Hello! I can't believe it's July already - it has been full of fun projects, connecting with people and finally graduating from my MA course! Here's a little run through of what I've been up to:
Commissions and Projects:
This July I was commissioned to create illustrations for two editorial briefs, for AARP: The Ethel and Community Bridges Charity, and a design brief for a vinyl sticker to accompany pre-orders of a printed publication of FOYER magazine. I feel so happy to be able to collaborate on these projects!
AARP: The Ethel: https://www.aarpethel.com/health/7-mind-and-body-boosting-podcasts-that-promote-healthy-aging
I recently worked on another illustration for an article on The Ethel digital magazine by AARP. The article lists the seven best podcasts targeted to women over 60 and discusses the benefits podcasts can have on your mind, spirit and sexuality. I had a lot of fun working on this piece - I wanted to focus on depicting growth and knowledge gained by listening to these podcasts. For more info about my process for this project, click here.
FOYER Magazine: https://www.foyermagazine.co.uk/about
I was commissioned by Fiona Livingston - founder of FOYER magazine, to create an illustration for a vinyl cut out sticker for pre-orders of Issue 01 FOYER. Fiona specified that she'd like a 10cm custom shape sticker with the words 'Hyphenated and Proud' and that it would also make an appearance inside the publication. As the first publication was based on the theme of 'connection' I wanted my illustration to show a difference between cultures, but also form of connection. We decided on the two different hands, intertwined with a DNA strand. You can find my initial sketches and final illustration below.
Community Bridges:
Here is a recent illustration for an article on the Community Bridges online magazine, about the many benefits of physical exercise on our minds and bodies. In the article it discusses a range of activities we can take part in, that will help to boost our physical and mental health. Read the full story here.
Personal Updates and Projects:
One of the most memorable moments of July was finally graduating! I can happily say I am a Master of the Arts in Illustration, with a Distinction! It was such an exciting experience that I was so lucky to share with my family and other class mates. The funny thing is, is that it was the first time I met everyone from my course - we had only spoken over Zoom before then! Graduating on one of the hottest days was definitely a challenge. I very awkwardly walked across the stage with my sweaty hands out from the very beginning, ready to shake and nod at the Vice Chancellor - watching it back I looked so uncomfortable it really made me cringe! After the ceremony, I even held cold cans under my arms and found shade whenever possible just to keep me cool - and don't get me started on the hat hair!
Anyway, it was a great day celebrating and I was very lucky to have loved ones around me. Thank you all so much for your support and encouragement - it really helped me to believe in myself throughout my studies.
I love sharing my portfolio on Twitter for #PortfolioDay, I think it's such a fun way to promote myself and my illustration work, to connect with new creatives and followers and to stay inspired! They are often my most viewed posts and work well when they are pinned to the top of my Twitter profile.
Sketchbook Tour: https://twitter.com/ellisbrown__art/status/1530134476113817600
I have been trying to share my working process with my followers more - I've recently been trying my hand at recording my sketchbooks, photographing WIP shots and posting views of my workspace. If you follow me on Twitter, you'll see that most of my tweets are showing sketchbook ink drawings, but I am working towards making some more video/animated/reel content.
First TikTok Video - Studio tour: https://www.tiktok.com/@ellisbrown_art?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc
I finally decided to get over my fear of making reels, so I thought I'd start off simple. I chose to do a mini studio tour video because I felt like I could get my personality across, as well as promoting all of my favourite artists and inspirations. Once I uploaded it to Instagram, I then uploaded it to TikTok as my first ever video - so let's see what happens from here! I'm still trying to get used to how long it can take and how critical I can be with the 'perfect' clip but I'm sure I'll get over that soon.
That's all for now! I'll be sharing my July favourite finds and inspirations in another blog next week. Thank you for taking the time to read what I've been up to! I hope you stick around.
Ellis x