Chrissy Lau

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Animals

Black & White

Graphic

Line

Street Art & Mural

Vector

Red chaise lounge and decorative shelf with plants and figurines under staircase

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Living room with orange sofa, red lanterns, and a decorated table

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Two people shopping online with a smartphone and magnifying glass

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Ox stamps for Australia Christmas Island

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The Queen has given a nod to her designs

Lots of lines and flourishes that make a great whole.

Chrissy Lau is a Sydney based illustrator with over 11 years commercial experience. Her illustrations are predominantly hand drawn in ink & digitally coloured in Photoshop. Chrissy's style is distinct, with a strong attention to detail focusing on intricate patterns & lines.She takes inspiration from her Chinese heritage & nature.Fashion, portraits & children's illustrations are her expertise.She has designed a collection of coins for the Royal Australian Mint & apparel designs for Mambo.Samsung recently commissioned her to illustrate on their Galaxy Note II for their Australian wide billboard & YouTube campaign.Taking influence from her Chinese heritage she designed dragon flags for the City of Sydney to celebrate Chinese New Year.

Impressions

Interview

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Interview

What drew you to illustration/design? As cheesy as it sounds I've been drawing for as long as I can remember so illustration has always been a part of who I am. I'm naturally creative so I think it was impossible not to pursue illustration. Do you have any formal design training? I'm self taught in illustration and have a degree in Law from the University of Sheffield. Where are you originally from? I was born in a little seaside town called Cleethorpes, we then moved to Hull, East Yorkshire when I was 4 and I lived there until I went to uni in Sheffield. Where do you live now & what drew you there? I now live in Sydney, Australia and have done so for the past 6 years. I first came here to visit a friend and ended up meeting my husband and staying! Where is your studio and can you describe it for me? My studio is the front room of our new house. My studio has nice old wooden floors and crisp white walls. I have a large white desk, which is brilliant for laying out all my work. How do you get your ideas? If I'm reading a client brief normally the ideas will pop into my mind. For added inspiration I will use Google, Pinterest and also flick through my art books. Tell us about a favourite project you've recently completed. I've just completed a series of horse illustrations for Chinese New Year stamps for Guernsey Post. I really enjoyed this project because it's something I've always wanted to do and it's extra special because I get to research my Chinese heritage. The Queen also has to approve the designs so it's quite nice knowing she'll be looking at my work. What would be your dream job/commission? I'm always excited when I am commissioned to illustrate for a client. Designing a limited edition coin for the Royal Australian Mint was pretty amazing – it's something I never thought I'd achieve. I would love to illustrate for Vogue Magazine or the New York Times, or design for Topshop, Nike and H&M. If you were not an illustrator, what would you be? I was a search marketing manager writing Google ads but I plucked up the courage to leave and pursue illustration full time. So if I wasn't an illustrator I'd still be doing that. Growing up I wanted to be a Barrister or Judge. What's the best advice you've ever been given? Dreams don't work unless you do. Who would you like to have as your muse if you were painting their portrait? The Queen. What do you have bookmarked? All the usual things like Hotmail, Facebook, Pinterest, Illustration Ltd.

Favourites

Cafe: The Grounds of Alexandria because they have a pet pig there called Kevin Bacon Art Equipment/Tool: Faber Castel fountain pen, a standard pencil and eraser, a scanner then a little Photoshop Food: I love chips and pizza. I really miss English fish & chips with mushy peas. I'm also a big fan of Vietnamese food