Live Illustrating
Starting out in Paris
In my final year living in Paris, studying French not art, and with the prospect of leaving uni looming, I realised I’d have to start putting my work out there if I ever wanted to make a career from it. First, this meant posting it on social media. Felt strange at first, but once I gained a bit of traction, it gave me the boost I needed to actually start working live.
So, a couple weeks later, I took the back of an old picture frame I’d found in the flat, stuck some cut-out letters on it, and set up a stool round the corner from my apartment. I propped up the sign and found a spot wide enough not to block the street, but busy enough to catch the eye of passers-by.
My first customers came within two minutes - they were a lovely couple who lived down the road, and speaking to them made me realise that this wouldn’t just be great practice for illustration, it would be great practice for my French too.
Collaborations
Doing the stall made me feel so much more integrated in the quartier, so I started going out whenever I’d get a break from uni. The owner of a local stretching studio, Flexlab, walked by on his lunch break and stopped to chat. He asked me to pop round the corner when I’d finished sketching, to do some pieces for their studio.
I packed up my stuff and called round. They were lovely, and there was a stretching workshop happening live, so I did some pieces for them and then one of the shopfront too.
Now, whenever I walk past, it’s so heartwarming to glance in and see the pieces still up on display.
Customers
I’ve had the chance to meet so many lovely people whilst doing my little stall. One day, Charlotte (@Goodmannersstyle on Instagram) passed by with her family on their holidays, and stopped for a portrait. She was kind enough to share my work on her page, which brought in enough new people for me to finally set up my own online shop.
Since then, I’ve been slowly building my portfolio and always keeping an eye out for the next opportunity to get my work out there.
Events
Some friends of mine were playing at a jam session at Marilou in the 9ème, so I took a few videos to illustrate from the following day. Marilou ended up sharing the reel I made, and I sold the original drawings to some of the band members, as well as to another artist all the way over in Australia.
A few months later, I did something similar for a gig by Getdown Services. For that series, I changed up my portrait style a little working with quicker strokes and bringing in my label maker to add fragments of text and break up the compositions.
View the illustrations here.
More content
Keeping with the faster paced illustrations, I went out sketching at the 2026 Paris Marathon. I wanted to capture the joy of the runners but the spectators too, and made some content which the official Marathon shared.
Over the following week, I received messages from runners who spotted themselves and their loved ones in the illustrations, and through my website I was able to deliver them around Paris to their new homes.
View the series here.
Next Event
Next Event
WOMAD Festival
23rd - 26th July
My little live-portraits illustration stall will be coming to WOMAD Fest this year! I’ll be moving around the fields all weekend capturing the funky outfits and lovely WOMAD atmosphere ☺️
Come say hi and leave with a keepsake of your time there!
Next Event
Next Event
Get in touch!
I’m always looking for new places, people, and projects to draw. If you have an event or brand idea you’d like illustrated, I’d love to hear from you!
Get in touch via email or drop me a message on my socials linked below :)
