Illustration by Aitch

Illustrator Aitch is inspired by the offline world. Citing “naive art, childhood memories, legends, and folklore” as fodder for her colorful and intricate work, her imagery recalls a world unsullied by digital technology. It’s refreshing and alluring, and her illustrations read like a puzzle that challenges us to unpack the meaning behind the different characteristics.

I spoke with Aitch about her work, including how commissioned pieces have helped her grow as an illustrator and the “little quirks” present in her paintings. You can buy her work as prints, pillows, and more on Society6.

Scroll down to read the interview!

Editorial illustration by Aitch

What is your artistic background? Did you attend art school?

Yeah, it started in 6th grade when I joined this local art club for kids. [I] remember having that feeling of being truly invested and passionate about something for the first time, the not-being-able-to-sleep-at-night kind of excitement ? It all went smoothly from there [and I] went on to study arts in high school and in college.

Folk-inspired illustration by Aitch

How do you generate ideas for your work, and how has your visual language changed over the years?

For the past 3 years, I’ve been working mostly on commissioned projects and reserving little to [no] time for personal stuff. I’m super drawn to this side if illustration because it’s taking me places I wouldn’t have wandered in otherwise, it’s diverse and challenging and fulfilling, so I guess that collaborating with people and getting a bit out of my head is a catalyst. It’s a mutual exchange of inspiration between the client and [me]. People reach out because they feel inspired by what I do and in return, I get inspired by their wishes and requirements.

Looking back, it seems like time’s slowing down when it comes to working, [and] I’m being able to sit still and digest each task for a longer time. [I am] more attentive and less self-absorbed, whereas five to ten years ago I went through countless trials fumbling in the dark trying to make sense of what type of a creative path spoke most to me. [I] tried painting, sewing, working with clay and wood till about five years ago when an incipient phase of what I’m doing nowadays revealed itself to me. [I] went from obsessively focusing on my twenty-something-year-old anxieties to a mix of all that drama plus an idealized version of where [I am] currently in life. People usually tend to pick up on some sort of weirdness or uneasiness when referring to my work, despite the overwhelming quantity of florals ? and I’m proud of this little quirk.

Book cover illustration by Aitch

How do you create your illustrations?

My process is super simple! I sketch and paint by hand, clean things up in Photoshop and bam!

Editorial illustration by Aitch

What is a skill that you still want to learn in your illustration career? 

Ummm, [it] doesn’t t count as a skill, more like a mindset I’d like to achieve: I wish I could learn how to edit objectively in a way that I’m comfortable putting more minimalist stuff out for a change.

What piece of advice, habit, or tool has helped you the most in your career?

It’s all a perfect concoction of all these things, they’re all equally life-giving so I can’t pick something in particular.

Editorial illustration by Aitch

Folk-inspired illustration by Aitch

Folk-inspired illustration by Aitch

Folk-inspired illustration by Aitch

Folk-inspired illustration by Aitch

Folk-inspired illustration by Aitch

Folk-inspired illustration by Aitch

Folk-inspired illustration by Aitch

The post Interview: Aitch Fuses “Uneasiness” With Florals in Alluring Folk-Inspired Illustration appeared first on Brown Paper Bag.

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