In the studio: Abigail Burch
Abigail’s illustrations are fun and quirky. The London-based artist shares how she has found her voice as an illustrator, the advice she has for others to do the same, and the driving forces behind her unique style.
Hello, who are you?
Hi I’m Abbie, I’m an Illustrator originally from Surrey but now based in London.
You trained as a graphic designer but then found yourself heading down a different pathway. How did you get to where you are today?
It’s been a bit of a random route to end up here! I always loved illustration but felt a) not good enough and b) like design was a more reliable degree to take because it led to a proper job. So I ended up choosing a Graphic Design Course at NTU which also embraced and encouraged illustration, which was perfect for me because it meant I got to combine and develop both skills. However, it did also mean that I left with a portfolio of projects that were all illustrated, which made it really hard to get hired by a design agency because they’re looking to see you can produce a whole range of styles. At the time it was really frustrating because I’d taken the course to lead to a job, but through the internships I was doing I was realising I didn’t actually enjoy design in the real word anyway – I really did just want to illustrate everything. I was getting odd illustration jobs from my degree shows at that point but still needed a full-time job to support me so I worked as a Visual Merchandiser for a bit before finding a job which was after someone with both design and illustration skills and which introduced me to the niche world of live illustration. I didn’t realise it at the time, but this was a big turning point for me as it ultimately meant that down the line I could go freelance because I got reliable work from the live illustration, giving me the time around it to work on and develop my portfolio and then eventually start getting illustration work which is basically where I am today. I still do the live illustration now and am incredibly grateful for the freedom it gives me.
You’ve spoken about Impostor Syndrome before. Do you have any advice for other creatives on finding their confidence?
I’m not sure it’s something you actually ever get rid of – for me it’s been more a case of learning how to deal with it when it rears its head. It’s obviously especially tough in the early days, because you have no evidence to help shut it down. As you get work, or people buy your prints and you get feedback it’s helpful to look to that to counteract whatever your brain is telling you. Although I am also working on not relying on this validation but with the world of social media it’s hard!
I actually ended up taking an MA in illustration as I always felt like a fraud as I’d only done a design degree so I hoped it would make me feel more legitimate! Funnily enough, the MA title itself didn’t but the practice and development did.
But eventually I think you have to just decide to feel the doubt and do it anyway. I find it helpful to remember that lots of people you admire and look up to also feel this and try and take the pressure off by putting things into perspective – will this matter in five years? If it goes wrong, what’s the worst that can happen? Also, that anything creative is a journey, you don’t just begin and then ta-da! You’re successful. It takes time and practice and failing is part of that, but if you never start because you’re worried about not being good enough, then you’ll never improve.
What inspires your creative style?
Style-wise I am particularly inspired by mid-century design and illustration and designers such as Saul Steinberg, Saul Bass and Alan Fletcher – I’ve always loved wit and humour in design and illustration and it’s a big driving force behind my work. I think this started quite young as my dad used to have lots of Calvin and Hobbes and The Far Side comics so that was definitely an early influence.
In terms of the ideas behind what I draw, I get inspiration from so many places but particularly from people-watching, old photographs and books, things I read and also these days from things I see on social media such as tweets and memes – my MA project was inspired by the questions people answered on Hinge! So, anywhere really where there’s human thoughts and feelings. So many people point at my work and say “It’s me!” and I guess that's what I’m always aiming for – that relatability.
What does a normal day look like for you?
A normal day (pre-pandemic) would involve heading into my studio in Camberwell, but at the moment it’s from a tiny desk in the corner of my room! My days vary loads, which I really love, but increasingly I find I have less and less time to actually draw. There are so many other elements of being a freelancer that you don’t realise and can take over sometimes, you basically wear many hats so I split my time between doing admin, packing and posting orders for my shop, social media, research and outreach and I still do a lot of the live illustration so it’s fitted in around that.
Can you tell us more about your creative space?
My creative space is based in Camberwell and I share it with another illustrator which is lovely. It’s really nice to have that company and somebody to bounce ideas off who gets the world you’re in. It was a big goal of mine to be in a position to be able to afford and justify a studio, and I ended up getting one before I was probably technically ready because the opportunity came up and I kind of felt like, “Well, now I have to make it work!” Although sadly, because of the pandemic, I’ve not actually been able to be in there that much, but it’s so nice to have a space that I can get messy and experiment in and also just close the door on at the end of the day!
London, United Kingdom
