Here at Brat
and Suzie, we absolutely love finding new illustrators to bring to life some of
the ideas that we have for our ever-expanding selection of animal inspired
garments. When Charlotte was introduced to Ria Edmenson last New Year’s Eve
through a mutual friend, they discovered a shared love of animal illustration.
Adorable dog pictures were discussed, sketches were made, and now Ria’s work
forms part of the current Brat and Suzie collection. We spoke to our latest
recruit to find out more.
Having
graduated this year with a degree in illustration from the College of Art in
Edinburgh, Ria’s love for creating animal based artwork is already proving a
success. Despite one of her dreams being gaining a career in television,
telling us: “I would love to work in film or TV – my dream job would be a TV
presenter,” it seems that the world of illustration is a perfect match.
One of her designs for Brat and Suzie is already currently available to buy
online at Asos - just look out for the adorable grumpy pup sitting in a swing
and donning a blue polka dot party hat. Make sure that you also keep an
eye out for another of her creations in our soon-to-be available Autumn/Winter
collection; a design featuring a French bulldog with a cupcake on his head and
an “It’s my party!” caption was made possible by the artistic talents of this
creative graduate.
Delightful
dogs such as those already mentioned occupy plenty of Ria’s work. “My
favourite things to draw are definitely dogs. I love everything about them –
they have always fascinated me and have such in depth characters. They love you
regardless, and are such beautiful creatures. They are so much fun to draw,”
she says. Her favourite breed is the bold Bassett Hound, and though she
already owns two Beagles named Barney and Rosie, she has her hopes set on
adding another puppy to her collection of furry friends.
It was Ria’s
two Beagles that formed the name of her budding illustration company “Barney
and Rosie’s” (www.barneyandrosies.co.uk). Selling the likes of t-shirts,
greetings cards, postcards, cushion covers, and limited artwork prints, fans of
Brat and Suzie should most definitely take a look at her solo work.
Despite running a busy company of her own, Ria was excited to work with us,
explaining that: “I love that Brat and Suzie use animals on all of their
clothing and it can be styled with literally anything! Plus the girls are very
good to work with.” To produce the images featured within the Brat and
Suzie range, the illustrator used fine liner and watercolour (when needed) to
create the designs, before simply scanning the artwork in, and editing them on
Photoshop. She makes it sound easy!
When asked
about her personal sense of style, Ria describes her fashion choices as being
“a little bit vintage, a little bit Edinburgh… it ranges from Doc Marten’s with
long dresses and woolly jumpers to cropped high waisted jeans, Converse and
little crop tops - depending on the weather and my mood!” Whereas she details
her signature methods of illustration as being “very linear; colour is used
sparingly because the image is so detailed. I like to use different patterns
and swirls and lines to create the different tones and textures of the dog (or
animal) to match the character of her/him.”
Referencing
Vic Lee and Jon Tremaine as inspiration, alongside film favourite Tim Burton,
Ria tends to create her artwork whilst listening to a mixture of film scores,
XFM podcasts, 80s power ballads, and a dash of Laura Marling or Dave Matthews
Band. “These are the things that help me create my pups,” she
explains. A couple of pups in particular that the illustrator has
produced are firm favourites – she tells me “My favourite work would have to be
my latest Christmas collection. I have drawn a Pug with a little bow on its
head, as well as a happy smiling black Labrador kitted out in a Santa hat and
coat… I absolutely love Christmas.
With her
favourite season just around the corner and her contribution to the new Brat
and Suzie collection soon to be released, now is a very exciting time for Ria
Edmenson. Make sure you follow her various social media pages to keep
updated on her latest work, as more delightful dogs and incredible
illustrations are on their way.
Facebook: facebook.com/BarneyandRosies
Twitter: @BarneyandRosies
Tumblr: barneyandrosies.tumblr.com
Instagram: @madteapartay
Website: www.barneyandrosies.co.uk
Written by Sophie Seymour.
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