@georgemortonillustration

Instagram: @georgemortonillustration Website: www.george-morton.co.uk  

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

Hello! I'm an illustrator born and raised in a small town in Oxfordshire but I've been living in London for the past 3 and a bit years. I've been drawing for literally as long as I can remember and never really had too much interest in doing anything else, so when I found out that people actually do it as their job I was set. I currently work at a design agency but spend pretty much all my evenings working on illustrations and watching re-runs of Gilmore Girls.

2. Tell us about your aesthetic.

I like drawing people and I also really like bright, contrasting colours. So most of my work tends to be a combination of these two things.

3. What is your favourite medium and why?

Even though I mostly work digitally now I always try to bring in elements I've made by hand. Whether that's working on top of an actual drawing or just using a texture I've made and scanned in. I love painting and drawing but I'm an impatient perfectionist and working digitally allows me to rectify any mistakes I make easily and also play around much more with colours and layouts etc.

4. What is your artistic process like?

I usually start off with a rough pencil sketch to determine the layout and proportions etc before either making a more worked up pencil drawing or scanning the rough in to work straight on top of in photoshop. I've gradually started building up a library of textures and patterns I've made too, which I can then pick and choose from to use in my illustrations. I also recently bought an iPad Pro so I've been trying to get to grips with using that for my illustrations as well as my usual Macbook/tablet combo.

5. Who and/or what inspires your work?

I'm inspired by a lot of things, most of it probably even without realising. But I tend to find most of my ideas for colours through something I've seen in my everyday life like a jazzy shirt, or a kebab shop sign. I'm also really into portrait and fashion photography so I find that influences my work a lot too.

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

I'd say that it makes me much more aware of everything going on around me because I'm constantly looking out for anything I could translate into my illustrations. This makes me notice little details about things that would maybe go unnoticed to others.

7. Where did you study?

I studied Illustration at Cardiff School of Art & Design in Wales and graduated in 2013 (which now feels like a lifetime ago).

8. Where do you see yourself in five years?

Five years ago I probably could have answered this question but it probably wouldn't have been anywhere close to where I actually am now. In another five years I would love to have more time (if not all my time) to work on illustrations and other creative projects. I'd also like to have moved somewhere much warmer. Other than that I'm easily pleased.

9. What about in ten?

More of the above but hopefully having things slightly more together and maybe with a dog or two.

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

My work benefits me more so than anyone at the moment so I guess it would be nice for me to feel like it's also of some sort of benefit to others as much as myself.

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

I love literally any Indian food. But having said that I'm also painfully British and love a good toad in the hole. Please don't ask me to choose between them.

12. Favourite book?

'Let the Right One In' by John Ajvide Lindqvist. It's a story about a 12 year old boy in Sweden and his friendship with a girl who turns out to be a vampire - which I realise sounds terrible but it's honestly so good. It's also been made into two films now and the original Swedish film is equally as great as the book which is rare.

13. Favourite genre of music?

I don't know that I have a favourite genre anymore. I like a healthy mix but I've basically only listened to SZA's album on repeat since the day it came out.

14. What are your hobbies?

It's times like this I wish I had a really cool, alternative hobby but when I'm not working I really enjoy just reading and occasionally maybe doing some gardening. I also go to quite a lot of gigs and try to check out exhibitions as often as I can too. Having said that I was actually part of a dodgeball team for a league recently so I guess that could count? Let's go with that.

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

Probably really bored.