Growing up, I was always known as ‘that kid that loved to draw’—sitting down amongst mounds of drawing supplies was my idea of heaven, and some of my earliest memories of Christmases, birthdays, and ‘little happys’ (those glorious ‘in-between’ presents) meant my paper, crayon, pen and paint supplies were re-stocked and overflowing once again. Bliss!

But such is life, as the years ticked by I naturally had to start thinking about what I wanted to do with my life, with the concept of ‘picking a pathway’ seeming increasingly impossible. That was, of course, until I discovered the beauty of graphic design. As it turns out, it’s quite a broad career that acts as a bit of an umbrella term to a bunch of other skills. One of those just so happened to be illustration, and voila! My mind was set, and I haven’t looked back.

Although illustration and graphic design go hand-in-hand and are generally perceived as being one in the same, there’s also the possibility in becoming an expert in either of these fields. In my case, the major difference between the two is that graphic design is more of a commercial art, where illustration is classified as a fine art, and by combining the two I found I was able to turn my passion in to a career; illustration is the perfect tool for me to communicate a specific message to a target audience, in a way that’s visually engaging and unique to every project.

I’ve been an illustrator for the better part of a decade now, and over that time I’ve seen my personal style grow and develop in to my own unique aesthetic; my art generally centres around my love for the ocean, which has seen me display my work in both solo and group exhibitions. Although I’ve got an illustration style that’s very much my own and one that I love creating, my adaptable nature allows me to tailor my skills to suit an endless amount of styles and bring to life a look and feel that clients are wanting to achieve. This is where my graphic design skills come in, in that I put the client’s ideas to paper (and computer) to create a piece of art that embodies them, their brand, and their audience.

Essentially, illustration can be a powerful brand asset, and is a tool that can be used to elevate your brand and tell a story (we’re quite the fan of those around here!). Get in touch if you’d like to know more—we’ll even shout the coffee.

Written by Hannah Van Geel