We’re pleased to announce that UK based illustrator Heather Allen has joined our ranks.
Heather trained as a children’s book illustrator at North East Wales
College of Art & Design, graduating in 2003.

Her first break was with Meadowside Children’s books, publishing ‘Little
Green Monsters’, for which she was shortlisted ‘Best New Illustrator’ at
the Early Years Awards 2005.

Wanting to have more than one string to her bow, Heather went on to train
as a graphic designer and her first job was working as a cover art
designer for Harper Collins in London.

A country girl at heart, Heather eventually moved to Dorset where she
designed educational textbooks for clients such as Macmillan and Cambridge
University Press.

Two years on, with a solid understanding of both the design and
illustration industry, Heather felt it was time to go it alone and focus
more on her illustrations (with the help of The Illustration Agency, of
course!)

‘Being both designer and illustrator has it’s advantages, as the two
skills compliment each other, and I find my illustrations are stronger
because of this.’

She works in a variety of styles, depending on the brief. Often, her finished
illustrations vary little from the concept sketches, which are mainly rendered in
watercolour.

If the brief requires a tighter style, then she may develop the sketch and add colour in Photoshop.

For more commercial briefs, Heather always starts off with a sketch and creates
final artworks in either Photoshop or Illustrator, depending on the clients preferences.

Heather has just gone back to her roots and moved back home to Cornwall,
where she now freelances full time. When not at her desk, Heather can be found
stomping on the beach, playing a game of badminton or partaking in her
favourite pastime of all – eating fishfinger sandwiches!

Her illustration style is loose when it needs to be, crisp when required and has such worldwide appeal, we know she’s going to be in demand. So Art Buyers take note – Book early!

Categories: The illustrators