Fun, By Design
Wallpaper Republic team member Rachael Taylor is a British Pattern Designer and Illustrator based in Liverpool. Her work is instantly recognisable by it’s quirky and colourful illustrative style. She was kind enough to answer a few questions and give us an insight into her creative process.
Where are you from/where are you currently?
I am originally from Liverpool (UK) but after graduating in 2005 I stayed in Leeds where I had studied. However, recently I have just moved my studio back to Liverpool, which has been a pipe dream of mine for quite some time now. I’m more than ready to move to such a fab city and live closer to my family. I feel blessed that I will be living in such a vibrant, inspiring and cultural place! I will definitely feel like a tourist again and can’t wait to explore the sights.
Who/what are you influenced by, what inspires you?
If I’m working on my own collections (and not on a set client brief) I just go with how I feel, it sounds silly but I honestly do just make it up as I go along. I like to feel unrestricted, I play some good music and just draw; I try to work freely and organically so my work feels spontaneous and not contrived. Music is key but I also like to go on long walks and get inspired by my surroundings.
How would you describe your work?
Energetic, spontaneous, layered, textured, hand-drawn and fun!
What is your favourite artistic medium?
I come from a screen-printing background so I still like to be pretty hands on. I still hand draw pretty much everything – I much prefer to work this way. I’m not too keen on drawing straight on to the computer with a graphic tablet. I tend to use a number of black pens in different thicknesses and I make lots of marks and textures too. Then I scan everything in and then work it up using Adobe Illustrator. I like to experiment and most of the time the outcome is actually a happy accident! I LOVE colour, selecting a colour palette can be one of my most favourite parts of the design process.
What are you up to currently?
Currently I am working on setting up my new home and studio, preparing to talk at New Designers London and at Printsource, New York. I’m also focusing on my little boy who brings so much joy to my life. Thanks to him I have been really inspired by kids clothing designs and character design and I’ve been adding these types of designs to my portfolio. I also have a licensed range of Umbrella designs with a fabulous UK client coming out soon.
Where do you want to be in 5 years?
I really hope to have longevity as a designer and I hope to continue doing what I love. I would love for my design brand to keep growing, be able to teach around the world and possibly create some children’s books and design for children’s wear. I enjoy the not knowing sometimes, as long as I continue to do my best, be happy, work hard and remain dedicated, I’m quite happy to see where the journey takes me.
