Beth Walrond

We catch up with previous AOI Publications Intern and recent Falmouth Illustration graduate Beth Walrond, now successfully working for editorial giants such as The New York Times and The Guardian.

Who and/or what keeps you inspired?

I look at a lot of photography and take a lot of photos as inspiration. It really helps me to think about composition and capturing a moment, which I can then use to translate my ideas in my illustrations. I also get a lot of inspiration from walking around, observing characters and situations.

You have resided in Berlin for over a year now. How has this move impacted on your career and development so far?

Berlin has completely shaped my first year of freelance illustrating. It is such a freelance friendly place, it seems like everyone is starting their own business or working in the creative industry in some way. Moving to a new city has been great for moments when I have been short on work – there is always something to do to stay motivated and excited, and learning a new place and language is often a very welcome break from what can sometimes be a lonely job. I have also been lucky enough to meet some of my Berlin based clients, which is always great.

Can you tell a bit more about your thought process? What steps do you take when doing a commission?

I always read any text straight away and pull out the main idea that i think needs to be communicated. Then I take myself away from my desk and think about it without anything to distract me, or the daunting sight of a blank sketchbook. As soon as the ideas start coming to me I will begin to draw them down. I go through a lot of bad and good ideas, in the form of unrecognisable sketches and thumbnails before deciding on the ones that work the best. Its a really fun process from start to finish.

Is you could give a piece of advice to yourself a year ago, what would it be?

To be patient and go for a walk- you never know when the next commission is going to come in, but if you work hard it inevitably will.

What is next for you?

I have just returned from travelling around Thailand, so I am really excited to get stuck back into work. I’m feeling very inspired and have a lot of new personal projects in the pipeline. Apart from hoping to extend my editorial portfolio I would like to push my work towards more advertising and publishing projects.

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