Experimenting with mediums and techniques to tell their stories – these WCCD illustrators deserve to be seen!

1. Cath Garvey

   You can almost scent the oil paints in the bright bold backgrounds of Cath Garvey’s dynamic illustrations and short films which, unlike oil paintings, spring to life with their relatable characters and genuine storytelling. 

   

   

   

   

   

   

   ​​Artworks credit to Cath Garvey: 1. from ‘Bye, Suckers!’ short animation film. 2. from the Activity cards for Walker Art Gallery as part of the Walter Sickert Exhibition. 3. Illustration Help leaflet made to accompany her talk at Make Liverpool.

   
   

   Cath Garvey is a Liverpool illustrator and animator. In her practice she creates comics and animations that explore supernatural themes with the mundane to create engaging and relatable stories. In her work she aims to question the current climate, in hopes to open up the conversation on issues that are often ignored.

   
   

   Her short film ‘Job Haunting’ featured on BBC 4, the animation highlights the difficulty of young people to get started on their chosen career path and the barriers young people face to enter relevant employment.

   
   

   Along with making art, she runs workshops for young people teaching how to create characters, animate and make a comic.

   
   

   “I love teaching and I love seeing what people come up with. I grew up with not having any art clubs or events going on, so running workshops in my area is really important to me”

   
   

2. Sara Prinsloo

   With bold street-art vibe Sara's artworks are expressive, rebellious, and relatable. Through creative mediums they explore lived experiences of women and UK young people from working-class backgrounds.

   

   

   

   

   

   

   Artworks credit to Sara Prinsloo: 1. from 'Trashy Ladies 2. from 'Reckless' 3. from OKAY project.

   
   

   Sara has been practicing art for over 15 years with a wealth of experience in the field. Achieving a BA and MA in Fine Art and Illustration Sara uses these subjects to express her artistic skill set. Also exploring 3D Design, wood work, mould making and ceramics, Sara delivers these subjects as creative workshops through her teaching role in further education. Sara has recently started to combine her urban culture themes through the same mediums. Skateboard wheel casting and skate shoe sculpture projects have helped Sara explore the concept of merging her passion for skateboarding with her art and her continued exploration of the urban culture and sub cultures such as urban textures, fashion, skating, youth culture, female identity, working class artists and music etc. Sharing her passion and engaging the youth is very important to Sara, believing that it’s our responsibility to help future generations excel through creative education and exploration. “It’s time to change the way we learn! It should be fun, supportive, inspiring, personal and exciting. I’m ready to help make this happen”

   
   

   Sara is also a keen campaigner/fundraiser for mental health charities and often discusses mental well being in her creative practise. Sara is the Founder of the It's OKAY Project where creativity is used to communicate our mental health stories, experiences and achievements.

   
   

   "Tell you friends you love them, give them a hug. The world is shit enough and we need to make it better"

   
   

3. Jonny Hannah

   The playful patchwork of colours and ideas unite in Jonny Hannah's illustrations that bring chaos to harmony.

   

   

   

   

   

   

   Artworks credit to Jonny Hannah: 1. Boy and Bicycle 2. Let There Be Light 3. Hats Off To Hardy

   
   

   Jonny Hannah is a freelance illustrator with a passion for fine footwear and Hank Williams. Born & bred in Dunfermline, Jonny Hannah studied illustration at Liverpool Art School and then the Royal College of Art. Since graduation in 1998 he has been working both as a commercial designer & illustrator (his clients include The Daily Telegraph, The New York Times & The St. Kilda Courier) and printmaker, creating wonderful screen printed books, posters and prints for his own Cakes & Ale Press.

   
   

4. Moby Slick

   Their digital illustrations dig deep into their characters' emotions, telling a dynamic narrative with colour, shape, and texture.

   

   

   

   

   Artworks credit to Moby Slick: 1. Siblings 2. I'm a Clown

   
   

   Moby Slick shares about their art: "I love to play the rough off the smooth, dark over light and weave sad stories between loud colours. I appreciate that every piece of every piece is built one over the next and comes together atop one another to create vibrant, textural works.

   
   

   I resonate with digital art for its effortless style and comfort, the smooth gliding of the pen from brain to nib and it's loud diversity. I hope to show a tale behind the mask of your first thought."

   
   

5. Emily Chappell

   With great attention to detail Emily Chappell's illustrations reveal the character of everyday objects and help to promote and preserve the art of traditional illustration.

   

   

   

   

   

   

   Artworks credit to Emily Chappell: 1. Charles 'Sparky' Schulz in his studio 2. Edinburgh Public Library Tea Towels 3. A Hut of One's Own

   Emily Chappell writes about her art: "I have a strong interest in promoting wellbeing - with food, and the growing of it, being a common theme. I am also interested in folklore, iconography, and developing my own technique through repeated drawing and silkscreen printing."


   
   

   Emily has worked for 15 years designing for a variety of sectors, including poster design for theatre, product illustration, book cover design and mural design.

   She also creates silkscreen artworks, t-shirts and experimental drawing alongside this practice. Themes of food, plants and well-being are common in her work.

   In 2017 Emily's illustrated book about allotment architecture ('A Hut of One's Own’) was published.

   
   

6. Laina Deene

   Inspired by both – scenic nature and everyday surroundings, Laina Deene's illustrations are filled with air and light.

   

   

   

   

   

   

   Artworks credit to Laina Deene

   
   

   Laina Deene (she/her) is a Brighton-based illustrator with a passion for hand drawn illustration, making use of watercolours, pastels, pencils and more to explore colour and texture. Laina’s illustrations are often observational, taking inspiration from nature, literature and film. The everyday scenes she creates are transformed with exuberance and feeling, lending themselves to a host of different purposes, from editorial and publishing to packaging and branding. Clients include Wieden + Kennedy x It’s Nice That, Penguin Random House, Contra Mag and more.