Born and raised in Scotland, KT Smail learnt to draw in the whimsical city of Edinburgh; graduating from Edinburgh College of Art with a First class honors degree in Illustration.
 
Inspired by all that is beautiful about the natural world surrounding us, KT effortlessly creates stunningly intricate illustrations and then posts them on her artistically inspiring blog. Her images are incredibly delicate and feminine. Flowers are a frequently occurring element of her work, which elevates the innocence of her illustrations.
 
Smail’s illustration style is really versatile and has been used for editorials and advertising campaigns. She has also collaborated with photographers to create photographic/ illustrated images. The contrast between her illustrations and real life images always proves to be successful and visually enticing.
 

 
As well as illustrating fictional beings, animals and objects, KT frequently re-creates famous designer outfits. Even though her drawing style is really unique and individual her re-creations always stay very true to the original images. Her prints are sold on her online shop, some of which have been printed on to bags and t shirts. This is just another example of how her work is adaptable.
 
Website: Whatktdoes.com
Blog: Thistledownspirits.blogspot.co.uk 

We featured Lukas on the blog in the summer of last year. This year, with even more work in his vast illustrative portfolio, we thought we'd take another look at the talented artist...

At first glance, the illustration of Dr. Lukas Brezak seems to partake of the merely frivolous. In the large, googly eyes and the comic twists of his characters, we read light-hearted and almost meaningless humour. The monkey, peering out from behind the comic mask, would seem to be emblematic of this exhibition of the funny and surprising. But as detached as these images might appear, they exist in parallel to events in the real world. The humour is undercut analogically.
 
The top image I have chosen, Free Sug(A)r, comes with a plot:
 
‘Anti-Aspartamist Protests in Prague took place during the International Sugar Fund (ISF) and World Sugar Bank (WSB) summit in September 2000 in Prague, capital of the Czech Republic.’
 
Various anti-aspartamist protesters were seeing these institutions as one of the reasons for the sugar problems faced by the whole world. Thousands of Activists who travelled from all over the world protested and some clashed with police everywhere in the city of Prague for several days. Police estimated more than 15,000 protesters were involved.
 
Anger was directed against the way the International Sugar Fund and World Sugar Bank pushed for a policy of directing sugar power to the markets and multinational companies. Tear gas and water cannons were used to force back a breakaway group of Activists that attempted to reach the summit venue to shut down the meetings of the global financial institutions. In spite of the large police presence, the protesters succeeded in breaking up the last day of the summit. Few were deadly injured…
 
Not far beyond the humorous illustration, lurking in the background, is a story that, if we substitute sugar for money, has analogues in the real world. The image is a reflection of the global hegemony of the World Bank, its subtle neo-colonialism, and the activism against it. Similarly, Lukas’s picture FIREEE! is a light-hearted imagining of what the end-of-world scenario would have looked like.
 
Website: Surgeryminor.com 

There is a lot of illustrative talent out there. As with all of the 2013 lists, it is hard to pick just five, but we’ve narrowed it down, and here are the illustrators who we think are going to be making waves this year.

 
Balazs Solti

Balazs’s drawings are illustration’s answer to dark humour. The above image is titled ‘The Winner’. It is comic in its absurd portrayal of a panda wearing boxing gloves, hence the panda’s trademark black eye; and dark in
its symbolisation of the panda’s fight for survival. His technique varies from more traditional line drawing, such as the image above, to graphic design; his aesthetic from black and white to colour. With such a vast technical scope and artistic talent, we can wait to see what else Balazs comes up with.

To see more visit: Society6.com/soltib
 
Jess John

Jess is a freelance illustrator with specialisms in hand drawn artwork and screen printing. The above work is titled ‘Hipster’, a satirical take on the indie-rock, counter-culture, progressive youth subculture. Drawn entirely with pen, ‘Hipster’ is a true reflection of Jess’s extraordinary attention to detail, patience and skill. Jess is currently taking commissions, and offers a screen printing service. For more information, you can visit her website below.

Website: Jessjohn.co.uk
 
Budi Satria Kwan

Budi is another freelancer, and has been making quite the impression amongst the fashion world, with designs and illustrations commissioned by Gap and Urban Outfitter. Budi’s works are filled with colour, possessing a vibrancy that really makes them stand out. It’s no wonder Budi has done so well in highstreet fashion.

Website: Budikwan.com
 
Lisa Evans

All of Lisa’s illustrations possess a mystical quality, created by their misty, enchanting aesthetic. A freelance illustrator from Bath, Somerset, it would seem Lisa’s works might have been inspired by the beautiful Bath landscape surrounding her. No doubt, her charming, magical illustrations will be on the walls in our houses, and perhaps even transformed into a book for children.

Blog: Firefluff.blogspot.co.uk
 
Erik Krenz

Erik’s illustration above is a charming depiction of Ratty from Kenneth Grahame’s children’s book ‘The Wind in the Willows’. I think it is most charming in its simplicity, something which the Minneapolis-based illustrator conveys with ease.

Website: Erikbkrenz.com 

If I had one word to describe Bianca’s images, that word would be girly. The pink colour scheme and feminine subject matter recreate that typical notion of girlish sweetness so often associated with the colour pink. What is most interesting about Bianca’s images, however, is not their girlyness but the way in which the subject is drawn. Interconnected lines make up the three subjects. It is that classic game of seeing who can draw the best picture with never letting the pencil leave the page. Mostly, these drawings end up as badly drawn faces with glasses, but Bianca has managed to create beautifully detailed works of art. They are graphical masterpieces with a girly edge.

Check out more of Bianca’s work at: Society6.com/letitbea 

Name: Eric Fan
Age: 48
Occupation: Illustrator
Inspiration: Terry Fan (Eric’s brother)

A few months ago, FUSSED chose Terry Fan as one of our Ones to Watch, and now, we add another Fan to our ever-growing list of those creative types with a little something special.

How did you get into art and illustration?

I studied illustration and film at the Ontario College of Art & Design in Toronto, which was a four year program. I took a rather protracted hiatus away from visual art after college and was mostly focused on screenwriting. There's actually some crossover between the two however, in that writing is actually very visual (particularly when you're writing for film) and drawing can be something like storytelling, so I think they're both engaging a similar part of the brain.

How would you describe your style in three words?

Hmm... whimsical, vintage, playful. I've never been very adept at describing my own work.

What is your favourite thing to draw and why?

I like old mechanical things with gears and rivets and rust. I'm not sure why exactly. Maybe it's because I'm not particularly mechanically inclined myself so anything mechanical seems kind of mysterious and wondrous and there's also something inherently visually appealing about them, and beautiful in the way that purely functional things can be beautiful. When something is old and rusted it has even more beauty because it's overlaid with the passage of time and usage; perhaps it's even broken completely and so it has relinquished its function and yet it still has a purpose which is simply to exist aesthetically. 

What inspired you to create The Projectionist?

Well, my sister is a filmmaker and I've always been in love with film so wanted to do an illustration that featured film as a primary theme. Projectors are also such marvellous and magical machines and I think as we move towards a completely digital world something intangible but significant gets left behind. I'm certainly not a Luddite but I am somewhat sentimental about the past and the things that get left there. At the time that I did that piece I was doing a series of fanciful Victorian portraits and so it naturally extended from that mindset. 

Your work has a sense of nostalgia about it, harking back to a time long past. Why is that?

I guess for the reason I just stated... a yearning to hold on to some things as the world inexorably changes. I think when you're younger you tend to look forward more and when you're older you tend to look back, or at least become more reflective since there's a tipping point where you have more past behind you than future in front of you. I also think it's not a genuine nostalgia, in that obviously I wasn't alive a hundred years ago. It's more like an imaginary nostalgia, a mental world you can visit that is exotic yet familiar, and populated by a romanticized collection of half-remembered things you've encountered in your lifetime.

Aside from The Projectionist, much of your work contains animals. Is this for any particular reason, or do you just like drawing animals?

When I joined society6 my brother suggested to me that animals were a popular theme on that site so that was one of the reasons, even though it seems rather trite and cynical now that I see it written down in the cold light of day. I'll try to rescue some integrity by saying that I do enjoy drawing animals, especially if I can put a spin on them that gives the image some kind of narrative, twist, or surprising context. I also may have a soft spot for them since my first t-shirt design that printed on Threadless was called The Helium Menagerie and featured balloon animals. Growing up I was also surrounded by birds since my dad raised parrots as a hobby and had rescued birds of every description flying freely around the house - hummingbirds, blue jays, chickadees. With all the plants and bonsai flourishing throughout the house it was more like living in a forest than anything else. 

What is your working process from idea to finished product?

Most of my ideas drop out of thin air, or come to me as I'm falling asleep. Sometimes it can be like Waiting for Godot, hoping for a good idea to drop into your head. Once I have a clear idea of what I want to do I'll do a rough sketch or sometimes I'll go straight to the finished drawing. I'll usually do a sketch if I'm not positive about the final composition or I want to clarify some of the basic elements. Depending on the subject matter I'll either start drawing out of my head or look for reference if I'm drawing something very specific that I want to be realistic. When the drawing is finished I scan it and then refine it in Photoshop, which is actually the fun part because you can play around with colour, texture, and composition at your leisure and not worry about making mistakes.

What are your hopes and dreams for the future?

I'd love to illustrate a children's book someday. That's always been a dream of mine and I have a few ideas, but it's mostly a question of finding the time to commit to it.

Here at FUSSED, we certainly hope Eric finds the time to do a children’s book. His illustrations are charming, intricate, and captivating. They are the epitome of pictorial narration, stories without words – the mark of a true artist.

To see more from Eric, check out his work on: Society6.com/opifan64

Name: Marco Puccini
Occupation: Illustrator
Inspiration: David Salle

Born in historical Tuscany and currently residing in modern Milan, it was inevitable that the past and present would come together in the vintage-inspired work of Marco Puccini. Faded colours and fold lines assume a retro aesthetic whilst Marco’s cartoony, graphically-created sausage shaped character brings us firmly back into the present.

Interestingly, Marco is also a fan of long-running US cartoon The Simpsons. Whilst The Simpsons might not be responsible for the retro, vintage aesthetic of Marco’s illustrations, it seems the famous cartoon family have almost certainly influenced the creation of Marco’s cartoon character. His sausage-shaped head could easily be cast off in place of Simpson patriarch Homer. However, the comparison stops there because Marco’s sausage-shaped character is firstly devoid of clothes, and secondly owner of a personality far away from the lazy, donut-eating Homer J. Simpson. Instead, Marco’s creation is a blank canvas from which a range of personas can be identified including a DJ, vintage porn star, and pink-haired monster.

Marco describes his style as ‘dinky, worrying and squashy’. There is somewhat of a Wallace and Gromit feel about his work, a tactility and cuteness, particularly in the illustrations featuring the black character, which adhere to the loveable 3D charm that the Aardman animators are famous for. The ‘worrying’ element Marco describes may be ascribed to the other more eerie, adult illustrations in his portfolio:

The two images above seem to represent a more sinister side of Marco’s illustrative work. The censorship bar is raised just above the area supposed to be hidden from sight, and out of that bar comes the body of an evil-faced cartoon figure. His works appear to represent the dark side of pornography whilst maintaining the cartoon/vintage-style aesthetic Marco depicts so well.

Much of your work has a distinctly retro feel about it. Was this a conscious choice? If so, why?

‘I like things that have an old smell…just like smelling old books. Like everyone else, I'm obsessed with images that come from my past... That's why I always like to make stuff with a seasoned aspect...I like to mix the taste of the past with [the] taste of the new...’

And, what is your working process from idea to finished product?

‘I always start with a drawing on my sketchbook, first. Then I put the drawing into the computer and make it vector and, at the end, I use Photoshop to finalize all.’

Are there any works/projects you are currently working on?

‘In this period, I'm working almost exclusively with the video. Both videos are very complicated. I'm working on a project for VOGUE Italy with another designer (Nicola Gobbetto ) and for a video mapping to perform in October at the Louvre in Paris.’

What are your hopes and dreams for the future?

‘I'd like to find a way to relax myself a little bit and devote full time to making drawings. Until now I have not been able to make this my passion, my first work activities.’

Marco’s illustrations create a world in which the past and present co-exist. The fact it makes for some pretty awesome artwork just adds to their visual effect.

Tumblr: Marcopuccini.tumblr.com 

Name: Andrew Henry
Age: 30
Occupation: Illustrator
Inspiration: Leonard Baskin, Shel Silverstein, Edward Gorey, Kathe Kollwitz, Hokusai, Pieter Bruegel the Elder, Hieronymus Bosch, Francisco Goya, Art Crumb, and Jim Woodring.
 
Andrew Henry’s work could never be described as “pretty”. They are grotesque, monstrous, and fantastical, but wonderfully so! It is art that knows its identity, and doesn’t try to be anything else. They are made to reflect the world we live in, one which Andrew believes to be ‘monstrous and terrific in the old sense of those words’. He explains ‘I'm kind of a primitivist, and I think that at the base of our being we are still afraid of being eaten, and are looking for others to eat. A monster is a symbol of those fears and desires. It is a generic predator: teeth and claws. That's why some of my illustrations of people or creatures are reduced to gaping mouths with beady eyes and large bellies’.
 
Andrew describes his style as ‘playful, fantastic, and graphic’. They are not only graphic in the technical, artistic sense of the word; but graphic in their unadulterated exposure of genitals. Andrew’s work plays with the juxtaposing themes of childhood and adulthood, taking those monsters from our childhood nightmares, that beloved Disney character (in the case of Mickey Da Rat), and placing them within the body of an oversized, fully-formed adult. Whilst this form of play adds to the grotesque nature of the art; it also feeds into their purpose as representations of those primitive fears and desires we still hold as adults.
 

 
With that in mind, I asked what some of the concepts and ideas were behind Mickey Da Rat: ‘Living in Brooklyn I see rats and mice on a daily basis on the subway platform, and I'm interested in the different reactions that people have to the two creatures, even to the word rat or mouse. Mice can be cute, but people find it hard to even speak "rat" without spitting the word out of their mouths in disgust. But they are pretty similar creatures. If you made a cute Mickey Da Rat it just wouldn't work. You expect something not cute. So I created what you'd expect. Mickey Mouse is an anthropomorphic version of a mouse, with only the appealing characteristics of a mouse included. Mickey Da Rat is a more honest combination of a rat and the other most populous denizen of the city. Mickey Mouse is very sanitized. Mickey Da Rat is gratifyingly un-sanitized’.
 

 
Saturn, on the other hand, is a ‘symbol of rapaciousness’. Andrew explains ‘Saturn is a part of a series of illustrations of Greco-Roman gods. Saturn was the father of the gods who devoured his children. Not the best father figure. I illustrated him in the act, with one of his children's feet protruding from his gaping jaws’.
 

 
This is Andrew’s favourite illustration, so much so, he’s even had her tattooed on his arm! He says ‘She was inspired by the Venus of Willendorf, one of the earliest examples of sculpture yet discovered. We don't really know what she meant to whoever created her, but we think she's a fertility figure, a Venus of sorts. I decided to do a series of interpretations of the Greco-Roman gods, and the Venus of Insatia is my version of Venus. She is not so much the Venus of love and beauty, but one of fecundity. In order to create she must devour, and so she stands with mouth agape waiting to feed. It's a very simple drawing, mainly an outline with only a little detail here and there, but I really think it captures my philosophy and aesthetic better than anything else I've done’. 
 
Andrew is currently playing with the idea of creating an ABC book of dinosaurs, likely to be just as playful, imaginative, and fantastical as his above creations. In the future, Andrew is hoping to get some books published: ‘I enjoy putting my creations out there and watching them take a life of their own’.
 
To see more of Andrew’s fantastic works, visit his website: Andrew-henry.com 

Name: Dale Keys
Industry: Illustratation
Inspiration: Ross Penhall

It is easy to see the overriding theme of family in Dale’s work. The relationship between parent and child is one of comfort, security, and love, all of which emanate from the page. His warm tones, blending brushstrokes, and cute animals create an overwhelming urge to say ‘awwww’. Dale began drawing when he was just 5 or 6, and he says that is about the time when his obsession with art began: ‘The discovery in kindergarten that the teacher had a big stack of paper for us to draw on is an indelible image for me.  All the jobs I've had in my career have been in the graphics field. I have generally worked for other people in my career doing everything from licensed products for Disney and Sesame Street to sportswear.  I've also shown my art in galleries in Vancouver. It has really been a lifetime pursuit and I really don't know what else I would do if I didn't have it’.

 
Not only is Dale a well-established illustrator in his own right; he has also worked in the licensed apparel industry, illustrating for massive names including: Umbro and Winnie the Pooh. Dale was also the recipient of the design excellence award from Jim Henson Productions (the company behind The Muppets). So, what does a day in the life of an incredibly successful illustrator look like?
 
‘My day starts early and usually ends late. I try to be consistent with the number of hours I put in but those hours are usually broken up so that I don't get too stale drawing something for a long period of time. I also feel that if you can step away from something and come back to it you can see it with fresh eyes  and correct things. I spend quite a bit of time online either researching or uploading art to various sites I put my art on.  It's an important  thing to always be adding new material because that way you build an audience for your work. It is also essential to promote your work on blogs etc because there is so much competition out there you have to really fight to be seen. It's not enough to have great art. Promotion is really a key component for success.  Also if you are consistently adding good work, websites are more likely to move you to more visible spots on their pages and hence you will receive more exposure’.
 
Dale is currently working on getting published. In keeping with the familial theme, the books Dale is hoping to publish are for children: ‘I have a few books written and I have begun the process of sending out art and manuscripts to publishers and agents. I have a hand in various websites creating art for everything from iPod cases to canvas art to stereo speakers. The more people that see your work the more likely the person that will become a part of your audience will see it’.

 
Dale thinks the maternal/paternal relationship found its way into his art for a few reasons, one of which being his publishing venture: ‘I also think that most people can identify with these depictions which relates to the previous answer about creating art that people can react to on an emotional level. I am close to my parents and having lost my mother to cancer, I can use the experience to bring feeling to this work. I think most artists create from the heart and when you are passionate about what you do I think it leads to really honest work. I've been in galleries sort of unobtrusively hearing people comment on various pieces and when you hear something like "Oh this reminds me of that time we were…" you know that that person has connected your work with something in their lives. It makes it much more likely that you will make a sale if someone feels connected to a work.  If you set out strictly to create a piece to sell you probably won't. The art should always come first’, and it is the art which Dale finds most rewarding, ‘filling up that white space into something cool’ as Dale puts.
 
But, what is the worst part of being a professional illustrator?
 
‘The worst part is the business part of things I suppose just because my brain isn't wired that way. I think for most artists this is the biggest challenge. I think artists can be undervalued or undervalue themselves sometimes so it is really essential that you don't fall into that and allow your work to be undersold. It's much more difficult to ask for a higher price for your art if you have been selling it for cheap most of your career. It’s a very difficult process to determine your worth when you are beginning but it is better to start a bit high. The internet is a great place to compare your art to others and set your pricing accordingly.  You can also with Facebook etc find artists that may be able to offer advice if you are starting out.  I approached a collage artist with some questions about art because I was interested in collage and was able to get some valuable advice right at the outset’.
 
As for advice, Dale asks that all aspiring artists and illustrators remember that art is a business, and one where you need to be constantly honing your craft: ‘Even though I have been a working artist for a long time my illustration has improved dramatically over the past few years. I think you should be aware of your strengths but also find ways to challenge yourself to step outside your comfort zone so you can continue to grow both in technique and ability. It's not necessarily about changing your style, but you have to keeping what you do fresh and vital. You have to be aware of where your art falls in the market place. If you're going to make this your business you have to treat it as such. You need find out who your audience is and where the best places to put your art so that audience can find you’.
 
To see more of Dale’s work, check out his website: Dalekeysillustration.com 

Name: David Finley
Age: 34
Occupation: Illustrator
Inspiration: Mary Blair, Charles Schultz, Bill Waterson
 
The functions of illustration are to narrate, engage, and compel. David’s work does all three, compelling and engaging its audience with a comical and enchanting narrative. The Dickey Rat Jazz Trio playfully parodies Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and Pluto, a humorous interpretation of the famous Disney characters reminding us of the eternal success and repute that is the imagination of Walt Disney. It comes as no surprise to learn that some of David’s biggest inspirations come from the Disney and Warner Brothers production houses. He explains ‘I never set out to copy, but I think the appeal of the flow and design of those cartoons stayed with me. When I make decisions in my own work, the design sensibilities of those retro styles have a lot of power over the artistic decisions I make’. Certainly, these are not copies, but humorous, witty and innovative interpretations paying homage to some of the best creative powerhouses in filmic history.
 
No doubt, David’s work possesses a retro aesthetic. Not only is this the influence of Disney and Warner Brothers, but also the result of David’s 80s upbringing. The 80s was a decade of robots; everything from the 1984 release of The Terminator to 1987’s RoboCop and Star Trek: The Next Generation.
 

 
This is David’s 1980s Corporate Robot, influenced by 1987 film Wall Street. He explains ‘There was a very distinctive look to it all. So, I started toying around with a character from that era's look and attitude, living in present day, but eventually decided it would be much funnier if it were a single minded robot instead. I joked that the character loved cocaine, which is just silly being that he is a robot and all, but the joke just kind of took wing from there’.

David is definitely a joker. He owes the comedy trait to his family, and apparently learned the best way to get out of trouble with his parents was to make them laugh. David describes comedy as his favourite form of story telling, stating ‘it is extremely important to my work as a writer and artist, both. I'd go as far as to say it is at the heart of who I am as an artist. Sure, there's definitely a serious, pain oriented side to my work, but I think all great comedy has that pain on the other side of it. Comedy is a way to process the good and depressingly awful in life and make it digestible. Yet, if you really dig into the heart of it, I like making images that will have me chuckling at my computer or desk as I am drawing them. It's very rewarding work’.
 
The talented illustrator is currently working on collaborations for two children’s books, as well as writing his own comic strip. David describes his style as ‘experimental, changing and fun’. It is an
aesthetic which combines tremendous artistic talent and wit, a combination which has proved successful for the likes of Disney and Warner Brothers, and will no doubt afford success for David too.
 
Website: Havenforscofflaws.com  

Name: Helen Musselwhite
Occupation: Artist
Clients: Nokia, Cadbury’s, Stella McCartney, Smythson, ZMG, AOL
 
Helen has been in the arts business for most of her working life. After studying Graphics and Illustration at Art College, she began freelancing and working in agencies. Her paper sculptures are quite simply beautiful; the intricacy and detail with which they are made is astonishing. Helen has been commissioned by some huge clients whom are listed above. Her work for Nokia in the image below is perhaps a step away from Helen’s usual body of work, tending to be of the wildlife/countryside subject matter. However, her geographical, mapped hands display the versatility of paper sculpture; that it can too be used in a more commercial setting as well as in the depiction of the prettiness and elegance of the countryside.
 

 
I first came across Helen’s work at Handsome Frank’s Tweet A Brief exhibition (see another illustrator from the Tweet A Brief exhibition in the blog below). It was a wonderful exhibition that really showed off the imagination of both artist and tweeter. Helen’s exhibit is below:
 

 
Helen explains: ‘Tweet a Brief was the brain child of my agents Handsome Frank. Each illustrator represented by them choose a brief from a list that had been tweeted, as soon as I saw the “wallpaper coming to life in a dolls house “ [brief]I knew I had to choose it! I combined my current inspiration of all things William Morris (wallpapers) and a taxidermy case to house it in. There is also some Eames inspired furniture thrown in for a cross pollination of design eras!’ was the brain child of my agents Handsome Frank. Each illustrator represented by them choose a brief from a list that had been tweeted, as soon as I saw the “wallpaper coming to life in a dolls house “ [brief]I knew I had to choose it! I combined my current inspiration of all things William Morris (wallpapers) and a
taxidermy case to house it in. There is also some Eames inspired furniture thrown in for a cross pollination of design eras!’
 
So, what does a day in the life of Helen Musselwhite actually look like?
 
‘Firstly I have to say I hate getting up so my partner Andrew lets the dog in the bedroom to jump on the bed and force me out (which works as he’s quite big).Then the obligatory looking at emails, tweets, blogs etc takes up about an hour along with a couple of coffees. I work until 1pm when Earl (the dog) comes and stares at me through the barricade in front of my studio door, he’s not allowed in as he steals mouthfuls of paper from the bins and has in the past eaten a piece of artwork. (At the moment the barricade is my crutches!) We go for an hours walk which is great as it gives me time to think about what I’ve done in the morning and gathers my thoughts and ideas for the afternoon. After a quick lunch its back to the studio until about 7pm with ample stops to check emails and waste a bit more time on Twitter etc! I stop then to make some food and take Earl for another quick walk whilst its cooking. I quite often have to work in the evening but if not I more often than not watch TV or a film.’
 
And the best part of this life?
 
‘I get to do what I love everyday’
 
And the worst?
 
‘Scalpel and paper cuts. I’ve also had a couple of nasty foamboard cuts (worse than paper!) Cutting the wrong bit when you’ve nearly finished…. Ditto tearing the paper.’
 
Currently, Helen is working on 4 bespoke large scale framed artworks for a hotel in Edinburgh based around Scottish flora and fauna in a very limited colour palette. Helen continues ‘In the pipeline are some domes for a private commission and some editorial illustrations. An advertising project I worked on in April is going live in September, looking forward to that as I worked with a great photographer and it will be great to see the finished images -it seems such a long time ago that we shot it.’
 
It seems that Helen has many exciting things on the way and, as a true expert in her field both commercially and artistically, I wanted to know if she had any advice for any aspiring artists out there:
 
‘Work hard, pay attention to detail, and beware of hubris
(in yourself principally) Develop your own style, you don’t have to go totally with the style of the moment, a nod to it will be enough – be aware of your contempories. Get your work featured on websites and blogs its great exposure and its free. Get a blog and website of your own, get on Flickr, Tumblr and Twitter.’
 
In a nutshell, get working, get attentive, get original, get exposed!
 
Website: Helenmusselwhite.co.uk