Maddie Smith

Illustration - BA (Hons)

My name is Maddie Smith, I am an illustration student originally from Chelmsford, Essex. From a young age I have always loved nature. I’ve spent many days enjoying sketching local wildlife in the Essex countryside nearby where I grew up and have more recently spent my days sketching animals in the Zoology Museum in Cambridge whilst away at university. Growing up, I have kept many animals as pets which gives me an insight into the different personalities and characteristics that they demonstrate.

To create characters, I take inspiration from my animals’ personalities and other wildlife. My aim for my final project was to start up a small business using the world I have created with the characters you can see in my illustrations.

My goal has always been to sell prints and merchandise, such as stickers and apparel using my own designs. I am heavily influenced by nature and wildlife, starting my degree primarily focusing on realism, but branching out with the use of fun and friendly imagery inspired by brands such as Sanrio.

The main body of my work is created using digital software. My illustrations are fun, friendly, and kitsch, including quirky animal characters I have created alongside their human counterparts. I have created the beginnings of a brand by producing 4 different animal characters, alongside 4 human characters, promotional posters, stickers, and a 3D model.

My love for animals inspires my work, and I like to create fun vibrant designs using wildlife as a starting point. For my final major project, I have created a sticker book with fun childlike imagery and a pastel colour palette, using characters I designed.

I enjoy creating cute and colourful artwork, with the addition of unique strange features such as long limbs, two heads or six arms to my characters. I like to evoke feelings of playfulness with my ‘childlike’ subject matter, but with easily readable, refined clean line illustrations.