SPOTLIGHT: MINNIE SMALL, ARTISIT

'Indifferent' by Minnie Small // Photo Courtesy of Minnie Small

My fascination with illustrations and the artists behind them shows no signs of stopping. My YouTube and Instagram feed now primarily feature new speed paintings, urban sketches, journal entries or art space tours and I would be lying if I said they do not leave me grinning from ear-to-ear as I do a quick search on Cass Art's site to see if there are any new finds I can add to my own art supply collection. One illustrator whose work I like is London-based artist, Minnie Small.

I first came across Minnie's YouTube channel back in January on my way to London to visit my cousin and was immediately drawn to her line work, use of colours and video editing style. I have happily watched most if not all her videos since then and enjoyed learning about gouache - her favourite colouring medium of choice - as I had never heard of it before. My foray into the art world was through the door named 'Watercolour' so seeing the versatility and vibrancy of gouache paints in Minnie's videos has made me want to break into that realm but seeing as I am yet to master the basics of watercolour painting I will continue to watch her videos vigilantly. 

'Roar' by Minnie Small // Photo Courtesy of  Minnie Small

Most of her illustrations, to me, are almost caricatures of her subjects and are done without painting them in a satirical light. The way she uses ink in her pieces gives them some sort of edge as it becomes more than just an outline but a prominent feature of the illustration. I am sure there is a snappier, art-y way of describing it but this is how I see it with my limited knowledge of art. Anyway, I am looking forward to the day I have such control over my brush pens.

Some of my favourite videos of her's have to be: 'Travel Journal . Nice + Monte Carlo', 'My Essential Art Supplies . Go-to Tools', 'Portrait Drawing Time-Lapse . FKA Twigs' and 'My Art Workspace Tour . 2015'. I just don't know what it is about watching an artist create, being let in on their own way of producing their work and seeing their workspace but it is one of my favourite pastimes at the moment. I am sure I have said this before but I cannot draw to save my life; however, as stationery is my thing, who better to get ideas for what to buy next than artists?

Minnie Small || Photo courtesy of Minnie Small 

One thing I do love about Minnie's work is how unique and vibrant they are; they are bold but not overpowering. And the fact that she illustrates and makes videos alongside her day job is quite inspiring. To see more of Minnie's work check out her website, YouTube channel and Instagram.