Q&A with Anna Mullin

My name is Anna Mullin and I work under the artist name of Sneaky Raccoon. I specialise in graphic illustration with a focus on animals and nature. My other passion in the realms of graphic design is creating bespoke identity work for my clients.

Software / hardware

I use the Apple creative suite of course with a heavy lean on Illustrator to create my work in a digital format. My Wacom tablet is a must for me. It makes drawing and editing work so much easier and it's something that i've become so accustomed to using that I can't live without it. It's like an extension of myself! Before digital everything, the pencil was always a standard and useful tool, and to be honest as much as I love working digitally, nothing beats drawing with a pencil. It makes me remember what it felt like to be really young and drawing in the back of the car on long family holiday journeys.

Ideal work environment

The beautiful thing about being freelance is that my desk can be anywhere I want it to be. Sometimes there isn't even a need for a desk! I travelled a lot when I younger and so I became very good at adapting to my surroundings and environments, and I guess this still the case now as an adult. I spend a lot of time travelling about for both work and pleasure, so at this current moment in time I've given up my studio space and desk completely for a more mobile way of working. So long as I have my art box, a sketchbook and a power source I don't need anything else. I'm quite a private person so working in cafes doesn't do anything for me. I like to be at home or visiting family and playing with my cats. I like the quiet of nature in the countryside but I am really into music so I tend to flip between silence and listening to quite loud mixes and tracks while i'm working depending on my mood.

© Anna Mullin

Work inspiration

I think a lot — everything from the silly to the serious. I have trouble sleeping sometimes because I am thinking about ideas or concepts. Word play, colourful things, objects, places, products, animals, people. I try to fill my life with things that I like or love whether it's eating, shopping, collecting things or friends. Inspiration doesn't come from only one source which I am sure many other creatives will agree with. My personal love of nature and animals stems from a childhood in the green countryside of Germany but also due to National Geographic documentaries which I love to watch even now. Our world is full of so much beauty that it would be a challenge not to be inspired. I prefer being outside in the real world as apposed to surfing online all day.

Creatives you admire most

There are so many creatives out there making beautiful work that it's difficult to chose to name only a few, especially because nearly everyone I know is creative. I would say that I love the work of Sawdust in the field of typography and image making, Alex Trochut for his exquisite illustrative work, the nature based work of the excellent Charley Harper, Hey Studio for their work in graphic design and illustration, and of course the 'Droplet Father' that is Gavin Strange for his energy towards life and his body of creative work. I admire my friends who are musicians, DJs, comic book artists, illustrators, designers, actors, writers, poets, dancers, directors, painters, animal trainers, product designers, architects — the list of creativity just goes on. They enrich my life and challenge me so I have lots of love for all of them, including my family for having the strength to let me run the unconventional routes and for supporting my desire to make a career out of drawing.