Restless Talent: Lauren Graham

Hey Restless readers, check out the rich textured fabric and paper cut style of this months very talented Adelaide illustrator, Lauren Graham. 

Hi all, my name is Lauren Graham and I am an illustrator currently living in Adelaide. I’ve always loved to draw. I used to be an avid ‘Archie and Friends’ comic collector when I was in primary school (I was cool like that) and I remember spending hours drawing the characters, hoping one day to be a comic artist. Over the years I have gone through a few different career aspirations (animator, fashion illustrator, graphic designer, and now Illustrator) but ultimately they have always revolved around drawing. I can be a bit of a dreamer and illustrating is my creative outlet.

Alannah Hill Fashion Illustration, cut paper and fabric

Mediums

I generally use cut paper/material technique. Its something I randomly tried in my first year of university and enjoyed (I weirdly find cutting up little of pieces of paper therapeutic). I love it how an illustration can evolve as I introduce new materials and types of papers. I am also a bit of a hoarder and love to collect lace, paper and fabrics, so it makes sense to create something out of these. My latest collecting fixation is old books covers from second-hand stores, which I use as backgrounds for my pieces.

Nightfall in the Ti-Tree, cut paper and fabric

Inspiration

Anything- Music, memories, lyrics, friends, fashion, family, quotes, movies, experiences, other pretty illustrations. Most of my recent illustrations have been inspired by my amazing trip over seas last year.

Take Me Away, cut paper and fabric

Achievements

Being apart of the recent Sweet Nostalgia exhibition with my talented friends Chloe McGregor and Sarah Grove. The opening night was so much fun and the feedback I received on my illustrations were really encouraging. Other recent achievements include a series of ‘colour me in’ placemats for an Adelaide restaurant and designing a series of wedding ‘save the dates’ and invitations.

Frog Playing Banjo, cut paper and fabric

Influences

Have you ever read ‘The unicorn and the Sea’? It’s a children’s book illustrated by Fiona Moodie and I have had a copy since I was 8 (probably stolen it from the school library). The illustrations are just so beautiful and I have always wanted to create something just as lovely. Other influences include illustrators Yulia Brodskaya and Patrick Gannon (who do some pretty darn amazing things with paper) and my close-knit university illustration class/lecturers (aka family) for their support and guidance.

Calling Home, cut paper and fabric

What the future holds

Ideally I would love to do children's book illustrations. So in the mean time, lots of cutting and creating.

Advice

Don’t let yourself be lazy (even I have trouble keeping this advice sometimes). Set up projects to keep yourself motivated. Also practice your technique (yep, that old nutshell). I have only being illustrating with cut paper for a few years but its pretty cool to look back at my original work and see how much my technique has developed since

Email- laurengraham.illustrations@gmail.com

Contact- +61412575597

Website- laurengrahamillustrations.blogspot.com

Restless Learning: REFERENCE LIBRARY pt.1

Hey Restless Readers, welcome to Restless Learning the newest segment of Restless Colour designed to explore the many elements of illustration.
This is part one of a series looking at some of the resources you could consider adding to your reference library. A reference library is basically a set of resources that you as an illustrator or artist could refer to when looking for inspiration, ideas and understanding.

PART ONE

Comics and graphic novels are an extremely valuable resource for any artist or illustrator. There are a multitude of comics filled with beautiful illustrations and compositions waiting to be found.
Each comic panel is a mini canvas filled with dynamic compositions and colour pallets that all contribute to the mood and feeling of the story. If you analyse each panel you'll find the quality of line plays a big role in emphasizing certain elements of a scene to convey emotion and create a focal point. The exaggerated anatomy of characters are another element that assist in portraying the extremes of emotion in a scene. It is handy to keep in mind that everything on a comic page is there for a reason and is mapped out to tell a story which will help you're figure out what it is you like about certain illustrations. 

With such a massive range of comics available in stores and online it's hard to even know where to start, but don't let this overwhelm you. I would recommend going into a second-hand bookstore or book exchange and grabbing a bunch of cheap comics that catch your eye and just immerse yourself in the illustrations. After studying a few comics you'll probably get a better idea of the comic styles and artists you like. Then you can head to your local comic store with confidence, or if you don't want to spend any money just head to the library, most library’s now keep a range of comics and graphic novels and all you need is a library card.
Every artist and illustrator can gain something from this amazing resource which is why comics and graphic novels are an essential part of your reference library.