My headspace is to draw as if every character were myself – how would I react if this were me?

The Bird Boy T-shirt design (available to buy from the shop) is from a set of ‘me’ drawings I did during the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. They are small and quiet. Drawn direct into my sketch pad with pencils and love. Deliberately free and unsophisticated, I hope their humanity and imperfections work in the mix of good intentions and the emotions of our time.

The drawing style is me at my most relaxed, creating a freestyle appearance of ease and channelled feelings and emotion. The designs just happen onto the page and I just cruise to keep up and get them down. It is like capturing a meme or flavour.

I like nothing more than an empty piece of paper, a handful of pencils and a bit of me time to see what happens. It’s like embarking on a mini adventure each time.

A bit about me and my design process…

I work full time as a freelance illustrator and designer.

I love people, pencils, pens and paper.

My driver is an honest delight in putting things simply.

When people ask me what I do for illustration work, I find it quite hard to answer, despite living and breathing drawing for the last 20+yrs: “Mostly, I draw people feeling feelings”.

As an artist, I am passionate about emotive power of visual communication, and to this aim I want my designs and drawings to connect and empower. Solidarity for us all. To speak in any language, dialect and emotion.

My drawn style is strong and unapologetic. My drawing ‘voice’ stemmed from a need to express myself quickly, honestly and directly after the sudden death of my dear husband Chris, in 2003. I have been drawing ever since. It is my go-to and companion.

To date I make a large part of my living drawing for other people, mainly through project work and commission, notably for the Royal Opera House, Velo Vixens, Viv Gordon Company, Stroud Brewery and the John Lewis Partnership. I delight in the balance of loose expressive lines and careful accuracy. I exaggerate where need be and often draw holding my pencil at the “wrong” end to arrest any autopilot in approach. My headspace is to draw as if every character were myself – how would I react if this were me?

Well, I just have to start to find out. It’s a design adventure.

Drawing from the heart.

Check out my clothing range : ihldesigns.com 

Link from the shop