Tell us a bit about yourself.
My name is Claire, and I’m from New Zealand. I wouldn’t call myself an illustrator, but I love to draw. I actually work in health.
Have you always had a passion for drawing?
Yes definitely. I’ve always been able to spend hours drawing—even when I was really little.
Have you always been interested in children’s illustrations?
Yes—I have always loved creating bright, fun scenes, so I think my style just lends itself to children’s illustrations.
What do you enjoy most about your work?
Drawing is such an escape for me. I find it really relaxing. Even when I’m struggling with a particular pose, scene or expression, I don’t find it frustrating—just a really good challenge.
How did you come across Affinity Designer?
I have been using Affinity Designer for a few years now. I think originally I just found it on Google as I was looking for a new programme to try and decided it looked good. So I had a go, and I loved it.
What was your first impression of Affinity Designer?
I loved it right away as I could do digital painting in the Pixel Persona, vector-based work, and also combine the two, which was exactly what I had been looking for.
Do you always create your illustrations digitally, or do you tend to sketch them by hand first?
A bit of both. I do love sketching on paper, but now a lot of the time I do everything in Affinity, from sketch to the finished product.
What percentage of your time is devoted to illustrating?
I probably spend around 8-10 hours a week drawing, which isn’t nearly as much as I would like.
How did you find your style?
Probably just trial and error. I have done a few online courses and tutorials, but mostly I just play around until I get an effect I like.
You have some amazing illustrations on your Instagram page. Were you professionally trained, or are you self-taught?
Thanks so much! I’m self-taught.
Do you plan on taking your illustrations further to turn this into a full-time career one day, or are you happy just doing this as a hobby?
That’s a hard question. To draw all day would be a dream, so yes, if I got the opportunity to draw for a job, I’d definitely take it. But luckily, I also enjoy my actual job, so for now, I will keep developing my skills and see where I end up.
If you had to choose a favourite illustration of yours, what would it be and why?
I think probably my moose and rabbit in the snow. I often look back at my works and focus on the elements I don’t like, but I’m really happy with how these animals turned out and their expressions.
What is one thing about you that would surprise our readers?
I’m not sure that I’m very surprising, but I’ve always really loved animals and science, and I used to want to be a zookeeper. I guess that’s why I enjoy drawing animals so much.
Lastly, if you could have your work published anywhere, where would it be?
Definitely in a children’s book. It would be such an amazing feeling to see my illustrations in an actual published book!
You can find more of Claire’s work on Instagram.