boxoftoys.org / ianbaileyillustrat.wixsite.com / @ian.illustration 

Within my work I enjoy creating playful and energy filled narratives with the use of fun characters and scenes. I focus heavily on shape and block colour for bold image making as my work often lends itself towards editorial and commercial outcomes. I love scenes with a lot of action going on within them and enjoy creating multiple narratives within one piece, as I believe it creates more interest in discovering each element used within my illustrations. I always try to push my ideas in an exaggerated way which often leaves me with amusing and funny outcomes.

My final project took me back into my past as a kid looking at nostalgic toys of the time and finding relatable and playful ways to share these toys that we all played with. My intent was to force positive nostalgic feelings onto the viewer as they view my outcomes, which can boost feelings of social belonging and create a shared experience. I also wanted to touch on social issues and the shifting views in society of toys, to spark potential conversations about toys from the past and present.

toraillustrates.com / yumpu.com/en/document/view / @toraillustrates

Hi my name is Moe Min and I am Leeds based illustrator who makes illustrations based on animals, folklore, and people! My style is derived from reading Japanese manga, watching animations, and reading about mythologies from different cultures. I like making portraits of people and animals as I have great curiosity about people’s identities. This comes from growing up as a “Third Culture Kid” in Japan (my Mum is from Myanmar, my Dad from the UK) where I was constantly thinking about what makes me, myself, and what makes other people them, themselves. I like to set myself certain frames when making compositions which got me interested in doing this through working on book covers, comic strips, film posters and stamps.

I made a publication based on a Japanese folktale that I loved reading when I was growing up in Japan. The folktale is called Momotaro and it is about a boy who is born from a peach and who saves people from Oni (Demons/Ogres) with his comrades (Dog,Monkey, Pheasant). I added my own twist to the project where the Oni is the protagonist and the story takes place after the battle in the original folktale. The publication includes character design sheets for the characters, illustrations of characters in scenes, and character design development sheets. I made the publication being inspired by the publications I was given when I watched an animation film called “Naruto” where it included the author intentions of character designs in a playful layout.

amyb982.wixsite.com / @amybee.art 

Amy is a multimedia artist and illustrator living and working in Leeds, UK.

Her work is all about fun, colour and playfulness- with a primary focus on story-telling. She works with humour, whilst exploring social and political issues.

Amy’s final major project stemmed from wanting to explore visually her experience of being involved in both the Christian community and the LGBTQ+ community. Recurring motifs in her work have always stemmed from these two parts of her life, and it was time to take on a personal project to delve deeper into these things. This body of work is a celebration of both cultures - an intertwining of queer and Christian experience, themes, objects, icons, motifs e.t.c.

Through the work she wanted to create a joyful celebration of both beings, separate and together, as an experience for those who are queer, straight, Christian, atheist and everything in-between to explore, play with and enjoy

lidyblueillustration.uk / hikikomonthly.hotglue.me / @lidyblue

Hikikomonthly is a look into the online communities known as Incels and Hikikomori. These groups of individuals often ruminate in their isolation, seeking comfort in media such as anime. Rarely interacting with real people often leads them to distort reality, particularly their view of women. Hikikomonthly explores how this distortion can lead to tragedies, such as the Isla Vista killings that occured in 2014, and how it could have been prevented.

Lydia Brown is an illustrator based in South Yorkshire. She specialises in gouache and mixed media. Brown's work explores the boundaries between cute and creepy, often leading you to feeling unsettled and question what your own opinions on the subject of the image.

'Hurt'

12 x 16", acrylic on canvas 

@gleamedart

My final project centres around a series of abstract expressionist paintings retelling the lived events surrounding my retinal detachment and subsequent blindness in late 2018. An authentic, personal and, often, raw, journey uses a variety of mark-marking and visual language on canvas through the acrylic medium to give a snapshot of what blindness is really like and everything that comes with it including visual barriers in society, pain, and isolation. Photographs during the recovery process, my own poetry, and journal entries make up the final publication.

'Hurt' builds up layers of scratches from the palette knife and my fingertips to convey the pain and agony of high pressure from ocular migraines, one of the side effects of retinal detachment, and the trauma of such permanent life events. Compositionally sweeping like a flock of birds straight off the canvas; a wish to find freedom and migrate elsewhere in a colony and community that I no longer have. The dark and light marry in a busy discordance akin to the floaters and dark shadows that still plague my lens. "

flodaisyillustration.portfoliobox.net/portfolio

Flo is a Leeds based illustrator and comic maker who's work tends to represent nature, people and animals, seeking to explore the value of mundanity and the importance of quiet moments. Her work is usually made up of soft, rounded shapes and simple colour schemes, and feels lighthearted and playful. Flo is very interested in subtle narrative, and she prefers her comics to have spaces between each panel for the viewers own interpretation.

Flo's final major project examined the benefits of slow living, meditation and mindfulness, through publications and GIFs. The first publication, Mundane Moments, was collaborative, containing the submissions from an open call asking artists to produce a four panel comic about a daily task. The second, Sunlight In The Kitchen, was a 24 page risoprinted book detailing her personal experiences with slow living using a combination of poetry, comics and standalone images (this publication is available for purchase, please contact the artist if interested). The five GIF's Flo has produced are all intended to reduce anxiety and introduce people to meditation by asking the viewer to follow the gentle movement with their breathing pattern. 

Julia Dudycz is a Leeds based artist and writer, with a practice focusing on the lived experience, in particular her own. Primarily working with drawing, various printing methods and poetry, Dudycz aims for her work to be both a cathartic outlet as well as something that others can find similarities and comfort in. The illustrations and the written pieces frequently work hand in hand, with the aim being to select the method and approach to visuals in a manner that feels intuitive and natural when combined with the writing.

The Final Major Project, titled 'Other Side', was a series of individual works, collected into an anthology. The collection uses embroidery, various forms of drawing and printing, aiming to explore aspects of the lived experience such as interpersonal relationships, grief and issues relating to mental health. Dudycz aims to continue pushing her work further, with the aim to continue telling stories and sharing experiences.

izeldugen.co.uk

I take a digital approach to image-making and am mainly influenced by emerging technology, communication, and relationships. I am mostly interested in character-based digital storytelling. To me, digital storytelling means that my work has interactive elements that tells a story across different platforms. For my final project I worked on a project based on our relationship with AI and how we use technology to simulate romantic relationships. My work is inspired by media such as anime and otome games.

tamsineades1998.wixsite.com  / @tamillustration_

It is hard for me to use a subtle colour pallet when there is so much vibrancy and joyous colour combination in our communities. I like transferring digital art into off-screen spaces/publications to add pockets of my own colour decisions into these surroundings. My work is inspired by heavy research into a subject matter and consequently trying to retell a story through illustration. I rely heavily on shape in my work, as I predominantly use Adobe Illustrator, with the purpose that if I need to transfer the image into a space, such as a mural, it's multi-versatile.

My final Project at Leeds Arts University has led me on a path to expanding my passion for music, which I didn’t think was possible, to research into the segway between music genres that ultimately have certified categories we listen to today. This particular project is the evolution of Disco to House and how Disk Jockeys and iconic LGBTQ club venues paved the way for new sounds. I focused mainly on promotional materials such as flyers and posters for my FMP outcomes.

heatheredwardsart.com / @art_onthehedge / heathedwards.hotglue.me

I’m a research driven illustrator who loves using mixed media processes to explore the idea of environments; either real, theoretical or imagined. Influenced by socio-political issues and identity, I enjoy using these to expand the context of my work, with the aim to challenge preconceptions in unexpected ways. I love to learn, interrogate, and have fun!

Barred over lockdown from entering my local library- my childhood safe place- in a time of grief, I aimed to forge a new relationship with the building and idea of what a library can be. Through a process of onsite drawing, recordings, examination of associated memories, and from exploring family archives, I sought to find the sense of community the library had fostered in other ways. Finding this through historical research, collaborations and interviews on other’s relationships to libraries, it became clear how influential and necessary they’ve been for so many. With ten years of cuts, such vibrant spaces need to be protected, but also developed and for a digital age!

georgiaellis.co.uk / @ge_ellis_ 

Hello, I’m Georgia, an Illustrator, model-maker and crafter based in Leeds. My work is heavily influenced by narrative, character and experience, which often all come hand-in-hand. With a childlike wonder to learning new crafts and processes, I often bring these stories and characters to life though tangible mediums, exploring how they exist and interact in the third dimension. I find great enjoyment in experimenting with different materials and discovering ways to apply them to my illustration. Though my choice of materials and processes adapt from project to project, the thing that never changes is my affinity for intricacy and detail.

mariaanneevans.wixsite.com / @mariaillustrates

Maria's illustrations aim to capture a positive and peaceful approach to life. A lot of her work reflects personal experiences, aiming to communicate as authentically as possible. Using expressive line and colour, she uses digital processes and collage to alter and experiment with handmade illustrations.

Living and working in Leeds, Maria enjoys understanding and responding to anything, big or small, in a heartfelt way- whether it is making a series of gifs and designs about our favourite summer drinks, or exploring mental and emotional health through reportage illustrations. Music and storytelling has a big influence on the way she works and she enjoys creating a variety of outcomes, ranging from decorative prints, to digital designs and gifs, to sequential illustrations and zines.

millystration.pb.studio / @millystration

Milly is a Leeds based illustrator and designer who's work showcases bold colours, graphic shapes, and pleasing compositions. She is inspired by folklore, nature, creatures, and a personal nostalgia for her childhood memories in the 2000s. This is apparent across her practice, from character design to editorial. In turn her work toys with the balance between analog and digital craft.

Millys Final Major Project examines the representation of green when adorned to medieval representations of mythical creatures. She questions the duality of the colour in what it represents. Toxicity and Nature, Death and Life, exploring how these narratives have been warped and embellished over time by the human condition. For this project she experimented with a variety of mediums, and has used this opportunity to explore rug punching and develop her craft. Her final outcomes included five rug punched wall hangings, which each focused on varying 'mythical' creatures. This included The Dragon, Siren, Crocodile, Florovulpe and Kraken. You can view the entire collection via her website.

blithefielden.wixsite.com/illustrations / @blithe_illustrations

Blithe is a freelance and picture book illustrator who is inspired by nature, animals and childhood memories and imagination. Besides her passion for picture books, Blithe really enjoys calligraphy and lettering. She enjoys working with bright, summery colours and hopes that her illustrations bring happiness to those who see it.

For Blithe’s Final Major Project, she illustrated 4 spreads for a children’s book she wrote, called ‘Where’s My Home?’. Based on her own dog who went missing in 2017, Blithe used her imagination to illustrate the adventures Woody (the dog) would get up to as he tries to find his way home, which he isn’t able to recognise as everything has changed since he has been gone. The story book is an on-going project, which Blithe hopes to continue after graduation. As well as creating four final spreads for her project, Blithe explored and developed thumbnails and a storyboard, character design and story development.

isabelgeffryes.myportfolio.com / @is.geff_illustration  / @Is.Geff.Illustration

Isabel is a multidisciplinary illustrator who primarily works with analogue materials. She enjoys working with a range of printing, photographic and hand-drawn processes. Her work often focuses on storytelling through imagery and can be said to hold an air of mystery and abstraction. She is inspired by fiction and non-fiction writings and works with a range of styles but mostly includes figures within her imagery. Isabel’s work is inspired by more traditional illustration, painting movements including the impressionists and pre-Raphaelite painters as well as film photographers such as Francesca Woodman and Raymond Meeks.

Isabel’s final project was a publication based on the poems ‘The Duino Elegies’ written by Rainer Maria Rilke. The Elegies are a set of ten poems that question the purpose of human existence as well as the idea of the self. These poems are woven with religious symbolism and often look to the angels for answers. The project was an intimate look at the tragedy within these poems, especially looking at the ideas surrounding human connections. The final publication was made up of eight illustrations that sat next to the poems and was complimented by lino printed titles.

The environment has had a massive impact on my practice as an illustrator, I have tried to find ways to reflect natural issues in my work. Researching into environmental theories such as the Anthropocene has allowed me to gather a greater understanding of what I can do to help combat ecological issues, using my practice. I also take great influence from the natural world around me, looking at how man-made and nature interact with each other to help with my image making.

Developing my practice over my degree has allowed me to use my love of printing to upcycle clothing, as a way of making more sustainable fashion. Outlining the environmental issues of fast fashion and throw-away culture as a whole is really important for my work. Clothing as a canvas is also really helpful in the spread of awareness. Having my designs spread ecological awareness through displaying them on an interactive and wearable solution.

runtheshow.myportfolio.com / @_run.the.show_

Hi, I’m Kat Rebecca, I’m just a big fat emo illustrator based in Leeds. I make posters and zines about the alt community, mostly featuring alt girls in their natural habitat. The alternative music scene is heavily dominated by men and through my work I’m shaking things up and giving a voice to the excluded. This work was originally routed in my love for live music and moshing, but through conversations with other emos and those in the scene it has spiralled into something deeper. I aim to evoke punk energy with some nostalgia in everything I do.

Come and join me in the pit.

daisyheyes.com

Born and raised in Blackburn - a post-industrial northern town like any other - I enjoy illustrating my connections to the spaces around me in areas which are often overlooked, celebrating their cultural and historical heritage in the process. I love slow, analogue processes although I find that digital processes are becoming more essential to my practice. I enjoy long form research projects which allow me to spend lots of time in the environment I’m illustrating, whether that be a canal-side wharf or an inner city train station.

Zine making has become increasingly important to my practice. Zines offer the ability to present my illustrative work alongside the written thoughts that often develop over an extended project. My passion for zines can be seen most clearly throughout my Final Major Project, which is an exploration into the experience of femme presenting people in urban environments. Entitled ‘Curiously Cautious’, I spent the duration of my FMP creating three zines which explore the conflict I feel between my love for city spaces and my knowledge that I’m inherently unsafe exploring them. The zines will be published in July, alongside prints & zines from a small collection of creatives, under my zine distro called Bite Back.

phoebeholdenillustration.com / @phoebeebies / @everybodys_invited

I’m Phoebe and I’m an illustrator! My practice mostly revolves around children’s illustration and education but I also love creating prints and T-shirts. I like to think my work is colourful and cute with lots of animals thrown in the mix!

For my final year project I created a series of resources for teenagers that talk about sex education in a more inclusive and positive way. I wanted to illuminate some of the less talked about topics like lube, solo-sex and contraceptives for non-hetero couples. It was really important to me that my illustrations were colourful and diverse and my words were positive as sex, relationships and sexual health, are topics that effect everyone, and I wanted my work to show that. I created an Instagram account as part of my project called @everybodys_invited, where I post content I've made and share other useful resources.

I plan to keep working on this project beyond my graduation because I want to help improve how sex education is taught as there are still so many subjects that aren't covered in schools and students who still feel excluded. I hope to continue pursuing educational illustration as I love learning and I want to utilise my creativity and help teach others!

catherineannah.myportfolio.com / @catherineannahorner

Motion poster for the upcoming web-based pixel game Ley Line.

Ley Line follows the adventure of Ghost Girl - the protagonist and playable character - as she tries to find her way over to the other side. Her journey takes her through enchanted woods where she meets a host of cunning mythical creatures, from kelpies to tree dryads, who each try to convince Ghost Girl to join their element in death.

As a multi-disciplinary illustrator who’s practice lies heavily in craft and hand-rendered processes, starting a project using digital techniques was challenging but immensely rewarding. I am very excited to continue and finish this project in the near future, and plan to apply myself to even more varied methods and practices of illustration.

@amyjohnson_illustration

I am an Illustrator currently based in Lancashire. My work is usually made up of curved and rounded shapes with vibrant and contrasting colour schemes. My creative practice is based around social issues such as gender, race and feminism, which I believe need to have more representation within the creative arts. For me, illustration is about tackling social issues in a bright and positive way. Directing my work towards ideas of inclusivity, can often be as simple as including a range of different ethnicities, genders, disabilities etc - as an illustrator I feel it is crucial to acknowledge the wide range of people who exist in our society.

For my final major project, I made a publication called ‘How to be a Lady’ which depicted ‘unladylike’ habits and behaviours that are considered unacceptable for a woman in a patriarchal society. My aim was to express that women should not have to conform to socially constructed norms, nor should they have to behave differently to a man. In terms of materials, I closely looked into the relationship between traditional craft and feminism, which allowed me to work with felt to successfully produce a publication and a set of GIF’s.

indd.adobe.com/view (portfolio) / indd.adobe.com/view ('Nostalgic Futurism') / pj7pooja.wixsite.com

Pooja Joshi is a Digital Artist and an Illustrator currently based in Leeds. Her work revolves around Digital Illustration , Motion Graphics and Typography. Vibrant and bold imagery with a strong influence of cyberpunk and digital culture represents her creative style. Moving images and type, GIfs and Illustration are the key aspects of her creative practice through which she tries to bring forward concepts based on the social and pop- cultural themes.

Pooja’s final major project was an attempt to portray the concept of futurism and Post- humanism through the means of an interactive publication , which was created in response to a proposed exhibition idea. She approached this project through an Illustrative, Motion graphics and Exhibition branding point of view and tried to theoretically and visually put forward this concept. Her visual outcomes consisted of posters, motion visuals , zine and stickers, influenced by the cyberpunk genre. The visuals were bold with bright neon colour schemes with an abstract yet cosmical interpretation of the concept.

Pooja blended all her creative interests and through the Adobe cloud softwares tried to cohesively put together this project.

semicircle-fiddle-a6e5.squarespace.com / @_gracekarczewska

I am an illustrator and poet based in Leeds. I have an expressive approach to making and enjoy working with abstract images. I particularly enjoy making work centring around science, nature, literature and poetry. Open for collaborations and commissions with any discipline.

This project is about human anatomy and defects, particularly organ defects.

'My Home Is Red' is a project exploring mine and my family's diaspora. Through words, colour and shapes I aimed to explore some feelings of displacement, feelings of loss, citizenship and the idea of home. 

isobellekidd.myportfolio.com / @belleillustrates 

My name is Isobelle Kidd and I am a writer and illustrator currently based in Liverpool. My work focuses on exploring a wide range of themes across writing, poetry, and illustration, taking a whimsical and intriguing approach to the subject matters I explore whilst maintaining an overall gentle and tender ambiance within the visuals. I am a multimedia artist and have recently been enjoying cut paper collage and fine line illustration.

I am very interested in producing zines and publications and have focused on this within my final major project. Within this work I explore a wide range of topics that I am passionate about; some of these include historical influences, supernatural narratives, and abstract, introspective documentation of mundane activities. You can view the rest of my final project work in my portfolio. 

chloillustrates.cargo.site / @chlo.illustrates  

A cartoonist and illustrator living in Leeds, interested in the intimate nature of publications, sequential art of all kinds and world building. Aiming to explore these using playful motifs and absurd concepts and continuing to push the comic format. With highlighting the absurdity in the mundanity of life being a strong theme across my practice.

@vrm_vrm_vrm_vrm / www.vrmart.info

Vilija aka vrm Is an Illustrator & multimedia artist. Originally from Vilnius, Lithuania, she is now based in Leeds, where she is heavily involved in the local music & art scene. Her work is often surrealist and playful, such as creating a disco ball Banana sculpture or a fictional record label called ‘pigeon wave’, bold & colorful, regularly combing multiple disciplines, projections, sound art, and animations to create highly original and engaging pieces.

Vilija’s unique creativity & explorations into digital animations have made her artwork in demand, producing numerous club flyers, animated pieces, immersive installations, and live streams for promoters, bands and venues which has led to roles such as creative director at local creative hub, Outlaws Yacht Club as well as an internship in the design studio, Endless Visuals.

www.livvymitchell.com

In the art world today, it is becoming ever more important for creatives to work as multidisciplinary practitioners. My artistic practice exists between the realms of illustration and design, drawing from post-modern and socio-political ideas. I am particularly interested in the visual language of rave and how experimental graphic design practices can enrich my work, pushing me forward into new territory. My work is characterised by bold colour choices, unusual type and irregular compositions, pushing the idea of what a poster can be and what purpose print media serves in an increasingly digital world.

My final project focuses on the relationship between design and poetry - exploring how the themes of tactility and vulnerability in my poetry could interact with a graphic, digital medium, and how that could be developed into an ephemeral output such as posters and flyers. Ephemera and print media were at the core of this project: showing how the effect of the paper texture makes an impact on the viewer, and how it transforms the work and contextualises it (as opposed to seeing a design on-screen). The project all came together in a collection of printed work as part of a physical archive box. The intention was to invite the viewer to interact with the box and flick through the body of work at their own pace, feeling the paper between their fingers, allowing them to consider the importance of print as a means of sharing information - in this case, the vulnerability and expression of the self through poetry.

frankiemolloyillustration.squarespace.com

Frankie is a Leeds based illustrator and GIF maker who is inspired by movement and loves to bring her illustrations to life. Her practice is interested in educating others on topics mainly focused around mental health and body image. Her ongoing aim is to create honest and inclusive artwork that teaches people to have a healthy relationship with their body and mind.

Frankie’s final major project explored the benefits of meditation and mindfulness through a series of GIFs and short animated videos with calming audio. The intention of her final animations is to reduce anxiety and introduce people to meditation by encouraging them to add extra mindfulness to their day by taking a moment to relax.

gracemoore.pb.design / @gracemoore_illustration  

My work is based on women’s communal experiences, from body image struggles to period poverty. This year has made me analyse what is expected of women and how there is an unfair disparity between the sexes. My final project gave me time to understand my personal issues with body image and what I expect of myself. My written work has developed alongside my illustrative practice, and now I understand that the two don’t have to be separate but can compliment one another. My skill set and confidence have improved greatly over my time at Leeds Arts University.

In the future I would like to work in a way that serves others. My dissertation and my final major project have taught me that I enjoy investigating subject matters that affect women (of which include trans women, non-binary people and the LGBTQ+ community).

@sleepy.sofa / morenosophia16.wixsite.com

I am a multi-disciplinary artist with a love for china markers and documenting a moment in time. My work focuses on self-reflection, natural shapes, and textures made from different processes. I currently live in Leeds but I’m originally from NYC. I work as a Marketing Lead for a business as part of their social media team.

This piece is a response to my trip to Yorkshire Sculpture Park. It was during the process of making this image that I found a love for writing and collaging. “Why do I find such joy in the little things?” is about the thrill of finding tiny objects in everyday life. Finding little treasures is part of the wonderment and imagination that helped me grow as a child and something that I keep with me to this day. This leaf was from a bush I had photographed and drawn on site. I used mark-making from the sound of birds at the park to add texture to the photo. Mark-making is an exciting, almost mindless activity that helps me relax when I draw. My practice has helped me find ways to tune out the world and my thoughts and focus on making.

emilymucha.portfoliobox.net / @someartandthat 

I’m a collage- based practitioner merging an illustrative style of work with more graphic based art. I use found ephemera as a source of play and exploration, with my influences being music, the urban environment as well as responding to scientific theories and concepts. The ephemera that I collect and use ranges from old national geographics, fashion magazines and odd posters and leaflets- basically anything I can get my hands on. This builds the broad range of imagery used within my practice.

I would describe my work as bold and expressive with a strong emphasis on composition and image dynamics, aiming to immerse the audience within my work, whilst leaving the interpretation speculative and reflective. My preferred areas to create work are within music sleeve and album cover design, editorial design and poster/campaign graphics.

blushybun.hotglue.me / @blushybun 

Under the creative title ‘blushybun’, I celebrate hyper cute aesthetics evoking nostalgia and fun. BLUSH PROJECT aims to explore these aesthetics through an inclusive new-wave lens. Blending character design, textile design, animation, and other traditional and digital mediums, I hope to uplift those who identify with this visual world. 

vivianoliviafmp.myportfolio.com / @vivianoliviart  

My name is Vivian Olivia and I am a designer and illustrator currently based in Liverpool. My work focuses on visual communication, problem solving and conceptual thinking. My FMP was designed to nurture these skills, by working on multiple small briefs based around a common theme, true crime. The wide range of outcomes allowed me to explore a lot of different ways of working, both in tone and media, as I would like to carry on doing post-grad.

@heidi.illustration

My practice stems from a combined love of nature, fantasy worlds, folklore and storytelling - I enjoy creating and responding to narratives through sequential imagery, producing short comics and children’s publications often revolving around a central character and their exploration of a whimsical, imagined environment. These narratives, though fun and playful in visual style often convey an underlying deeper meaning reflecting personal experiences and observations of the world around me.

My latest project, a short comic entitled Sweet Dark Moon, is a contemporary retelling of the traditional Chinese myth of Chang’e, the moon goddess who was banished to live a solitary life of immortality on the moon above, illustrating feelings of isolation and being distanced from loved ones through depictions of sense of place, tone and atmosphere. My work incorporates my fondness towards traditional media such as watercolour and lino printing, however I’m always looking for a way to integrate these crafts within the digital realm. For example, digitally manipulating the images and adding textures and processes such as bitmapping to produce a contemporary aesthetic.

entanglement.hotglue.me

For my final project, I created an installation exploring ideas surrounding the transcendental nature of Touch and The Body, inspired by the works of Karen Barad and their text, ‘On Touching - The Inhuman That Therefore I Am’. Using the mythical themes of fairies and folklore to depict such theories, paired with traditionally juxtaposing concepts of the physical and digital realm, I aim to depict the complete dissolution of boundaries and merging of entities in a wholly immersive and ethereal experience. Accompanied by a soundscape of night-time glitchy forest noise and glistening projections, the installation included monitors and laptop screens presenting moving-virtual fairy scenes on a bed of artificial flower petals and ivy with which the audience could explore and lie on.

izzyphelan.hotglue.me / @izzyphelanart  

I am an illustrator who primarily uses painting, drawing and sculpting to explore storytelling through characters and world building. I draw inspiration from surrealism, nature, folk and religious art, ceramics, textiles and crafts. I am a long-time collector and mood-boarder, a hoarder of visual references which help inform my work. While my practice is illustrative, I am interested in makeup, fashion, photography, writing and music as modes of expression, all of which fuel and inspire my own creativity.

This year I have gained confidence in my initial ideas, which was realised through the consistent use of sketchbooks as a way of generating outcomes. This has been liberating and is now integral to my practice. Looking forward, I hope to explore more 3D media, such as clay and woodwork, whilst continuing to develop my printmaking and drawing skills.

abbiepockley.wixsite.com / @abbiepockley_illustration 

Abbie is an artist who does everything and anything! She loves to play around with different art techniques but mostly loves painting either digitally or manually. She aspires to become freelance creator making anything she can with all sorts of materials including paints, photography, and clay.

My final major project is about acne, and looking at it in a positive way. Acne is often viewed in a negative light in the media, with the traditional standard of beauty being clear, and glowing skin, free from acne.

I myself have dealt with acne first hand, and felt insecure and excluded from social settings because of it. I wanted to make work that allows people to see that acne is natural and does not determine your worth or make you any less beautiful, as it is something many people have.

As well as this, I included the themes, self-love and self-care, primarily as I found through research, it is important to include these practices in daily routines to keep yourself mentally and physically healthy.

@missrobertsillustrates

Megan is an illustrator based in Doncaster, with an ambition of becoming a Primary School Teacher. Megan’s work generally focuses around education and interactivity.

“MEmotions” is a card game set to encourage all children to recognise and discuss all the different emotions they feel inside their bodies.
In the last three years the likelihood of a child experiencing a mental health problem has increased by 50% further increasing due to the COVID-19 crisis, this is an alarming figure, therefore through encouraging children to talk more openly, Megan hopes she can help reduce this statistic. Clever prompts help aid discussions, whilst there are also tips for dealing with ‘uncomfortable’ emotions and multiple ways to play with the cards.

ekaterinasheath.com / @ekaterina.m.sheath / facebook.com/Ekaterina.M.Sheath

I see illustration as a way to celebrate hidden stories and experience local spaces as a cultural asset. I enjoy working with community projects and social organisations to produce illustrations that are engaging, colourful and educational. Driven by a process of on-location drawing and research — the relationship between history, location and community is a constant source of inspiration behind my work.Commissioned by Leeds City Council to design a fifty-one-panel series to be installed in the windows of the abandoned New Pavilion, Morley.

I aimed to bring back the rich history of the New Pavilion to the people of Morley through their own words and memories. By reaching out to local people and listening to their stories, I wanted to showcase the building’s past in a way that embodies the identity and history of the town.

A ripped cinema ticket, a couple in love at the cinema, a little child’s head peeping at Grandma’s bingo card. All are snippets of stories and details shared by the community of Morley.

The building itself is included in the designs too: original stained-glass windows, ornate gates and the sculpted façade are reflected in the design’s large abstract shapes.

annalowenillustration.co.uk / @annalowenillustration

Anna's practice typically focuses on abstract patterns, animals and nature through the use of beading, prints and embroidery. Illustration has always been a huge passion for Anna all throughout her childhood and still to this day. Growing up, her interests always circled the environment, craft and travel which can be seen within her work. Her additional love for interior design, print and colour theory has worked hand in hand with her interests, bringing them to life with bold, contrasted colours and textural aspects.

I have also recently started running a small business - Anna Lowen Illustration - alongside my practice where I have been selling and distributing prints, beaded accessories and stickers via Etsy.

abigailtillustration.portfoliobox.net / @abigail_182 

As an artist I work mostly with characters and portraits using a combination of traditional pencil sketching and digital colouring and editing. I enjoy drawing in realistic and cartoon styles but also continually experiment with developing new aesthetics and therefore I am quite versatile as an illustrator. I often draw from personal experiences and observations bringing a personal connection to my work. Other inspiration includes a variety of pop culture references, from celebrities to Animal Crossing. I have worked on commissioned portraits and some varied character designs, and love engaging with clients in creative conversation.

My Final Major Project was intended to explore and develop my illustration skills, in a brief relevant to my career aspirations as a character design artist. The aim was to develop a character design portfolio that explores different genres and visual styles, while developing appropriate characters and context images for each. The characters were created in response to my own narrative, ‘The Girl and the Bear’ a story about two friends and their adventures as they grow up in a dystopian, abandoned world. You can view more of this project and my other work on my website or Instagram.

lucyoliviaillustration.co.uk / @lucyolivia.illustration / linktr.ee/lucyoliviaillustration

Hi, my name is Lucy Olivia Toseland and I'm a Character Designer and Illustrator based in the north of the UK. I have a passion for storytelling through visual design and communicating narrative through shape and line quality to create appealing and whimsy characters. I am inspired every day and love mixing fantasy with the mundane.

For my final project, I have adapted two classic 19th Century novels into character design development sheets for modern day, young audience aimed animations. Oliver Twist, intended for a TV series and Little Women for a film adaptation. Oliver Twist includes five characters in a bold and graphic style, re-imagined as British woodland creatures in a dystopian/fantasy steampunk world. Little Women re-imagines the four March sisters as 90’s black women focusing on capturing their core personalities through pose with appreciation for time period and cultural accuracy.

This development sheet is taken from the Oliver Twist project depicting the three-quarter and side view of the weasel Fagin, which builds his character turnaround.

Please take a closer look into my final project and keep up with my growing practice on my website and social media platforms.

@waitesillustrates

Lydia is an Illustrator and aspiring Primary School teacher from Kingston Upon Hull. She enjoys creating work with a mixture of print, collage and digital elements, with strong use of shape and bright colour palettes.

For Lydia's Final Major Project, she focused on the nostalgic elements of the early 2000s through a selection of retro sweet packaging!

heidiillustrates.com / @heidiillustrates 

Heidi’s practice holds a focus on People, Place and Natural form, exaggerated and interwoven to create surrealist worlds. Exploration into interconnection and relationships between form and environment are explored through her intricate and detailed illustrations. Her process takes form with the use of differing media from paint to pencil, digital to printing processes, keeping her practice open to constantly evolve. These processes are expressed through her passion for narrative and sequential image.

Within this Final Project Heidi has brought together interests in ancient culture and visual storytelling in her exploration into the Daoist folk tale ‘The Eight Immortals Cross the Sea’. Illustrating this wonderfully absurd and imaginative story into a 50 page hardback publication, telling its tale across a series of single and double page spreads.

Through a combination of various telling's of the tale she has piece together her own interpretation of this somewhat lesser known story, as has been the tradition of folklore for millennia. Paying homage to Daoist tradition and Chinese culture within her illustrative approach, colouring and passing of the story, giving the book a calm and considered tone.

sophalunastudio.co.uk

I am Sophaluna Studio also known as Sophie Warner, a multidisciplinary maker who loves cooking, a conversation or an afternoon sudoku puzzle. Originally from Huddersfield, I have a Northern spirit that is sure to bring fresh ideas to any project. I love using my creativity in order to bring a concept to life and like to think this is what makes me a multidisciplinary maker. I have a natural eye for tone, communication, appropriateness and format. I love to think about these attributes, to develop them and communicate something that makes the viewer feel something.

My passion is in creative direction and creative concepts to make people smile as well as inform, illuminate and educate. My practice investigates anecdotal narratives from personal observations to bring light, life and colour to social and cultural issues I find important.

My practice explores disciplines such as illustration, poetry, photography, graphic design and publication so I am very open minded to the execution of a project. I thrive in environments which are people orientated and achieving common goals, whilst equally comfortable working independently. I welcome the opportunity to build my experience in different areas of the creative industry being particularly interested in directory rolls.

@natdwh 

Natalie is an aspiring children’s book illustrator from Newark, Nottinghamshire. She specialises in children’s illustration and character design, creating imagery from mixed media, collage and a combination of digital elements.

For her Final Major Project, she created her very own children’s book “Hello, I’m Hoppity” which follows a small frog and his adventures through the garden!

'Queer Surrealism'

@the_gorzag

My starting point for this project was acknowledging the importance queer women, such as Frida Kahlo and Claude Kahun, had in pioneering surrealism. I then investigated my own relation to the topic, using classic surrealist ideas to explore the intersection of queerness and surrealism in a more contemporary setting.