'The best books, reviewed with insight and charm, but without compromise.'
- author Jackie French

Thursday, 22 February 2024

Meet The Illustrator: Brent Wilson

Name:
Brent Wilson

Describe your illustration style in ten words or less.
Block colours, loose lines, mid-century inspired.

What items are an essential part of your creative space?
I like to be surrounded by books, music and plants.

Do you have a favourite artistic medium?
I work digitally and use Procreate on the iPad Pro. Having two young daughters, it’s great to break away from the screen every so often and draw with them on scrapbooks with crayons, pencils and markers.


Name three artists whose work inspires you.
Charley Harper, Chuck Jones and Miroslav Sasek

Which artistic period would you most like to visit and why? 
I’d love to visit the 1950/60’s, when the mid-century style was in full force.





Who or what inspired you to become an illustrator?
The only books I read when I was young were comics — Carl Bark’s Donald Duck and Scrooge McDuck adventures, Peanuts, B.C., Garfield, Calvin and Hobbes, etc — these characters (and their creators) were a huge influence and made me want to draw.




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 small workspace at home filled with, light, plants, fresh air and — most importantly — books!


 
What is your favourite part of the illustration process?
I really enjoy creating characters. Whether it’s based off a story or some editorial notes or I’m able to freestyle, I get a real kick out of the process.




What advice would you give to an aspiring illustrator?
Keep creating so that the process becomes easier for you. Regardless of talent, your ability to illustrate is still a muscle that needs to be exercised — the more you do it, the better you’ll get. This will all help with developing your style and building your portfolio of work.


 
Brent Wilson is a Brisbane-based illustrator whose work puts a playful new spin on the classic mid-century cartoon aesthetic. His quirky characters regularly appear in the pages of major national publications, and he also illustrates children's books.

For more information, please visit Brent's website or follow him on instagram.