Turine Tran - Book, Character and Non-Fiction and Sketchbook Illustrator, Rugby, England

Vietnamese artist Turine Tran’s imaginative children’s illustrations were inspired by some of the Victorian greats like Arthur Rackham, yet she’s established her own unique style which is charming, elegant and popular with clients who like her nostaligic, painterly approach. Turine grew up in a house full of books that she could escape into as a child. She was taught to draw by her father. Ho Chi Minh City is a hot, busy and crowded place, but Turine prefers the countryside – particularly when the weather is dark and gloomy. In addition to her art, she does a lot of crafting, from beads to sewing and from knitting to cooking.

Training

Turine studied design in Vietnam, before going to the School of Art, Design and Media in Singapore. She moved to Edinburgh to study for a Masters in Illustration, and later returned to Vietnam.

Approach

Images usually start off as rough pencil sketches in Turine’s notebooks as she tries to establish the forms and the composition. Detail and shading are added and then the pencil image is scanned in so that she can add colour in Photoshop. She has designed her own custom brushes within the application.

Style

Turine’s style is intentionally nostalgic. She wants viewers to reminisce when they see her work – as though it’s just been discovered in a dusty old attic. Her Victorian-inspired illustrations are full of whimsical lines and forms, given life by paper textures. Meanwhile, she enjoys creating children’s characters that aren’t just cute and cuddly, but which are vulnerable and unpredictable, and don’t behave in ways that adult viewers expect them to.