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Welcome!

Hi there! If you’ve ever asked yourself the following questions:

  1. How can I become an illustrator?
  2. How did other artists & illustrators become so good at what they do?
  3. How do I learn to be more creative, and to be able to generate more ideas for my work?
  4. How do I earn a living as a creative person in the modern era?

… you’re in the right place.

I want to open your eyes to new possibilities in furthering your creative career.

I believe that illustration (and art) involves more than just terms like editorials, advertising and work-for-hire. To become an illustrator in this day and age, it means more than ever that you’ll need to become adept at telling your own personal story.

But how do you do this? How can you run against the herd that’s telling you that it’s always been done this way – and that there’s no changing how things are?

You start small. Let an idea grow, little by little, and surround yourself with like-minded people.

Get occasional updates by subscribing to our newsletter – where you’ll get ideas and thoughtful strategies from other artists who are making a name for themselves, and musings from my own unique experience as well – direct to your inbox. Because I know how busy life can get, think of this as your personal reminder to slow down, sit back and to think of the bigger picture, instead of just focusing on checking off your packed to-do list.

I won’t be touching on techniques or small tactics to create the perfect paint texture. What I explore is ideas: how you can deliver them through your own story and how to communicate your ideas better.

All because I have a knack for breaking down patterns that I see in successful illustrators and artists – and the ability to be able to read stories from images. My belief is this: it doesn’t matter if an illustration is great on technique – if it lacks in substance, it loses out to the one that isn’t technically strong but has a great story. I’ll break things down for you into practical tips that you can start to incorporate into your work right now.

About Amy

I founded Pikaland in 2008 as a result of my curiosity around creativity, illustration and entrepreneurship.

I started this blog when I was curious about the world of illustration. Prior to that, I had no idea that a field like this existed. Sure, I loved drawing, but beyond that I had absolutely no idea how to begin. I was stumbling around, collecting links and images from others who inspired me; and I began to look deeper into the thought processes of each artist as I went over their portfolio and online shop.

So I took notes, and learned with fresh eyes. I taught myself how to identify patterns and styles – aesthetically and conceptually. I was just someone who wanted to know about illustration so much, and how I could break into the field. I decided that I didn’t need a degree to love illustration. I just went ahead and soaked up whatever information I could find on the subject. Business. Process. Creativity. Networking. Techniques. Storytelling. I soaked up everything.

Five years on, I’ve taken on several illustration commissions, and was also appointed a creative director for a regional agency – I had a client list that included Tesco and Marie Claire magazine. After the experience, I felt that I was a much happier person when I organize things instead of being the one who wielded the brush, so I concentrated taking on a managing and teaching role instead, which suited me to a tee.

I teach others the way that I hope to be taught – and so a lot of my lessons are based on personal experience. A lot of it is how I approach problem solving via creative thinking – a skill that I feel is lacking today, because we’re too focused on everything else. We need to re-focus on the important bits.

Pikaland is a place where I experiment with my ideas, and where I can share the things I’ve learned along the way.