hello, Simone Smith!
Another day, another new signing! Simone Smith is the latest addition to the Illo Agency team.
Simone is a Caribbean-British artist based in London. She loves to mix elements of her Jamaican heritage with a fantastical world of magical details. Read our Q&A session with Simone to learn a bit more about the artist behind the artwork ...
Q: Hey Simone! As a graduate in Animation, who are some of your biggest inspirations?
A: I've always loved the work of Hayao Miyazaki, the creator of Studio Ghibli; particularly the way he incorporates his love of his culture and its mythology within his work. This is something I also like to do with my stories and illustrations; however, with my own culture as my source of inspiration.
I'm also a big fan of American McGee; the creator of the Alice games, (American McGee's Alice and Alice Madness Returns), and Matsuri Hino. I've always been attracted to stories with a dark undertone and bringing something new to old ideas.
Q: We can definitely see how they influence your work. Try and describe your style, in your own words ...
A: I would describe my art style as a mixture of Black culture, fantasy and all things nerdy! I love designing characters based on weird themes, a feeling or even just reimaging fairy tales and folklore!
Q: We think that sums you up pretty well! What do you get up to in your spare time, Simone?
A: Well, I love to play games. Recently, I've been really enjoying playing Nintendo games, since they're always so bright and colourful, which is probably why Splatoon and LOZ: Breath of the Wild are some of my all-time favourites. But, I also really like watching movies, anime and reading comics.
Q: Cool! Why did you want to sign with Illo Agency?
A: Illo's message of spreading diversity is something that I also strive for - and it's not something I've seen other agencies do! I love that Illo includes a multitude of different artists, of different ages, and races who all have something unique to bring to the table.
Q: And we are so happy to welcome you, too! And finally, what is your dream project?
A: Oh, that's a super hard question, but I guess one of my goals has always been to design characters for a game or show. I'd also like to make more stories and comics. I really like challenging projects that allow me to approach things from a different angle.
And that's a wrap! If you would like to work with Simone on your next creative project, then reach out to our team of illustration agents today.
at Illo Agency, we pride ourselves in representing a collation of global illustrators, distinctly diverse in creativity and uniquely celebrates by like-minded clients across a range of commercial markets.