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About
Hi I’m Lewis, an illustrator based in London. I recently completed my Masters in Children’s Illustration at the Cambridge School of Art.
I have a strong interest in bringing the past to life through illustration, focusing on narrative non-fiction, historic fiction, as well as an interest in myth and legend. I also enjoy working in a graphic novel format, along with working for a young adult audience.
Where are you from?
I was born and raised in Bradford, Yorkshire, before moving to Sheffield where I lived for several years, before moving to London.
What is your favourite thing to illustrate?
My biggest passion when it comes to making images are graphic novels and comics. The way the panels interact with one another, how you can tell stories in those moment to moment transitions, and the immersive nature of the tales they tell, inspires me to get creating.
I took the chance on my Masters to really explore and develop this interest. When I picture images in my head, or think about stories I want to tell, they often begin to form into panels, so it’s been a lot of fun to delve into this format more.
How did you develop or find your illustration voice?
When it comes to illustration I like to grab whatever is closest to hand, brush or pencil, and get to making. I’m an impulsive sketcher and enjoy working quickly. But I think it’s this initial approach that leads me to create the sort of illustrations I do.
I’m always battling between keeping that freedom of sketching and the clarity needed to give an illustration narrative, and I think that’s where I find my voice, somewhere that sits in-between, happily balancing the two sides.
What fuels you creatively?
The desire to tell stories is always bubbling away at the surface. Whether it’s a scrap paper doodle of a character I want to send on an adventure, or finding an interesting moment from the past that sparks an idea, the impulse to put to page a narrative constantly keeps me itching to make and illustrate.
What role does observational drawing have in your illustration practice?
Looking at the world around me, objects, people, places, studying these with a pencil and sketchbook lets them seep into my work. It opens you up to moments of inspiration that lead to entire stories. Or in some cases it’s seeing small moments and interactions between people, even the way someone sits and basks in the sun, these can all work their way into a story or panel, bringing it to life and making it believable. This all comes from observation, and it underpins my work, sometimes without me even knowing.
What is your biggest inspiration in what you illustrate?
I love looking to the past for inspiration, I feel there’s always a story to tell that can help us better understand the times we live in now. Because of this I often use it as a jumping off point when thinking of projects, or if I’m all out of inspiration a trip to a museum to draw soon sets me back on track!
I love being able to bring this into my work, before studying the Masters I studied International History and International Politics at The University of Sheffield, so to be able to combine my passion for illustration and history brings me a lot of joy.