If there’s one skill that I’m in complete awe of, it has to be illustration. It’s just so incredible the way that some people are able to are able to perfectly encapsulate the world through drawing.
But illustrator and textile designer Sara Boccaccini Meadows does so much more than that, and in fact takes illustration to another level, hand crafting a whole intricate universe of flowers, plants, people and cities. Her drawings are, whilst being so real and beautiful, completely out of this world! After discovering her a whole ago, I knew I wanted to pick her brain about her creative process. Read on for more.
Tell us a little bit about yourself.
How did you start experimenting with illustration and pattern design?
I studied textile design at university which developed my illustration skills for working in the fashion industry. It’s only the past few years I’ve been exploring watercolors and gouache to develop my own style of painting. I’m a self taught painter and half the time I don’t think i’m doing it right- but it somehow works for me and the main thing is it relaxes my mind. I think everyone needs a creative outlet and I’m lucky mines turned into a job.
What inspires your use of materials in your designs?
I mainly use watercolor and gouache then layer ink and line work to create depth and texture. I love to experiment with new materials too and have recently been playing around with coloured pencils. A watercolor pan is great to travel with! Gouache can be a bit of a nightmare if it leaks from the tubes (recently happened to me on the flight back from Iceland…argh!).
What is the process behind creating your designs?
I gain a lot of inspiration when I’m traveling, new cultures and landscapes often inspire me to create new designs- as you can see from my trip to Iceland and Hawaii recently. I start by journaling scenes and details in my sketchbook. This could be a landscape, colours, details from a rock, foliage, patterns of the earth.I then might scan the illustration to create a pattern in photoshop or develop it further into a larger painting. It really depends on how I feel later on. Sometimes i’ll really dislike a painting, then weeks later I’ll come back to it and start to enjoy it again.
Do you have any creative advice for us?
My sketchbook is such an important part of my process and I really think helps push my creativity. I would recommend anyone to get one for a trip to document things that inspire you.Don’t worry about the imperfections- this for me is what makes art so interesting.
Thank you for your lovely and sintering words Sata! Make sure to follow Sara’s creative journey on Instagram, her blog or grab a copy of her book!
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