Winsor & Newton recently had the pleasure of partnering with The Association of Illustrators to sponsor The World Illustration Awards. Hundreds of entrants at all levels took part from all over the world. We were inspired by the sheer talent showcased, so we decided to get to know some of the artists better.
We’ll be bringing you a selection of our favourite illustrators, sharing stories from their background, what inspires them and how they have stayed creative in trying times.
Introducing Lucia Vinti, a London-based illustrator and winner of the New Talent Design, Product & Packaging Category.
Instagram: @lucia.vinti
Tell us a little bit about yourself, your background, what inspired you to become an illustrator?
I’m Lucia Vinti and I’m an illustrator based just outside of London. I studied illustration at the University of Brighton and graduated in 2019. I’ve always been creative, and illustration appealed to me because you can have fun and be playful. I love that as an illustrator you can design everything in your work, from the clothes and characters to the backgrounds and buildings.
Tell us a little bit about your experience throughout this competition. What inspired you to enter? How did you create your winning piece?
I decided to enter the exhibition because I always go to the World Illustration Awards exhibition at Somerset House and find it so inspiring to see everybody’s work. I was really proud of the Van Gogh and Britain project, so I thought I may as well enter it into the competition. The piece was a commission for Tate Britain; I created it by hand using pen and colour pencils and then collaging the drawings together on the computer. My illustrations had to work alongside Van Gogh’s artwork, which almost felt like I was collaborating with him!
What is your favourite colour and why?
It changes all the time! At the moment my favourite colours are olive green, lilac and orangey-red.
What is your favourite medium to work with and why?
I make most of my work with a mixture of coloured pencil, brush pen and gouache. I enjoy this combination because I think the textures work well together, and it means my drawings look hand done and a little messy (in a good way!).
What would be your advice to artists and illustrators who are just starting out / learning?
Put yourself out there. Enter competitions (make sure you read the terms and conditions and that they’re reputable) and send your work out to art directors, design studios and publishers. Also, create work in a way that’s natural to you and try not to worry about the ‘style’.
Do you have a typical routine you follow when you start a new piece; if so, what is it?
Usually, I start with a rough pencil sketch to get the main elements of my illustration in the right place. Then I’ll use a new piece of paper and a lightbox and fill in any blocks of colour with pen or gouache. Next, I add details with pencil, crayon or a white pen. Lastly, I’ll scan in my drawing and make it look pretty on photoshop.
What inspires your work?
My main inspiration is people and places. I love people watching and seeing how people interact with their surroundings. My favourite places for this are museums and markets. I’m also slightly obsessed with food packaging, David Hockney and children’s books.
What did you do to ensure you stayed active and creative through 2020?
I try to take proper time off when I have creative block, trying not to worry too much about filling gaps in my portfolio and instead making work I find fun and therapeutic, such as the A-Z of buildings I’m currently working on.
What is your favourite W&N product to work with and why?
The Promarker Watercolour pens, because I love the texture of them.
If you want to see more of Lucia’s work, check out her Instagram page here.