EDIT ARTIST # 10 - GARETH HOPKINS

Grthink by Gareth

I introduce to you our only chap taking part in Edit. (Am sure he loves being the only fella) He has broadened his work to include fashion illustration and is one of Amelia's Magazine's most prolific LFW artists, fitting his inky flourishes in with being a daddy, husband and a job in the city. His black and white illustrations, in particular for his comic the Intercorstal always beg for you to stop and look at them for a while, discovering more than what initially meets the eye.

Please can you let us into a typical start-to-finish description for your artwork process?

If it’s a project with a long timeline, like a portrait commission, or a larger work, I’ll spend time sketching the subject from different angles, learning the basic structure of whatever I’m drawing, and if I’m working in ink I’ll do some practice patterns to get density and contrast right. Then I’ll pencil out an outline and work gradually onto that.

What happens most of the time is that I’ve got barely any time at all, and just go full-pelt, feeling my way as I go, making decisions based on the materials I have to hand. It doesn’t always work, mind you, but my successes thankfully outnumber my failures.

You work prolifically over London Fashion Week for Amelia's Magazine. How on earth do you fit in in around being a Pops and work?

I think it’s just the excitement of all these new shapes to work with. If I see a call-out for a designer I like or the clothes have exciting forms I’ll sign up and do my best to make something exciting. For the two weeks or so that coverage is going on I get a pretty steady rhythm going, ad get antsy if I can’t stick to it, so tend to get more personal work done at the same time.

Your bold style looks marvelous in colour and I love your black and white line work, do you have a preference for pens, paints and paper?

If it came down to choosing between using pens and paper and anything else, I’d go for pens every time. Even when I use paint it doesn’t look finished to me until it’s got black ink on it somewhere (which is totally the fault of reading comics as a teen). I love working with paint, but it doesn’t come naturally to me the way it does with other people. I’ve heard that some people are masters of colour, and some are masters of line, and I think I’m definitely in the second category.

You have a love of comics  and they definitely influence the composition and style of your work, is there a publication that would be a dream come true to work for?

It’s no secret that I’m a born again 2000AD fanboy. I realised recently that a lot of my own experimental comic ‘The Intercorstal’ is my unconscious mind taking stuff that it sucked up from 2000AD when I was about 12 and dumping it back out. In particular it’s series written by John Smith – Indigo Prime, Revere, Tyranny Rex. A dream commission for me would be to work on a reboot of ‘Revere’, which was a story about a ‘Witchboy’ in a post-apocalyptic London charged by the spirit world to destroy the universe. It had the most amazing artwork by Simon Harrison, every page was a painting in its own right, and some of the writing was utterly insane. I still read it every month or so now.

If you were asked to design a print to be used for a costume for a musician's stage outfit, who would it be?

I’m a huge fan of the rapper Doseone, who fronted the band Subtle and is one half of Themselves. His performances, particularly when Subtle were still about, are very theatrical. I’d love to make him a cardboard exoskeleton, that’s covered in black and white stripes and checks. I think that’d be cool – if I wasn’t so busy I’d start designing it now…

Have you any plans to produce products of your work in the near future?

This year, sometime, I’m going to finally get The Intercorstal knocked into a shape that can be sold – at the moment it’s collected in five little editions that I’ve been giving away for free as well as in other formats like postcards and toys and paintings… Saying that, I’ve unexpectedly started writing a fairy tale set in The Intercorstal which I now want to finish before I collate everything else.

Winnie by Gareth Hopkins

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Click here to see more of Gareth's work.

SHELTER

Emma and Antonia

Edit artists Antonia Makes, Emma Block, Natsuki Otani, and Lesley Barnes all of which with fellow Amelia's Magazine contributors Theresa Rowe and Yelena Bryksenkova, worked with Amelia Gregory to produce a wonderfully cheerful collaboration for the charity Shelter. I popped along to finally meet Antonia and enjoy the excitement as bidders gathered round for the auction held at the Coningsby Gallery.

Emma and Antonia

Among the artists were Grayson Perry, Tim Walker and the Chapman Brothers and it was rather lovely to see illustration and in particular these artists share the same space.

A very happy lady won the Amelia's Mag 'Our House' piece which was a huge doll house of fun rooms and characters, for example a couple doing their laundry amongst bubbles, Emma Block and her Grandparent's having afternoon tea and a jolly lady in the bath tub. All of the money raised went towards helping the rising numbers of homeless through Shelter.

Our House

EDIT ARTIST #9 GILLY ROCHESTER

Gilly contrasts expressive, fluid outlines and flourishes of colour against textured and patterned backgrounds giving the eye a visual feast, from wonderful fashion illustrations to colourful plant life.

Do you have a designated area to do your artwork? Do you have anything you need to create a nice working environment?

I am really lucky as I have a room all to myself for illustrating and any other art activities, though often I work at the kitchen table so that I can more easily let the crazy dog in and out every 10 minutes. It’s great to have a choice though.

I absolutely have to be able to see out of a window, and be able to see something green or growing, and some sky; I would ike to have only what I need on the table, but that is seldom the case; usually I like to have music or the radio on, but sometimes I’ll choose silence; I also love to have my 2 tabby cats with me – though they do take up a lot of room on the table, but they’re worth it!

There are some fantastic textures in your work, where do you source them from?

Thank you – I love textures! I’m never exactly sure how they come about, but I think it’s probably the combination of often working on metallic paper and also I usually prime the paper with clear gesso first, which creates a ‘gritty’ brushed texture which the scanner picks up. My ‘techniques’ are very hit and miss - I have a horrible feeling the textures also might be due to my frequent problems with keeping images sharp after scanning them. On a more positive note, I do love metallic paints, and the acrylic ones are great for textures.

As a Teacher do you get to use your art work in your lessons? Do the children ever inspire you as an artist?

I am an English teacher, but I do often teach Art as well.

In English lessons, artwork is a brilliant teaching aid eg. the beautiful pre-Raphaelite paintings by Waterhouse for Tennyson poems. And the kids love English tasks that allow them to represent things visually – any excuse not to write!

I absolutely love teaching Art, and if I had my time again that is the subject I would have chosen to teach – the kids are clearly so much happier than in English lessons, whatever their ability. The Art department at my school has some brilliant modules and the kids have wonderful ideas and produce absolutely amazing, exciting work – so yes, I am without fail inspired by what they do.

What subject matter do you jump at the chance to illustrate?

I’ll try pretty much anything – though probably not cars, machinery, skulls, aliens …. that kind of thing! Anything that lends itself to gold or silver, or dots, or lets the paint/ink travel and do its own thing. Or sumptuous colours.
I love anything with a vintage, aged element – old keys, ‘sooty’ mirrors and reflections, lace, old roses and seedheads …  atmospherics!
Also music related illustration … and I love discovering new music via illustrating a musician or a new album.

Do you have preferred art materials?

I love my Inktense crayons (I splashed out on the full set of 72 colours) and want to try the Inktense blocks. I also really like pen and ink, and watercolour or gouache. I haven’t really got on with acrylics (except gold, silver etc) but I keep trying them. And I think soft pastels are very underrated.


If you could illustrate your dream feast or banquet, what would it include?

The food would not be as important as the setting and details .. probably outdoors, dusk time with cream heavy damask tablecloths, fairy lights, candelabra with glass droplets, glinting silver cutlery, napkin rings and glass - I like the whole theatre of a meal! The guests would have to be dressed and styled accordingly, with beautiful, elaborate hair effects too.

You can see more of Gilly's work here.

EDIT ARTIST #8 GEMMA MILLY

I introduce to you, delicate and pretty, detailed pencil and watercolour portrait artist and wedding stationary designer Gemma Milly.

What are the first things you do before you set down to start your wonderfully pretty and delicate pieces? Do you have a little routine?

I always get up relativity early as I work best in the morning, get myself a coffee spend a little time perusing wedding and design blogs before I start work. Pinterest is one of my favourites, as well as ohsobeautifulpaper.com and thedieline.com 

Have there been any other skills or experiences in your life outside of illustrating that have benefited you as a freelancer?

Without a doubt, my degree in International Management and having worked in the advertising and design industry before I went freelance have been absolutely invaluable. That experience has really helped with setting up my business, working with suppliers and just generally understanding the ins and outs of the creative industries. I also think living in Paris has influenced my work and helped me hone a certain style, so in terms of my work itself that was a fantastic experience.

Which publications and magazines never fail to inspire you?

I absolutely love Dashing, Reverie, Sweet Paul and good old Harpers Bazaar.

If you ever get the Artist's Block, what do you do to overcome it?

I’ve learnt not to stress out when I have a block. I make up cup of tea, go and do something completely unrelated and it’s at those ‘down’ times that inspiration usually strikes! I used to get het up that I was wasting time, but I know that whatever problem I have will get solved so it’s counterproductive to worry.

With the new year stretching ahead of you, have you any exciting projects or goals for your work?

The most exciting thing for me at the moment is moving into my new studio. I’m sharing with a textile designer who runs a really gorgeous interiors shop in my town, and it’s been so nice getting involved in the shop and planning how we want the studio to take shape. We’re going to be running craft workshops there, we’ve already got letterpress, fabric printing and knitting planned. Then later in the year I’m going to be designing an illustrated window display for Browns, London to mark the Diamond Jubilee and the Olympics. Other than that, I want to concentrate on growing my wedding stationery business and making a real success of that.

If you could illustrate your the cover of your favorite novel, what would it be?

I would absolutely love to design the cover for Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, it would be a fashion illustration dream job! In fact, might add that to my to-do list…

See more of Gemma's work here.

EDIT ARTIST #7 DARIA HLAZATOVA

With every illustration in dreamlike monochrome or vivid colour you step into a fairy land, a folk tale or an imagination. I am very happy to announce that Daria has confirmed she will be joining our Edit collective.

Please describe in three words you style of work :

 For me the words are: my faults, my triumphs and myself. I find it difficult to describe my work,
much like describing myself, which is of course useless: others always know something else
about you that you don't notice. I really hope that when people see my drawings or collages,
they think of their childhood, magic and mystery.

 You cover many subjects in your wonderful illustrations and collages, fashion,
literature and music. Which one do you connect with most?

 I get my inspiration from all these spheres put together. However, I think the most
recurring motive/subject is the one of fairy-tales, because they have everything in them.

 If you could design the concept for a ballet or play what would it be?

 That's a great question! I am a huge theater fan... I would really love to
design the set for Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's Dream: it has such a great
imagery and characters, but I'm afraid, the play has been staged so many times,
that it's difficult to make it surprising. So probably I'd try my hand at creating a
concept for the minimalist plays by Beckett or Pinter.

Where would you like to see yourself in a few years time?

 On top of a mountain, preferably Machu Picchu in Peru. It is my
dream to go there but I need a faithful, companion who would keep me safe
from the giant spiders haha! Artwise, I'd love to have drawing as my full-time job.

Which magazines do you get excited about?

To be honest, I don't read magazines regularly.The ones that I can
get in my country are on show-biz and beauty, but I do get excited about art mags,
like Ballad Of for example, which offer an artistic feast for your eyes and so much
inspiration. I also love a good old magazine full of stories, intelligent ones,
and fiction. Lionheart Magazine is one of them.

If they made a biopic of your illustrative life, who would play you?

If they made it, they'd lose a lot of money haha! It would be a realistic comedy
set in Ukraine with a young Emily Watson. If it were a fantasy blockbuster set
somewhere in Rivendell, I'd love Eva Green to play me, she would have a magic
pencil instead of a magic wand and would defeat Severus Snape in the duels!

 See more of Daria's work here.

EDIT ARTIST #6 CHRISSY WALLACE

 Chrissy Wallace excels at portraits in all mediums, an accomplished model maker and also has work that is full on fun Pop Art. Recent graduate Glasgow Metropolitan and Westminster Illustration graduate Chrissy is exhibiting her work at  the Modern Pantry in London.


Chrissy please give a brief description of how you think your illustration and style as an artist has evolved?.

I think my work has become a lot looser and more colourful, I used to do quite detailed images as a rule. I've tried to simplify the lines a bit, try a more abstract style. I still love doing detailed work but I like to try new things, to stay fresh and push myself

I  absolutely love your portrait of Alec Guinness, any plans for similar works?

He's a legend isn't he?! Thank you very much! I absolutely love doing portraits, so I do hope to devote more time to doing more. Maybe I could make a whole project out of it! Childhood heroes perhaps?

Have you got any projects of competitions you hope to work on this year?

I've currently got an exhibition up in the Modern Pantry, and a collaboration with a few other illustrators in the works. I want to do more 3D work too, on a larger scale perhaps. I do want to enter more competitions, its a good way to get your work out there and expose yourself to constructive criticism.

 If you had to illustrate a plate full of food, what would be on it?

Ooo good question! I love seafood, but I don't know how fun that would be to draw. I would probably draw lots of delicious and extravagant cakes! 

Where do you go to in London for inspiration?

It might sound a bit cheesy, but I get inspiration from everywhere. There's always so much going on, from street art, fashion and so on, there's always something to keep your mind ticking over. I love going to exhibitions too, contemporary to classic. The National Portrait Gallery is one of my favourite places

What magazines do you admire, and ultimately like to illustrate for?

There was a fantastic 'low-brow' art magazine called Dangerous Ink that I always wanted to illustrate for, but its gone under for the time being unfortunately. Maybe one day someone will resurrect it. Other than that, I'd love to draw for Vogue, or if I had my work in any of the Illustrators compendiums I'd be very happy indeed!

See more of Chrissy's work here.

EDIT ARTIST #5 EMMA BLOCK

Emma by Emma

Dainty, delicate and elegant watercoloured collage illustrations are the signature of the very talented Emma Block. A fellow artist for Amelia's Compendium of Fashion Illustration; Emma has been involved with numerous projects and successes since she garduated last year.


Emma please give a brief description of how you produce your fanciful and beautiful pieces and how your method came about.

My method came about because I was scared of backgrounds but was fed up my people floating on white. Started to create illustrated objects- people, dogs, chairs, teacup etc - made from coloured paper, paint, ink and pencil. I could arrange them on the page and try out lots of different backgrounds until I found one that was right. It worked as a technique and I’ve stuck with it.


We were all very excited to see you illustrate the Tea and Cake book, how did this wonderful opportunity come about?

Thank you! The publisher, Hardie Grant, contacted me after seeing my work online. They were just really lovely to work with. It was the most wonderful job you can imagine but incredibly hard work as I was in my final year at university at the time.


Have you set yourself any new goals illustration-wise for the new year?

I would really like to expand my skills as an illustrator and see my illustrations applied to different processes (textile design, animation etc.) and I’ve got some exciting collaborations planned to help me do that. I’ve also got a big list of places to go, planned blog posts and personal projects to do if I ever get the time.


I loved your Secret Garden images, (my favourite book as a child!) Which other classic children's book would you love to illustrate?

I would love to illustrate Anne of Green Gables or The Railway Children.


If your artwork was a type of confectionery what would it be??

A Ferrero Rocher, because of all the layers of paper and pritt stick and glue and ink and paint and pencil that go into my illustrations.


Where do you gather your inspiration and references from, and what sort are they?

I do have an ‘inspiration’ folder on my computer, but I try not to let too much of my inspiration to come form the internet. I like to have beautiful objects around me that inspire me, like old books and vintage teacups. Films have been a big inspiration for me recently, particularly Audrey Hepburn films. I also use my old sketchbooks a lot for reference and inspiration. If I need to draw a pigeon or something I usually have an old sketch of one somewhere.



La Patisserie

See more of Emma's work here.