A Bunch of Artists I Adore ♥ 大好き ♥

As an artist I am inspired by so many things everyday - books, music, nature, other cultures (chyeah Japan!), and also other artists. Inspiration is a funny thing, because other's art can inspire something to stir within your own creative juices but your end result is something uniquely your own.

One of the illustrators that inspired a development of my style from very vector based to more hand-drawn elements was the amazing mydeadpony (raphael). When I started out, I was all about bold, clean vector lines. His work is sketchy and free with a message... and really encouraged me to experiment with mixing these clean vector lines I was creating with a bit of texture. Becoming mildly obsessed with his work a few years back really subconciously moved my work in a different direction. My work is nothing like his (I wish...!) but I can acknowledge that everything I've ever looked at, listened to, read... has all lead to my current style which will always continue to develop as I grow as a person and an artist, and my passion is fueled by different experiences. 

by mydeadpony

Another artist who I truly admire is Jessica Singh (I've seen her surname mis-spelled in more than one publication!) She is absolutely mind-blowing and I've followed her work closely for many years and seen her style develop from something pretty cool to something out of this world. Seeing an artist's style develop from phwoar to PHWOOOOAAAR in a few years is inspiration in itself ~ that we as budding illustrators might some day be rubbing shoulders with the fafis and the bei badgirls of this industry! One can dream can't they....?

'Portrait of Jo' by Jessica Singh (a more recent work)

'Mess' by Jessica Singh (an earlier work)

I also adore the work of Kat Mcleod. In fact, I think I can probably say quite confidently that she sparked my interest in taking my illustrations seriously in the very beginning. I was making little pieces in my diaries and certainly experimenting with photoshop and illustrator but most were never shared. Seeing her work for the first time was a WOW moment for me. It appeared so simple, yet so captivating. And looking at her work in more detail over the years, it is this 'illusion of simplicity' (it's really not simple at all if you look closely) that adds to her work's appeal. She is simply fabulous and she'd certainly be at "my dinner" (you know, that hypothetical question about who, dead or alive, you'd invite over for dinner if you could!) should this opportunity ever arise.

illustration for the michigirl website by Kat Mcleod

The work of Rik Lee is a no brainer. He's one of those uber talents that I just can't leave out when speaking about inspiration.

'my perfect girl' by Rik Lee

Right now I am just enjoying the journey of developing my own style. I love so many different methods, media and disciplines that I find such reward in producing something unique everytime I put pen to paper (or pen to tablet, as it sometimes happens!) I am lucky to be able to make a living (all be it a VERY modest one) from what I love to do... but I will always create first and formost for the love of it. Without the love and the hunger for self-improvement, you lose your drive and your uniqueness as a creator as well...

There are so many artists who inspire me on a daily basis, for many different reasons. Someone who fuels my creativity through our mutual love of Japanese crafty goodness, and for her extreme blogging prowess is the magnificent hello sandwich. It so happened that Miss Sandwich and I were living just a few streets away from eachother in Tokyo earlier this year, but alas we kept missing eachother in our attempts to meet up. When I finally get to return to Tokyo someday I do hope to include a catchup with her and *hopefully* even a quick interview for Trinkets & Tidbits, as she is one interesting lass indeed!

Finally I'd like to share the work of the woman who is responsible for passing down her love of art from the time I was old enough to hold a crayola (perriwinkle was my favourite!). My Mum is so talented. She used to draw all the time back in the day, but has had a big break from it. I've been encouraging her to pick up a fineliner again... finally she penned this, probably more to shut me up - but I adore it.

"Nel" by Claire Atkin

Those I've mentioned above are but a few of the creative powerhouses that have inspired me on my artistic journey so far, and I will continue to post on this subject as I do love sharing my adoration with you all!

Tiff xx