Zara Illustrates

BIOGRAPHY

My name is Zara Picken and I have been working as an illustrator since graduating from the University of the West of England with a First class honours degree in Illustration in 2008. I find inspiration in vast collections, large cities, literature and obscure music. I am also influenced by mid-century modern design and have a passion for old paper-based ephemera.

My work combines digital and handmade elements. Projects begin with pencil drawings and are completed using Photoshop in a distinctive style. My work is ideas-led, approaching each brief with an open mind and focusing on conveying concepts and messages with a striking aesthetic.

In my spare time, I enjoy being a technology geek, playing bad cover versions on a range of musical instruments and improving my coffee-making skills. I am based in Bristol, England.

SELECTED CLIENTS

Waitrose, The Guardian, The National Trust, Macmillan Publishing, NUS, Sainsbury's Magazine, WIRED, Redactive Media Group, Delicious Magazine, Harvard Medicine, Futurelab, Runner's World, AARP, Lonely Planet Magazine, John Brown Publishing and many more.

RECOGNITION

AOI Images 35 2011 (two images selected), 3x3 Professional Show 2010 (two images selected, Merit), Creative Quarterly 2010 (Runner-up in Illustration: Professional category), AOI Images 34 2010 (selected) AOI Images 33 2009 (two images selected), V&A Illustration Awards 2009 (shortlisted, Editorial category), D&AD Student Awards 2008 (In Book Award), The Macmillan Prize for Children's Book Illustrations 2008 (Highly Commended), Cheltenham Illustration Awards 2007 (Second) and Lloyds TSB Art of Nurture Competition 2007 (First).