My name is Laura; I'm a Colombian illustrator currently living in Madrid.
How long have you been drawing or illustrating?
Professionally, since 2014, after completing an MA in illustration at the University of the Arts London, but I have been drawing since I was a little girl.
When did you feel like you discovered your style? How did it happen?
I think your style is something you find along the way; you don't wake up one day thinking: oh, I think I can draw like this, and from now on, this is going to be my style. As humans, we are always evolving, I don't think we have only one way to create, and it's the same with illustration. In my case, my style has evolved from day one, but I think I always knew that colorful, quirky, and cheerful images were my jam.
Use 1 word to describe your style
Cheerful
Who or what inspires you to illustrate? Music? Books?
Nature is my main source of inspiration; animals and plants are always in my mind. Music is also vital during my creative process. I use Pinterest all the time to see images to get inspired.
Describe your creative process in several steps
1. Research about the topic I'm illustrating, find interesting images about it.
2. Find the right color palette. I normally have 2-3 options; I try them out, and then I decide which one is the better one for the project.
3. Make quick sketches.
4. Decide which type of digital brushes I will use.
5. Use my favorite sketch to start drawing on top of it.
6. Normally, I try not to see the illustration for 1-2 days. After that, I look at it again, and normally I make changes if the image does not satisfy me.
Which tools do you use to illustrate? Which one do you use the most?
I bought an iPad Pro almost 3 years ago, and I think I use Procreate 95% of the time, it's super useful, and I work pretty fast on it. I complement the digital work with both photoshop and illustrator. If I'm doing a surface design, I normally illustrate on my iPad - then I convert the shapes into vectors and work on them using.
What advice would you give to your younger self?
To never stop creating. Imagination is like a muscle; you have to work it to find good ideas. Also, try not to be so hard on myself and not compare my work to others. I still do that, but it's worse when you're starting a career in illustration.
How do you see yourself in the future?
I want to keep working as a freelancer. I love the freedom this job gives me; that's priceless. I see myself working for cool and big brands, selling my work online, and dictating tutorials.
How can others find your work or connect with you?
My website is www.lauraennube.com, and my IG account is @lauraennube. You can also find me on Facebook and Behance as LauraenNube.