Illustration

Visual Storytelling

I specialise in turning complex information or wordy documents into easily understood images – I help you tell and share your story with fun, eye-catching images that people will love.

My freehand drawings provide high resolution digital images to help you communicate more effectively in print and online.

There is no doubt a picture tells a thousand words and whatever your business I will work with you to create a unique eye-catching image that fits your brand and culture.

Over the last few years I’ve noticed my work falling into three main categories that I’ve come to specialise in – Explainer Pictures, Purpose, Vision and Values and Learning Resources. Here are some examples, and there are more if you click through into the Gallery.

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Explainer Pictures

Explainer pictures tell a story in a drawing – a one page visual to explain an organisation, concept, project, activity or idea.

I’ve drawn explainer pictures to summarise research projects, to reduce the stigma of obesity, to explain the concept of Baby Watching, to share ideas around creating a greener city, the importance of a performance framework and many more.

Working with me to create the illustration also helps my clients – I’m often given feedback that the process has helped them clarify their thinking, articulate their ideas or explain their project more clearly.

My clients use the images to share their projects with their employees and with a wider audience, in reports, on their website, in social media campaigns, as posters and on screens in their offices, they’ve been printed on postcards, mugs, and mouse mats.

A Portrait of Winchester Illustration by Imagistic

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Purpose, Vision and Values

I love getting to know a business, school or individual and drawing them a unique digital illustration to tell their story and share their purpose, vision and values with staff, customers and stakeholders

They capture dreams and plans on one page so everyone can see the big picture.

If you are thinking about commissioning a vision or story picture for yourself, your school or your business you might like to download a Vision Picture Briefing which will help you start the thinking process. You are welcome to send me a briefing form together with any additional information.

From there I will spend some time with you to talk it through, offer you one or two draft pencil sketches for comment and approval, and then draw up the digital version for further comment and approval.

I can come and visit you or meet you online. We can chat or I can facilitate a short session with your team to gather information and ideas.

And if you are starting from scratch with your Purpose Vision and Values I work with an amazing facilitator and together we can deliver a one day workshop for your team.

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Organisation

All organisations have a purpose, whether a business, charity or not for profit and increasingly customers and stakeholders want to know what it is and why and how they are operating.

A bespoke illustration can help bring that vision to life, get buy-in from staff and stakeholders and share it with a wider audience.

The London Institute of Banking and Finance (LIBF) asked me to visualise their People Strategy. They wanted it to have a corporate look and feel whilst being fresh and eye-catching. I gave them each of the values as separate images to use elsewhere.

London Institues of Banking & Finance - People Strategy

Education

School PPV illustrations provide parents and the community a visual overview of the ethos of the school and the values it upholds. They are always great fun to draw and I get to use every colour in the rainbow!

I’ve worked with several schools now and especially love this one for Whitley Abbey Primary School. They have a tree for their school logo so we based the drawing on that and I also drew an animal character for each of their values, I love Roo Resilience with his superhero mask and boxing gloves!

I also provided each of the animals as a stand-alone image to use around the school and on their website and materials.

Vision and Values for Whitley Abbey Primary School

Individuals

When I work with individuals on their vision pictures they often find the process really helps them to get clear on what they want for the future.

I’ve drawn these for people applying for jobs, people setting out their five year plan and people who just want a visual representation of where they are now, what’s important to them in their life and their skills.

This one for Kate Brassington is a great example – it summarises Kate’s skills and qualifications, includes her personal values, the importance of her family also shows her fun side as a coach and mentor.

Learning Resources

Learning resources get people thinking and help embed learning.

These include presentation materials, workbooks and worksheets, illustrated quotes and lesson summaries.

Dr Karen Treisman MBE – Safe Hands Thinking Minds

I’ve worked extensively with Dr Karen Treisman MBE of Safe Hands Thinking Minds on a vast range of learning materials. Karen is a highly specialist clinical psychologist, trauma specialist, and all round lovely person. She uses the materials in her training programmes and there are many of my illustrations in her book Trauma Informed Organisations

Here’s one of my favourite pieces, created during the 1st Covid lockdown in 2020. I’ve seen some lovely examples of this being used by schools around the country, the tokens are cut out and stuck to stones, or hung in the branches of stick trees so the children can take the token that resonates with them. Karen makes this freely available via her website.

Take What You Need Tokens, Dr Karen Treisman, illustrated by Emma Paxton

Barnardos Education

Staying with the topic of trauma informed resources I’m proud to be working with Barnardo’s Education Community. We’ve created a range of resources with a focus on loss, grief and bereavement to support children and young people.

This example is from a series of materials created for Grief Awareness Week which were shared via social media. Each resource comes with notes for teachers or youth workers to guide them in its use.

The materials are all freely available via their website.

My Grief Care Kit for Barnardos Education Community

Missing Coda

An on a slightly different note (ha ha) I’ve loved working with music teachers Benjamin Howell and Matthew Preston who teach, sing and play together as The Missing Coda.

With lots of guidance on musical notes and nuance we’ve created a raft of musical materials including posters, banner stands and a printed booklet. They are a super creative team and they’ve also used the images on their website which is looking magnifico!

Other Illustration

Images for websites, social media, workshop materials and print.

I’ve been asked to draw all sorts of things including illustrated maps, book illustrations, book summaries and website icons.

Whatever your message I can create an eye-catching visual to accompany your copy, represent your brand or illustrate your book.

Examples of recent work include:

Website branding
Planners
Business book illustration
Postcards
Posters

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Illustrated Map for Gosport Summer Passport Scheme

Working With Me

Please get in touch if you’d like a bespoke illustration for yourself for your organisation – I’m always happy to chat over ideas.

I follow your brand guidelines or colour choices and provide a high resolution image that can be printed from postcard to A0 size plus lower resolution versions for use online. I can also give you various elements of the illustration as separate images you can use elsewhere.

All images are created just for you – if you would like to commission an illustration here are a few things to think about: