Annie Davidson

Overview

Annie Davidson is a Melbourne-based illustrator whose naïve and quirky drawings - filled with meticulous patterns and fine touches of detail - are catching the eye of clients worldwide.

She finds inspiration in plenty of ways. Japanese woodblock prints by artists like Hiroshi Yoshida, old botanical sketches by Ernst Haeckel, and quirky and humorous kids books – all of them have influenced her style. She also likes underwater scenes, surf beaches, crazy plants, and going to exhibitions by esoteric artists.

Part of Annie never wants to grow up, so she and her friends have formed an ‘Adventure Club’. Members try out activities that will give them an adrenalin rush, and afterwards they eat pancakes. It’s fun, it’s silly, and as Annie found out when they went skateboarding, it can give you a split lip.

Annie's favourite holiday destination so far is Slovenia. The country’s blue lakes, caves in the hills and castles on the cliffs are all sparks for her imagination.

Training

Annie has a bachelor degree in Visual Communication from Monash University in Australia.

Approach

The creative process starts with a bit of inspiration and searching. Annie pins up photos and images found in books or online, and then starts sketching elements that might make it into her final piece. When she’s settled on an a composition, she draws over her sketches with a fineliner and adds texture and detail.

Colouring is important to her, and this is done in Photoshop using layers. She tweaks the colours to bring balance to her palette before the image is complete.

Styles

Her style is based around a naïve, hand-drawn look and feel. Mainly, Annie uses line work, adding heavy patterns, detail and flat, digital colours. Her subjects are usually quite whimsical, and her drawings offer viewers an escape into another world. Sometimes, a dash of watercolour comes into play.

Annie also makes paper dioramas for certain projects. This involves hand painting the key elements, cutting them out, then assembling them into a scene to be photographed.

Client List

• Target
• Medibank
• Jetstar
• Finders Keepers Market
• Mozi Australia
• Whybin TBWA Group
• Tiny Me
• BIOPAK