I had the exciting opportunity to be invited as a live fashion illustrator at the Swarovski store in the Trafford Centre, Manchester, in the lead-up to Mother’s Day. My role was to create unique, live event illustration portraits for customers, whether they were shopping for themselves or purchasing something special for their mothers. The in-store event had such a lovely atmosphere, and I could feel the buzz of excitement as people came in looking for the perfect gift.
Working on live event illustrations, I was tasked to complete each portrait in just 7-10 minutes. Working quickly, I used a mix of techniques in polychromos pencil and coloured crayon to capture the essence of the subject, whether they were sitting for me in person or showing me cherished images of their mums. Each portrait became a personal memento, adding a unique, artistic touch to their Mother’s Day gifts.
There’s something incredibly special about drawing live—it creates a sense of immediacy and energy that’s hard to replicate in a studio setting. I loved seeing the reactions from customers when they saw their finished portraits; many were touched and delighted by the personal and thoughtful gift.
Explore my live illustration portfolio.
