Laurell Pettitt

Laurel Pettitt is an illustrator based in Norwich, U.K.

Her images are playful and warm, with a sense of familiarity. She makes riso and screen prints as well as comics to capture moments that resonate with others.

Tell us about yourself!

My three great loves, since I was a kid, have been reading, doodling and writing stories. My head was always in a book or scrawling away on a bit of paper, making up characters and imagining adventures for them. I grew up in the Suffolk countryside so I spent most of my childhood doing that. I studied Art A-Level and promptly quit, because I wasn’t into fine art painting and life drawing. I liked Snoopy and Tintin and I wanted to draw funny things and my characters. I also loved capturing the world and connecting with others. So I returned to studying art at West Suffolk College which led to my interest in screen printing and the world of children’s picture books.

I went on to the illustration course at NUA, where I honed in on my drawing skills, realised that what I most enjoyed drawing was people, expanded my idea of what illustration was and developed my skills in printmaking. Since graduating in 2015, I’ve taken part in group exhibitions, self-published an illustrated travelogue and tabled at lots of print and comics fairs selling my riso prints, screen prints and zines.

I’m currently working on developing my portfolio to include new short comics and illustrations, along with focussing on my writing.

Describe your style in 3 words.

Simple, warm and thoughtful.

Where do you work?

I work in my studio room in my two-floor flat which I share with my lovely partner, Ben. I love the bright yellow of the walls, the wooden floorboards and the openness of the space. It’s the first time that I’ve had a room which I can dedicate entirely to my work, and I feel very lucky and grateful to have it.

What do you get up to when you aren’t illustrating or designing?

When I’m not working I’m exploring the Norfolk countryside, reading fiction books, poetry, graphic novels and comicstrips, and support local political/community matters.

Most frequently played tune in the studio?

I love listening to music when I’m working! Lately, it's been a lot of Katy Kirby and Bedouine.

Find out more

@laurelpettitt_

www.laurelpettitt.com