Q&A with Katherine Tromans

I'm Katherine Tromans and I'm a Birmingham-based Illustrator and Creative Designer. I currently divide my time between working at MADISONSOHO on a variety of design and illustration projects, and my own freelance work and commissions.

What inspired you to become an illustrator?

For as long as I can remember I always wanted to be an illustrator. I really got a kick out of drawing, I'd sometimes spend hours and hours as a teen drawing and painting as I really wanted to get better at it. When I was 16 I won the Graphics prize at school and I was handed an annual called Romantik by Gestalten. Receiving this book I think was where it all started, it opened my eyes to all the diverse projects illustrators could work on.

What tools do you use to organize your work?

I use a notebook/sketchpad and I'm always writing lists, it really helps me think! I never feel completely organised unless I make notes about it.

What is your ideal work environment?

I'll want a space with good light, good music, and good company, or alternatively if its a painting I'm working on I'll want some good music and time on my own so I can get immersed in it. My drawings and paintings are particularly large so the more the space the better!

Where does your design inspiration come from?

I like the following blogs: www.thisiscolossal.com, ffffound.com, www.thejealouscurator.com, Juxtapoz and old sci-fi books (they have such a great use of colour) I also really enjoy visiting art galleries and museums, stumbling upon new artists, exhibits and knowledge that I would have never found while searching websites. I also like to see where my mind takes me, as a lot of my work is formed on the imaginary and it's interesting to see how this plays a part in what I create.

Who are the creative people you admire most?

Yayoi Kusama, Gregory Euclide and Roger Dean are some of my favourite artists, they create some really detailed, otherworldly and abstract work which I think is really inspiring.