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Thursday 2 February 2017

Meet the Illustrator: Lucie Mammone


Describe your illustration style in ten words or less.
Figurative, whimsical, bold, sculptural, vivid and character driven.

What items are an essential part of your creative space?
I work on my commute to my day job and at home. My pencils, sharpener, drawing pad, and if I’m far from home I need my headphones and music.

Do you have a favourite artistic medium?
Colour pencil is probably my favourite at the moment, it’s immediate, can be bold or soft, is very portable and cheap. I have been experimenting taking my pencil drawings into Photoshop to paint digitally, and I love the results.

Name three artists whose work inspires you.
Corey Godbey, Shaun Tan and Tara McPherson.

Which artistic period would you most like to visit and why?
Surrealism. The combination of imaginative, dream like visuals with realism to create a new world always intrigues me.

Who or what inspired you to become an illustrator?
I have always loved drawing, when I was growing up I read many comics and books. Once you start pouring over the illustrations you realise someone has to draw these, and that’s what I want to do.


Can you share a photo of your creative work space or part of the area where you work most often?
I’m sharing my studio with my kids at the moment, so it’s part studio, part play room and part market stall storage space.
My other creative space is the train, I try to put my commuting time to good use. Tips for train: sit on the middle level if you feel like sketching people, and make sure your headphones are set to a socially acceptable volume or are noise cancelling. A4  or 9x12 inch sketch pads work best, especially for the peak hour squish.


What is your favourite part of the illustration process?
I think it’s in the middle of it, I enjoy the visceral feel of drawing. And the completion, once you know it’s finished and you are happy with it, despite any feelings you may have had otherwise while creating it.


What advice would you give to an aspiring illustrator?
Keep drawing and listen to your creative intuition. Not happy with something? Give it a day or two then revisit. Don’t give up, keep drawing.


Lucie is a freelance illustrator and part time designer in Sydney. She loves drawing people, animals, and creating vivid characters, working mostly in a combination of colour pencil and digital. Lucie is available for commission including books, portraits and editorial work, and sells her giclee art prints at art & craft markets. You can find out more about Lucie - www.luciemade.com
https://www.facebook.com/LucieMammoneIllustration/