Ailish Beadle is an illustrator of fantastically colourful and wonderful designs. Her compositions are always fun, bright and eye-catching and she has carved for herself an instantly recognisable visual signature with her tight linework and vibrant palettes. We were fortunate enough to be able to chat to her a bit about her work and process.
Your illustrations are very bright and whimsical. What were your earliest visual inspirations?
I'd say that my earliest visual inspirations were from cartoons like the Simpsons and Spongebob Squarepants. There was something about the colour schemes and simple black outlines that appealed to me. I remember always trying to draw the characters from them and I think that has influenced my work now.
What do you do when you’re feeling creatively blocked?
I'm working on this still. I usually get frustrated at first but I've learned it doesn't solve anything - it just makes it worse. For me, my creativity comes in waves and just have to tell myself it will come back. When my ideas are lacking I just try to get outdoors and get some fresh air!
You mentioned your workspace gets messy - what sort of materials do you enjoy using?
For everything that is seen online I just use my sketchbooks, fineliners and my Wacom tablet. But I love creating things with my hands too. I make stuff with clay, plasticine and I enjoy painting on canvas.
What organisation or person were you proudest to collaborate with?
It hasn't seen the light of day yet but as of April I will be able to show my work with Beer 52! I am so proud of this project as I have never illustrated a magazine cover or had that much freedom on a commission yet.
What are your next goals for your practice?
To get good at animation. I really want to master the basics of animation so I can see my work moving without needing the help of anyone else.