From the School Run to Wedding Stationery: A Creative Collaboration
Sometimes the best creative collaborations begin in the most ordinary places. In this case, it was through our children being in the same class!
I've been working with Laura of Laura Likes, a local bespoke wedding stationery designer, for several years now. What began as a connection through our children has turned into a lovely ongoing creative partnership, and one that's brought all sorts of interesting illustration projects into my studio.
From beautiful wedding venues and bespoke maps to individual illustrations for table stationery, it's a wonderfully varied part of my freelance illustration work.
Two Creatives, One Project
One of the things I really enjoy about working with Laura is that no two commissions are quite the same.
Sometimes a couple has a very clear idea of what they'd like, and my job is to translate that into an illustration. Other times, Laura has a particular vision for the stationery, and I work on the illustrated elements that will become part of her overall design.
Occasionally, I get a little more creative freedom to interpret the brief myself, which is always fun!
It's a lovely balance of working to a brief, sharing ideas and bringing our individual skills together.
Places, Maps and Personal Details
Over the years, I've illustrated wedding venues, created bespoke maps and drawn all sorts of individual elements for table stationery.
Venue illustrations are particularly enjoyable. There's something satisfying about capturing the character of a building, from its architecture to the little details that make it recognisable.
Maps are another favourite of mine. I do a lot of map illustration in my wider freelance work, so it's lovely to bring that experience into something as personal as a wedding.
And then there are the individual table illustrations, which can be wonderfully varied depending on the couple and the ideas behind their stationery.
What ties all these projects together is how personal they are.
These aren't just decorative drawings. They're places, memories and details that mean something to the people getting married. I always want to do them justice, putting care into the details and a little bit of love into every illustration.
From My Drawing Board to the Finished Stationery
One of the most satisfying sides of collaborating with another creative business is seeing what happens to the artwork after it leaves my studio.
I might spend my time concentrating on the details of a building or getting a particular illustration just right, but that's only one part of the process.
Laura is an incredibly talented designer and brings everything together within her artistic vision, and it's always exciting to see how the finished pieces turn out.
There's something quite magical about seeing an illustration that began as a rough drawing on my layout pad become part of a beautifully finished piece of wedding stationery in situe on the day!
The Joy of Creative Collaborations
Working as a freelance illustrator can sometimes be a fairly solitary occupation. Much of my working day is spent in the studio, usually with a large coffee nearby, concentrating on whatever happens to be on the drawing board.
So I really value the opportunities to work alongside other creative people.
Collaborations like this allow us to bring different skills to a project, bounce ideas around and create something that feels genuinely individual.
I particularly love that this one grew from such an everyday connection. Who knew having children in the same class could lead to years of creative projects?
It's been a pleasure working with Laura over the years, and I look forward to seeing what lands on my drawing board next.
You can explore more of Laura's beautiful bespoke wedding stationery at Laura Likes.
And if you're a designer or creative business looking for an illustrator to collaborate with, you're always welcome to get in touch.
