Celebrating Small Businesses - Part 2

In part 2 of my celebration of fantastic women in business, we meet Kathryn Rose Brown – a popular and gifted illustrator.

So down tools for 5 minutes, and check out Kathryn’s beautifully vibrant and kitsch illustrations…

Tell us a bit about your business and who you are.

My name is Kathryn Rose Brown and I am a freelance illustrator. There are two parts to my business - the first is that i am commissioned to draw illustrations for individuals and companies as well as magazines, album art and anything in between. The second part is that I also write comic stories, self publish them and make and produce illustrated products that I sell online and in person, including things like apparel, stickers, notebooks and prints.

What is your favourite illustration in your portfolio and why?

My favourite illustration is probably the cover I made for Once Upon A Town magazine (see below). I made it during the height of the covid pandemic and so some of the people are wearing masks. I like drawing people and it was fun to get lots of different people from different backgrounds including a storm trooper into a small space. I suppose it was a little bit of a challenge.

Where do you draw your inspiration from?

In terms of the way things look, I am heavily inspired by pop culture, whether it be a particular song I like, music video, fashion and things like that. At the same time I also inspired by kitsch ornaments, vintage imagery like portrait photography from the 1950s and films stars from that decade as well as old photographs and anything that could potentially tell a story. Because my work is quite autobiographical a lot of the time, I am often inspired by conversations I have had with people, experiences I have had with people and how they make me feel. I like to use humour in my work as well as text. I like to make work with a strong narrative a lot of the time, and I like to tell a story with it so I try and draw on my own experiences as much as possible.

How do you overcome a creative block?

Get away from whatever I am working on. If I sit with something too long, I start to hate it. If I have got major creative block I always think I need to take a break, go for a walk and get out in the fresh air and clear my mind. Once my mind is clear, I then start taking in other artists work - whether that be reading a comic or looking at work in a gallery/online. Basically trying not to force anything as that doesn't really work I find. Once my mind is clear I can normally get back to work again.

Do you have any advice for anyone thinking about becoming a freelance illustrator?

Don't worry about finding your own style as that will happen naturally. Practise your craft over and over to really familiarise yourself with what you're doing. Don't let anyone tell you that you can't achieve something because you are the only person holding yourself back. Create a good portfolio and reach out to people with it. There will always be someone who enjoys your work.

To find out more about Kathryn and her awesome work, please check out the links below!

www.kathrynrosebrown.com

kathrynbrowndoodles@gmail.com

https://www.instagram.com/kathrynrosebrown/