HOLLY SHARPE
‘‘I try to get energy and movement - I like to think there’s a balance between it being quite soft and delicate but also quite dramatic and maybe a bit intense.’’
Holly Sharpe - Illustrator and Live Event Artist
Growing up in Edinburgh, Illustrator Holly Sharpe’s relationship with art began long before she began working professionally. Derived from drawing, fashion and image-making from a young age, creativity was not something separate from daily life, but something she continuously returned to. That early instinct for visual storytelling continues to shape her work today, from layered fashion illustration to live event drawing for global brands.
Words by Caoimhe Clements
Holly’s path into illustration began with a broad exploration of art and design. After completing a foundation year. “I always thought I wanted to do drawing and painting at art school,” she says. “But I ended up studying textile design.’’ Following university, she worked as a textile designer while developing her own illustration practice in her spare time. “I kind of found myself doing my own artwork and illustration in the evenings and anytime I could,” she explains. “That’s when I started to build up a name for myself and get my own work out there.”
Looking back on the shift towards a full-time creative career, Holly says it was a gradual process rather than a single decision. “I guess I always hoped that that’s what I could do,” she says. “I was pretty focused and determined to go where my work takes me.”
Her work is defined by movement, texture and contrast. “I like to think it’s quite eye-catching,” she says. “Maybe a bit dramatic. I like there to be a balance between something soft and delicate, but also quite strong and intense.”
Much of her process still begins on paper before moving into digital composition. “Even if I’m working digitally, my work nearly always starts on paper,” she explains. “All those bits of paper come in to be different layers digitally.”
Alongside her commercial illustration work, she has developed a significant practice as a live event artist, working with luxury brands and fashion houses to create illustrations in real time. Both MAC and Gucci were live events,” she explains. For MAC, she worked in-store during a two-day launch, drawing customers as part of an immersive brand experience. “The focus was all about lips and that was the kind of angle of the illustrations.” She was in the store for two days drawing customers.
Her work with Gucci took a slightly different approach, focusing on building relationships within a curated brand environment. “They worked really hard to build space for their clients, their customers,” she explains. “It was more about building relationships as part of that whole experience for them.” Working digitally on her iPad, she created fashion illustrations in real time as guests engaged with the brand.
Looking back on her wider creative journey, Holly reflects on the importance of stepping away from pressure and comparison. For emerging creatives, she believes protecting creative space is essential. ‘‘I think it's so important to try and distance yourself from social media and have time to just focus on your creativity.’’ She adds that perfectionism can be a barrier rather than a strength in creative work.
Holly continues to evolve, her journey reflects the value of trusting creative instinct and allowing ideas to develop naturally over time.
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