Start from the beginning …
My love for drawing and creative activities was always with me since I can remember but I am not going to dwell on that as I am here to try to share with you my journey in rediscovering my passion for illustration and how I discover this amazing type of work which I must say I didn’t even know existed for many years.
Few years ago I found myself having a lovely shop in the heart of Morningside area in the beautiful city Edinburgh and that by itself was a dream come true for me, since I was a little girl I wanted to have a shop. The shop sold mainly the eco-jewellery brand I founded and other sustainable, colourful and beautiful designs from other local artists. As the shop grew and I stocked more items I started discovering more illustrations in the form of prints and greeting cards. However I noticed that there was a big difference in how things work now. I realised that computer skills were going to be an important skill to venture this new world of illustration.
I didn’t have a clue of where to start, where to go and which program I needed to learn that would help me achieve my goal. After looking around I decided to enrol myself at a photoshop course at the college of Art, a short evening course that hopefully would give me the answers I needed.
So I started the evening course and my computer breaks down, the course was fast speed and I felt at times totally out of my depth, specially without a computer to practise at home. The photoshop world is endless and I realise very early on that you should learn what you need and don’t try to learn everything and this is what I recommend. For me is to prepare files, mock ups, patterns, photo retouches .
While I was at the college computer lab trying to work I bumped into illustrator another program by Adobe. I was amazed that you could actually draw on the computer or change and make changes to your drawings, I realise then the potential there and then.
My time at the college was short and sweet as I had a busy life juggling my jewellery making business, the shop and family life. However I made a bunch of greeting cards from some drawings that white my new limited photoshop skills I managed to scan to the computer and prepare the files to send to the printer. When they arrived I proudly displayed them on the shelves of the shop.
Next week I will tell you about how my journey made its first leap when I discover an online platform with the most amazing illustrators and artists where the share their skills.
