@laurabeedraws

Instagram: @laurabeedraws  

1. What's your story? Where are you from?

I was born in London, moved to New Zealand with my family when I was 7 or so. Then about a year ago I’ve moved to Melbourne, Australia with my partner so Im based here now and loving it! Melbourne is a very creative-based city with lots of creatives, individuality and personality which is why I chose to move here. Its also not too far from home so I can see my family often as well as feel fully independent.

2. Tell us about your aesthetic.

My aesthetic is a combination between character design meets comics meets feminism meets Disney. I aim to draw strong, realistic and independent women (sometimes men and also cats) with lots of style, individuality and occasionally sass! I like to make my work relatable and very human, instead of perfect lives and perfect women! I also enjoy detail and tend to make something so detailed you can’t actually see it in a photo haha.

3. What is your favourite medium and why?

My favourite medium is markers and watercolour. The markers I use are Copic Markers and are just amazing. I love them because the quality is amazing and the final image comes out kind of looking like watercolour! Using markers is also really quick, easy and doesn’t involve much prep. With watercolour, i find it very relaxing to paint with and its fun too because water has a mind of its own, but you can guide it to do what you want.

4. What is your artistic process like?

Usually I’ll have a very vague idea of what I want to do. So Il know I want to include loads of flowers, or a certain body pose or even an emotion I want to convey. Then I’ll roughly sketch out the idea with alterations as I go and when I happy with the sketch, I’ll add details like leaves and jewellery etc. After this I’ll Ink the sketch!

5. Who and/or what inspires your work?

I am on Instagram every day and so I get a lot of inspiration through my feed and the people I follow (such as Frannerd, Audraauclair, Loish). Il also be doing something like considering if I should cut my bangs again and then that will turn into an image because I know that the issue is definitely relatable!

6. What role does art play in your life? How does it change the way you view the world?

Oh art is my whole life and I think about it 80% of the time. The other 20% is thinking about eating food, what to bake, the TV show Im currently watching or if Im in a conversation. I’d say my outlook on life has for sure improved as now I know I can create anything from anything which is kind of a cool concept, and that anything can and will inspire me!

7. Where did you study?

I studied at Massey University in Wellington, New Zealand majoring in Graphic Design and Textile design, so nothing at all to do with what I do now. in fact the only thing four years of study has taught me that has anything to do with what I do now is about time management and a bit on colour theory. Other than that my degree was kind of useless.

8. Where do you see yourself in five years? Working in an agency?

In five years time I would like to have progressed from where I am now. So I would like to still be working fully freelance, but on a larger scale and working on more long term/commercial projects. I would also like to have my own studio room in my home as now I work from a corner in our house. Im not complaining as it is a lovely and decent sized space, but with more time leads to more exposure, which leads to more prints/general art stuff needed which leads to more space needed!

9. What about in ten?

Same again! Doing exactly what Im doing but on a larger scale. Hopefully I will have travelled a bit by then too!

10. What do you hope to achieve with your art?

Thats a good question.. I think I just want my work to be relatable and for people to feel better and happy when looking at my work. i would really like to achieve working more commercially too so editorial stuff etc.

11. Now, tell us a little more about you as a person: what is your favourite food?

Im not too sure what my fave food is! Im a vegan of almost 4 years so anything vegan floats my boat! Im a sucker for anything sweet, so baking is a thing I love to do and eat in the process and at the end haha.

12. Favourite book?

I’ve never been much of a huge reader to be honest, I’m just crazy visual and need visual stimulation I think. So picture books have always been my thing, and art and design books too, even as a kid.

13. Favourite genre of music?

My music taste is a little insane and can range from St. Vincent, to Korn, to No doubt to System of a down! My older cousin introduced me to heavy metal when I was about 11 so that romance started there. My mum wasn’t that happy about it haha. Im not a HUGE metalhead but I have found though that metal bands sing more about REAL stuff like the government and politics and the planet dying, so my morals definitely sit well with the genre, but I’d say I listen to indie/folky music most of the time as metal music I find can get a little overwhelming if you listen for too long!

14. What are your hobbies?

Can my cat be a hobby? So my cat, everything art, getting really in to a TV show, baking and also people watching in a cafe.

15. If you weren't an artist, what would you be?

If I wasn’t an illustrator, I know i would be something in the creative, hands-on realm like jewellery design, pottery or furniture design. All things I would actually love to have a go at too!