This is Sian Ellis

The portfolio of Illustrator Sian Ellis

Author: sian

Halloween Hauls 2020 So Far

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It will surprise approximately none of you that I am in Halloween shopping mode already. I dig spooky all year round! August is about the time that I am ready for Autumn. Generally I am sick of being too warm, I miss wearing jumpers. I want to drink gingerbread lattes. Usually I am looking for an excuse to stay inside on an evening and watch telly but I think I’ve had enough of that in 2020! Finding the first Code Orange is the sign of the season to come. 

Happily, it is becoming the second sign. The first quickly becoming lots of enquiries for Halloween collabs. I can’t wait to share them with you over the coming weeks too 🙂 But this thread is for shopping. I am going to share with you some of my spooky finds so far. Both in the British Halloween shoppers haven of homesense and small business too!

October 31st

First a shout out goes to www.october31st.co.uk who are my number one go to for spooky treats throughout the year. Their brand new vintage themed collection was surely the first pumpkin of the year and I bought it in July! A brand new trick or treat sign and an awesome two sided mug to match. I had to wait for a restock to get my hands on the vintage spooky coasters! I also grabbed a ‘To Boo List’ notepad that I loved so much I have already had to buy a second. Plus this time I got the ‘Spooky Notes’ one to match.

My favourite October 31st adoption has to be my adorable little tinsel ghost! He is by Bethany Lowe designs and his little bat stick and tiny vintage cat bucket melt my heart! My studio’s ghost shelf is well and truly stuffed full now. It doesn’t mean I will stop buying ghosts of course, just that the second shelf needs clearing now too!

My next shout out is for Stella Box Designs. I have placed her A5 ‘Stay Spooky’ print in front of my work desk. It’s there all year one to remind me to keep spooky no matter what time of year. The pinky/white background and orange pumpkin pop perfectly on my petrol blue wall. I even got a free vinyl sticker too!

TK Maxximum Excitement

I heard the phrase ‘TK Maxx Cult’ today with regards to their halloween merch. Boy are they not wrong! The UK halloween loving community spend July with eagle eyes, popping in every chance they get. Now that my studio is a mere five minutes walk from one of these stores I am in the danger zone daily. It’s a shame that there aren’t more shops like it in the UK. There are other shops with halloween merch but not so long lasting. The quality is better. They are made with the idea that someone might want to keep them out for more than just one night. I have added a great many items to this years shopping list. Discovered by trawling facebooks groups and photos of people’s find there. 

Gnomes seem to be a new theme with them this year. I picked up a couple even though they aren’t completely on brand for me. They are adorable though! There’s no harm in finding a friend for last year’s man eating plant Audrey 2 knock off find. My favourite is a little gnome on a pumpkin who lives in the studio with my monstera plant. His name is Frankenstein’s Monstera which I thought you guys might like! 

I’ve snagged a few salt and pepper shakers too. All ghost themed but my favourite is a little ghost dog with a pumpkin bucket. How could I not? I grabbed a black cat patterned hot drinks flask as well. The pattern is brilliant, it’s a really expressive and slightly demented looking cat pattern but the vintage quirky style had me sold. Dot has done well too since whenever I pop in I seem to come out with a new toy for her aswell!

There are a few more items I have my eye on and I am awaiting a parcel from a lovely lady who picked up a matching ghost couple for me. I am committed to making discerning purchases from here on out. The last thing I want is to fill the studio too quickly. Adding things I am not totally in love with. Struggling to find room for more. The goal is to have a spooky garden display on my window sill. That’s the main thing I am looking for. Think Audrey 2, plants and ceramics. I am making some ceramics for myself for the occasion too. The goal is that it is reminiscent of my Spectral flower shop print. I am sure that a few more halloween shopping trips will have it all well under way soon!

My First Podcast Interview

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You can now listen to my first ever podcast interview! I recorded this with the lovely Kristen from Halloween Art and Travel. Kristen found my work on instagram and we then chatted over etsy. When Kristen asked me if I would like to be a guest I was very humbled and also nervous! It’s only recently that I have started live streaming. Recently that I have started recording anything I have said other than through the written word. I definitely want to improve on this and get better. I want to be able to create more engaging content in a range of mediums. So my first podcast was a great way to go. 

Halloween Art and Travel

What an excellent mix, right? Who doesn’t love both these things? Kristen is a lover and collector of Halloween artwork herself. In her podcast she interviews a range of talented halloween artists. It was lovely to be included as one of them. I even had the honour of being the first artists outside of the US to feature on the podcast.

Recording

Kristen did an excellent job of calming my nerves and came up with some really great questions. Ultimately it was just a really nice chat about halloween it’s someone who loves it like I do. Which is a great thing to get the chance to do. Especially as the Halloween art scene is still so small here in the UK.

It was a great opportunity to practice talking about my work in general too. If I am going to embrace the internet as a place of recording and live streaming then I have to get good at this. I can be guilty of just working on instinct. I create things because I enjoy the process and I make things because I am compelled to. Often that means that I am not always putting my experiences into words. Practicing how to talk about my process and my inspiration is an important skill. It just doesn’t necessarily come naturally to me when I am working. The more I get chance to practice these things I hope that the better at this I become. So stay tuned for more streaming opps from me, whether on instagram live or my new shiny YouTube channel. Maybe there will even be more podcasts soon too. 

If you would like to give the podcast a listen I talk about about my background, halloween in the UK, my favourite spooky podcasts and all things that inspire me as a spooky artist. Just follow the link at https://halloweenartandtravel.libsyn.com and be sure to subscribe for fabulous fortnightly halloween artist interviews 

August Only Patreon Sign Up Gift Bundle

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Last month I launched my Patreon account into the world. If you are not familiar with the platform it is a place where artists can create exclusive behind the scene content and create and share rewards for groups of supporters. To access this the supporters pledge a donation each month. This is an excellent platform that allows artists to gain real tangiable support and create a small community online. Fans of the artists can gain a deeper insight into the work and world of that artist. They can also gain access to discount codes for their stores and other supporter rewards. Pledges can start from a quid or two a month giving instant access to a treasure trove of artist’s posts.

Big shout out to Lucy and Freyja!

I currently have two wonderful patrons who support me on my journey and I am so grateful for their support! At a crazy time like this and as I have just become a full time artist it is even more appreciated and humbling. So I want to give a big shout out of thanks to these wonderful two!

Growing

I am hoping to be able to grow my Patreon page and welcome more patrons into the mix. To encourage more sign ups I have a special welcome pack on offer. Anyone who pledges to my page in August will receive it. This is irregardless of which pledge tier you choose and it is a limited time special offer for those taking the leap to join my page first. I will be creating an exclusive digital bundle just for you guys and you will all receive it! The bundle includes three products. The first is a wallpaper for your phone or tablet. The second is a colour in page to print and complete at home. The last will be a digital print for you to print and hang at home. 

I hope that these rewards are the sort of treats that my patrons would like to recieve. Throughout the year I plan to periodically include freebie gifts outside of people’s tier rewards. 

I really appreciate that you want to support me. If there is specific content that you want to see please don’t be afraid to message me and let me know! Especially as I am trying to build my account. I want to create interesting posts that are entertaining, insightful or educational depending on what you guys would like to see. Just drop me a message and give me your ideas and your feedback.

Remember, this free bundle is only available to those who join my Patreon in August (and existing patrons). So have a look at my tiers on offer if you’d like to receive the exclusive goodies bundle. 

Etsy Made Local (EML) Virtual Market Sheffield 2020

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This weekend I am taking part in my first ever EML market. Not only is it my first EML but it is also Sheffield’s first ever EML online. 

Now you might be thinking you have been to online markets before, but trust me when I say that this one is special. There are virtual booths for you to visit during the event for one thing. Hosted on the site Hopin you just link easily to your facebook account and you can enter and browse. This platform provides a new and exciting way to shop. The chance to browse all the makers and the dive in to watch their product videos and live sessions means it’s the closest thing to being at an actual market since all events ceased four months ago.

It’s alive! (Live market that is) 

The live element means you get the chance to connect with sellers in a more meaningful way. There is even a chat function where you can ask sellers questions directly and get an immediate response. Each seller has a different time slot that they will man their booths and stream live video content from their homes and studios. Over the two day market in the times that the sellers pop away from their stall you will still be able to browse their online shops and watch their pre recorded product videos. The chance to get to know the makers and faces behind the brand makes it a unique shopping experience. There will also be discounts available from sellers for the weekend online, visible in their individual booths.

Testing, Testing

The market is part of a trial by the folk at Etsy to create high quality online markets for 2020. With worldwide lockdowns and bannings of mass events the need to shift how we run markets is urgent. Sheffield was lucky enough to have been picked to be part of the trial with just a handful of other cities. For many makers (like myself) it will be our first live streaming experience too. It’s all a valuable part of adapting your business to the new normal. Hopefully we can all use our new skills more regularly in our promotions too. I certainly intend to experiment more with my Youtube channel now it is set up.

I will be live streaming on Hopin at 1pm on Saturday. I’ll be in my studio with a stall set up and running through some of the items I have available.  From 2pm I’ll pop back up on Instagram live this time and give you a tour of my spooky new working space. 

Browse now, win big and shop later!

The link to the event and a very exciting competition can be found at https://facebook.com/events/s/etsy-made-local-online-sheffie/3023678494383857/

The competition offers the chance for one lucky so and so to win £40 to spend at the shop of their choice. At my online store that’s enough to grab you a nice little bundle of goodies! Just visit the facebook post to find out how to enter before Friday August 7th.

You’ll also find the lookbook which spotlights every maker taking part. It’s a great way to discover new artists and do a little bit of window shopping before the big day. Heck you might even learn something new about me in the bio section!

Supporting small businesses now is even huger than ever in the current climate. Plus who doesn’t like shopping from home with a brew and your pyjamas? Join the facebook event and remember to pop by online this weekend to grab some wonderful goodies form a range of local artists and makers.

New Stockist Announcement: The Steel Cauldron

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I’ve got a brand new stockist and it’s a pretty magical one at that. This stockist isn’t just new to me, it’s a shiny new business right here in Sheffield. The Steel Cauldron is a brand new cafe in Broomhill inspired by the world of witchcraft and wizardry.

An Advanced Preview 

I have been lucky enough to get a tour ahead of their opening. One thing I can safely say it is very worth getting excited about! The doors open on July 31st. Within a day of announcing they were taking bookings they had 1000 people booked on to their Wizards Afternoon tea. Chocolate frog or a Yorkshire cauldron anyone?

The cafe takes inspiration from the wizarding world. It features an enchanting array of magical objects in every direction that you can look. The quality and love that has gone into building the place is apparent and it is obviously going to be a huge hit!

With the world the way it is right now Nikki and Rob and the team have done an incredible job. The ideas they have for the future of the Steel Cauldron are exciting too and I can’t wait to book in for a visit!

Stop in for a Coffee or Perhaps Even Stay the Night

Nestled in the attic is an incredible space which the team plan to rent out as Air Bnb accommodation. Modelled on a magical shopping alley each room becomes its own wonky wizarding shop. Is it weird to stay in an air bnb in the city you live in? I guess we’ll find out!

Sheffield is perfectly located between the Warner Brothers Harry Potetr Studio Tour, the magical Shambles in York and filming locations in Northumberland and Scotland. Any Potter fans on a tour of the UK would be bonkers not to check into this charmed apartment on their travels.

International Appeal, Local Love

You’ll find lots of Sheffield artisan goodness at The Steel Cauldron. Right down to the coffee you’ll drink. In the gift shop section local makers like myself and Holly Heartfelt are being championed. It’s wonderful to have the chance to be part of this brilliant new business. Plus all my spooks are right at home! I’ve even dropped off some brand new print designs ahead of opening too.  

For more information and to book now, visit www.thesteelcauldron.co.uk 

Trying My Hand at Animating

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Lockdown certainly seemed at the beginning like a great opportunity to learn new skills. I think I had actually convinced myself I would too. Despite letting my skill share membership lapse (foreboding much?) I thought I would leave lockdown a master of something or other. The reality for me is that I ended up super busy instead. I am incredibly grateful for this, and I probably would have found myself a pile in front of Netflix otherwise. I’m accepting that I probably wouldn’t have mastered too much either way. Happily though, a commission early on called on me flexing some very weak animation muscles. With this the prompt to experiment with some animation began.

What Programme to Use?

I actually used two and they both had different benefits. I started with Procreate’s new animation function. Super easy and intuitive to use. Every layer is a frame, Bob’s your uncle. Amending the transparency of your layers creates this onion skin effect so planning your frames is nice and easy. For frame by frame hand drawn animation Procreate was perfect. For something a bit more technical though, After Effects is your guy. Allowing you to apply set animation rules to individual assists and play around with things like length, position and movement much more easily than Procreate, this is the power house programme. Where procreate is a much slower process, After effects takes some schooling but saves you a tonne of time. It also creates professionally looking movements and cleaner transitions between frames. 

And the winner is?

Ultimately though I found myself using the two. Procreate to create assets and After Effects to put them together. I do think that there are possibly some specific movements I would still create in Procreate. You can add your own personality into the movement of an object that is difficult to achieve with a set of static commands. It might well be that after effects offers this flexibility too, but it is outside of my technical understanding at present if it is. 

This was my first foray into after Effects and with Martin as a teacher it was less intimidating than it first appeared. I would certainly like to spend some more time on animating again at some point. The idea of creating moving posters always appealed to me. I even remember the first one I ever saw and how amazed I was. I also want to rekindle my Skillshare subscription. The quality of teaching is really strong and the design of the courses thorough but easy to follow. If you’re reading this skill share and want to thank me with some free months I would not say no! 

Spooky House Portraits, a Spotlight

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One of my favourite commission projects to work on are my spooky house portraits.For each one I get inspired by photos of the clients home and make it haunted! I will use stories and favourite themes from the client if they have them.I will go wild with what I think suits the house best for those who want a surprise.

They are such a rewarding thing to work on. I get to have a glimpse of people’s lives and homes and get such wonderful stories shared with me. I get to connect with folk who love spooky stuff too! It’s great to come together with people and hear ideas about their spooky homes.

Haunted Houses

Originally I began the commissions by adding ghosts to house portraits I had drawn as I thought suited the house best. Through working with so many people it has been wonderful to see so many different ideas come through. From giant fuzzy toys and Godzilla-like monsters to haunted pets and mothmen. I have even drawn some allegedly haunted properties! Recently I got to draw a house in the US that was teeming with spooky stuff before I even started. A halloween house haunt captured for the owner in A3 size. What a great way to celebrate halloween all year round? All that hard work decorating and prop making should be remembered more frequently for sure! It is so nice to see all the different ways the portraits can go.

Not Just Houses

I have event drawn venues including the ‘Red rum’ bar in Stafford. One of the several haunted properties I have drawn. However, you don’t have to have a spooky story attached to your property for me to draw it. You don’t even have to have big ideas. JUst telling me that you like spooky stuff is fine! You can leave it to me to do the rest.

Get In Touch!

If you have taken a gander at my haunted portraits and like what you see, get. In touch to find out more! I can give you examples of portraits, current size options, lead times and prices and we can see about the best way to haunt your house. Just fill out the contact form on my website or email sianellis@hotmail.co.uk for details 🙂

Peshkar Stay at Home Art Club

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Over the last three weeks I have been collaborating with Peshkar to deliver the online virtual art club #PeshkarSAHAC. You may think this sounds familiar as I wrote about it in my blog at the beginning of the month. I thought it would be nice to revisit the challenge and look at some work I have created for it.

The Aims

The goal of the challenge was to create art away from screens. We spend far too time on our screens, especially tat the moment. A break form screens to me is always a well welcomed rest. For my eyes and my mind! I especially love creating art offline too. The chance to make a bit of mess and experiment with something tangible is always attractive. I wanted to try something new over the challenge too.

Week 1

For the first prompt I really went for the idea of ‘playful’. The prompt word was ‘togetherness’ and I wanted to create something really outside of my usual work. I opted for a set of face paints and using my hand as a canvas.  I created a little family of ghosts, who when viewed without the palm look separate, but are all part of the same appendidge. It reflected my feelings around relationships in lockdown. Feeling connected to your loved ones despite not seeing them for months.

Week 2

The next prompt word was ‘home’ and again I thought a lot about lockdown! That never ending period of being ‘at home’. Still thinking about connections to loved ones far away I opted for a postcard. A little nod to the holidays we are all not having at the moment too! I created a vintage style postcard form my home. Greetings from my kitchen!

Week 3

The final week’s prompt was ‘respect’ and this was a tough one to create for. I couldn’t choose. Did I want to create something for key workers? Did I want to create something in support of trans rights or the Black Lives Matter movement? I chose to create a portrait of an artist I respect whose progressive views were at the forefront of her career. Frida Kahlo. A revolutionary, artist of colour and a fighter for LGBT and feminist rights, I felt like she embodied all the things I wanted to portray. I wanted to use the last week to try a new technique too so I opted for a single line portrait of Frida.  

A Completely Terrifying Announcement

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I am officially about to become a full time artist! The concept is equally terrifying and exhilarating. It’s safe to say I never pictured a pandemic being the reason though! Unfortunately my employer has been hard hit through these last months. I have balanced part time employment and my art career over the last two years since I started illustrating. I have always been open about the fact I probably haven’t balanced it particularly well though. 

A New World

For the last 12 years I have been a fundraiser. Whether that’s been working with corporates, individuals, data or administrating I have been fundraising. I honed my career to specialise in Fundraising Events. It was my favourite aspect of fundraising. I always enjoyed how creative you could be in organisations events and the payoff in seeing it come together. The reality though is that there is no role for large scale events in society currently, and these were my specialism. 

The job of generating income for charity whilst ensuring visitors got a great experience for their money has always been a tough job. Throw in social distancing to the mix and it’s just downright impossible for so many organisers with ambitious targets to hit. With my employer in trouble, my role impractical and my business weathering lockdown as well as could be hoped, making the leap was the only thing that seemed to make sense.

Not A Hobby

It has been a while since I would have classed my artwork as a hobby. I work too damn hard and it is far too busy for it to be so. No one does tax returns and finances and marketing as a hobby! I have treated my arts job professionally since I started illustrating. It is a huge leap for it to be full time though. The timing is so unnatural because of the pandemic but I am optimistic that it is the right decision. I am not a fool. It is going to take a lot of blood, sweat and tears to make it so. I need support from others and to self promote like there is no tomorrow, No matter how daunting it seems. I can throw myself into it fully and hopefully build something beautiful.

Nervous Nancy

There is lots to be nervous about though. From guiding a business through an impending recession to the intimidating prospect of working alone. I’ve lots to learn too, that’s for sure! I am just going to try my best to make this thing work.

And on that note…

If you need an illustrator, please remember me! I do painting, digital work and fine drawing. I even do ceramics and the odd bit of animation Such as gifs and AR assets. Whether your company needs merchandise or a poster designed or you are looking for a print for your home or a bespoke gift for a loved one. Or even if you or your workplace want a great big mural painting too. Remember your friendly local artists Sian and don’t hesitate to get in touch for a chat. Even just through reading this blog I appreciate you spending your time to support me and gain a little insight into this bonkers new adventure of mine. If you want an even more in depth look into my process, works and sneak peeks my Patreon has that too, just check out www.patreon.com/thisissianellis for more details! 

Collaborators Wanted!

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One of my goals for 2020 was to work on more collaborations this year. Although 2020 is not the year I expected it to be, a lot of my goals still ring true. Happily, this has been an excellent year so far for collaborations. From creating illustration designs, joint giveaways all the way through to tshirt and merch designs I have been involved in some brilliant collaborative projects this year. Some I have highlighted in this blog already and the rest I will do so soon.

I want you!

Collaborations are my bag and I am still looking for more! I want to find likeminded artists and brands to work with. There is so much scope for working together to! If done right collaborations are a brilliant way to support the growth of each others business. It can also be an opportunity for us to sell together and create much needed revenue. If you are a business looking to collaborate with an artists you can have the knowledge of supporting an independent artists and getting some great quality designs and cross promotion. 

Artists

There are tonnes of ways we can work together as artists and create something beautiful. Joining up for giveaways is definitely something I love to do. We can reward our social media followers and grow our accounts at the same time. There’s also scope for creating something together too. That can be a product, a campaign, anything! If you have an idea how we can work together, get in touch! 

Businesses

I have collaborated with businesses of all shapes and sizes during my time as an illustrator. From creating promotional assets, to designing merch for sale and even creating one off pieces of art for competition prizes. As lockdown continues to ease and with social distancing measures in mind I am picking up painting projects again, and painting murals in office and commercial spaces as well as temporary window painting designs are all back on the cards. If you have an idea where you’d like to work with a vibrant local Sheffield artist then drop me a line and lets chat about it. 

Other Organisations

I am always open to a chat about working together if you have an idea in mind. Community arts projects and workshops are just some examples of working with community groups and the third sector. All I ask is please not to be asked for financial support and donations. I get a lot of requests and it is unsuistanable for me to support them all. The reality I that I am a sole trader whose trying to build a small business and I am under as much pressure as the rest of us at the moment. I continue to support charitable causes such as with my Post Snail Press postcard sales and my recent Mercht tshirt campaign, but I do so only at a rate I can afford to (which isn’t much I’m afraid!) I do offer preferential rates to charitable organisations looking for illustration and design work.

HMU

I’m not scary and I don’t bite. If you’ve got an idea please do get in touch! It could be the start of something beautiful! You can find my contact form on the ‘contact’ tab at the top of the page. Alternatively you can email me on sianellis@hotmail.co.uk