MMU Talk - Laura Carlin

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Laura Carlin lives and works in London. She is a graduate from Buckinghamshire University and the Royal College of Art, where she received a Masters and won the Quentin Blake Award. 
 She was awarded the Uniqlo Fashion Illustration Award and a V&A Award and an honourable mention in the Bologna Ragazzi Award. 


 In November 2014 another Walker Books title illustrated by Laura ‘The Promise’ was selected by The New York Times as the best illustrated title of 2014. 

  

An established illustrator, who's family thought that her career will mean painting photo realistic paintings of cats.



During her university years, she was faced with the task of getting out of sketchbooks with her drawings, however she felt too close with them.


One of the examples of her closeness to sketchbooks was a project with the Japanese Embassy. Carlin has approached several embassies with an idea, that she will document her 10 day travel in a city of a foreign country (paid by the embassy) in order to promote the country. Japanese Embassy was the only one that agreed to the idea and so she spent 10 days in Tokyo.

 

Within the images, Carlin presents limited colour palette (black, grey, white, off red) and a link to minimalism, where she takes out of the image everything that is not important.

Though she enjoys working on children's books (she is in the process of writing and illustration her own), her illustration 'style' is often seen as too dark and miserable.
Ten years ago, when she faced a breakdown in her illustrative career, she turned to ceramics. By working on several pieces, her thinking becomes looser and she is able to motivate and inspire herself in both fields.
Currently, her tile mural of The History of London is prepared for a tour through England.

Some tips from Q&A with Laura Carlin:
  • People expect a lot of money from commissions. Be careful to clarify your aims and remember about targeting your audience.
  • Write scenarios down and sketch out simple lines to set the scene – will save you time.
  • Don't rely on just one source of reference material.
  • Storytelling and ceramics go in hand – there is much less limitation to ceramics.


You can visit her website at this address - http://www.lauracarlin.com
 

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