With almost 200k followers on Instagram and awards including a Best Illustrated Picture Book from The New York Times, you would think Marc Martin was destined to become an illustrator. But his creative journey actually began elsewhere. Having originally studied graphic design at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, it was during his studies that he discovered a love for illustration. There was no turning back from there.
“My studies gave me a solid foundation in design theory which comes in handy for my illustration work,” said Martin in an interview with The Jacky Winter Group. Based in Melbourne, Australia, his illustrations have been commissioned by clients like Monocle, Wired, The Financial Review, and GQ, but he is mostly recognized for his illustration books.
With five books under his belt, Martin’s aesthetic appeals to both children and parents. “It’s really important to dedicate time to personal work because that personal work can often turn into client work,” notes Martin. “When I’m not doing client work, you can probably find me drawing in my sketchbook. I love trying to capture a scene or person with a few simple brushstrokes.”
The work itself is a combination of hand-drawn and digital artworks. “Most of my work starts with a quick sketch in Procreate,” relayed Martin. “Then I draw everything in watercolour, take those drawings into Photoshop and compose the final image using lots of layers. I draw as much as possible by hand, then scan it all in and compose the final image in Photoshop.”
Take a look at some of the finished products in the gallery below.
