Hello there!
My name is Ollie. I am a UK-based Illustrator working with both traditional mediums such as dip pen and ink, watercolour and lino printing and digital mediums like Procreate and the Affinity Serif suite.
As a child I was always trying to draw and create things as I found it easier to communicate with those around me in this way, it gave me a sort of utopia where I could just let loose and be myself for a while. However, as I grew older and expressed interest in an artistic career, some people close to me at that time dissuaded me from pursuing such a career and encouraged me to focus on more “useful” subjects. So, I stopped drawing for a long time. It was only after I had completed my A Levels that I found myself going back to those more vocational roots, but I soon realised that sitting in a lecture hall full of hundreds of people was not going to bode well for me.
In my gap year, alongside starting my own Etsy textiles business, I started to learn how to draw from scratch again and eventually felt competent enough to apply for a BA in Illustration at Northbrook College, which has led me to revitalise my drawing skills and experiment with illustration and printing techniques.
Over the course of my degree, I have gravitated to the more traditional methods of illustration, namely, lino printing and screen printing as well as using a dip pen and ink when drawing. I thoroughly enjoy the tangible process of these mediums and continuously developing the results I can achieve. I am currently exploring Procreate on the iPad and its abundance of tools to expand my digital portfolio.
A lot of my inspiration comes from history, a notable inspiration is the Arts and Crafts Movement at the turn of the 20th century, specifically the patterning of Morris and Co. I find this movement to be particularly interesting due to its pure freedom of expression and strong inspiration from Chinoiserie and Medievalism. The latter ideology is an inspiration for a lot of the illustrations I produce. I am inspired by the works of Arthur Rackham, Eileen Soper, Charles Dana Gibson, Albrecht Dürur, and Gustave Doré. I also take a marked interest in tattoo artistry and its unique stylings. I look to black and grey work and Japanese neo/ traditional to learn exaggerated forms and the incorporation of dramatic motifs and symbolism.
Alongside my gap year and degree, I have also cultivated an allotment, allowing me to get out of the house and be in close contact with nature. In doing so, I have been able to study the forms and development of various flora as well as observe a plethora of wildlife: from birds to mammals, to bees (there are a bunch of bee hives behind my plot, and I hope to plant more wildflowers for them). Through designing the allotment and the ability to step away from the working environment into my own natural small corner, I have expanded upon a well-rounded view of art and its applications.