KaTie chappell illUsTraTor
04
Aren’t those there illustrations lovely. Yes they are.
have been the artists inspiring and motivating Katie.
when there is a story or a message or a meaning
Lovely is a good word to describe everything about
But it isn’t just fellow artists that get her creative
behind it. I am not a fan of fiddly decorative stuff...
Katie Chappell and her illustrations it seems.
juices flowing. “I take influences from everything
unless it’s got owls on it. I do like owls.” All the
around me; art, food, travel, people, conversations. I
morals and righteousness goes out the window for a
/// Based in Newcastle and Sunderland, Katie lives
like to think the illustrations that come out are just a
bit of owl. Quite right.
with her flatmates Jill (human) and Cornelius
big mash up of all the information I’ve absorbed. It’s
(hamster), and drinks lots of tea. She has just
all a bit subconscious, innit?”
/// So the future seems so bright for our young
completed the second year of her BA(hons) in
/// In this day and age, perhaps it is even more
illustrator. As already mentioned, she graduates next
Illustration and Design, and will graduate in June
important than ever for an artist or illustrator to have
year when she then plans to move south to get a job
2012. The love of drawing and illustration she has,
their own style. The growth of this new internet thing
as a successful professional picture drawer. By
started at a very young age, “I’ve always drawn stuff...
means that it is much easier to catch plagiarism and
succesful, Katie means “Someone who can make
my earliest memories of drawing are of sitting at my
copy cat designs. So as important as influences are, it
enough money from illustration to live comfortably
Granny and Grandpa’s house with a pile of printer’s
seems as though the young illustrator is all about
and enjoy what they do!” Unfortunately it’s a lot
paper (my Grandpa was a retired printer) and asking
having her own, strong individual style shine through
more difficult to be able to do that up in the North
them what I should draw next. I haven’t stopped
in her work. “It makes me so angry when you can see
East, but hopefully one day we’ll be able to support
drawing since.” When we asked if there was any
that someone has just ripped off another artist,
the likes of Katie, so they don’t have to head to the
particular artists and illustrators who could take the
especially if they are making money out of it. Where
big smoke to keep afloat.
blame for this, she told us that Quentin Blake had
are your morals, people!?” There are none Katie,
illustrated most of the books she read as bedtime
there are none... “Scribbly, sometimes colourful.” is
stories, there were Mabel Lucie Atwell pictures
how Katie describes her own style. Short but accurate.
hanging around the house and grew up admiring this
We’d also add amazing and meaningful into that,
work, among the work of others, such as Nick Sharratt.
scribbly, amazing, meaningful and sometimes
katiedraws.hello@gmail.com
/// More recently, Marc Johns and David Shrigley
colourful. “llustration is so much more interesting
www.katiechappell.com