People Illustration
People illustration is a great way to expand on the food and travel themes that I like to explore. Illustrating multicultural women and men in action – as they cook, garden, read and prepare tea – is important for fulfilling editorial illustration jobs, branding illustration commissions, and more.
How I Developed My People Illustration Style
From a very young age, I got obsessed with drawing people. My whole life I wanted to draw comics and children’s books. But my books on anatomically accurate drawing were at complete odds with the illustration styles I loved. Following traditional anatomical drawing rules never got me where I wanted to go. Until I decided to break free. One day I asked myself: I draw food, objects, buildings and don’t care to follow the rules of perspective or even accurate proportion. That’s how I should draw people. And it worked!
Illustration Style and Mediums
My people illustration style is both linear and painterly, depending on the medium. I like to experiment with different mediums and art supplies as a way to keep challenging myself. Sometimes I create artwork with ink and watercolour. Or dip pen and wash. Or just ink, scan it in and colour the subject digitally. Sometimes I illustrate chefs and restaurant goers using gouache. Or fineliners and alcohol markers. What’s important is that it looks hand-drawn with a human hand.
