Hello! My name is Candice Papagiannis and I am an illustrator and designer. I currently live in Adelaide’s metro south but grew up in the foothills of Adelaide with my mum, dad, big sister and 2 poodles!
From as far back as I can remember I was sitting on the floor, with my coloured pencils, in my PJ’s, in front of the heater, drawing away, and really, not much has changed! I think from the moment I could hold a pencil my father was teaching me to draw. My subjects of choice were ladies in pretty dresses, cars, dolphins and anything Lion King. I was the coolest (ok, maybe not)!
Illustration from Modern Moroccan Cooking.
stamps and vector images, digital collage
After a year and a half at the school of architecture, I realized it didn’t really have my heart, but I had developed an interest in design, and soon came to the conclusion that I enjoyed making the posters for my presentations more than I did designing the buildings! I switched from architecture to a visual communications degree (specialising in illustration) and the rest as they say, is history!
Australian organic baby products.
cut paper, digital collage
I think my indecisiveness led me to collage. I just loved working with all mediums, and differing textures within a piece of work seem to float my boat! Lately I have been using a lot of cut paper in my work, and also making my own stamps out of sticky foam and cardboard and using acrylic to stamp them with.
Inspiration
Inspiration
I draw inspiration from everything! I can walk down my street and see a bright magenta bougainvillea against an old metal fence and that will inspire me. I was in the lunchroom of a crappy building where I work and there were two really old vinyl chairs next to each other, one orange/tan and the other was emerald green, I got so excited I took a picture! Travel is like sensory overload to me, I love seeing the way other cultures use colour, and the way they dye their textiles and the traditional crafts. Also music is a huge inspiration and can instantly change my mood unlike anything else can. There is so much inspiration out there, you just have to be open to it.
Australian organic baby products.
cut paper, digital collage
Influences
I think my all time fave has always been Gustav Klimt. Those rich jewel colours with soft greys and nudes, and the intricate patterns of differing scales within his work are just so beautiful. His work just looks so passionate, the expression in the subject’s eyes, long limbs and intertwined, floating bodies, and the mix of realism with simple bold shapes. Sigh. Egon Schiele is also an influence, his work looks so contemporary, even now.
As far as illustrators go I love, love, love the work of the late Charley Harper. He illustrated a lot of the golden books and has an amazing style. I really enjoy late 1950’s and 1960’s illustrations, the kinds that you would see on an old cover of esquire, or at the start of I dream of Genie! Jim Flora is also an influence.
Owning your first Home (Editorial).
pen and ink, watercolour, digital collage
What the future holds My immediate future involves more study, as I have been accepted into a masters program and start next week! I’m also hoping to squeeze some more travel in there somewhere. Maybe later I’ll get some more poodles!
Advice
My advice to other young illustrators would be to just enjoy what your doing. There’s nothing wrong with a bit of healthy competition, but try not to compare yourself with your peers, everyone is unique and every style works in its own way. While on the topic of style, I was convinced up until a few months ago that I didn’t even have one! Don’t worry about it, it will just develop on it’s own (with a lot of hard work of course)!
Also network, and actively promote yourself, no one will come to you if they don’t know you exist!
Love at First Sight (Editorial)
pen and ink, textile, coloured pencil.
