebinARTs with our artist Brian Lambert. He’s worked on a variety of illustration projects and is currently working on projects for Magic Cat Publishing and for Neon Squid Books (MacMillan).
Click here to join our free public WebinART on Zoom with our artist Brian today at 12:00 PM ET.
I’ll ask Brian how and why he switched from a corporate job to a becoming a full-time, represented illustrator, how he finds color palettes, what medium he uses, how he finds balance, and more. Plus we’ll have a giveaway and take a few questions live. Join us!
Ps. You won’t be on video; it’s a great conversation to have on in the background!
We’ve got big news to share. Our very own LRS agent, lovely Kim Fleming, is actually a talented picture book illustrator with a whopping twelve books under her belt. She’s an agent by day and an illustrator by night.
Her work just got stronger and stronger, and we couldn’t (and didn’t want to) resist. So today, we’re proud to announce the big news!
Contact us to assign or license art. We’re happy to help you find the perfect artist or gorgeous images for your project!
Q: What do you love about illustrating picture books?
Kim: I get to create magical worlds that children can lose themselves in. And it makes me a better agent because I understand the picture book process.
Q: How do you stay inspired?
A: I always try to keep learning, whether it’s new art techniques, the craft of writing, or ceramics!
Join your teachers, Lilla and Zoë, for a FREE Zoom Live event on the main Make Art That Sells Facebook page TODAY at 12 noon EST/5 pm BST and you could win a FREE place in class!
They’ll be sharing some of their favorite children’s picture books and talking about what makes them so spectacular, doing Lilla’s famous career tarot (giving targeted career advice for a lucky volunteer), giving away a FREE place in class, and more.
JOIN ME TODAY at 12:00 PM ET for the next in our series of WebinARTs with our artist Jenny Miriam, who has worked on a variety of illustration projects for HarperCollins, Sourcebooks, Galison, and more.
Click here to join our free public WebinART on Zoom
with our artist Jenny Miriam
today at 12:00 PM ET.
I’ll ask her how she organizes her time, how she decided to become a full time illustrator and why, and tips for other illustrators, and we’ll answer any questions.
PS. You won’t be on video; it’s a great conversation to have on in the background!
We’re excited to invite you to join us TODAY at 12:00 PM ET for our next WebinART. I’ll chat with our artist Charlotte Bruijn, who has worked on a variety of illustration projects for Penguin Workshop, Fleurus Editions, and Little Tiger, among others.
I’ll ask Charlotte how she became an illustrator, why she loves illustrating picture books, plus how she structures her day. You’ll enjoy her gorgeous work in a slideshow and we’ll take a few questions live.
Yup, you read that right. We’ve taken on two new artists!
It’s like an artist shopping spree around here. When I teach over at Make Art That Sells, I have the enviable job of watching students grow into incredible artists, and there are always many I swoon over.
We just couldn’t resist these two stellar artists, who consistently wowed me with their class assignments. You’ll see below how brilliant their kid book work is.
I bet you’re not even reading this and just scrolling down to see who we’ve picked, and I don’t blame you for a minute! 🤣
Contact us to assign or license art. We’re happy to help you find the perfect artist or gorgeous images for your project!
We’re delighted to welcome Maria Gabriela Gama to our group! Her vibrant work depicts charming characters in magical, imaginative scenes. We find that strong colors often do well for artists and when you pair that with detailed environments, you’ve got a winning combination. She’s a gem and you’ll love working with her.
“I’ve lived my whole life in the Pacific Northwest region of the US. It’s beautiful and full of inspiration, especially for someone who loves to draw. Which is something I’ve been doing since I can remember. Usually, I draw cute things — but sometimes I’ll draw things that I think are cool…cutely.”
Please give a big round of applause to Brian Lambert!
These days, I primarily find artists to represent in my classes. Brian was one of those students that consistently crushed each assignment. His characteristic bold colors were complimented by his soft, painterly rendering. Plus, he’s an absolute pleasure. I know you’ll enjoy working with him.
