Describe your illustration style in ten words or less.
Atmospheric, emotive with gestural looseness.
What items are an essential part of your creative space?
All my mediums and materials at my fingertips, pc for music/references and procrastination/inspiration.
Do you have a favourite artistic medium?
I tend to play a lot with resistance, oil pastel against watercolour, wax pencil with charcoal or pastel- anything that will enhance the image and mood I am trying to portray.
Name three artists whose work inspires you.
Del Kathryn Barton, Oliver Jeffers, Freya Blackwood, John Shelley (oops that was 4).
Which artistic period would you most like to visit and why?
Ohh I would love to hop in and out of all of them- to get a taste of all the things I have seen in works and read about- what a wonder!
Who or what inspired you to become an illustrator?
It developed out of a broader engagement with art- I studied Fine Art and alongside creating paintings and having exhibitions, I discovered the work of illustrator John Shelley and it was a catalyst in another stream of creativity.
Can you share a photo of your creative work space or part of the area where you work most often? Talk us through it.
I have a large re-purposed shelf that houses all my materials and mediums, an easel with a few works on the go, a large desk that is always cluttered (but I do know where everything is). PC and tablet for scans and touch-ups.
It developed out of a broader engagement with art- I studied Fine Art and alongside creating paintings and having exhibitions, I discovered the work of illustrator John Shelley and it was a catalyst in another stream of creativity.
Can you share a photo of your creative work space or part of the area where you work most often? Talk us through it.
I have a large re-purposed shelf that houses all my materials and mediums, an easel with a few works on the go, a large desk that is always cluttered (but I do know where everything is). PC and tablet for scans and touch-ups.
What is your favourite part of the illustration process?
My favourite part is adding the colour- getting to the colour stage is so freeing. The linework and placement has all been worked out and fine-tuned- the colour is where is comes alive and interesting things happen.
What advice would you give to an aspiring illustrator?
Do the work, and then some more. Experiment artistically and try new things, build your own style, and most importantly – be authentic.
Luisa is a professional artist, illustrator and teacher based in Victoria. After spending over a decade in Japan, her personal style has developed with influences from vibrant Japanese culture and is underpinned by her Fine Art training and love of colour.
For more information, please follow Luisa on instagram.
·